As we enter a new year, we enter another month of a global crisis and continued white supremacist violence. While holding the gratitude and reflections of entering a new year, I am also holding the collective grief of this time in our lives. For some, returning from this winter break might have highlighted the ways that working while caring for ourselves and our loved ones during a global pandemic can just be too much. What does it look like to truly care for ourselves and our communities during this time? 

In adrienne maree brown’s book, Emergent Strategy, she asks, “Do you already know that your existence--who and how you are--is in and of itself a contribution to the people and place around you? Not after or because you do some particular thing, but simply the miracle of your life. And that the people around you, and the place(s), have contributions as well? Do you understand that your quality of life and your survival are tied to how authentic and generous the connections are between you and the people and place you live with and in?” By asking this, she highlights the ways that our wellness depends on our interdependence. How are we leveraging our relationships, communities, and connections, to make change and care for ourselves through love and empathy during such challenging times?
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Through COVID-19, the importance of this community care, interdependence, and relationships, has been highlighted in some ways. This is seen in all the local community-led mutual aid efforts, community coalitions, Black-led grassroots organizing, and general access to wellness support from organizations that are pushing out information and mental health resources.

In this age of social media, zoom, and webinars, we have access to so much information. Talks and webinars from thinkers, activists, and academics that used to cost money to attend, are now being recorded and circulated for widescale access. Much of this information includes community wellness resources available on various platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Zoom, and Clubhouse. Here are a few to note that center collective care, community, and healing:

• BEAM “is a national training, movement building and grant making organization dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black and marginalized communities.” Check their website and Instagram for resources, and their graphic below for some journal prompts!​ ​

Got other great community care and wellness resources? Add them in a comment below! In times of such overwhelm, stress, and open wounds, let us take care of ourselves and each other. 

​As 2021 began, it quickly showed us it would be one for the history books. The attack on Capitol Hill this week was a blatant reminder of how much work there is still to be done to combat white supremacy culture and the major inequities in our Justice System.  

As Mr. Rogers once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would always say to me, look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping” … and with that, what I am most grateful for and proud of during this time is the work I see being done by our staff to support our students, and the resource sharing that quickly spread this week. Finding ways to connect with our students and process what happened is an important step towards change.

Before we go more into that, kindly remember that it is just as important to support our students as it is to practice your own self-care.  This is a marathon, not a sprint, so take the time needed to take care of YOU.  Take that walk, meditate, talk to a friend/family/colleague, move your body, access EAP services, take a break from social media, sing a song REALLY loud. Do you what you gotta do to take care of YOU

Now back to the resource sharing for students. We took a moment to collect some resources below. Please feel free to share these links with fellow educators or use them in your work with students in the days to come.

• Step by Step Guide to Teaching with Current Events in your School
• 3 Classroom Activities: 3 ways to teach about the insurrection (PBS)
• Resources for Teachers on the Days After the Attack on the U.S. Capitol – Beyond the Stoplight
• Talking to Kids About the Attack on the Capitol – National Education Association
• Can you Spot the Difference – Woke Kindergarten
• Non-Verbal Check-In Prompts – Some students will likely need and want space to discuss and ask questions. One check-in idea shared when discussing social emotional learning is using thumbs to share how you feel physically or emotionally, such as using a graph and indicating where you are using fingers.
• Singing Songs – UE Coach Jenna Evans noted that when she dropped into Ms. Flores-Mejia’s class, they were singing a Mindful Life Song;  they can be found on this webpage or YouTube link. If interested, these are geared towards different age groups: Tk-2 emotions and heartfulness, Grade 3-5 Body Scan or 6th and up Emotions and Heartfulness
• This website has resources for teachers on the days after the attack on the U.S. Capital, and talks about creating spaces for zoom breakout rooms.
• A teacher put together a social studies resource sharing guide that digs into transition of power, responding to tragedy, etc.
• Books about kindness, feelings and how important our words and actions are to one another are far and wide. Mo Williems did an election night activity on doodling with music with feelings (it would require markers/crayons and paper). He also wrote a book, “The Pigeon Has Feelings, Too.”

Thank you for showing up each and every day. Your work is beautiful and inspiring.  You truly are the change we wish to see in the world.

Your Loyal Ops Team Member,
Linzy Gustafson
*** Special shout out to Jenna Evans, Jenny Ventura, Amber Fretwell and Robin Detterman for their contributions to the resource sharing. 

About 45 minutes south of bustling Seattle is the 3rd largest city in Washington: Tacoma – the City of Destiny. Tacoma is also home to Summit Olympus, a 9th – 12th grade public charter school. Summit Olympus is currently Tacoma’s only charter school. It is currently in its 6th school year of operation and has partnered with Seneca for all 6 consecutive years. 

​Historically, Seneca has provided special education and mental health services on an as-needed basis. This year, with support from the Gates Foundation, we have been able to partner with Olympus to provide a full-time Clinical Intervention Specialist and Unconditional Education (UE) Coach for the first time ever. We continue to provide special education services as needed, with our two full-time staff being fully integrated into the Olympus community. In partnership meetings with Olympus administrators, they have mentioned on how they sometimes forget that our Clinician and UE Coach are actually Seneca staff – a huge compliment and a true testament to the hard work and dedication from our team. 

Some notable ways our staff partner with the school to build a stronger community and school culture include:

• Participation in School Activities: Our Clinician and UE Coach attend school activities, and volunteer for special assignments. Some examples include helping with computer distribution, delivering food to families, and supporting in the Black Student Union group.
• Professional Development: Our staff regularly provide school-wide professional development workshops, including Trauma-Informed Education, PBIS and MTSS. This year, our UE Coach and Clinician have teamed up to facilitate monthly Mental Health Matters trainings and have discussed topics such as anxiety in the classroom and self-care for educators.
• Seneca/School Relationships: Our staff regularly attend staff meetings during school hours, which helps keep them in the know about school trends, celebrations, challenges and overall Summit updates. They have built strong relationships with school staff by attending staff virtual hangouts and other team building activities. Our UE Coach and Clinician also regularly attend Olympus Leadership Team meetings.
• Seneca Team Communication: The entire Seneca team that works at Olympus (UE Coach, Clinical, Occupational Therapist, Speech & Language Pathologist, School Psychologist and Partnership Manager) come together two times per month to meet and share information, celebrate victories, and problem-solve around challenging situations or students. The information-sharing has benefited every team member, especially during the time of virtual school when there is no staff lounge, office, or hallway where you normally might share information in-person. 

We are thrilled to have our first ever full-time UE Coach and Clinical Intervention Specialist working at Summit Olympus to help build and sustain systems in the academic, behavioral, and emotional strands. Working together with the Specialist team and Olympus staff, we are excited to see the progress and impact that a collaborative team approach can have on the school community. 

Name: Carlos M. Muñoz Bucio
Position: Behavior Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? I enjoy the possibility of designing and evaluating interventions based on the conditions where and when the behavior occurs. I think that conflict opens opportunities to foster relationships and collaborate with students and their community on new systematical alternatives to reduce distress (anxiety), and consequently, disruption.
What inspires you to do this work? I work with elementary grade students, so every day, there are moments of joy and silliness. These guys are creative, resilient, funny, and intelligent. My inspiration comes from my students’ experiences and my work colleagues’ support to keep myself be innovative.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? I believe that behavior results from the relationship between the student and his/her community; “the student is the community, and the community is the student.” In these terms, the behavior is not an isolated problem; it is a community responsibility. In these terms, I’m currently teaching all students how to regulate their passions/emotions to better judge when conflict arises. Finally, on November 2nd, the school staff, students, and I created a space to honor and remember how much we love our deceased friends and families by setting a community ofrenda for the “Día de Los Muertos.”
Share something unique about yourself: I was born in Mérida, Yucatán, a town situated near Chicxulub – google it, something about dinosaurs will surprise you. Around 10 years ago, while I was living in Mexico, I had to go to urgent care in a Mexico City hospital due to significant respiratory issues. I came into the hospital and let know the front office person I was having difficulties breathing. She only asked for my ID and a contact person to call if I needed to be hospitalized. Then she said to wait in the waiting room. No more than 10 minutes in the waiting room, I was called to see the physician. To make this story short, I received medicine through a mechanical nebulizer, X-Ray, and a second visit with another medical specialist, all on the same day. I paid the equivalency of 15 dollars and without having insurance. If it is possible in Mexico, it is possible in very wealthy countries. 

Name: Abraham Munoz
Position: Student Support Assistant
What led you to your current position? I would have to say that working with students at an after-school program during my undergrad years is what led me to my current position. I wanted to work with students of all backgrounds to support them in pursuing their academic, personal, and social-emotional goals with life. I knew this position offered that opportunity at a school setting, and this is why I decided to take a chance in making a positive impact to these young scholars in the community.
What inspires you to do this work? I have learned that there is a large variety of students that are not supported well enough to bring out their inner qualities to succeed. What inspires me to do this work is to be a resource to as much students as I can to let them know that they are capable of anything in this life. I want to educate, learn, and motivate from others bring out a positive light to students who have lost, suffered, and most of all doubted themselves through difficult moments in their life.
What is an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson that I have learned in this role is to be patient with all the students that I work with. I realized that sometimes it will take time to make progress in supporting students to reach their goals. We cannot force or rush a student because that only leads to more stress and pressure.
Share your life motto: There are so many paths in this adventure we call life, but you are the only guide to your happiness in the end.

My role as a Student Support Assistant has primarily involved supporting students in being the best version of themselves at school and beyond. While on campus, this mostly involved providing academic support, behavioral guidance, incentives, redirections, positive reinforcements, conflict resolution, etc. However, in the world of distance learning, this support has looked a lot different. It became evident that the primary needs coming up for students were not just related to school. Due to the pandemic and its various consequences, students have communicated to me that their families are experiencing significant financial hardships: they are unable to eat breakfast, or they have run out of soap and shampoo because their families cannot afford groceries or supplies. I quickly came to realize that these needs come first: it is nearly impossible to succeed in school with a hungry belly, or without being able to feel clean.

It was with this knowledge that I was able to mobilize members of the community to donate items and funds to support the students and families who were struggling most. Through the generosity of the local community, we raised over $4,000, four car loads of soaps, shampoos, diapers, etc. and have partnered with a local food distribution company to provide monthly produce donations to consistently provide families with healthy and fresh food. The funds have supported families that have lost loved ones to COVID-19, covering funeral costs. The hygiene supplies and household items have been set up on display in one of the classrooms on campus as a “free store” where families can visit and “shop” for what they need. The produce has provided families with pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables to create healthy and sustainable meals for the entire family unit.

We have all had to think outside the box as school staff this year, tailoring our supports beyond just the school, and seeing the WHOLE child and the real time issues coming up for each student. I feel it a privilege during this holiday season to hold the title as a Student Support Assistant, and to support and assist students and families in a meaningful way during this difficult year.
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Be safe, be healthy, and Happy Holidays to all.

​Many of our school partners have challenged themselves to push the limits of distance learning for their staff and students. Our partners at Summit K2 and Summit Tamalpais are no different. I am excited to share some of the innovative ways that our staff have collaborated with these Summit schools to implement the vision of Unconditional Education in the virtual world. 

Summit K2 and Summit TAM serve a diverse population of middle and high school students from the West Contra Costa County School District. We have partnered with K2 and TAM since their openings, in 2014 and 2016 respectively, to provide Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) and other Special Education supports and consultation. Currently, we have three clinicians providing ERMHS to the K2 and TAM school communities: Hannah Hernandez, Doug Woodson, and Shannah Roston-Cooper. Laura Lin oversees the Summit Partnership and I provide clinical supervision and consultation. The work of an ERMHS provider is usually limited to serving only students on the ERMHS caseloads. Our team has expanded the impact of our role by creatively partnering with Summit to support the needs of their larger school community as well. 

​Since the shelter in place order went into effect in March 2020, our staff have collaborated with Summit leadership and special education teams to come up with ideas to address some of the most pressing issues facing students, families, and staff: equity, empathy, and connection (to the work and to each other). Here are some examples: 

I am appreciative of the strong relationships that we’ve built with our partners at Summit K2 and Summit Tam and of ways that our teams center the voices and experiences of students, families, and the community.

​Children’s books have always been central to my life. As a child, I was the bookworm at the library every week filling up my bag to the brim with new stories to get lost in. In college I took as many classes on children’s literature as I could manage. As an early childhood teacher, I relished in finding books that my students connected with. And now as a parent, I sit for hours on end with my 2-year-old in the evenings and on weekends, passing on my love for stories (and the local library). 

We know that diverse representation in literature is central to creating an affirming, healing-centered, hope-filled experience for our children and our students. And, in Mindshift’s recent article, Diversifying Your Classroom Book Collections? Avoid these 7 Pitfalls, we are reminded that “building a classroom library that offers ‘windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors’ to all children is more than a numbers game. It requires thoughtful curation of who is represented and how.”

If you are supporting the literary experience of students at home or in the classroom, please enjoy this article that covers seven pitfalls to avoid when deciding what to leave in and out, as well as book recommendations for early childhood, middle grades, and young adults! Here’s a sneak peek at the seven pitfalls:

• Showing only suffering
• Surface level diversity
• Ignoring Intersectionality
• Sidekick Syndrome
• Treating groups as monoliths
• Excluding #ownvoices
• Stopping at the text

 
Click the link to the article above and read on to learn more!

​Like most students across the country, the Washington Elementary community also began their 2020-21 Academic School year virtually from home. Starting the year with distance learning meant that Leadership had to be creative and think out of the box to keep students connected to school – all whilst maintaining a strong sense of community. Research has shown that creating a sense of belonging and building relationships is critical to ensure students remain engaged and enthusiastic learners. While everything about back-to-school was different, we wanted to create a sense of normalcy by translating our regular routines and practices into virtual platforms. So, we implemented our Monday Morning Announcement videos! The videos were a great way for everyone to start the week with the same message and have opportunities to participate in different challenges and activities as a whole school. 

​Our Monday Morning Announcement videos have become the catch-all for maintaining consistent connection (virtually) and encouraging our students to be academically motivated and committed to school. We have introduced fun reading challenges for all grade levels and have students submit fun videos with books reviews. We have also used this opportunity to bring the campus to our students – even though they cannot physically be on campus. Each week we reinforce our Dragon values and encourage students to demonstrate our characteristics of being Resilient, Flexible, Empathetic, Persistent and Optimistic. Here is a sample of our Monday Morning Announcements:

The Monday Morning Announcements are the highlight of the week for a lot our students, and we are seeing more and more participation from our Dragon Heroes. Our discussion forum on the announcements is a great place for students to motivate and encourage their peers to work hard and spread joy. The weekly announcements have also helped us achieve our AIP goal of increasing school pride and incorporating more student voice-and-choice in our decision-making processes. Creating this feeling of belonging by fostering school-wide connections between teachers, students and administrators has truly enhanced our virtual learning experience, and hence, we would love to hear from you too! Please share your great ideas for community building and fostering connection during distance in the comments below. 

​Some partnerships are built to last. Daniel Webster and Starr King began their Seneca All-In! partnerships back in 2014 under the Investing in Innovations (I3) Grant and began with the full UE model. Our exceptional UE coaches, Laura Lin and Trevor Burns, helped the schools build out their PBIS systems, SEL curriculum, and other elements of school culture and climate. We were able to add mental health services through Medi-Cal and provide tier 3 services to kids and families at each school. 

When the I3 grant came to an end, we were able to maintain our relationships with Daniel Webster and Starr King, and continue the Medi-Cal-funded mental health work. Now, our amazing clinicians, Jill Salak and Mark McKillips, continue this legacy of high-quality socio-emotional supports at our Potrero Hill partner schools.

In addition, we are able to provide consultation around tier 1 systems so that both schools can maintain the beautiful work they did under the I3 grant.

Due to these successes, we were able to add 3 new SFUSD schools to our list of partners this year!

Go, All-In San Francisco!