In November, Cox Academy 5th grade students had the chance to go camping! For many of the students it was their first time being away from home and family, spending time with their peers outside of school, and sleeping under the stars! Vida Verde is an outdoor overnight educational experience. Noted in their mission statement “for a young person who has never before walked in the majestic Redwoods, spent time getting to know the birds in their neighborhood, or doesn’t have access to nature spaces to discover their strength and drive.” Cox Student Support Counselor Shelby Carroll chaperoned the trip and later shared that both her and the students where challenged mentally and physically, but overall had an amazing time. The students experienced milking goats, chasing chickens and hiking through the Redwood Forest. They also visited the ocean and played ‘wave pool tag’, and saw banana slugs the eco system up close. Banana slugs are a part of the Vida Verde camp culture and have a song dedicated to banana slugs. Roasting marshmallows by the campfire and participating in night hikes, the students had many ‘first time’ experiences. A highlight is Vida Verde is FREE! Geared for grades 4th-6th, students will get to sleep in teepees, help make their own food and be immersed in nature for three days and two nights. Blog Post Written By: Devina Brooks, Director of School Partnerships
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Recent events, such as COVID-19, have encouraged the state, districts, and schools to rethink the direct connection between schools and families. In January 2021 California furthered legislation and passed the California Community Schools Partnership Act to strengthen the link between school and community services. A community school is a “whole-child” school improvement strategy where the district and school work closely with teachers, students, families, and partners to bring an integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. Community school strategies can be an effective approach to mitigate the academic and social impacts of current events, improve school responsiveness to student and family needs, and to organize school and community resources to address barriers to learning. Community schools align deeply with Seneca’s values and the UE programs at Seneca are working with many community schools partnerships around the state. In Hayward with the HEART Program (Hayward Empowering Advocacy and Radical Transformation), Behavior Intervention Specialist Mickey Gant, has joined the community schools partnership team at Longwood Elementary School. The team has representatives from the Longwood community, a student, school staff, 2 local agencies (including Mickey at Seneca), and the district. The goal is to engage in collaborative practices to best support the Longwood students and families. Mickey shares:
Nice work Mickey! We look forward to seeing all the community schools partnership team at Longwood achieves! Blog Post Written By: Bunny Rutherford, Assistant Director of School Partnerships
What's over there? In Potrero hill?! We have Daniel Webster Elementary and Starr King Elementary! Two schools with strong supportive support teams! At Daniel Webster, we have Hector Castro ( Student Support Assistant) and Jill Salak (Clinical Intervention Specialist). At Starr King Elementary we have Jennifer Olguín (Student Support Assistant) and Abby Rose (Clinical Intervention Specialist). These two teams work together with school leadership and social workers to offer intentional care and support to students and families, ensuring equity for all. “I think a foundation of empathy and compassion for colleagues is central to success in these types of roles. This work can be challenging, complicated, and confusing, and yet all around me I see teachers and support staff that show up for students as best they can, despite a multitude of challenges. Recognizing this and the contributions everyone makes, along with trying to build deeper connections with colleagues, makes collaboration easier when differences of opinion or other challenges arise. - Abby Rose, Clinical Intervention Specialist I want to also highlight the efforts of both schools in building connections and community within their school communities. The Walking School Bus offered at Starr King Elementary, which provides families with support in getting their children to school in the morning, not only ensures safe passage but also fosters a sense of connection within the school. In October, Daniel Webster Elementary displayed an Ofrenda, a beautiful expression of love and remembrance for Dia de los Muertos. Additionally, creating interventions that align with a student’s interests, such as visual aids with cartoons of their favorite characters, helps students connect more deeply to their learning. “What brings me joy is seeing my connection with students grow by showing up for them every day. It makes me happy to see them smile and laugh because they have such contagious joy. Even in difficult moments, I feel grateful in knowing that I am there to support them.” - Jennifer Olguín, Student Support Assistant “Starr King is proud to share how diverse its student and staff populations are. In this, they host a great deal of cultural celebrations throughout the year in an attempt to educate students and families about others and uplift students from the multitude of communities represented here. Parents are often highly involved in the planning and execution of these events, which helps to promote their connections with the school.” - Abby Rose, Clinical Intervention Specialist “Making connections with the students and collaboration with staff on how the students can be successful on a daily basis.”- Hector Castro, Student Support Assistant “ Blog Post Written By: Cristina Sanchez-Cruz, Assistant Director of School Partnerships
Nestled in the heart of Fremont, California, Walters Middle School stands as a beacon of academic excellence and community engagement. With a rich history, a dedication to nurturing young minds, and a commitment to creating a supportive environment for students, Walters Middle School has become a pillar of education in the region. In this short post we hope to share a glimpse of what makes Walters and our CEC partnership so great! Our Seneca partnership has been going strong for the last few years. Our CEC classroom consists of a teacher (Ms. Vina), a therapist(Ms. Shriya), and 2 counselors (Ms. Melinda and Mr. Sam). Our teacher partnership is a fairly new addition (currently in our second year) to our classroom structure in Fremont and it has proven so far to be the perfect touch to meet our client needs. With the right pieces, our puzzle is now complete. The school Admin and partnering classrooms continue to make it a hospitable environment for our team by collaborating and providing spaces for us to provide services. When you step into the CEC classroom at Walters, you immediately notice the galactic, Out of This World, theme. If you step toward the back of the classroom, you will see a space that the team have carved out for students, when they need a break or just need to wind down. The set up on this campus provides a space for the therapist to be in the room, so her office sits in the back of the room with a beanbag chair, complete with massage features. The classroom team has outlined and developed clear expectations to support students with predictable responses and ways in which they are able to earn Incentives. They have created a full-on classroom Costco that serves as a way to cash in on the incentives that they earn day to day. One of things that I love in visiting the site is the student/staff relationships and interactions. There is a clear line of communication amongst all members that allows for conversations around student desires and expectations. One of the most recent discussions has been about fidgets, while very useful, can also be very distracting. Here you can see the consensus that they came to in the end. With a rich history of academic excellence, a robust extracurricular program, and a strong commitment to community involvement, Walters Middle School continues to be a source of pride for the Fremont community. We are so excited that are a piece of the larger puzzle that makes it such a great school community. If you are ever around and stop by Ms. Vina’s classroom you may walk away with a piece of candy, but you’ll definitely leave with a smile from the joy the classroom and its team brings. Blog post written by: Anthone Jackson, Director of School Partnerships
One of our program goals is incorporating Healing Centered Engagement principles throughout Light the Change, from our direct work with clients and families, collaborations with school partners, individual and group supervisions and program meetings. The hope is to promote healing on multiple levels, for clients and families and for our team. One way we incorporate these principles into our monthly program meetings is by having each team member present about their identities during this year. Each presentation is 5 minutes long and the invitation is open-ended so that each person can present themselves with as much creativity and flexibility as they choose. After the first two rounds, team members have shared their identities in multiple ways: creating visuals, using poetry, bringing artifacts, etc. This activity is based in the HCE principles of Culture and Belonging, Agency and Relationships with the understanding that if we all share parts of ourselves we allow more vulnerability in our relationships while also allowing each person to share as much as they are comfortable with. Ideally, as we share about ourselves and learn about each other, we will experience a sense of belonging that allows us to bring our authentic selves to our work and see the best in each other, all of which contribute to healing. Blog Post Written By: Mark Thibedeau, Clinical Supervisor
I arrived early to our partner school, Summit Sierra, located in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District for an appointment with Deshika Venezio-Perera, Seneca Washington’s school based Lead Clinician. As I checked in, I was led to Deshika’s office, where I promptly settled into a cushy armchair, picked up a fidget toy, and enjoyed the pictures, plants, and grinning faces on the staff bios posted in the office window. In the first 5 minutes with the light on and the door open, I was visited by a teacher who popped in to tell Deshika about her weekend, another staff member who wanted to share about a recent success with a student after consulting with Deshika, and a youth who was set to meet our clinical intern for the first time. They were surprised to see me sitting in the office and shared that they had come by because they were feeling nervous and were hoping Deshika could walk them to the neighboring therapy room; I assured them that while I wasn’t Deshika, we worked very closely together. At this, their shoulders relaxed and they said, “Well, if you're Deshika’s friend…” as we walked to the appointment together. All it takes is a few minutes to observe the warmth and trust fostered in the relationships at Summit Sierra, which isn’t to say that the school hasn’t seen their fair share of challenges posed by the pandemic and the mental/behavioral health needs thematic across our high schools in WA state. Recognized by the Washington School Recognition Program in 2020 for growth and excellence in student achievement, Sierra students spend their days solving real-world problems and building the skills of self-direction, collaboration and reflection. As Deshika has begun her second year at Sierra, she has celebrated a number of firsts with her school community:
Our partnership with Sierra continues to be a shining example of the innovation and heart that can inspire impactful change; which is wholly due to the individuals committed each and every day to this work. Thank you Deshika and Sierra for your service! Blog post written by: Katrina Carleton, Director of School Partnerships
The Mt. Eden High School counseling enriched classroom is one of HEART’s longest standing contracts, spanning over 20 years. Mt. Eden also holds a special place in my heart because not only was I the classroom therapist there for 6 years, but I am also an alumni (you can’t hide that Monarch pride)! The team there is made up of Erika Brindopke, Classroom Teacher (former HEART MHC), Kaelyn Hosokawa, Classroom Therapist (former HEART clinical intern and All-in SSA), Crystal Rodriguez, Clinical Counseling Associate, and Larn’ea Cockerham, Mental Health Counselor. The team there is always having fun events to engage folks on site, like hosting an ice cream social in our classroom to start the year off. They also help to highlight our diverse community by incorporating various cultural celebrations into the classroom (pictured are decorations the students made during Chinese New Year and an Ofrenda that was constructed during Dia de Los Muertos). Larn’ea has also recently started a clothing brand to help bring awareness to mental health, linked here. Blog Post Written By: Jesse Wiltey, Assistant Director of School Partnerships
I’m excited to highlight our ongoing partnership with Verde Elementary School, part of West Contra Costa’s Unified School District! Seneca began its partnership with Verde seven years ago with one Unconditional Education Coach who focused on supporting school-wide climate and culture. Today, our UE Verde program has grown to include a UE coach, a behavioral support specialist, two student support assistants, and one therapist. We have a unique funding model that blends funds from our MediCal contract, school discretionary funds, and grants which has allowed the flexibility to provided support across all three tiers – tier one: school-wide systems, tier two: targeted support for smaller groups and/or immediate and acute support for students that do not require intensive intervention, and tier three: students that would benefit from one to one behavioral and social-emotional support. Our UE coach and Behavioral Support Specialist work with the school’s administrative leadership team to develop systems that promote clear structures and expectations rooted in the values of building an inclusive school culture that elevates student voice and fosters strong community. Our student support assistants push-in to the classroom to offer individualized intervention to tier three students that need behavioral assistance while also supporting teachers with establishing and/or holding structures that maintain a positive classroom environment. Our therapist holds a caseload of MediCal-eligible students that have been referred through the Coordination of Services Team based on needs identified by the teacher, caregiver, or youth. All Seneca team members collaborate closely with school staff, families, and the students themselves. Last school year, the Verde Seneca team piloted a data-sharing practice for students on our caseload that focused on elevating student voice and centering the experience of the family. Three times a year, the student’s treatment team (consisting of the student, the caregiver(s), the Seneca staff, the student’s teacher, and any other school staff or significant adults that support the student) meets to hear feedback from the student and caregiver about what is working and where we need to shift our approach. As part of this conversation, we review student progress towards treatment goals. The data is analyzed as a measure of how well the whole team is doing to address and support the student and family with making and maintaining progress. The meeting is intentionally structured to prioritize the student and caregiver’s experiences and voices. Here are some examples of how we’ve shifted our practice: holding pre-meeting interviews with the youth and caregiver, giving the student and caregiver an opportunity to respond to any question posed to the team before asking other team members, and providing a post-meeting survey to gage the student and caregiver’s experience of feeling understood by the team. The student, caregiver, and school team members responded positively to this new practice. Post meeting surveys indicated that the youth and caregiver felt that their needs were understood, that the treatment goals were relevant, and that the process centered their experience. Responses from school staff indicated that the meeting provided insight and tools to better support the student and caregiver. Based on this feedback, we are rolling this data-sharing practice out across our other West Contra Costa UE school partnerships this year. Blog Post Written By: Robyn Ganeles, Clinical Supervisor
Our Longwood Elementary Counseling Enriched Classroom in Hayward celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage month with the Hayward Mayor! On Friday May 12th, Mayor Mark Salinas came for a surprise visit to our 6th grade classroom to read the book The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, a Korean-American author. Mayor Salinas then took the time to speak to our students about diversity, inclusion, and acceptance and AAPI Heritage month. He also encouraged students to ask questions about what it is like begin the mayor, took pictures, gave autographs, and provided motivation to our youth about their futures in education. It was an exciting and unexpected surprise that our Longwood staff and students will be talking about for a long time! Thanks for visiting us Mayor Salinas. Blog Post Written By: Bunny Rutherford, Assistant Director of School Partnerships
I am excited to have an opportunity to introduce some of you to our amazing partnership in the city of San Lorenzo. Hidden on a residential street Grant Elementary is our 2-year-old partnership. After starting from the ground up and experiencing quite a trying year, this year the team set the standard on strong communication and providing a safe space for our clients and families. We are thrilled to share some remarkable highlights of the positive progress taking place at our beloved school. It is with great pride that we reflect on the collective efforts of our dedicated students, passionate educators, and supportive community members. Together, we have achieved significant milestones and created an environment where growth, learning, and success flourish. Join us as we celebrate the wonderful achievements at Grant Elementary School! Our students continue to shine academically, demonstrating exceptional progress and achievements. Through the dedication of our amazing teacher Ms. Chelsi, a former SFA counselor then TA, and the unwavering commitment of our classroom staff we have seen students spending more time in the classroom and accessing their education. This is a testament to the effectiveness of our innovative teaching methods and the strong foundation of knowledge our students are building. We are so fortunate to have a school team that provides our students access to mainstream (general education) activities. On any given day you may find our students in a music class, or one of my favorites to have witnessed, buddies. This is a partnership that our students have made with the kindergarten classroom where they serve as positive role models and display positive interactions and friendships. Our counselors are continuing to work hard and creatively to meet the needs of our students. Working with a variety of students and their varying needs, the counselors in our classroom have done wonderful at thinking outside of the box. Ms. AJ, Ms. Evelyn, and Ms. May are the model of a great team. They communicate their needs, advocate for one another, and meet the students where they are while providing clear structure, but also maintaining a fun environment. Our dedicated therapist, Ms. Nikki, provides guidance and support to students, ensuring their emotional needs are met, and creating a nurturing environment where they feel safe to learn and grow. As her 2nd full year as a therapist, Nikki is great at pushing and challenging our students where needed, being the voice for them and a listening ear for our staff. Ms. Nikki continues to build amazing relationships with our families as well as school partners, continuing to foster the strong foundation necessary to maintain our partnership. As we reflect on these achievements, we acknowledge that they are the result of the collective effort of our entire school community. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our exceptional educators, CEC staff, supportive parents, enthusiastic students, and generous community partners. Your unwavering dedication and commitment continue to make these successes possible. Blog Post Written By: Anthone Jackson, Director of School Partnerships
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