This week, we take the opportunity to highlight our partnership with Lodestar, A Lighthouse Community Public School, whose core values are Love, Community, Integrity, Agency, and Social Justice.

Lodestar is located in the Sobrante Park neighborhood in deep East Oakland, and serves grades K-10. Lodestar provides rigorous instruction and love along with high-order thinking and problem solving skills to give students the autonomy to center their own learning and set the foundation for being changemakers in the world. When schools evolve and root themselves into the community, it builds public trust and long-lasting relationships are created. Lodestar's genuine commitment to their core values has led to their dynamic partnership with community organization Sobrante Park Resident Action Council (RAC). Lodestar and Sobrante Park RAC partnership strengthens the community, connects families to resources, hosts family friendly events, and collaboratively advocates for what is best for students. Lodestar is committed to sharing community interest while promoting a safe and thriving community. 

– “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley

Lodestar and the Sobrante Park RAC has focused on a safe passage to and from school for all students and families as well as embedding the school and its staff into the community in which it serves. As a result, Lodestar has worked in partnership to host and/or participate in community events on the weekend. Rich Harrison, Lighthouse Community Public School (LCPS) CEO, shares that “the willingness to work with the community enables a relationship of understanding to develop. Working together for the betterment of the community.”

Trunk or Treat: Lodestar collaborated with the Sobrante Park RAC and other community organizations to hold a Harvest Festival Trunk or Treat on Lodestar's campus. Over 1,000 people participated including City and County staff. 

• Children including non-Lodestar students and families participated in a "trunk or treat" in the Lodestar parking lot! 
• There were a lot of cool Costumes, and a costume parade every hour!
• There were a variety of booths and giveaways set up by local community members and organizations - including the Oakland As, Alameda County Dental Society, Roots Community Health, and more! 
• A live DJ!
• Equipment and vehicles of the Oakland Fire Department and Alameda County Health Emergency Team in which kids got to check out. 

Lodestar will have other opportunities to partner with the community and support neighborhood efforts to help: work in collaboration with their community, listen to their needs, follow their lead, and connect families to resources, and overall, do what’s best for all students and families. 
 
Shoutout to Rich Harrison (LCPS CEO), Erin Wesseldine (LCPS Director of Special Education), Zeyda Garcia (Lodestar Lead Counselor), and my mom, Sylvia Brooks (Secretary of Sobrante Park RAC) for helping me highlight the amazing way in which Lodestar is working in partnership with the community to make sure all students are welcomed, cared for, included, seen, safe, supported, and can thrive!

​As we reacclimate to in-person instruction, we may find ourselves questioning how we are going to adjust and achieve our goals. This was the case as our Ops PLC entered its 2nd year. In an effort to ground ourselves and guide the purpose of the group for the upcoming year, we used a very helpful exercise to set our intentions.  This exercise was originally written by Jason Keppe, Director of School Partnerships, for his team. We decided to carry it on through our Ops PLC as we envision how we want our new team to grow & learn from each other.

You can find a link to his reflection exercise by clicking here:

INTENTION SETTING EXERCISE
Feel free to make a copy of this and follow the prompts to guide you through the new year!
By our Ops Team completing this exercise, we were able to create our values (firm compassion, joy, community, authenticity, sense of vulnerability and shared knowledge), and our focus areas for the year (project management, communications styles, and learning styles). My hope is that you find the exercise as beneficial as we did.

It’s also helpful to ground yourself before completing this exercise, so feel free to try this 5 Minute Focus & Clarity Meditation or any meditation that works for you.

October has just passed. We all hunkered down for rainy day recess and festivity prep. Although our Unconditional Education Coach, Trell Sneed, just started at the beginning of last month, students know him by name and eagerly greet him with a smile. He is well loved and well connected to the community. He brings wisdom and insight as we embark on our second-year partnership with Stege Elementary in Richmond.
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The Stege Starts are launching back into the fall with coordination and experience under their wings. Last year, in partnership with the Unconditional Education Coach, Stege was able to implement Tier I Positive Behavior Support Intervention services, earning them a bronze medal!

Through the support of the district fund and site contributions, we have been lucky enough to partner with Stege in the capacity of an Unconditional Education Coach for two days a week. Stege has a strong and collaborative mental health team that has partnered with Admin for years in building out systems of support. They are committed to growing these existing data-driven systems in ways that support their teachers, students, community, and staff. Trell is already hard at work in supporting a wide range of needs through building an interdisciplinary team to Coordinate Services and reconnecting the Culture and Climate Committee (C3) with the goals they worked hard to develop last Spring.

The C3 team is eager to make moves toward their two big buckets:

1. Improving healing supports by supporting adults and students in identifying regulation needs and supports in themselves. The staff started off their year engaging in a training to look at Trauma Informed Education through a Healing Centered Lens.
2. Increased attendance and engagement by supporting efforts to get students to school and keep them engaged in the classroom. The CARE team has already identified and reached out to families to support getting this year off to a positive start! The Administration engages family through a family huddle twice a week, giving information at different times to draw in families who aren’t always available during school hours. 
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​​There’s a whole school year ahead of us and Trell is already making big moves connecting with families and finding outside supports for students. He’s about to get that school store going too, so wish him luck! We are excited to continue this journey with this beloved community school.

The mental health industrial complex needs a massive overhaul. Rooted in white supremacy values, it has inflicted undue pain and suffering on marginalized populations for far too long. While continuing to address mental health needs is an important part of our work within Unconditional Education, it is critical that it is done in a way that is responsive to the needs of individuals and communities instead of imposing a heteronormative, white, Eurocentric definition of illness and healing.

​If you weren't already aware of this PBS program on Decolonizing Mental Health as part of their "Mysteries of Mental Illness" Program, please check it out! There are 17 videos ranging from 3-5 minutes profiling thought leaders and advocates in the field on topics including:
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• Black men and mental health
• The impact of race and whiteness on mental health treatment
• Asian Americans and mental health
• Indigenous trauma
• Latinxs and mental health
• Invisible populations and mental health, and
• Religion and mental health

 
You can find the video series from PBS using the link below:
Mysteries of Mental Illness: Decolonizing Mental Health digital series
 
If you decide to check out their series, please share your reflections below in the comments.

Name: Joleigh Davis-McBryan
​Position: Lead Clinical Intervention Specialist
What led you to your current position? My undergraduate degree was in Social Welfare, and my first job out of college was at Seneca in the San Leandro Residential Program! I left Seneca in 2010 to go to graduate school and study Art Therapy and Marriage & Family Therapy, then worked at a few different schools and other jobs before returning to Seneca as a clinician in 2017.
What inspires you to do this work? I love kids and find them hilarious, creative, reflective, resilient, and more!
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? There are so many learning moments to choose from. One thought that I am holding close during this especially difficult year(s) is that everyone (including clients, families, and staff) is doing the best that they can with the internal and external resources that they have in their toolbelt.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. Something about me: In my free time I enjoy hiking and dancing, and pre-COVID I used to run a weekly swing dancing venue in Oakland. I have my fingers crossed that we will be able to start social dancing again in 2022!

​As we wrap up the season of Fall, I’d like to highlight Rosemary Elementary School in Campbell, CA. Rosemary Elementary is one of the five schools we serve in the South Bay Area. Rosemary serves upwards of 500 students in grades Transitional Kindergarten (TK) to 5th grade. The staff at Rosemary are dedicated to providing a nurturing school environment with engaging instruction that prepares students for success. Rosemary aims to develop the intellectual and emotional capacity of all students so they may live a fulfilling life and approach challenges with a growth mindset. Coming back into a full school year from shelter in place, this dedication from teachers and staff is more important than ever.

​Our partnership is focused on supporting the school in a few different areas this year.
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First, our small team of 5 awesome Seneca staff work diligently in supporting Rosemary staff with trauma-informed tools and equity-based lens that are needed to envelop all students in a welcoming and safe environment. This includes providing teachers with specific interventions and tools that students with high needs can access, such as utilizing bouncy bands on chairs, modeling appropriate ways for students to use sensory tools in class, or even utilizing guided mindfulness exercises throughout the school day. By incorporating teachers into this learning process with students, we can create a plan to gradually release reliance of outside agencies and build the efficacy of teachers.

​Additionally, we are working to strengthen the Tier 1 and 2 Behavioral Support systems in place. As we exit the virtual world where “mute all” was only a click away, we now begin to have student areas of growth brought loudly and boldly before us. Using weekly “Office Hours,” we support teachers who have clarifying questions or request Thought Partners around how to support students in the classroom. Not only does this help ensure all teachers have a space to go and share what may be worrying them, but it also creates an opportunity to build stronger tool banks for teachers the next time they encounter similar behaviors or needs for students. 

Lastly, our partnership is focusing on building on existing Coordination of Services Team (COST). We work with the Rosemary team to evaluate their protocols, documentation, goal setting, and interventions in their referral process. This includes making space for conversations that unpack current practices through an equity lens. We strive to explore innovative, student-centered approaches. This foundational work is rooted in the goal of correcting the disproportionate number of students of color being referred to highly restrictive services. By working on these areas, we hope to support Rosemary in fulfilling its vision of providing a safe, healthy, and rigorous learning environment that develops the social, emotional and academic needs of the whole child.

​This is a school year filled with opportunities of growth and new possibilities on the horizon! 

​Our partnership with Elmhurst started over ten years ago when two different schools, Elmhurst Community Prep and Alliance Academy, combined and became Elmhurst United.

​More than most, Elmhurst United is a school that “gets” mental health. Providing mental health services on a school campus is a unique kind of work as it’s not the primary focus of why kids are on campus, but everyone knows academic success isn’t possible without mentally healthy students. At Elmhurst, school leadership collaborates with our staff seamlessly, considering mental, social, emotional and behavioral health in all aspects of student life. Our staff are so integrated into the school community that new people are often surprised to hear we aren’t district employees. When Seneca therapists walk the hallways, many students clamor to connect with them. “Take me!” they say. Some clients introduce their therapists to anyone who will stop and listen, “That’s my therapist!” they say. This lack of stigma is the result of years of work from both Seneca staff and Elmhurst leadership to incorporate therapy services into the school day so that students see it as one of many supports they have access to in their school community. This, along with academic support, physical health support through the health center, recreational activities afterschool, and the list goes on.

​The return to in-person learning has been difficult for some students. Elmhurst is located in a community heavily impacted by systemic oppression. Seneca staff have worked tirelessly with school staff, including the “Justice League” (Elmhurst’s restorative discipline team), to help students transition back to a community that feels safe and supportive. That work often includes building strong relationships with school staff as well as students. Our staff show up in all parts of the school during the day: at recess and lunch, during core academic classes and elective classes, in parent meetings and IEPs, and lunch in the teacher’s lounge. Our integration into the school community helps students and families to feel seen and heard, especially during tough times. This holistic view of community healing has only deepened during the time of COVID. Seneca staff have partnered more and more intentionally with school leaders to create healing spaces for teachers, oriented toward community wellness and resilience. That work allows staff to show up fully as human beings with all the identities they hold in addition to the roles of teacher/educator. With the increased focus on wellness, the staff are better able to extend the much-needed support to the students and families who make up the Elmhurst United community. It's an honor to be a part of this community-focused healing-centered work.

Name: Risha Buntyn
​Position: Unconditional Education Coach, Los Angeles Education Program
What led you to your current position? I have worked actively in the education sector for the last 12 years assisting with students of all demographics and helping them to cultivate the tools and skills they need to be successful. I have mentored hundreds of youth and designed programs to address their specific needs, and empowered them to overcome adversity. Leading, influencing, and educating have always been things I have been passionate about so it was no surprise that when I saw the post for this position, I didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity. Seneca’s core values align with that of my own and it has been an extraordinary opportunity to learn from individuals from all walks of life coming together for common good and radical change. It was a big transition moving across the country, but I am grateful I did because my Seneca family has made the process a lot smoother.
What inspires you to do this work? God has shown me a lot as I have actively sought to realign and create an extended vibration of love and light into this world. I am inspired by the students and staff I work with. I am inspired by their stories, which sometimes aren’t different from my own. I am inspired by the idea of helping shift mindsets around education, behavior, and the role that social emotional learning plays in all of it. It’s not about escaping negative emotions. It’s using the anger, frustration, and pain in a way that acknowledges those feelings, honors them, and channeling them into something transformative and phenomenal. This is my hope; this is what inspires me.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? A recent highlight for me is the excitement and anticipation around some of the things on campus that I've been supporting. I help facilitate Social Skills groups twice a week and the students are always eager to engage in the group. I am also piloting a Student Senate to promote student voice and empowerment on campus and have been receiving positive feedback from staff and students about upcoming elections and events.
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. Let your life be the message.​

For this week’s blog post, I’m pleased to introduce one of our newest partnerships here in Los Angeles: Ánimo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle School! AFF is one of nineteen Green Dot schools here in LA. The school is in its sixth year, serving 421 students for 6th – 8th Grade. Their campus is in the Florence-Graham neighborhood between (you guessed it) Florence Avenue and Firestone Boulevard. This year marked the opening of a brand-new campus—complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony—which has been super exciting for students and us staff alike!

1. Strengthening Tier 1 Behavioral Supports. As co-lead of AFF’s School Culture Team, Risha has helped lead school-wide efforts to improve classroom management and safe behavior in the school’s common areas. School culture team members do regular walkthroughs and classroom observations, with monthly “look-for’s” and opportunities to provide feedback to fellow teachers. 

Name: Eidit Choochage
​Position: Clinical Supervisor, Berkeley Public Schools Program 
What led you to your current position? What led me to my current role was my Interest in working within the educational school systems, and I wanted a change in work/life balance, and the school schedule felt like an important personal next step in my career and life. 
What inspires you to do this work? Making a positive and meaningful impact in the lives of youth, families and the teams I am part of.
What is a recent highlight you’ve experienced in the work or an important lesson you’ve learned in this role? An important lesson in the work is remembering we are all human and must bring our humanity into the room and role. I inspire to help others do the same, and see first that we are human before we are our titles. 
Share your life motto or something unique about yourself. Something unique is that I stepped away from full-time to part-time work in order to launch my own career in the mental health/wellness world. I launched a podcast called “Therapeutic Life Healing” and it has been a great journey to step out into vulnerability to embrace my humanity as a mental health professional and merge my personal and professional world together. ​