School District Implements Trauma-Informed, Mental Health Focused Program--Wadsworth City Schools, Ohio Part 2

Speaker 2: 0:08

Welcome to Real Talk. I am Tina And I am Ann. Today we have some special guests. We would like to welcome Erin Simpson and Joyce Walker. We are having them on today because Wadsworth City Schools is implementing what I would call a model program. Erin has been principal of Overlook Elementary School in Wadsworth And Joyce is head of student services in Wadsworth. Erin has been chosen as the principal of this new program, part two, with Erin Simpson and Joyce Walker starts now.

Speaker 3: 0:43

Really, what we've embraced is kind of a growing theme. So we are approaching this as the Grizzly Academy of Family. Learning Together is kind of our tagline And we are really looking for our kids and our families, you know, strengthening those breeds of relationships regulation, perseverance, empathy, confidence, learning, expectations and experiences, positive actions and compassion. And you know, as we get through that, we feel that that ties in beautifully with our district. You know, mission statement And that when we can be that student, we feel that we're designing the appropriate for success. We are going to line up still with our Grizzly way throughout the district, which is Grizzlies are safe, kind and responsible. So those are our global expectations. And we will be, you know, continuing to follow those embedded within that mission and vision that we have. And so, as far as students, right now that we have, we are at kind of make sure I could give you accurate numbers here we are at nine students and kindergarten through second grade And we are at eight students in third and fourth grade. So that is where we are now in. Our goal is going to try to stay around that 10 students per classroom max this year as we look at that.

Speaker 2: 2:23

Okay, You just say that it is geared toward the younger kids and that it could expand. Do you have any kind of a timeline on that?

Speaker 3: 2:34

You know, i think that there was initial timeline. we would need to grow each year, you know, maybe sort of like i don't, i just want to see how our students respond and what it looks like. And obviously, we still have fourth graders that you know either have not transitioned out yet or maybe we've decided as an educational, even family, team that even though we met those transition, this really is the best environment. So we're going to continue in that. That would you know. I definitely see fifth grade be added next year. You know I I would like to learn and grow before we jump all the way in, but I'll do whatever Dr Hill on the board tell me to do.

Speaker 1: 3:25

So what do you think a normal day would look like for the kiddos enrolled in the program?

Speaker 3: 3:32

All right, i can pull that right up on my program, my computer here so I can be specific for you. We are trying to be very intentional with, again, that relational relationship base. So our mornings every day, the first hour of the day that students are here, are really going to focus around that family time, that family piece. So we will be as a whole program together for that first hour. So we'll be doing our character focus lessons. We will be having our what we'll call as our mentorship person, that's meeting with the students every day to do their check in. That's a different person than one of their teachers, so that they have that alternate person in the program, that they have a true relationship with our building opening. And then we plan during that every day to have a read aloud and, you know, a lesson that ties to that book during that hour. Then the students will go to their instructional blocks. They will have a little bit of exposure to the four classes, our music and PE, which will look different than what it would look like in the traditional school setting. We know that those sometimes can be triggers for our students. So we want to build that capacity and resilience for that. Then students will have a lunch recess, which we're planning to have near our family room and our family kitchen, as we're calling it. Then we will have an instructional block in the afternoon which will focus probably more on math and science. The morning will focus more on language arts and some social studies built in there, and then we'll end our day again as a whole family in that family open space and with that partner that they have talking them out each day of okay, how was today, where were you on your points, on your level system, what you know, how did you do, what was the best thing that happened today, and what's something you can do better tomorrow. And so that is really the day. I think it'll be a pretty quick pace day, and so our students will be here from 8.05 until 2 o'clock.

Speaker 2: 5:44

Now you have full-time counselors there as well. How are they going to meet their needs? What is their role?

Speaker 3: 5:51

So we have one full time counselor here every day, lori Ryder. she is from Isham, it's where she worked this year and she is amazing. We have already been doing some planning and looking at that. We plan to build some of those lessons into that morning time and kickoff time of our general opening, but then she will be doing at least probably two lessons per week so that the other four days outside of our Monday kickoff she'll do two lessons for third and fourth and two lessons for K2 in their classroom. Then she'll be doing ongoing meetings with individual students or small groups of students that might need her, wherever she's needed. The behavior specialist and our counselor and myself we all have our roles, but during the day we are going to be in those classrooms working with kids and supporting their learning and their regulation and all of those like whatever we need to do. So it'll be all hands on deck. So it'll look very different than what you would maybe see our school counselors or principals doing in our other buildings. Just again, because we can devote that time and focus with this limited population and the levels of support that we know our students and families need, we'll be able to get those in this school day.

Speaker 2: 7:20

You know, you guys, as teachers and educators, are not just educators anymore. I mean, when you talked about the whole child, you're not kidding.

Speaker 3: 7:31

Yeah, and I think the one thing that we have conversation all the time as administrative team about what is that school balance, I guess, and we a lot of needs do come our way and they are addressed, but we have, you know, Linda, are leading the medical vision or need of the kids. You've got your administrators, your teachers, we're all, but it is that whole child piece. And that's why in this community, I think we're very, very fortunate to collaborate so well with other providers in our community We have Red Oak, we have Bell Fair, we have Cornerstone, just in others. I mean, I could go on and on about the different ways that we collaborate with organizations here in the community to help support the needs of our students and families, Because it takes a team.

Speaker 2: 8:26

We can't do it all at home, but we certainly can't do it all at school And you can sense that within the district, how well everybody works together.

Speaker 1: 8:34

One of my favorite parts about the community is how I feel like everyone is involved. You know, you talked earlier on about it's co-regulating, and I feel like it's the community, you know, coming together. It's like the school is part of the village, and I feel like we have to be that way, because we, as parents, can't do it all ourselves. I heard the saying before you can be good at anything, but not everything, and I think it's so true. Yes, it starts in the home and we have a role to play in the home, but it expands into the community, into the schools, into our neighborhoods, you know, into the friendships, into the sports, because there are just so many different layers and levels of learning for each student and it really does take all of us.

Speaker 3: 9:19

I love that you said that, but I'm gonna circle that back to our whole conversation about social media. When I think about, like, how I use social media and I primarily you know, obviously I share for my family and you know some of that piece but when I'm on there looking for things, I'm looking through those ways to learn from people and from others who have done this or been there or maybe have a strategy that's better. So I'm always reading about literacy, I'm always reading about behavior, regulation and sensory needs and all of that. And I wish we could step back and really truly embrace what you said about you know all of us coming together and not being able to be good at everything. you know being good at things And instead of either judging others that we see or assuming things about others, that we look to them and learn from that. you know what is that piece we can take away, Like if we just all, it's one day we could just wake up and everybody could shift their thinking to that as, looking from what can I learn from this person? Like I just I feel like, wow, what a powerful you know, environment that would be and that's where I feel our Grizzly Academy is going to bring that. That outlook and that piece to education.

Speaker 1: 10:40

I just love it so much. Now I understand you are doing some monthly family get-togethers, right?

Speaker 3: 10:47

That is our plan. Yes, ok, what do you?

Speaker 1: 10:52

hope the purpose would be for those family get-togethers.

Speaker 3: 10:55

So at once our team really will be connected to our families. It should never. A lot of times the families that we might be working with may have already faced that hard conversation where they had to go to another program and now outside of our district where there have been behaviors in the school traditional school environment that have led to some hard conversations. So there's already a little bit of that wall up or that worry of, maybe fear of going into school or every time the phone rings, what is it now? That piece? And so trying to turn that around and make that a positive relationship and knowing that this is a safe place to come, even when it's a hard day, and also to learn from one another, as families learn, from having maybe some guest speakers come in and talk to our families, bringing in community resources that are out there that maybe our families don't know about. Also, just when you just have a time to sit down and have a meal with people and just talk, they did that earlier at the middle school in the spring through the Medina County leadership and Mr Jackson brought that Having that collegiality and just being able to talk and get to know each other, get to know the families and the kids that are working with your students every day. I just feel that again that relationship side of things could be so powerful and could just lead to some great things down the future. So I envision it being a family gathering, really as that, but also with some takeaway for our families.

Speaker 2: 12:44

Well, this is such a beautiful example of educators genuinely caring about the students and the families. Where do you see? because mental health. Tina and I always talk about mental health and we've been talking about it a lot today But as it is ever changing in the educational environment, how do you think that schools are going to be able to meet the needs in like, say, 10 years from now?

Speaker 3: 13:18

Well, i think one of the roles we have is continuing to connect families with the community and be the conduit in between, because, let's face it, we have students in the community for those 13 years and a little bit longer, if we haven't for preschool, so we are sort of that constant that can be there for families. I know, with our new mental health coordinator position that was in place this year, ms Sarah Capacco is just simply working on information that can be at the fingertips of all of our people. Where you go to our website and you log in and there it is. There are different organizations within the community, different places to go for help, depending on what your needs are. So I think that's, i think, the vehicle of who can provide the community, i think, and the other thing is we just have to continue to learn and better understand the impact trauma has on learning, the impact mental health has on learning, and continue to look at the whole child, and I think that conversation is more and more of a compass when we are out learning, i think we are all talking about it more readily and more openly, and who knows what it's going to look like in 10 years, but I think I'm positive about where we're heading.

Speaker 1: 14:43

And I am too. I think it's sensational, and the whole reason that Ann and I started this podcast was to be able to heal from our trauma, express ways that we have learned, and just to help people not feel alone.

Speaker 3: 15:00

You know, i think from that mental health kind of just picking back up from the school site. I love that you guys do this And I do think we need to normalize that, that it does take a village And it does take support from all aspects. And I even think about, you know, and Joyce and I have talked about this, and our counselor that's going to be part of the program is making sure we're also protecting that mental health of our staff. You know there will be hard days, You know. We know that. So how do we? you know that was one of our interview questions really was what do you do after that? How do you come back tomorrow and make sure that you get there's still that love and there's still that feeling there. So I do believe that it's an important piece And I think that the mental health needs of you know, again, i think it's global. You know, when we look at that piece of growth, how do we talk about it, how do we support it? And we were just at our team was at a trauma training a few weeks ago in Columbus And I want to say that one of the statistics that that one of the presenters shared and don't quote me a hundred percent I think I'm getting it right. But I left those notes in front of me. But was that just one? and you know, if we could have support and younger and have conversation and have that growth to work through that trauma, that, like the depression rate and adults would decrease by like 40%. It was even maybe more than that. I wish I could access that right now, that note, but it just that was. One of the things that stood out to me is like we have the power to make such a huge difference on our students And really I think, with the needs of mental health, that the traditional no school that we all have known, it, really our education system, has to do some growing and changing and flexibly be more flexible be. You know, how do we embed that, how do we address that? How do we support that and grow that? And you know, realize that we don't have to be trauma experts or we don't have to be trauma detectives to try to find out what is going on there, but we have to be trauma aware and trauma informed and have that really impact what we do in our school settings And that's how I think we can continue to get better over, you know, the next 10 years and beyond.

Speaker 2: 17:40

You know, that's the difference between schools now and schools back. When I went to school and when we went to school, I mean it felt to me as if, you know, they really were just educators and the counselors in the room were just there to get your schedule, you know, in place for the next year. It's kind of just interesting and I just absolutely love that you are so trauma informed and so trauma ready and willing to be able to reach the kids where they are, Because if you don't I mean that is probably one of the biggest obstacles in learning And if you have these kids in front of you, that all these traumas and everything that they're coming to you and sitting in your room to learn, it's blocking them from being able to really learn if you aren't aware and how to help them.

Speaker 3: 18:35

So I did. Well, you were talking and I ran and grabbed my notebook because it was going to drive me crazy if I couldn't find that piece of information. But it was really talking all about that trauma, informed and and our the scores. And it talked about how one in six adults have four or more of those adverse childhood experiences and that how five, 44% fewer adults would have depression if ACEs had been mitigated in their childhood. So if we really realize, recognize, respond to those what a difference we can make in just that long term piece So that's where I think it ties back to that whole regulation piece for our goal of our program, like we can work through those What a difference that can make for that child's entire life.

Speaker 1: 19:34

Well, i think that's what answers our first question is you know I don't know if it needs to be a specific what trauma happened to a child that brought them to need a special need in school, for example? but I think the trauma itself and I think awareness might be the first piece and help the next.

Speaker 3: 19:54

And I think the other thing we haven't had a chance to talk through is is the staffing of this program was done intentionally so that any student who needs the support of a type of program like this due to regulation, could be there. It's not just students who are identified as having a specific need through a 504 or an IEP, it really is any student that is identified. And we did that intentionally because, once again, this is not about labeling. This is about appropriate services and meeting students where they are. So that was another big, i will say, initiative on the part of the district to recognize that this is not about testing students and placing labels on students. It's about providing an option that's more appropriate.

Speaker 2: 20:46

Erin, you had mentioned to me before that if a foster child, say, ends up coming into the school district, that this is a program that might work for them.

Speaker 3: 20:57

Sometimes we'll see that, whether it's that or another trauma a student experiences mid year, that may just bring about some of those behaviors that are not Common for that student or have been previously exhibited and they need that environment to help work through that. You know that, Although we definitely what we don't want to be is like a ping pong program, We don't want you know if we have a student that's really in it and it's Going to get all the way through, We want to make sure they're ready to be back in that traditional environment and be able to be successful before we say, yes, you can go back. But if there is needs to be a short term you know solution for a student or during a time of need or tragedy or trauma, Most certainly we are going to work with our building teams to be that support, or maybe what they need is some of our staff to come out to their buildings and support that file or support that team. Hey, here's some things. If you can just do these few things, you know, narrow this down, give this choice. Do you know some of that that? maybe that can just help build that security piece that that child needs at the time.

Speaker 2: 22:15

One of the other things that I loved that you touched on was the mental health of the staff, and you know that's so important. whenever I've worked at you know the better woman, shelter, rape, crisis center, or in the jails or wherever I've worked, one of the toughest things that we always forgot was ourselves, and you know you go through some really tough days and you maybe sit across from somebody where you're. you know you you listen to their pains and you know you would like somebody to talk to, and so I think that that's really great that you're going to make sure that the staff's mental is taken care of as well.

Speaker 3: 22:56

And really as kind of on the same lines we've talked about. You know, because right now, as we're a smaller program, we do have a smaller staff and so with that, you know, we have to be at the end of the staff. We have to be able to read one another in those times of challenge or crisis or whatever that might be, to say, oh, it looks like Erin needs a break right now. I need to step it, you know, or whatever that is. We're saying, wow, erin maybe needs just a 10 minute break out of the classroom. You know, whatever piece that is, we want to really be close enough as that we can have that almost nonverbal communication going on, and also that piece where we're comfortable enough that we can have those hard conversations when we have to have that. You know, maybe, you know, erin, i think you're triggering that student when you you know, i don't know give them a hug, whatever. Call him Jimmy, john, i don't know. Whatever it is, you know, for someone, someone need to be able to say that to me and not be worried about saying that to me. That's how I feel like we also can make this program different in this staff unique. So we've already started like as a staff we've been doing. We had a little social gathering, you know, last week where we had all of our staff all but one who could be there, and and just had some you know dinner and conversation to get there and it was powerful. It was so powerful and I think a lot of us left that like breathing aside, really, like I'm with the right group, i'm in the right place, or people that maybe didn't know a lot of us or didn't know me left knowing okay, and that is where you're not afraid, you know. That kind of piece and that excitement is definitely the, the leading emotion now over the unknown or fears.

Speaker 2: 24:47

Well, you guys are definitely like-minded, the team that you have chosen, so that's. It's just a beautiful thing to watch.

Speaker 1: 24:56

I feel like the students who will be in this academy are so blessed, and I do feel like it's equally important to take care of them, as it is you, the. The old analogy is when you're on, you're flying on a plane, you they tell you to put your mask on first before you can help someone else, and I think that's a vital piece. And also being able to say hey, you know you might be triggering this person or doing this or this. Maybe you know we could try this or step away. I think I think that's just. I think that's so great. If there's anything else that we have left out that you would like to chat about, please go ahead.

Speaker 3: 25:32

I just again, a big a mind would just be thank you's. Thank you to the board, you know, and Dr Hill for supporting this, you know, just supporting it from an idea but also supporting it financially. You know, jen and Joyce for being the, you know, pioneers to go out and say what does this look like? and giving it to us. For my staff are putting up with, you know, my, my silly games or activities I haven't do when we get together, but everyone here in central office that you know, their world's being adjusted a little bit by us taking some spaces to be here this year, you know it. This program shows the commitment from all different levels and support of everyone, my, you know, elementary colleagues that are still, you know, keeping me in that loop of you know, the elementary world. Like you're not alone there and just because it's this different building, i mean I it couldn't happen and the families have been so wonderful. As we've talked about this program, i know that our counselor has already had some conversations with some community partners and some pieces like it. Just, i am so thankful to be part of such a beautiful program and opportunity for our students, our families, but our global community, and I just hope that we can find a way to to pay it forward and give it back and and just really make the Grizzly Academy a place. I said I never want a student to feel like they have to come to the Grizzly Academy. I want them to feel like I get to come there and I want other students to be like I want to go to that school. I thank YouTube for having us on and honored to be on the podcast today and be able to share this. I hope you maybe will have us on as we continue and be able to share some excitement, exciting things that have happened or growth we've had. I think the more people that talk about this together, the bigger changes we can make down the line.

Speaker 1: 27:47

Absolutely.

Speaker 2: 27:48

Yeah, it's just so important. Really, education is at the heart of the child. You are so right when you talk about making a difference, because I can still remember the teachers that made a difference in my life. Just one teacher really caring about a child can make all the difference in the world and can help that self-esteem and take them on a different path and make them believe in themselves. Yes, i mean, it is just so important. Honestly, i just don't think educators are respected and appreciated. People just have no idea what you do for the community and what you do for our kids. Really, i think from the bottom of our hearts here at Real Talk with Tina and Anne, we thank you and thank you so much for joining us today. Thank you so much.

Speaker 1: 28:37

We will be back next week. We will be back and we will keep you informed with all of the latest things that we're learning about ourselves and all of the things that we can that are related to trauma and just helping make lives better for families.

Speaker 2: 28:51

Thank you so much for listening. We will see you next week.