Three months ago, the Saddle Brook school district was making steady progress toward social and emotional learning as a part of a district initiative. Then came the coronavirus pandemic.
In-class yoga, mindfulness mantras and coping strategies for anxiety were part of the daily routine.Virtual learning separated children from schoolmates and teachers at a time when the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other health experts were noting a surge in stress and depression. Next came the killing of George Floyd and racial tensions that heightened anxiety for many families.
“My concern was the kids need to be OK," Shanley said."If they’re not OK, they won’t be able to learn anything — they can’t be focused. None of that is going to matter.” Meghan Walls, a pediatric psychologist with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said it’s important to understand how stressful the pandemic is for families. Disrupted routines are especially troubling for children.What the district did for students
Activities during remote learning included writing a journal or practicing mindful eating. Students were asked to give feedback on their favorite activity, in the hope that they would find practices they can continue during the summer. Toni Violetti, the district's director of curriculum and instruction, urged teachers to integrate diversity into their lessons and teach "how to confront the racial injustice that continues to occur in our world and give our students the skills and mindset to think critically and be culturally responsive."
"We are trying to promote some empathy and understanding and tolerance and action, maybe a little bit of rage," she said.With school set to close, Violetti and the Social and Emotional Learning Committee had a day of professional development for teachers. They focused on the"five competencies": self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, social awareness and relationship skills.
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