Now more than ever, it is important for schools to be ready to address the emotional needs of students during these unprecedented times. This month’s collection of trauma-informed resources for administrators will help you get a head start on supporting students’ needs in the fall.
There are a lot of safety concerns to consider when going back to school in the Fall, especially in our current battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic. This month’s resources aim to help administrators check & prep their Emergency Action Plans, both for the COVID-19 concerns and school wide safety in general.
AVID is a national non-profit that delivers professional learning to more than 85,000 educators each year so they can close the gap and prepare all students. Attend AVID Discover as a non-AVID school for just the cost of registration. Cost for this program can be covered by ESSER funding through your district, the Private School Stabilization funds (more info to come on this from Step Up), Title II, Part A or Title IV, Part A. Learn effective AVID online teaching methods that will also transfer to the face to face classroom setting.
Conscious Discipline Core is a series of online professional learning sessions divided into three key areas of focus: Safety, Connection and Problem-Solving. These core sessions create a strong foundation in the basic skills, powers and structures necessary to handle the unique challenges of schooling in a COVID-19 age. Participants can select the age-specific grades they teach to focus on, and there is also a track designed for Administrators, Specials (e.g. Music, Physical Education or Art) or Special Needs.
This year more than ever it is important to reflect on the year, celebrate your efforts, and let go of a very turbulent year. We’ve created a document to help you process the past school year and look ahead to a new and fresh start in 2020-21.
We know wrapping things up this year has been quite stressful! To help you check things off of your list, we’ve included a few documents that might help.
End of Year Checklist : Download & edit this document to provide to teachers as they close out the year.
Classroom Inventory : Allow teachers to use this document to ensure the inventory in each classroom is accounted for.
Trauma-Informed Instruction: Many of our students will come back to us next year after having experienced rough situations at home. Check out the Trauma-Informed Instruction resources below to see how you can plan for students’ needs next year.
If you are interested in professional development through the North East Florida Educational Consortium and you are a non-profit school registered through the School Choice Officeclick here.
The Step Up for Students Office of Student learning is offering a free webinar series for administrators- “Modeling Resilience Through COVID-19.” These 30-minute weekly webinars are a chance for administrators to discuss the challenges and needs of their schools while networking with others experiencing the same issues. Webinars are held on Thursdays at 10:00 & 11:00 a.m. Click the links below to register for next week’s sessions!
The National Association of Elementary School Principals is featuring some excellent ongoing webinars for administrators. Topics include engagement, parent communication, teacher support, and even question & answer sessions. Click here to explore the free webinars and videos.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals also has webinars, videos & resources available to support administrators during the COVID-19 Crisis. Click here to explore the NASSP resources.
Don’t forget! The Office of Student Learning has also gathered a list of tutorials, resources, & programs to support remote learning. Check out those resources here!
Teacher Appreciation:
Did you know? The Step Up for Students Office of Student Learning is giving away a document camera to one lucky teacher in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. The giveaway ends on May 13th, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. so don’t miss it! Limit one entry per person, only complete entries will be entered to win.Click here to enter!
Many teachers have been asking for ideas, tutorials, and support in setting up their digital classrooms. We’ve answered some of the frequently asked questions below.
How can I send materials, lessons, & communications to students?
The following FREE online platforms are some of our favorite user-friendly options for setting up online learning. Click the link below for set up tutorials!
How do I find resources for the grade level & subjects I teach?
The links below are sorted by subject area and are broken down into elementary and middle & high school levels. Remember, you can link the resources you find here into a digital classroom (see tutorials above)!
The site, WideOpenSchool.org,was created by Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that rates education and entertainment content for children, with help from dozens of partner educational companies. The site brings together content from some amazing companies to help students, teachers and families find free, quality resources while school buildings are closed.
Who can I reach out to about purchasing devices for my students?
Demand is high for devices at this time. We will update this section with more contacts as we find them. Check back in regularly to see what options are available.
Enjoy free standard shipping site-wide and a 30-day hassle free return or exchange policy.
For large order requests or unique inquiries please contact stepupforstudents@hp.comto be connected with a dedicated Account Manager.
Microsoft®- Email Dave.Patel@microsoft.com to inquire about devices & pricing options from Microsoft as well as free licenses for Office 365 Education that include Microsoft Teams!
Due to the unprecedented situation nationwide, we know you are most likely in the process of exploring & implementing online and remote learning options for your students in the coming weeks. To help with this planning, we’ve compiled resources that may help you to navigate these uncharted waters. Feel free to walk through the steps below as you and your school decide what plan will work best for your students & families.
*Please note: We will continue to update the links below as we find new information and resources. (Updated on 3/26/20)
Step 1: What should I know about online learning before I jump in?
Administrators, it’s the start of Spring and a great time to look ahead! Have you taken some time to reflect on your school’s current curriculum? Are you considering a change? This month’s resources aim to help you reflect, explore, and plan for any possible curriculum changes next year!
As you know, February is Black History Month. We know that school leaders are always looking for new ways to lead their school communities to positive change and growth.This month we hope to connect administrators to inspiring resources that encourage cultural responsiveness and inclusion not just in February, but all year!
Check out the articles, webinars, and professional learning options below and be sure to share them with your teaching staff!
We know that January marks the time for many school administrators to examine their budgets for next school year. This month’s resources aim to help any new administrators that might struggle with this process and inspire those veteran administrators to find new creative ways to do more with limited resources!
As the holiday break draws near, we know your focus is turning to the new semester ahead. This month’s post contains resources to help you plan a powerful faculty meeting to kick off the New Year! Explore the meeting agenda template, the semester in review activity, and the options for team building exercises linked below. Happy planning!
The Agenda
At the first meeting of a new semester, you will want to keep it simple and inspiring while still helping your faculty set intentions and lay the foundations for a fantastic new year.
This activity is designed to help your teachers reflect on the first semester in key areas that impact student learning and growth. The third page will be turned into you the administrator to give you insights into the goals and needs of your staff. Encourage teachers to discuss their answers!
Featured Team Building Activity: Making Sure Every Child is Known- This team building activity is a perfect start to the new year as it requires teachers to reflect on their current relationships with students and set intentions as a school for the semester ahead. All you need is a list of students and chart paper or a dry erase board. Watch the video from Edutopia of this activity in action!
Resource Alert! Have you heard about Algebra Nation?
Accessible anywhere and anytime, Algebra Nation offers an individualized approach to teaching and learning Middle Grades Math, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2.
You’re invited to join the Step Up For Students SuperFans program. Become a social ambassador for Step Up and help us spread awareness of our scholarship programs.
When you sign up, we will send you our most exciting news through email to share with your friends and followers. You choose where you share our content. You can share it through email, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or all of the above. Sharing our posts helps not only spread the word about Step Up to those who need it most, but it could also benefit your private school.
The best part? The more you share and participate, the more points you’ll earn towards a monthly giveaway. This month we’re giving away a $20 Target gift card and one Step Up’s new promotional items of your choosing (from a selection).
To join now, click on the link below and connect with one of your social networks.
Now more than ever, it is important for schools to be ready to address the emotional needs of students during these unprecedented times. This month’s collection of trauma-informed resources for administrators will help you get a head start on supporting students’ needs in the fall.
