Addressing Student Mental Health is Urgent There is a growing urgency in addressing student mental health across the nation. As educators, it is crucial to start prioritizing mental health and well-being in schools. In a recent EdWeb webinar focused on SEL and mental health for Tier II and Tier III intervention, a poll was conducted among an audience of primarily counselors and administrators that asked the question, “If you had to pick a symptom your district finds most urgent to address, which would it be?” The results showed that the most significant concern among districts is the rise in a ..read more

7 Mindsets Acquires BASE Education Company will now offer additional supports to address the social-emotional and mental health needs of all students Roswell, Ga., January 18, 2023 – 7 Mindsets, the leader in PreK-12 mindsets-based learning and well-being solutions, today announced the acquisition of BASE Education, a student social-emotional learning (SEL) and mental health platform developed by licensed professional counselors. This acquisition expands and enhances 7 Mindsets’ suite of social-emotional well-being offerings for students, educators, and families.  “With the addition of BA ..read more

Journaling: A Writing Practice for Mental Health For hundreds of years, humans have used writing as a form of artistic expression, a historical recording tool, and a way for people to document their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in diaries or memoirs. In recent years, science has shown that the act of writing down one’s thoughts and feelings also provides mental health benefits. The conscious act of putting into words your feelings, emotions, and thoughts–and capturing them on paper or a computer–allows individuals to build strong mental and emotional skills to deal with life’s difficult ..read more

Raising Awareness This Red Ribbon Week This week (Oct. 23 – 31) we join the National Family Partnership (NFP) in raising awareness of drug use and misuse through the Red Ribbon Campaign. This year’s theme is Celebrate Life. Live Drug Free™, a campaign slogan submitted by three seven graders–Emily King, Chelsea Abbott, and Celise Wicker–from Wayland-Cohocton Middle School in Wayland, New York. The theme is a reminder that everyday Americans across the country make significant daily contributions to their communities by being the best they can be because they live Drug-Free.  The NFP organi ..read more

How SEL Can Help ELL The United States prides itself on being a melting pot of cultures and diverse individuals. With so many people coming from different parts of the world, the English Language Learners (ELL) population in schools has never been higher. According to the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics), there were approximately 5.1 million ELLs nationwide in 2019.  While programs are available to help students who identify as English Language Learners, barriers to learning often exist in this population. In addition to limited understanding of English, ELL students come f ..read more

How is SEL associated with attendance?  CASEL has found that a systemic, districtwide approach to SEL supports an equitable, high-quality education for all by improving behavioral outcomes and increasing attendance. Classrooms that address students’ social and emotional needs are motivating and psychologically and physically safe. Students in these environments are more likely to adopt the prosocial and pro-academic behaviors promoted by these settings. A supportive, responsive environment can motivate students and defend against external factors that cause absenteeism. While there are ma ..read more

By now you’ve seen your fair share of SEL programs. That’s a good thing, right!?  Not so fast. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) caught on like wildfire during 2020.  Student mental health needs (which existed long before COVID) were finally brought to the forefront of priorities.  For the first time in educator history, federal dollars came pouring in for mental health support in the form of ESSR, Title One, Title Two, grants, and privately funded initiatives.  Schools found themselves under fire to put an SEL program into place and did so at a feverish pace in the hopes tha ..read more

We know that close family ties is an essential ingredient that characterizes schools that improve significantly compared to schools that stagnate or decline. (source: Organizing Schools for Improvement: Lessons from Chicago by Bryk, Sebring, Allensworth, Luppescu, & Easton, 2010). Schools are able to keep those close ties with families through engagement methods such as open houses, parent-teacher conferences and letters sent home with students. But with summer vacation on the horizon, how can schools keep families engaged throughout the summer?    1. Providing Awareness Schools ..read more

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