Holyoke Public Schools has outlined a number of steps the district and its schools are taking to better support students’ social emotional learning and their health to help ensure that every child can and will learn.
“The need for these changes has become resoundingly clear to me after listening to students, families, teachers, and staff and from reviewing a great deal of data,” said Superintendent Anthony Soto. “We are taking immediate steps at the school level to strengthen our existing efforts. You can expect to see these adjustments begin to take place in the coming weeks.”
These steps include setting clearer expectations, devoting more time, dedicating additional resources, and reinforcing school-family partnerships.
“First and foremost, we need to strengthen the culture and climate in each school, so that every child can learn and every adult can work in a safe, supportive learning environment,” Superintendent Soto said. “To do so, we must explicitly teach social emotional learning competencies and classroom expectations, provide counseling and additional support when needed, and respond to incidents of inappropriate conduct in a way that strikes a balance between restorative practices and appropriate consequences.”
More information about these initiatives can be found on the district website.