Parents,

 Please take the Stakeholder Survey. The survey is available from January 14, 2019 - February 22, 2019.

 You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: 

  https://uepc.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3lMETXxIWwNiypL)

Parents,

This is a great article from HOPE4UTAH for parents and families about Warning Signs of Emotional Struggles.

Sevier School District Emotional Safety/Culture Initiatives

Safe Schools Department

2018-19

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS): District wide we are implementing this by adhering to research based principles that include:
● establishing school wide positive behavior expectations
● systematically rewarding good behavior
● identifying students in need of additional support
● providing targeted interventions to students struggling behaviorally and/or academically
● providing opportunities for parent and community involvement
● collecting and analyzing data to drive school improvement decisions
Tools that assist us in this process are Educators Handbook, SIS, PBIS World, etc.

WhyTry: This is a nationally renowned, evidence-based program designed to promote skills and attitudes that increase students’ social and school success. The WhyTry Program is a resilience education curriculum that provides simple, hands-on solutions for dropout prevention, violence prevention, truancy reduction, and increased academic success.

Inner Explorer: Inner Explorer program is a series of daily 5-10-minute audio-guided mindfulness practices. The program focuses on key areas of development, bringing mindfulness to education and helping students prepare for learning. Daily practice teaches kids the practical techniques to appropriately handle negative emotions such as stress, anxiety, anger and more. Inner Explorer offers programs for all age-groups (PreK-12) that help students with following themes:

Discovering Breathing and Relaxation Exercises
● Learning Awareness of Senses
● Using Thought and Emotional Regulation
● Developing Compassion and Connection
● Promoting Social Emotional Learning

HOPE Squads: These are students in all secondary schools that are trained in suicide awareness to assist and help peers who are suffering from depression or may be suicidal. It incorporates training modules that take an active approach in teaching/learning the warning signs of suicide, reporting potential suicidal behavior, and supporting students who have already received help. Hope Squads are the eyes and ears of the school’s student body that have been identified by their peers as someone that is a good listener. Teams are led by teachers and counselors who have also been trained. The goal is to refer the students to the counseling office or another adult who can assist them in getting the support they need.

       ADAPT: ADAPT (Advancing Decision Making and Problem Solving for Teens) is a small-group intervention for middle and high school students who are at risk for substance use, aggression, truancy, poor school performance, and depressive moods. The program's 12 sessions teach fundamental skills such as:

● Effective Problem Solving and Communication Skills
● Decision Making
● Refusal Skills and Anger Management

Anti-Bullying Efforts: As part of our PBIS/school climate efforts, and in partnership with the USOE and the Utah Anti-Bullying Coalition, all schools have implemented bullying prevention strategies and/or programs. The specific methods chosen were based on office disciplinary, SHARP, and student report data at each school. In addition to Second Step and Prevention Dimensions, other examples of these include:

Bee-ing Builders: This is an elementary curriculum designed to teach students positive character traits and strategies to combat or prevent bullying.
Me2We: This is a middle level whole school peer curriculum program where students focus on developing a culture of kindness within the school. The program has lasting effects on the school as a whole promoting the ideas of kindness, acceptance, and tolerance of others. The positive and encouraging climate of the school is hugely due to the lessons, activities, and other reminders offered to students in regards to developing self-esteem, positive relationships with others, and working hard to find personal success and encouraging the success of others.
7 - Mindsets: This is a secondary level program that teaches students life skills. 7 Mindsets provides a framework that distills extensive research into the nature of happiness and success, providing the language, lessons and community-wide operating system for social and emotional learning (SEL) to succeed.
Anti-Bullying Assemblies: These are targeted for the whole student body and designed to increase awareness and motivation to make a difference. Josh Drean, Gabe Adams and Braxton Nielson are examples of these assemblies.
Peer Programs: At the secondary level, established groups such as Hope Squads and Student Government have taken on the Anti-Bullying cause and include it in what they are doing throughout the year. These students promote positive relationships and watch for students at risk or aggressors and report them to school officials. They also spearhead activities to increase unity and acceptance. Training for these students has been provided through the Utah Anti-Bully Coalition.

SafeUT: Students concerned about the safety of themselves or others are reaching out for help. The SafeUT Crisis & Safety Tip Line App was brought online districtwide in April 2016. All students in grades 6-12 are trained about how and when to use the SafeUT services. Students in crisis can connect with counselors 24 hours a day by using the mobile app or calling   1-800-273-8255 to talk about relationship issues, drug problems, thoughts of suicide, etc. Safety tips submitted are screened by crisis workers for immediate intervention and then passed along to district/school officials for follow up. Tips can be reported anonymously and may include, but are not limited to: suicide, bullying, cyber-bullying, harassment, hazing, threats, and substance abuse. We have received valuable tips allowing us to respond and intervene in a timely manner to prevent, properly investigate, act upon, restore, and maintain safety. High school counselors review this app frequently with students.

QPR Training: We have 2 district trainers that work throughout the community to train educators, staff, students, community groups, religious groups, etc. on the Question, Persuade, and Refer (QPR) method of suicide prevention. After 2 years of teaching QPR in Sevier County, we have trained many Gatekeepers, and people in Connect Postvention.  We have several staff who have also been trained in postvention. In December of 2018 all teachers, administrators, and counselors attended a QPR and Suicide Prevention training.

PREPaRE Training: This is an emergency response training that includes a mental health component that all of our counselors have been trained in.

Mental Health Services: Through Counseling Grants, our students can access mental health services for situations that are affecting their social/emotional well being, school behavior and/or academics. A partnership in association with Central Utah Counseling provides cost-free opportunities for qualifying students to get the support needed during school time. This can be accessed through administrators and/or counselors. A partnership grant with the Children’s Justice Center is also available for those who may not qualify for the other programs.

Botvin Lifeskills: The Botvin LifeSkills Middle and High School programs is a groundbreaking substance abuse and violence prevention program based on more than 35 years of rigorous scientific research. Proven to be the most effective evidence-based program used in schools today, LifeSkills Training is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote positive youth development. In addition to helping kids resist drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, the LifeSkills Training Middle School program also effectively supports the reduction of violence and other high-risk behaviors.

NOVA: The N.O.V.A (Nurturing Opportunities, Values and Accountability) Principles program teaches powerful, comprehensive principles-based decision making that goes far beyond other prevention and education programs. The curriculum includes lessons that help youth and parents deal with drugs, accountability and healthy choices, anger management, internet safety, self-esteem, bullying and media issues.

Why N.O.V.A. Principles?

The N.O.V.A. Principles program teaches powerful & comprehensive principles-based decision making that goes far beyond other prevention and education programs. The curriculum includes lessons that help youth and parents deal with Drugs, Gangs, Accountability, Making Good Choices, Anger Management, Internet Safety, Self Esteem, Bullying, and Media issues.

School Counseling & Mental Health Systems of Support: Our school counselors have an “open-door policy” for responsive services. They know this takes precedence over other needs. Counselors have attended multiple trainings/conferences in the areas of suicide prevention, mental health, emergency services, intervention strategies, abuse and trauma, etc. Counselors have been trained in various suicide prevention programs/strategies, including QPR, as well as other trainings. Sevier School District has also actively increased counseling services throughout the district including in our elementary schools. In addition to this a couple of our elementary schools are using school funding to pilot efforts to include social/emotional intervention aides on staff.

SHARP Survey: In March 2017, students in grades 6-12 participated in the SHARP Survey. This survey is administered every two years, gathering data that is used to continually to support and improve efforts to combat suicide, bullying, drug and tobacco use, etc. within our district and communities.

Prevention Dimensions: This is Utah’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Curriculum. All elementary (K-6) and select Junior High teachers in our district have been trained and teach this annually. This has been the foundation prevention curriculum in Sevier School District since 1983.

Positive Professional Development for Teachers: Sevier School District is always looking for and implementing positive professional development opportunities for staff and faculty dealing with improving school culture, compassion fatigue, student success, positive effect size, etc. We feel if we can give our teachers and staff the right tools and training it will transfer to our students social/emotional development, academic success and improved coping skills. Mental health professionals are always scheduled to present at our annual professional learning conference.

Refocus Groups: We have a refocus room coordinator in most of the elementary schools. The program was implemented to monitor students in various activities for the purpose of providing a safe and positive learning environment. The refocus coordinator responds productively to conflict situations with students for the purpose of de-escalating student behavior and directing the situation toward a positive outcome.

School Resource Officers (SROs): SROs are sworn law enforcement officers who are specially selected and trained to promote safety within schools. SROs can fulfill a variety of roles: Preventing and responding to school-based crime; fostering positive relationships among law enforcement, educators, and youth; and helping to promote a positive school climate.

Zones of Regulation: A curriculum designed to foster self regulation and control available in every school in the district. The Zones framework provides strategies to teach students to become more aware of and independent in controlling their emotions and impulses, manage their sensory needs, and improve their ability to problem solve conflicts.

Second Step (grades K-8): This is a nationally renowned, evidence-based program designed to promote skills and attitudes that increase students’ social and school success. It provides a foundation for creating a safe, respectful learning environment. Second Step is implemented by counselors and refocus specialists in our elementary schools.

Anxiety Awareness Community Focus Group: Community members, business owners, clergy representatives, city and county representatives, and the Sevier School District Crisis Response Team attend Anxiety Awareness Meetings to implement the Community Suicide Prevention Model and improve community involvement and awareness.

Emergency Response Team: Sevier School District has a Crisis Response Team which include District administration, principals, school counselors, community leaders and members of the community.

National Bereavement Guidelines: In the event of a school crisis, Sevier School District Emergency Response Team uses the National School Crisis and Bereavement guidelines. These guidelines are designed to help school administrators, teachers, and crisis team members respond to the needs of students and staff after a suicide has impacted the school environment as well as when an individual student’s life may be impacted by a suicide within the family.

Sevier County Suicide Prevention Tips: The tip of the month is produced through the Central Utah Counseling Center. The information includes prevention events and tips from many agencies throughout Sevier County.

School-Based Mental Health Webinar: The Utah School Board of Education provides School-Based Mental Health webinars for counselors and other student support professionals each month.

Juvenile Justice Intervention Programs: The School-based Outreach Program provides evidence-based services to youths to improve attendance and academic performance, teach problem solving, decision making, goal setting and resiliency skills in the school and in the community, tutor participating youth, establish collaborative relationships with allied agencies, and mentor youth in homes, where skills are taught to the family. Juvenile Justice Service representatives work with secondary students one on one and in small groups weekly.

Mindful Schools: Mindful Schools is one of the key players in the movement to integrate mindfulness into the everyday learning environment of K-12 classrooms. The organization has trained educators, parents, and mental health professionals who work with youth. The Mindful schools program is used daily in our elementary and middle schools to work toward lowering student toxic stress, emotion and mood regulation, sleep, and learning readiness.

Please click the following link to apply Sevier School District Job Openings

● Pahvant Elementary School
● January 11, 2019

Sevier School District would like to thank the citizens of Sevier County for their support of the 2013 voted leeway. That leeway has made many of these wonderful technology enhancements possible.

Pahvant Elementary School teaches 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. At Pahvant, administrators and teachers are dedicated to helping students become successful and meeting the needs of each student. They are currently using a technology tool called Illuminate to help them accomplish this.

Illuminate is a data tool that allows teachers to design assessments and get data back on what students truly know. The teachers at Pahvant collaborate weekly and work together to decide what concepts from the state core they are going to cover that week and what strategies and tools will best help their students understand the concepts. They use a variety of resources when creating the assessments and teaching the concepts including online sources, sometimes songs and actions, resources from the “Wonders” reading program the district uses, and the list goes on and on. Teachers at Pahvant truly strive to engage each and every student and provide a variety of learning modalities.

When talking with Pahvant Elementary School Principal Chad Johnson, he said, “We now have the ability to create common formative assessments in a timely manner that are directly aligned with our essential standards. This allows us to groups students according to specific and individualized needs. We are able to utilize Illuminate in various ways to ensure our students are learning. One of the greatest benefits we have gained isn’t directly tied to the program itself, but rather the conversations it has created. Grade level teams are analyzing test questions at a higher level than in the past. They are identifying DOK (Depth of Knowledge) levels and coming to an agreement on what each standard really means and how to best assess and teach them. The impact has been significant. When I attend team meetings it is common to see teachers working together to create a common assessment which leads to best practice discussions. As with any tool Illuminate is only as good as the teacher that are utilizing it. The teachers at Pahvant Elementary are becoming exemplary with their use of Illuminate to drive instruction across our school and as a result, have made Illuminate a very powerful tool to ensure learning.”

When asked about using Illuminate, Mrs. Anderson, a 4th grade teacher said, “I use Illuminate to drive my instruction based off the results I receive from the assessment tool.” She went on to discuss technology in the classroom, “Technology is a way for students to be engaged in their learning. I believe incorporating technology is a way to motivate students. It helps to keep the class engaged.”

Mrs. Erickson, another 4th grade teacher said this about Illuminate, “The students enjoy the tests and I enjoy the fact that I can get immediate results and dig into the data to get more detailed information.”

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Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is a cooperative effort by the Internal Revenue Service and many individual states, including Utah, to provide income tax assistance to low-income individuals.
If your household income is $55,000 or less, you qualify to have your taxes prepared for free at a VITA site. Volunteers are trained by the IRS to prepare basic income tax returns free of charge.

Located at Six County Volunteer Center in Richfield, 250 North Main Street

Hours:
First day open January 25th
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday - Call 211 or 435-893-0735 to schedule an appointment

If you would like to become a volunteer to prepare taxes, please call Shara Bastian at 435-893-0735.

File Online for Free

You can file your taxes for free from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a computer, internet access, an email account, and all of your tax documentation. The process takes about 60 minutes.
If your household income is $66,000 or less, you qualify to file online for free.

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Alexis Andersen, Becky Bastian, Shanna Blake, Dianne Farrer, Jalizabeth Hamberlin, Mykayla Hayden, Jason Hitchens, Briana Hitchens, Mackenzie Ivie, Janell Johansen, Jacey Jolley, Lindsey Jorgensen, Jeff Kidder, Cheylena Lyman, Michael Mccormick, Amy Moore, Michelle Mullen, John Ramage, Ryan Shaddix, Janene Torgerson, and Taylor Winn.

Internet and Smartphone Safety

https://www.graniteschools.org/blog/2018/02/13/in-todays-world-internet-and-smartphone-safety-is-critical/

Staying up-to-date with your child's online activity

https://www.graniteschools.org/blog/2014/02/13/staying-up-to-date-with-your-childs-online-activity/

Registration now open Click image above for registration form

Superintendent’s Scoop

June 2018

Making a lasting impact in the life of a student is a very rewarding experience. Nearly everyone can name a teacher who has left a positive impression on their life in one-way or another. Students who receive support and encouragement from one-caring adult while in school can improve academic success. Our goal is to have all students feel as though his or her teacher cares about them, believes in them, and leaves a lasting positive impression.

Just like students, teachers need support and positive relationships. One way to provide that support is through instructional coaches. This year an equalization bill was passed by the legislature that helped provide funding toward hiring instructional coaches for each school. The funding for the instructional coach was calculated and allocated according to the school’s student count.

Teachers are lifelong learners always seeking opportunities to grow and searching for ways to become innovative in their classrooms. Instructional coaches work collaboratively with educators and help them become better teachers. They observe teachers teaching, go over instructional data, and model good teaching practices. No matter what age or how long a teacher has been teaching, there is always room for growth and new ideas.

Robert John Meehan said, “The most valuable resource that all teachers have is each other. Without collaboration, our growth is limited to our own perspectives.” Instructional coaches play a support role to teachers. When a teacher inherits the desire to improve and the relationship is built on trust, personalized professional growth for every teacher is possible. Students win in buildings with instructional coaches.

Cheryl Wright, an instructional coach at Washington High School in Kansas City said, “Having the culture of coaching is contagious and can spread to teachers at all levels of the career ladder. If you set it up so people see others benefiting from coaching and succeeding, and they see that the process is grounded in respect, then they [will also] want to try it.”

Our desire is to create a culture of feedback for every aspect of our school district. We know having these new instructional coaches in our schools will provide a bright future for our teachers and students. Teachers will have additional resources to make improvements and provide students with a positive impression–one that hopefully, they will never forget.

Reference:

Kim Greene, ASCD- Every Coach for Every Teacher, March 2018 Volume 60, Number 3