Sown to Grow

Sown To Grow: Overview and Demo

Sown To Grow is a student SEL and reflection platform that empowers schools to improve student social, emotional, and academic health through an easy and engaging reflection and feedback process. In a short weekly routine, students check-in emotionally and reflect on the strategies that are working best for them (or new ones to try).

Sown to Grow (STG) is an evidence-based program that promotes easy and engaging student check-ins, personalized feedback, and built-in curriculum that empowers schools to improve student social, emotional, and academic well-being. STG has partnered with schools across the world, and you can read more about STG's impact here.

Sown to Grow will be done during our advisory time and serve as an additional tool that we will have to compliment the advisory work generally on Tuesdays.

Our Youth Risk Survey and Connectedness Data suggest that while some of our existing tools such as advisory are creating community connections, there is still a need to check in individually with students on a weekly basis.

Sown to Grow offers an opportunity for students to share how they are feeling with and advisor and also alert guidance counselors if there is an emerging need for a more intensive mental health intervention. In the training you will hear more about how Sown to Grow is designed to support schools in doing this through universal weekly SEL check-ins.

Most importantly, individual check-ins such as Sown to Grow support connections with students who are not always comfortable sharing in a group setting and allow them to connect individually with an advisor as well as access support from counselors if needed.

Our Student Advisory Council last year raised the issue that students in need are not always comfortable asking for help. This program addresses that concern.

See the slides below with more details on how Sown to Grow may be of support.

Student Weekly Check-In:

Each week during advisory on Tuesdays, students will log into their STG accounts, share how they are feeling that day (using an emoji scale), and respond to a reflection question about their experiences.

Advisory teachers will see student entries and will provide feedback to each student within the portal. If a student indicates difficult or concerning feelings, advisory teachers and the grade level counselor will be notified right away, so that they can follow up with the student quickly.

To learn more about STG, you may watch this 3-minute demo video here or below.

There is a pre and post school-wide assessment that will help give our school information about the areas related to social and emotional learning that we can improve on with our students.

We will begin with a pre-assessment and then rollout a pilot of our first Sown to Grow Check In on our community day, Tuesday, November 7th.

STG also has a series of vetted lessons that target each of these SEL competencies. As we learn more about the lessons, our advisory and mental health teams will help identify a subset of lessons that will be most valuable for addressing our students SEL learning needs and we will incorporate them into our advisory program

If you have any questions reach out to Jackie Mann, Howie Landau or Jenn Murphy.

Jackie Mann, Day Principal: mannj@newton.k12.ma.us

Howie Landau, Day Health and Wellness Teacher: landauh@newton.k12.ma.us

Jennifer Murphy: Assistant Dep. Chair for Student Services: murphyj@newton.k12.ma.us