Panther Pride DKMS Newsletter

11/27/23 to 12/01/23

Hello Delton Kellogg families. We are sharing this Whole Child newsletter to update you on the remarkable progress our district has made working with our Social-Emotional Learning initiatives.

Over the past year and a half, we have invested considerable time and effort in developing a comprehensive approach to promoting the social-emotional well-being of our students and staff. We have conducted professional development sessions for our staff, held weekly Community Circles in classrooms, and taught lessons that help students enhance their social-emotional skills and promote positive behaviors.

Finally, as we continue to move forward we are committed to building upon our achievements and expanding the impact of our Social-Emotional Learning initiatives. We know for our Social-Emotional initiatives to be truly successful, we need the support of our community. Our Whole Child Committee has begun looking at ways to create community engagement opportunities, community partnerships, and become involved in community service projects.

We look forward to the opportunity to continue to grow as a district and as a community through these social-emotional initiatives!

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The Elementary approach to the Whole Child Initiative by Principal, Ginelle Boyle

At DKES each week students earn Panther Paws for exhibiting good character traits. On Thursdays each teacher draws one Panther Paw out of the bucket to be our Panther Pride winner of the week. They then get to come to the Library on Friday morning and participate in activities together. Ms. Jamie plans the activities and Mrs. Boyle and Ms. Kim join in on the fun! Students reflect on why they were chosen as the Panther Pride winner and share with their peers what great things they are doing to be safe, kind, respectful, and responsible.

All of the Elementary Classrooms participate in Community Circles weekly. These circles begin with a question posed by the teacher, and then students and teachers become engaged in a discussion that builds connections in the classroom. The Community Circles contribute to a positive classroom and school culture that values voice and choice and ensures learning. They assist students in working through issues and situations that affect their classroom experience both academically and socially, and they also build the capacity of the classroom community to make decisions.

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Middle School Principal, Bobby Tillman discusses his approach to the Whole Child Initiative for the middle school

In the middle school we have taken a "whole school" approach to the district's Social-Emotional initiatives.

Every Tuesday all of our teachers, students, and paraprofessionals are part of a Community Circle. These circles are made up of 10 to 12 students and are facilitated by a teacher or paraprofessional. During these circles we have conversations that help foster better relationships between everyone in the group, create deeper connections to one another, and promote a sense of belonging among our students and staff. Overall, this has been a great success!

Every Thursday all of our staff teaches Second Step lessons. These lessons focus on the five areas of social emotional learning: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. By recognizing these five social emotional areas and learning strategies to be successful within them, students are becoming more self aware of their feelings and how to manage those emotions in a healthy way. Also, students are becoming more successful socially, displaying positive behaviors, and building positive relationships with other people.

We are truly excited about the growth and learning we are doing in the middle school!

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Principal, Dr. Nick Damico talks about the Whole Child Initiative for the High School

In addition to an SEL leadership team, mental health ambassadors, and School Connects lessons, we work to bring a sense of belonging to all of our panthers in a variety of ways. The data is clear, belonging and being engaged in school is crucial for every student's success. When students feel a sense of belonging, they develop a strong connection with their peers, teachers, and the school community. This connection fosters a positive learning environment where students feel supported, valued, and accepted. Additionally, being engaged in school means actively participating in various activities, such as classroom discussions, extracurricular clubs, band, theater, sports and so much more.

Belonging also includes parents and families. Recently, we held our fall conferences for parents. DKHS is proud to report that we saw a 6% increase in parent attendance at conferences this year!