School districts 4, 45, 48 and 88 host annual Joint Board Meeting
Top: (From left) District 88 Assistant Superintendent Jean Barbanente, Addison School District 4 Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Keri Karpman, Salt Creek School District 48 Director of Student Services Jennifer Sabourin and District 45 Director for Student Services Diana Brown present during the Learning Compact Joint Board Meeting for districts 4, 45, 48 and 88. That meeting took place on Oct. 24 and provided an opportunity for Board of Education members from all four districts to come together to discuss important information taking place in each district, as well as issues facing public education. Bottom: Barbanente shares information regarding Social Emotional Learning with the group.
On Oct. 24, District 88 and its associate elementary school districts – Addison School District 4, District 45 and Salt Creek School District 48 – hosted their annual Learning Compact Joint Board Meeting.
That event is an opportunity for Board of Education members from all four districts to come together to discuss important information taking place in each district, as well as issues facing public education. This year’s presentation topic was Social Emotional Learning, which (according to https://casel.org) is “the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.” The focus is to create a culture of inclusion, belonging and connection across differences.
The group also discussed Trauma-Informed Schools, Adverse Childhood Experiences (which refers to a range of events a child can experience that lead to stress and can result in trauma and chronic stress responses) and Restorative Practices.
A Trauma-Informed School is one in which all students feel safe, welcome and supported, and where addressing trauma’s impact on learning on a school-wide basis is at the center of its educational mission. Goals of being a Trauma-Informed School include:
- Identifying and realizing the prevalence and influence of trauma
- Recognizing how trauma affects all individuals
- Responding to trauma with trauma-sensitive practices and policies
- Actively working against re-traumatization
Source: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care
According to the International Institute for Restorative Practices, Restorative Practices is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals, as well as social connections within communities. Restorative Practices focus on building and restoring relationships through the formal and informal use of restorative conferences, circles and affective statements and questions.
For questions or more information, contact District 88 Assistant Superintendent Jean Barbanente at jbarbanente@dupage88.net or 630-530-3982.