School board updated on SEL program

The Hot Springs County School District’s Board of Trustees heard a presentation from principal Breeze Daniels, Elisa Daniels and Becca Nelson on Social, Emotional Learning (SEL) in grades five through 12 during their October meeting.

SEL focuses on creating a social/emotional environment and using “I Can” statements in both academic and social situations.

During October they are recognizing the students who are giving 100 percent and in the classrooms, focusing on taking risks. Rather than looking at a problem as a mistake, they are teaching students to look at it as a chance to give 100 percent effort in facing the error.

In November, they will be giving out yard signs to recognize those students who give 100 percent effort.

Students are being tracked and recognized each week and they are watching which kids are frequently recognized as well as those who are under-recognized.

Friday’s Voices will be a chance to recognize kids that haven’t been recognized yet, creating a way to include the more shy students.

The high school has recently introduced the use of the ACT Tessera program (pilot year).

It is a self-assessment tool for students with links to videos and lessons students can do on their own to help them improve and grow in five different areas, including things like teamwork, resilience and leadership.

In other business, the board approved Cassie Owsley and Ashley Griffin as assistant cross country coaches and Will Farrell as the middle school wrestling coach for the season.

On the board agenda was an item for approving the 2019-2020 Strategic Plan, however the plan was not available for members to view so it was tabled until a later date.

Superintendent Dustin Hunt said the document will be a working document that may be updated throughout the year with a majority of changes made during the second reading.

Although crisis and emergency planning is done every year, the plan itself has not been reviewed or updated in over 10 years.

Hunt also discussed the implementation of a new Stipulation Agreement pertaining to student expulsion.

The agreement would be used when a student is put up for possible expulsion by the principal due to behavioral issues. The student would still be suspended for 10 days, however, instead of a formal hearing with the board, the student would have stipulations regarding behavior expectations documented and then it would be on the student and their parents to meet the stipulations to continue in school.

Failure to meet the stipulations would, of course, mean immediate expulsion.

It was mentioned that most of the time the first meeting with the parents is at the expulsion hearing. This agreement would allow for earlier contact with the parent and a better resolution.

Hunt noted that other schools in Wyoming that are using this agreement are having success and a reduction in the number of expulsions.