Skip to Main Content
Spotlight image

The COVID-19 pandemic created extraordinary challenges for educators, students, their families, and communities. Schools rose to the challenges and as a result, there have been some new practices that are carrying over into this new school year. Benson Elementary School shared a couple of their changes.

One of them is how family involvement has increased.

  • Positive celebrations that were normally celebrated with families in school were mailed home so that families could celebrate with their child.
  • Individual student behaviors were addressed quickly with families by using Google Meets as a way for families to attend and have a more personal participatory and quicker experience involving their child. Families encouraged the school to continue this in FY 22 because they felt that it was easier than attending an in-person meeting and that they felt they were meeting more often. Families also felt that the staff was providing a lot of positive acknowledgements to their children.

Another positive outcome from last year:

  • Their Tier 1 referral data improved. Why? The pandemic regulated how close students could be and how they could/couldn’t share materials. As a result, each student had their own supply of materials as opposed to a group sitting around a community table sharing materials. However, it was important that since students were in their own space with their own materials still be taught lessons around the themes of teamwork, friendship, respect, and kindness. Students were also given opportunities to lead discussions about these lessons.

Contact Jessica Thurston at [email protected] for additional information.