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To: Superintendents, Principals, Private Schools, Communicable Disease Preparedness Liaisons, Charter School Leaders, Arts Education, K-12 Public Information Officers, School Nurses, School Counselors and Mental Health Professionals, Education Partners and Leaders
From: Dr. Charlene Williams, Director, Oregon Department of Education
Date: August 12, 2024
Re: Care, Connection & Creating Space for Conversations in the 2024-25 School Year
Dear Education Partners and Leaders,
As we step into another school year brimming with promise and potential, I am also mindful that many families in communities across the state are worried about their homes and their livelihoods as fires continue to devastate huge swaths of forest and land, threaten towns, and blanket large areas in harmful smoke.
Circumstances like these make it even more important for our education settings to be places of connection, care and community.
Since the launch of ODE’s Care and Connection effort in 2021, school and district leaders have looked for new and innovative ways to create welcoming, safe and inclusive school communities where students, families, and staff can thrive.
This year, I would like schools and districts to think about how they can take these essential practices even further by also creating conditions for students to engage in safe conversations.
Finally, while I know one-on-one phone calls can be time consuming, I highly encourage educators, administrators and counselors to consider using the first few weeks of the school year to call the parents, caregivers, or guardians of every student to help build essential school-family connections. Experience tells us that this heartfelt act helps to create connective tissue that boosts student and family engagement and attendance for the entire year.
In love & justice,
Dr. Williams
Resource Highlight!
In alignment with ODE’s Integrated Model of Mental Health and Transformative Social Emotional Learning Framework and Standards, Arts for Learning Northwest is collaborating with ODE on the development of a series of four FREE arts courses designed for K-5 students across Oregon called Arts, Care & Connection. Arts, Care & Connection lessons integrate social emotional learning content and mental health promotion activities in the areas of dance, visual arts, theater, and music for K-5 students, featuring incredible teaching artists from across the state of Oregon! Lessons are designed to be scaffolded and accessible for K-5 classroom teachers to explore instruction in the arts, with embedded instructional supports. Learn more about the project here.
As you prepare for the coming school year, please re-review ODE’s Care & Connection Activities suggestions and other Care & Connection resources, and continue to dedicate time and space each school day to foster connection, care, and community.
Early Literacy
Through building Care and Connection, we create the conditions for every student to learn and grow, including growing the most important skill for education success, learning to read and write. We’re building historic momentum for literacy through the Early Literacy Success Initiative. We are all in to improve early literacy and know that teaching reading and writing requires high quality curriculum and training grounded in the science of reading, and we are excited to see this initiative boost early literacy in Oregon.
Connection Activities
We encourage you to take the time and space you and your staff need to grow and sustain safe, inclusive, invitational spaces that allow each person to show up as their authentic self and offer creative opportunities for self exploration and group connection.
At the beginning of the school year and regularly throughout the school calendar, consider fun “getting to know you” exercises that are intentionally designed to create connections and build relationships. These might include greeting students at the classroom door each day, and using art, music, movement, nature and other opportunities for students and staff to express themselves. We also suggest organizing regular, informal events for school staff to connect, build relationships, and create communities of care.
Contact Us
- We’re excited to begin another school year with Care & Connection and are committed to supporting you in that effort. If you have any questions or feedback on Care & Connection programming, please contact Dr. B Grace Bullock.
- For any questions on the Early Literacy Success Initiative, please contact k5.literacy@ode.oregon.gov.
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