Maintaining connections over summer break is essential. Keeping students  engaged with each other helps maintain the relationships students have built over the school year and can positively impact social emotional skills, well-being, and academics. Here are some strategies shared by educators to help maintain those connections:

1. For Educators to Students:
   • Promote Hands-On Learning Experiences: Help students to engage in summer camps, internships, or volunteer activities that match their interests. These practical experiences can keep them motivated and help them develop useful skills.
   • Share Digital Learning Tools: Provide links to educational websites, podcasts, or online courses that are relevant to their interests.
   • Organize Online Gatherings: Set up webinars, virtual meetups, or discussion groups where students can interact with their peers and teachers. These gatherings help build a sense of community and offer chances for learning and networking.
2. For Kids and Friends:
   • Exchange Contact Information: School directories often list only one phone number. Share alternative contacts with parents of your child’s friends. You can create calling cards or use online tools to stay connected.
   • Be Pen Pals: Encourage kids to write old-fashioned letters or postcards to their friends. It’s a delightful way to keep in touch and practice writing skills.
   • Plan Mini Class Reunions: Gather a few classmates for a casual get-together. It could be a picnic, a game night, or any other fun activity that allows everyone to reconnect.
   • Get out in nature: Invite your student’s class friends to go for a hike, a walk, or mountain bike ride.

For more ideas, We Are Teachers has listed 51 Boredom-busting Summer Activities.  that can be done with friends. Remember, staying connected over summer break requires intentional effort, but it’s worth it to maintain relationships and connections.

For parents:
Pediatricians are key partners in ensuring the health and well-being of students. They provide guidance on nutrition, water safety, risks of sun exposure, and the importance of the emotional and cognitive centers of the brain. For more information, read Why Social-Emotional Learning Matters for Children | Psychology Today.

The Animating Civic Action (ACA) is a collaboration between OSPI and the Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO). ACA aims to enhance civic engagement and empathic connection between students, educators and a variety of communities by incorporating the recorded voices of storytellers with lived experiences into K-12 social studies curriculum. The experiences of storytellers include homelessness, bullying, disability, refugee experiences, transportation concerns, language access needs, racial discrimination). Listening to the stories allows students and educators to build a sense of civic duty, which leads to practical application within and between Washington communities.

The ACA project includes the animated version of Jared’s journey as a youth experiencing homelessness and Esther’s story as a recent arrival in her US classroom where she experienced bullying. The collected stories form a body of valuable instructional content for both educators and students.

In addition to the intentional sharing of these stories with students across Washington, the storytellers also hoped that educators would have opportunities to learn from their direct experiences through professional development. Of the stories currently gathered, many areas of professional development come to mind including special education, general education, transportation, and multi-lingual learners. For more information, visit OER's page on Animating Civic Action.

The SEL Advisory Committee is accepting applications for new members to fill vacant seats. We would love for you to apply if you have the following:

• A passion for helping our students and for social emotional learning
• You have the time and capacity to fill the position for a year (The Advisory Committee’s 2023–2024 schedule is in the application.)

If you apply for a seat that is currently filled, we are happy to hold applications to fill future vacancies. Our current vacancies are:

• One superintendent or principal from a rural school district
• One representative from a coalition of youth-serving organizations working together to improve outcomes for young people

For more information on the SEL Advisory Committee, please visit our web page. If you have any questions, please contact Emme Williamson.

For School Districts, STECs, Federally Recognized Tribes in Washington

The Office of Native Education has upcoming grant opportunities for Washington schools, State Tribal Education Compact (STEC) schools, and federally recognized Tribes in Washington. If you would like to be considered for 2024-25 John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial (JMLSTI) curriculum grant funding, you will need to return an intent to participate survey by June 30, 2024, with information on your intent to create or continue developing JMLSTI curriculum in collaboration with your local tribe(s).

Districts, STEC, or charter schools that demonstrate readiness to implement programs may be eligible for funding up to $40,000.

Please indicate whether this is a new or expanding program, students served, and possible barriers to application within the survey. Submit the survey by June 30, 2024

All awardees are required to submit proof of tribal consultation with application via MOU/MOA, Letter of Support or other documentation of established partnership(s).