By Megan M. Argenio
The Cornwall Central School District recently held our Cornwall Cares Committee to discuss previous events within the District, as well as to plan an upcoming district-wide Wellness Day. The Cornwall Cares Committee has a unique lens as members are from both the school district and the community. This meeting involved a share out from the schools and departments regarding an update of Social and Emotional Learning and Character Education within the CCSD. There are so many beautiful lessons, initiatives, and programs taking place, and we wanted to share with our community! Enjoy!
CCSD Stand Up Committee: During February and March, the High School Safe School Ambassadors met with student representatives from all three elementary schools and the middle school to discuss ways to stand up to and prevent bullying! Specifically, the students explored six different actions that can be used when faced with bullying—this included strategies such as reasoning, supporting, and balancing. Students worked together to create skits to demonstrate how to use each of these actions when handling a bullying situation. The building Stand Up Committee Members will later use these skits in each of the schools with the larger student body. Additionally, a video of the collaboration is available for teachers to use in follow-up lessons.
Respect Week took place at CCHS led by 11th grader, Emily Uren, who wanted to bring awareness to the CCHS student body about dating violence and healthy relationships. Each day there was a different theme or lesson brought to the attention of the student body. Guest speakers from Safe Homes came to speak to a packed presentation room on what healthy relationships look like, and students capped the week on Valentine’s Day by finishing the phrase, “Love Is…..” and wrote their thoughts. The impact from the week and the education the students received was apparent in those messages. Student messages such as, “Love yourself” or “Love shouldn’t hurt” were displayed for the student body to see in the main hallway.
Our best resources lie within our professional Staff. Tara Berchielli, who is a teacher at Willow Avenue Elementary, has been running a “Mindfulness and Meditation in the Elementary Classroom” workshop for elementary teachers so that they can use turn-key techniques within their own classrooms to support our students. Participants in this workshop observe video clips of the activities in action, review the data and research that supports mindfulness in the classroom, and participate in the activities themselves. This workshop is designed to build student self-management skills within our District as students use these techniques to reduce stress and calm themselves in stressful situations.
Seventh-grade students in Mr. Daly’s health class participated in an activity that shifted their thought process toward their own strengths and weaknesses. Students were asked, “What is Character?” and “Who Do You Admire and Why?” to examine their personal thoughts on character. Students were then given positive character trait vocabulary words and had to explore how their own positive character traits can help support areas in their lives and others. Students recognized that instead of focusing on what they are not good at, they need to focus on their strengths to enhance their lives. Students were then asked to write some activities or actions they were a part of under a positive character trait “hashtag” as a visual aid in the classroom to refer to throughout the year.
The Cultural Connections Club is in the very beginning stages at CCHS, but is already receiving very positive feedback from our students. The Cultural Connections Club is an organization of upper-level language students at CCHS who want to make a difference by connecting with and supporting our ENL (English as a New Language) population of students. In this club, students will be able to help tutor, mentor, and connect our ENL population of students to activities, resources, and other students within the HS. Activities such as cultural food sharing, conversational language sessions, and diversity issues will also be explored in this club. Conversely, our ENL students will be empowered and teach our upper-level language students with authentic native language, dialects, and customs so that our students have a deeper overall language experience.
The Willow Avenue “Junior Kindness Committee” has started a new program called “Caught You Being Kind!” Faculty and Staff can fill out a Kindness Note when they “catch” a student showing kindness to a friend or an adult in the building. The committee also talked to students about our March character trait – Patience.
Cornwall Elementary is working on a “Shout Out Tree” The Shout Out Tree will be in the main hallway of CES where teachers can post notes about something kind that they saw a student(s) saying or doing! Cornwall on Hudson continues to focus on Social and Emotional Learning with the support of Mrs. Pinheiro’s push-in lessons. Mrs. Pinheiro, the COH School Social Worker, has been implementing “Choose Love” lessons while working with students.
Finally, throughout the District the focus continues to be kindness, care, and giving back to support others in need. Efforts to support local food pantries and charitable organizations continue. In preparing our students for civic readiness and in leaving us as well-rounded people, learning these lessons in life are crucial!
One last note from our Nurses: Hand washing is essential for everyone! When you was your hands, scrub them with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. This will send the germs and dirt down the drain. Don’t forget to clean under your fingernails and between your fingers. These are places where germs like to hide! Be kind to your family and friends; wash your hands!
