Creating an Engaging and Restorative Environment to Support Transitions to School

The start of the 2020-21 school year will be unprecedented due to social distancing, interrupted learning, and the loss of routine experienced by every member of the school community. How can districts and schools create caring and supportive school environments, in the midst of uncertainty, that encourage students and families to attend and participate in school?

Join our second Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar to examine what it means to address the effects of trauma while helping to reestablish the routine of school. Hear from families about what they need from schools and educators who have supported their communities through traumatic events. Speakers will discuss the importance of clear communications, how strong relationships support learning and engagement, and how many of the practices designed for students and families who’ve experienced trauma are suitable for the whole school community. We’ll focus on activities and strategies educators can put in place just before and during the first month of school, and the importance of using data to inform and tailor these transition activities.

Speakers:
• Gloria Corral, President and CEO at Parent Institute for Quality Education
• Patrick Corvington, Executive Director at DC School Reform Now
• Kwesi Rollins, Vice President for Leadership and Engagement, Institute for Educational Leadership
• Hedy Chang, Executive Director, Attendance Works