News

The Verona Area School District is seeking a 1.0 FTE School Social Worker at Country View Elementary to provide leadership and consultation in the area of helping alleviate the social/emotional or environmental difficulties for  students as those difficulties impact student academic performance. This position would begin no sooner than January 25th or as soon as filled. To better understand the applicants we are seeking view this link: https://bit.ly/2UieoJa

From WPEN's website:

WISCONSIN PUBLIC EDUCATION NETWORK 

Meet the Candidates (click on a candidate’s name to view their website)

• Sheila Briggs, briggsforkids@gmail.com
• Joe Fenrick, fenrickforeducation@gmail.com
• Troy Gunderson, troyforstatesup@gmail.com
• Shandowlyon Hendricks-Williams, info@drhendricksforeducation.com
• Deborah Kerr, info@kerr4kids.com
• Steve Krull, info@krullforschools.com
• Jill Underly, contact@underlyforwi.com

Candidate Surveys & Questionnaires

• Click here to see the FULL RESULTS of the Wisconsin Public Education Network and League of Women Voters of Wisconsin State Superintendent Candidate Survey, released Jan. 6, 2021. Individual answers are linked below, along with the full text of our candidate survey.

• Click here to see results of the survey sent by the School Administrators Alliance.

• Click here to see the 411 Information Page from the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin for all other spring election needs.

Read more from our Midwest rep for SSWAA:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nNTKB9CMGet-Feqp00Efx2XzYV1Vl6Mb_R5GB2JCeXU/edit?usp=sharing

UW-Green Bay is pleased to announce that we recently received approval to offer our MSW Program in central Wisconsin with in-person classes being held on the UW-Stevens Point at Wausau campus. This is exciting news for the region and our program.  This also means we are hiring faculty to teach at that location, starting in fall of 2021.  Review the job posting here:

https://www.uwgb.edu/human-resources/employment/career-opportunities/lecturer-social-work/

• Thanks from Julie Incitti at DPI!

• School Staff Compassion Resilience and Self Care

  ·        Assessment -  Building Trust and Well-Being Through Trauma Informed Communities  - Center on Great Teachers and Leaders

  o    This handout offers a self-assessment for school leaders that includes an array of trauma-informed strategies for fostering trust, wellbeing, and resilience for all in the learning environment during these unprecedented times.

  ·        Assessment - Educator Resilience and Trauma-Informed Self-Care Self-Assessment  - CGTL

  o    This handout includes a self-care self-assessment with key strategies for fostering resilience and a self-care planning tool to assist educators in identifying areas of strength and growth related to self-care and developing self-care plans.

  ·        Compassion Resilience Toolkit - Rogers and DPI

  o    A focus on compassion resilience will guide all staff back to the core set of values and the drive for a sense of purpose that drew them to work in schools in the first place. It will do so by supporting the development of a strong set of skills to manage expectations, set professional and personal boundaries, build effective collegial relationships, and practice real-time and ongoing self-care.

  ·        COVID Toolkit Update - Rogers and DPI

  o    Short videos on such topics as expectations, boundaries, and gratitude.

  ·        Why Teacher Self-Care Matters and How to Practice Self-Care in Your School – Waterford

  o    Self-care explained with strategies.

  ·        10 Self-Compassion Practices for COVID 19 - Center for Mindful Self Compassion 

  o    10 practices from the Mindful Self-Compassion program

  ·        Guidance, Scripts, Strategies, & Resources for Supporting Students and Educators During COVID-19, GAIN EVSC

  o    Coping and strategies

  ·        Self-Compassion Guided Meditations and Exercises - Dr. Kristin Neff

  o    Audio recordings with compassionate meditations

  ·        Role-Clarity and Boundaries for Trauma-Informed Teachers - Alex Shevrin Venet

  o    Article written by a teacher for teachers about boundary setting in the workplace.

  ·        Taking Care of your MH in the Face of Uncertainty – American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

  o    Considerations for folks struggling to take care of mental health in the face of uncertainty with strategies

• ·        Self Care During Covid - University of Michigan Medical School
• o    Specific strategies with additional links to resources that support those strategies
• ·        Helping Hands Need A Break, Too: How To Lend Support Without Burning Out - NPR
• o    When we feel like we have "nothing left to give," supporting our own grieving friends or caring for a sick relative can feel like running a marathon with sore muscles. But showing compassion — and avoiding emotional burnout — doesn't have to be painful for you or anyone else.
• ·        Destress Monday – Mondaycampaigns.org (Weekly practices in breathing, mindfulness and positivity to refresh your mind on Monday and help you manage stress all week.)

Don't forget to sign up for our virtual fall conference workshop series! Get a total of 7 workshops over the course of 5 months for 17.5 CEHs. Become a member to receive a deep discount!

You can register for the whole series, getting one workshop free, or register for individual workshops of your choice.

Registration for the series here

Registration of individual workshops here

Here are some ways to support our students in this election. We can also support our families in having these conversations at home.

Talking to Kids About the Election - National Geographic 9/29/20

The Right Way to Talk About Politics to Kids, According to Experts - Good Housekeeping 8/24/20

Complete a survey to help with research on school social work leadership

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between school social work leadership qualities and interdisciplinary collaboration in the educational setting. Specifically, this study intends to explore school social worker leadership self-efficacy, or perception of capabilities, and their perception of school-based collaboration. The survey takes 10-12 minutes and closes September 15th.  Details here.

Seeking new board members - apply today!

Grow Your Leadership Skills and Contribute to our Profession!  WSSWA is seeking members who want to grow their leadership skills through participation on the board. Board members meet 5 times per year and do not need experience in any particular area to be qualified to serve. You may want to consider board membership as a way to learn and practice leadership skills, which will benefit your professional growth and career. You can help shape the direction of school social work in Wisconsin.  More info here.  Application here.  Deadline to apply is October 1st, 2020.

Trisha Kilpin is 1 of 5 recipients receiving the 2021 WI Teacher of the Year award. Kilpin is a school social worker for the Greendale School District, which she has worked at since 1991. She created a mental health toolkit for caregivers, providing evidence-supported guidance to help youth who are struggling. Kilpin also teaches crisis response and preparedness at the local, state, and national levels. She noted in her application she reaches and engages with students in the district by working to remove barriers, and helps them feel connected to all aspects of school.