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District leaders report on professional development, outline trauma, illness and grief response team
Summary
Superintendent and board members summarized recent professional development, including NETT sessions on classroom AI tools and a five-day trauma, illness and grief training; the district plans a certified, countywide response team to assist schools after traumatic events.
District leaders described takeaways from recent conferences and outlined plans to build a trauma, illness and grief response team across Niagara County.
Superintendent Tim Carter reported on a NETT summer conference attended by Brooke Smith at Niagara University, which covered using digital platforms (Padlet, Canva, Google Classroom, Magic School) to enhance classroom engagement and informal assessments. "Although AI can be problematic at times, there are many benefits as well," Carter said, summarizing the presentation’s emphasis on balancing technology with hands‑on instruction.
A board member (Benton) provided a detailed account of a leadership retreat hosted through Erie 1 BOCES and a five‑day training on trauma, illness and grief response. Benton said the training covered introducing trauma care, understanding grief and loss for children, trauma and illness in schools, and building trauma‑responsive communities. He noted certification is required to participate in the district team and listed staff members who attended training, saying the district could be called upon by neighboring districts after incidents to provide counselors who will use the same response language and approaches.
Benton highlighted regional coordination with Niagara County’s mental‑health division and identified Nick Hester as a county leader involved in the consortium. Superintendent Carter added that the county health department will coordinate responses so multiple districts can deploy certified counselors to support students and staff after traumatic events.
Board members expressed support for the proactive approach and noted implementation will proceed in phases, with some staff already certified. The district said it will continue to train staff and coordinate with county partners as the trauma‑response team is built out.
