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New belonging coordinator outlines restorative‑practices rollout and student‑voice work
Summary
The district’s new belonging and climate coordinator described four months of work implementing restorative practices, student voice days, an alternative ISS protocol and a train‑the‑trainer plan to scale staff training across Methacton schools.
Michaela Zeli, who identified herself as the district’s belonging and climate coordinator, told the board she began the role on January 28 and has spent the past four months launching restorative practices and belonging initiatives across buildings. Zeli defined restorative practices as "the science of building relationships and repairing harm" and summarized accomplishments in four categories: student impact and support, staff development, systems alignment, and community engagement.
She described concrete actions: facilitating restorative meetings and reintegration circles, developing an alternative in‑school suspension (ISS) protocol for the high school, and organizing three student‑voice days at middle and high‑school levels to solicit student priorities and develop action plans. Zeli said she has certified as a trainer‑of‑trainers and intends to deliver phased PD modules next year with the goal of eventually training all staff, including non‑instructional staff, using a train‑the‑trainer model and empowering building‑level belonging liaisons.
During board Q&A she explained the difference between community‑building circles (used proactively to set norms) and responsive/reintegration circles (used after incidents). She said circles can surface staff‑student perspectives that reduce suspensions and support re‑entry by identifying trusted adults, structured follow‑up and student leadership pathways. Board members commended the student‑voice work and asked Zeli to attend literacy and secondary‑school planning meetings to better align belonging efforts with curriculum and literacy initiatives.
Zeli said her next implementation priorities include launching restorative practices at the high school (with counselors and assistant principals scheduled for training next week), embedding small PD modules districtwide, expanding the alternative ISS supports to middle schools, and refining systems for restorative re‑entry and targeted student interventions.
