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Students describe mentorship and SEL initiatives; district weighing CASEL and vendor options
Summary
Student government and Wildwood students highlighted a growing mentorship program and literacy gains; the district discussed social‑emotional learning frameworks (CASEL, Panorama, RULER) with vendor cost estimates of roughly $15,000–$50,000 and a recommendation due by year‑end.
At the start of the meeting the board heard student presentations that illustrated how mentor programs and new literacy instruction connect to the district’s social‑emotional priorities.
Student government representative Bianca Piccolo described the Growing Together program, winter athletics and the theatre fundraising for the school’s Frozen production, emphasizing student leadership and community engagement. Fifth‑grade student Clara recounted how the Growing Together circle helped her ‘‘have more courage and faith in myself’’ and taught her to ‘‘stay in your own lane’’ when faced with peer drama.
Administrators tied those classroom experiences to district goals under discussion. Superintendent Dr. Siegel and curriculum staff outlined four district goals—active learning/small‑group instruction, STEM, articulation across partners and a K–12 SEL framework. The district has reviewed four SEL program options (CASEL framework as the organizing standard, Panorama, the JED Foundation and RULER) and plans a student SEL assessment for grades 3–12 to inform a recommendation. Officials estimated vendor costs at roughly $15,000 to $50,000 per year depending on scope and said the JED Foundation is probably less suited because of its college focus.
Board members asked about parental consent and how to maximize participation for a quantitative survey approach; administrators said parents would give active consent and the district would work to make participation straightforward (for example, using final‑form workflows for high school families). The administration said it will present recommendations and implementation plans by the end of the school year.
