CSW: A Message About Student Wellness

Wilmington DE

24 February, 2022

9:28 AM

Description

Press release from the Charter School of Wilmington: Feb 24, 2022 February 22, 2022 Dear Charter Community, When I arrived at The Charter School of Wilmington as the new President last May,  my entry plan presentation introduced my goal of creating a culture of care within our community. I shared the core values that reflected my leadership style:  authenticity, trust, quality, and integrity. As we continue through the third marking period, now more than ever, we must invest more time and energy into brain health, emotional safety, and social support for both students and staff at CSW. We have seen the need increase each day. On January 2,  Nolan Witman, a beloved senior, died. He joined our CSW family as a ninth-grader from H.B. duPont Middle School, and was a member of the football and track teams. Nolan was an extraordinary young man, extremely kind, outgoing, and well-loved. He had an infectious smile and made us all laugh. Dean Anthony Gray-Bolden from Cab and his team shared their spaces with us, the lobby, the theater, and the library. Their faculty and staff helped us create a safe haven on campus. The School-Based Health Center opened its doors to students and staff for guidance, insights, and additional services. We could not have gotten through the last month without Red Clay's compassion and expertise. Over the past month, our list of partners and expert consultants have grown. We reached out to: 1) Red Clay Deployment Team – (Met with us and provided support and education about memorialization to our staff – the team intervenes when there is a crisis in the school community) 2) Harriton High School (Lower Merion School District) – (They had a student who died by suicide about four years ago, so the principal and school psychologist met with us and shared their story; they provided the extended leadership team recommendations about the grieving process and memorialization.) 3) American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – (Met with us and provided the extended leadership team support and education in regards to the grieving process and memorialization) 4) Supporting Kidds – (Met with us and provided the extended leadership team support and education in regards to establishing a board level memorial policy. Additionally, they will assist our newly established wellness team. Supporting Kidds focuses on supporting grieving children and their families through a whole-family approach.) 5) PAWS for People – (Volunteers and trained dogs provided therapeutic visits to our students and staff.) 6) Sean's House – (Provided students with virtual appointments and 24/7 support at their mental health safe haven in Newark) 7) Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children – (Provided support, resources, and education about the grieving process) 8) Delaware Department of Education – (Provided support, resources, and education about the grieving process and memorialization) Last week, Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long visited our Nanotechnology lab and spent time with our school counselors, Special Services Coordinator, and School Nurse. We discussed mental health and student wellness and are pursuing additional resources and funding for schools in these critical areas. What can you expect moving forward to continue strengthening our culture of care? We continue to thank our entire faculty and staff, and celebrate our school counselors, Mrs. Terri Fenimore, Mr. Jon Gillespie, Mrs. Holly Gosser, and Ms. Adetola Magbagbeola, for caring so deeply about our students, along with Mrs. Xuan Bui, Special Services Coordinator, and School Nurse Brenna Reed. These staff members collaborate together to identify and implement the best practices for supporting our students. I am inspired by the willingness of our community to come together to provide a path forward. Look for updates from our Wellness Team as members review student wellness opportunities in addition to all requests to honor a student or faculty member who has died. Thank you for your support as we continue to celebrate The Charter School of Wilmington as a source of innovation, care, and joy in education. Dr. Reginald Johnson President This press release was produced by the Charter School of Wilmington. The views expressed here are the author's own.