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Capital School District launches the Supporting Our Well-being Campaign
Dover, Delaware - December 18, 2023, Capital School District launches the Supporting Our Well-being Campaign to help achieve the district's vision of prioritizing the care of students, staff and parents with the community. With awareness of the national teacher shortage, ongoing national transportation shortfalls, and the relentless unfolding of trauma accompanied by a polarizing political climate, the district is launching a comprehensive, proactive plan of action called– "Supporting Our Well-being Campaign." The plan is designed to help address the holistic needs of students, staff, and parents with the community. While these are national issues, Capital School District’s Leadership Team felt compelled to do something to shift the direction of these trends while also meeting the needs of the various stakeholders they serve.
Following conversations with teacher leaders, safety and security leaders, the staff advisory committee, and other key stakeholders, the Supporting Our Well-being Campaign was introduced to the community through recent Superintendent Updates at the October and November Board of Education meetings. Over the past two months, the district’s leadership team has solicited input from board members, administrators, various collective bargaining leaders, including teachers, paraprofessionals, constables, and custodial leaders. We will continue to engage staff to seek feedback on recommended options to better support everyone’s well-being and to incorporate additional self-care options. Some of the elements of the campaign will focus on increasing communication with stakeholders on the additional social emotional services the district is providing to meet the needs of students, staff and parents. Additional services will include new ways to engage in Valued Innovation Partnerships to address issues similar to those recently reported in the media about students' undesirable behaviors. By collaborating with community organizations through these Valued Innovation Partnerships, the district is forging ahead to shift these heavy tides during times when schools across the nation are facing similar complex challenges.
Dr. Vilicia Cade, CEO and Superintendent, stated, “Our Board of Education and Leadership Team are hopeful that this campaign will serve as a springboard to revitalize the audacity of hope and confidently address new issues as they arise. We believe that our schools and communities deserve environments that reflect an ethos of care, which is the foundation for increasing academic outcomes.”
The Supporting Our Well-being Campaign is the culmination of several existing innovative programs, systems, and services that have been developed through collaboration with Capital School District’s students, staff, and parents with the community.
In the recent letter to Capital School District parents, guardians, and staff announcing the launch of the program, Dr. Cade stated, “Any parent, caregiver, or Senator who is in need of help, please contact your school and request to speak to your assigned parent liaison. Please know that we are eagerly standing by to help you take advantage of the resources and any support we can provide to help with your needs.”
“The Supporting Our Well-being Campaign is a move in the right direction for teachers who are overextended in these unprecedented times. I look forward to my constituents having input on what they need to help achieve our district’s success,” stated Mrs. Sarah Kashner, President of the Capital School District Educators Association.
As a part of the Capital School District’s commitment to improving the well-being of students, staff, and parents, the district will convene the Trauma and School Connectedness Task Force in January. For the past two years this task force continued to demonstrate the District’s commitment to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to improve the culture, learning environment, and sense of belonging for all. The task force is open to everyone, and the district encourages students, staff and parents to participate in these worthwhile meetings. The district has scheduled the next meeting for Wednesday, January 3rd, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at Dover High School. Please RSVP at the link below.
RSVP here!
Last year, the District convened quarterly Trauma and School Connectedness Task Force meetings that focused on sharing how to access social emotional resources for parents to help their students and collaborating on how to better support the well-being of all stakeholders. The District’s new Parent Liaison program is an outgrowth of what parents identified as a need last year. Parent Liaisons are active now within the district. They are actively helping connect parents to the resources they need, both within the school and district, as well as through Valued Innovation Partnerships or other outside resources available to families.
The district continues to work collaboratively with staff, local community and faith-based leaders to help address the increase in trauma unfolding throughout our district through these workgroups and programs.
“Our schools need help with what is happening in society today. Our vulnerable children and families need more than they did before COVID. They have more needs than what schools have to offer. The Central Delaware NAACP will avail ourselves and galvanize our partners to help. We will attend the January Trauma School Connectedness Taskforce Meeting to offer resources. We ask others to join us in being a part of the solution as we tackle any problem we have with schools today,” stated Mrs. Fleur McKendel, President of the Central Delaware NAACP.
Please contact Mrs. Monica Shockley Porter to set up interviews regarding the Supporting Our Well-being Campaign, Valued Innovation Partnerships, or Trauma and School Connectedness Task Force.
Monica Shockley Porter
Public Relations Specialist
Capital School District
[email protected]
About Capital School District
The Capital School District is recognized as a Governor Carney K-12 Compassionate Champion Award recipient. The district is the home of the first three Verizon Innovative Learning Schools in Delaware. Capital’s North Dover Elementary School was recognized for advancing academic excellence in 2022 as a United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Elementary School.
We are the heartbeat of the first state— Capital School District is advancing educational excellence through innovation. In 2023, Capital School District opened a new $113 million interconnected state-of-the-art middle school campus that houses the Middle School of Excellence and the Middle School of Innovation. The new Dover Middle School Campus is symbolic of the district’s intent to launch an era of advancing educational excellence through innovation.
https://www.capital.k12.de.us