COVID-19 is not keeping us from our 3rd Annual Mental Health Symposium!
Dear Fearless Educators,
For the last two springs, as daffodils and tulips poked through chilly soil, Bergen County educators came together to better support the mental health of students. Through the Bergen Educators Striving Together (B.E.S.T.) partnership between the Bergen County Association of School Administrators, Bergen Community College, the Bergen County Office of Education, and West Bergen Mental Healthcare, two professional learning summits—both strategically designed to put actionable resources into the hands of teachers—were held. We were planning B.E.S.T. 2020 when, well, you know.
Ordered into isolation with remote instruction, our educators rallied to orchestrate powerful learning experiences for the 134,000 students in Bergen County. In addition to standards-based content, many pioneered ways to support students socially and emotionally during these difficult times. So here’s the B.E.S.T. idea: Instead of planning a traditional conference that may or may not occur in June, we seek to collect your B.E.S.T practices, your B.E.S.T. lessons, your B.E.S.T. strategies for ensuring that students are safe, mentally healthy, supported and loved. And, of course, after we collect these bits of genius from across the county, we’ll send them to everyone.
As a capstone, we will host a virtual B.E.S.T. EdCamp where educators can participate in robust discussions regarding student mental health and the unique challenges of supporting students in a COVID-19 learning landscape. More information about the event will be released in the coming weeks.
So kindly take the following steps:
- Think about all of the innovative ways you are supporting the mental health of students, e.g., video SEL lessons, morning meetings, personalized contact, schedule changes, etc.
- Fill out our short survey! Be sure to include links to all of the videos, lessons and materials you would like to share.
- Forward the survey link to all of the educators in your sphere. The more survey responses, the more models and resources in our collective bank!
- Be on the lookout for details about the B.E.S.T. EdCamp.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScXNod536usYfAx7cBV1jKFWvp-oH91IggwL7q4wioNs1Grkg/viewform?usp=sf_link. The survey will close on April 29, 2020.
Thank you for all that you are doing for your community. Stay strong, healthy and well!
Kindest remote regards,
The B.E.S.T. Committee
