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At ÐÓ°É Public Schools, our mission is to develop scholars through world-class learning experiences to attain an exceptional knowledge base, critical and relevant skill sets, and the necessary dispositions for great success.

Pyramid showing the progression from Birth to Death from Adverse Childhood Experiences at its base to Social-Emotional & Cognitive Impairment to Adoption of Health-risk Behaviors to Disease, Disability and Social Problems to Early Death at its apex.

Source: June 2016, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

As we prepare scholars to achieve these goals, we understand the importance of them feeling safe and supported by administrators, teachers, and staff. We also acknowledge that mental health and wellness are innately connected to scholars’ success in the classroom and to a thriving school environment. With this in mind, we commit to accommodating and responding to students who have experienced traumatic events or situations.

What is Trauma?

Trauma (trôm, trou-) n. pl. trau·mas is defined as:

• A serious injury or shock to the body, as from violence or an accident.
• An emotional wound or shock that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person, often leading to neurosis.
• An event or situation that causes great distress and disruption.

Traumatic events cause physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological harm. Such events that occur with children are called adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).  These may include abuse or neglect. Some examples of ACEs include:

• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Physical Neglect
• Emotional Neglect
• Mother Treated Violently
• Substance Misuse within the Household
• Household Mental Illness
• Parental Separation or Divorce
• Incarcerated Household Member

For children who have experienced trauma, learning can be a big struggle. But once trauma is identified as the root of the behavior, we can adapt our approach to help kids cope when they’re at school.

Dr. Caelan Soma, Chief Clinical Officer at Starr Commonwealth

In order to respond to students who have experienced trauma, we are developing schools with safe and respectful environments that enable scholars to build caring relationships with adults and peers, self-regulate their emotions and behaviors, and succeed academically, while supporting their physical health and well-being.

Trauma Resources for Teachers

We encourage you to utilize these resources to intervene with scholars having difficulty coping with trauma.

• , We Are Teachers, July 17, 2019
• , National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2008.
• , National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2008.