Workshop Materials

Helping Students Build Independence and Strengthening Communication Strategies: This full-day professional learning workshop supports support staff in strengthening their role in promoting student independence while improving communication within instructional teams. Support Staff play a critical role in supporting students’ academic, social, and behavioral success. When support strategies intentionally focus on independence rather than dependency, students gain greater confidence, ownership of learning, and long-term success in inclusive classrooms.

This full-day professional learning workshop supports the district’s Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) in strengthening the visibility, effectiveness, and alignment of their services within inclusive school environments. Rather than focusing solely on compliance-based documentation, this session centers on how COTAs can intentionally measure and communicate the impact of their support services, apply Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) best practices, and reinforce consistent student regulation strategies across classrooms. The workshop balances clarity with application, honoring participants’ professional expertise while strengthening coherence between related services, instructional priorities, and districtwide practices.

This interactive half-day professional learning session introduces educators and school leaders to the essential components of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a proactive, equity-centered framework for strengthening school climate and student success.

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Participants will build a shared understanding of PBIS, examine practical classroom and schoolwide applications, and begin developing a focused action plan to strengthen Tier 1 implementation. The session balances research-based foundations with hands-on application, discussion, and collaborative planning tailored to elementary and secondary contexts.

Using the NYS Social Studies Anchor Standards to Deepen Instruction in Middle School Classrooms: This interactive professional learning session strengthens middle school social studies instruction by purposefully using the New York State Social Studies Framework. Teachers will examine how Key Ideas, Conceptual Understandings, Social Studies Practices, Unifying Themes, and the Inquiry Arc work together to elevate historical thinking, civic reasoning, and student engagement without adding workload or compliance-driven tasks.

250 Years, 250 Voices: A Storytelling Curriculum Project - Develop a storytelling curriculum that connects the past and present through student-led oral history, creative writing, and digital media. This project encourages students to seek out and share voices that represent the full spectrum of American experience. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Freedom to Inquire: Inquiry-Based Learning Across Disciplines: Inspired by the spirit of revolutionary thought, this workshop helps teachers design cross-curricular inquiry units around independence, rights, and democratic ideals. Emphasis is placed on student agency and authentic assessment. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Designing Schools for Belonging and Well-Being: Drawing from recent studies in neuroscience, psychology, and school climate, this course emphasizes the leader’s role in fostering environments where students and staff feel seen, heard, safe, and supported. Topics include trauma-informed leadership, SEL integration, supporting MLLs, and staff wellness systems.

Reimagining Family & Community Engagement Through Research - Grounded in recent research on family-school partnerships, this course explores new frameworks for building reciprocal, linguistically and culturally responsive relationships with families. Participants will examine studies on engagement during crisis periods (e.g., COVID-19) and design implementation strategies that align with current community needs.

250 Years, 250 Voices: A Storytelling Curriculum Project - Develop a storytelling curriculum that connects the past and present through student-led oral history, creative writing, and digital media. This project encourages students to seek out and share voices that represent the full spectrum of American experience. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Freedom to Inquire: Inquiry-Based Learning Across Disciplines: Inspired by the spirit of revolutionary thought, this workshop helps teachers design cross-curricular inquiry units around independence, rights, and democratic ideals. Emphasis is placed on student agency and authentic assessment. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

The Nurse’s Voice: Building Trust Through Communication with Families & Communities: This full-day workshop empowers school nurses to strengthen trust with families and communities through clear, proactive communication. Participants will learn how to set boundaries around what can be shared under FERPA and HIPAA, craft messaging for newsletters, social media, and parent updates, and manage challenging conversations with confidence. They will also design a yearlong communication calendar aligned to health needs and district priorities, while gaining ready-to-use templates, resources, and messaging samples. By the end of the day, nurses will leave with practical tools and a personalized plan to support consistent, professional, and approachable communication all year long.
 

Designing Schools for Belonging and Well-Being: Drawing from recent studies in neuroscience, psychology, and school climate, this course emphasizes the leader’s role in fostering environments where students and staff feel seen, heard, safe, and supported. Topics include trauma-informed leadership, SEL integration, supporting MLLs, and staff wellness systems.

Year of Independence: A 12-Month Parent Engagement Framework: Design a year-long calendar of monthly family events that align with key themes from the Declaration: freedom, justice, voice, and community. Includes templates for newsletters, family learning nights, and intergenerational storytelling projects. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

Year of Independence: A 12-Month Parent Engagement Framework: Design a year-long calendar of monthly family events that align with key themes from the Declaration: freedom, justice, voice, and community. Includes templates for newsletters, family learning nights, and intergenerational storytelling projects. Ideas and strategies for teaching all students, including MLLs, will be shared.

This half-day professional learning workshop introduces middle and high school educators to the essential components of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). Participants will build a shared understanding of MTSS as an integrated framework that supports academic, behavioral, and social-emotional growth. The session is highly interactive, combining direct instruction with case studies, data analysis, and collaborative action planning tailored to secondary school contexts.