November is Native American Heritage Month
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month and including it in lesson plans is easier with the resources below.
The first stop should be our Senate Bill 13 Tribal History/Shared History page on the ODE website. It is packed with resources from the background on the bill to lesson plans and professional development as well. Bookmark the page because new information is being added regularly. It represents years of collaboration with Oregon’s tribal governments in an effort to tell the entire story of Oregon’s history and the culture of today.
The National Museum of the American Indian is part of the Smithsonian network of museums and has pages dedicated to helping K-12 educators. Be sure to check out the resources dedicated to teaching more accurately and thinking more broadly about the Thanksgiving story.
Finally, we wanted to share again this 2020 op-ed in the Oregonian written by Oregon Historical Society Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. In the article there are links to resources OHS has created, including Experience Oregon which is the cornerstone of their museum experience.
The best part is that all of this information is available year-round. So let Native American Heritage Month be the launching point for continuing to include this perspective in classes throughout the school year!
Classroom WISE: FREE Implementation Support for School Districts in 2023!
ODE is excited to announce that the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC) will be offering a FREE, 3-part training to help districts implement Oregon Classroom WISE in 2023!
MHTTC will also be offering FREE implementation support for Classroom WISE to school districts beginning in January 2023. Assistance will include access to an orientation webinar, an implementation guide, a facilitation session, and multiple sharing sessions with other teams that are implementing Classroom WISE.
If you are interested in receiving implementation support for Classroom WISE in your school district, please complete this interest form so you can be alerted when the request for applications becomes available!
Preparing for Breaks and Transitions With Care and Connection
Breaks and transitions in the academic year can be very challenging for Oregon students and school staff. Many families face loss, uncertainty, and turmoil. Making time and space for care, connection, grace and patience are vitally important to nurturing health and well-being now, and throughout the school year.
Children, adolescents and adults often find comfort in predictable routines. So interruptions to regular activities during holidays and breaks can be anxiety-provoking. Reactions to these types of stressors can take many forms such as frustration, anger, irritability, sadness, and withdrawal. These typical human stress responses may be particularly evident before, during and after time away from school.
This means that students and staff may need greater emotional support during transitional times. That is why we are continuing to encourage schools and districts to prioritize care, connection and community, and dedicate time and space in the school day for students and staff to make meaning of their experience through structured and unstructured tasks. This may include individual or group expressive activities like writing, art, music, movement, experiential learning opportunities, silence, and time for individuals to connect with their thoughts, feelings, and experiences.
The most important thing that we can do to support each other is to be mindful that breaks and holidays can be difficult, and hold space for all experiences and reactions.
Please review this flyer to access resources to promote and support health and well-being.