GOAL: Construct safety, health, and wellness protocols.
PRIORITY GOAL 2
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF SAFETY PROTOCOLS
Keeping student and staff safety a top priority
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF HEALTH PROTOCOLS
Taking a multi-faceted approach to ensuring healthy school environments.
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF WELLNESS PROTOCOLS
Caring for the whole child and the people who serve them
UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
www.pghschools.org
DR. WAYNE N. WALTERS Superintendent of Schools
ENSURING SAFE AND WELCOMING SCHOOLS
Addressing the health, safety, and well-being of students and staff is multi-faceted and has certainly evolved during the pandemic This evolution has elevated the importance of mitigating COVID-19 and other contagions, healthcare access, safety in schools, traumainformed care, social and emotional wellness, physical and mental health, nutrition, and food security when providing service to students, staff, and families. Understanding our core focus is the improvement of student outcomes, the safety, health, and wellness of our students and staff are critical issues that, if not addressed, can create significant challenges for student and staff success Protocols serve as regulations and guidance for the school community and are vital to ensuring coherence, accountability, and support for students and staff of our district.
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF SAFETY PROTOCOL
Pittsburgh Public Schools is committed to providing every student and staff member with the opportunity to attend and work in a school environment that is safe, positive, civil, free of violence and drugs, and conducive to learning Ensuring all students and staff are aware of protocols to support this goal is the highest priority because excellence in education can only be achieved if schools and classrooms are safe and orderly.
To support student and staff safety and ensure everyone is prepared in the event of a school emergency, the Pittsburgh Public Schools have the current protocols in place:
Each school has a safety plan unique to the building and aligned with best practices
Each school has a safety team, and all staff receives flip charts outlining emergency procedures.
Schools perform various safety drills, including fire, bus evacuation, severe weather, building evacuation, and lockdown.
All principals, teachers, staff, and students participate in ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) training to empower them to respond during violent critical incidents
All building exterior doors are secure and all school classroom doors lock from the inside.
The Department of School Safety and District Crisis Team work collaboratively with school leaders, local emergency responders and community agencies to support school safety
The District also has mobile School Police units that can respond quickly to support schools, especially schools where there may not be a permanent security officer stationed.
www.pghschools.org UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF HEALTH PROTOCOL
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the vital role school districts play in implementing public health prevention strategies to support safe, in-person learning. The use of health protocols help to ensure all students have equal access to quality health services, prevention education, early intervention, and support to help them achieve academic success. Strategies to increase prevention-related education, such as proper handwashing, vaccinations, and testing, help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and keep students in the classroom where they belong.
To support healthy school environments in Pittsburgh Public Schools, the District has in place multiple protocols including, but not limited to:
A planned, sequential, kindergarten through 12th grade health education curriculum involving skill-based and hands-on learning opportunities that addresses the physical, emotional, mental, behavioral, and social dimensions of health.
All students eat for free! School menus meet strict guidelines from the United States Department of Agriculture, based on the latest nutrition research and a panel of experts in health and nutrition
Require compliance with vaccination requirements set by the state of Pennsylvania for school attendance and promote non-required vaccinations, including COVID-19 and Flu.
A COVID-19 Decision Tree, developed in consultation with the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHC), establishes protocols to respond to suspected and confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 to maintain the health and safety of the school community.
A masking protocol has been established based on COVID-19 community spread. The promotion of infectious disease mitigation strategies and healthy habits through the use of school signage, partner webinars and staff education and training
www.pghschools.org UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
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Thesafety,health andwellnessofour studentsandstaff arecriticalissues,if notaddressedpose challengesto improving student progress
IMPACT OF EDUCATION & AWARENESS OF WELLNESS PROTOCOL
According to the CDC, “well-being is the ability of individuals to address normal stresses, work productively, and realize one’s highest potential”
The Pittsburgh Public Schools wellness policy is reflective of the District's commitment to incorporating all facets of wellness into its work in order to better the health of students and other key stakeholders who serve as role models to students – including staff, parents/guardians, and the community – as the school district recognizes that good health among all stakeholders is the basis of strong student success – lifelong academic, social, and personal.
The District has established the following protocols to ensure students receive the interventions and support they need to participate in their education and that the physical and mental health needs of staff are met so they can meet the ever-growing needs of students:
All schools have at least a social worker, counselor or both to support mental, emotional, behavioral, and social health of students.
Student Assistance Program providers available at every school to help identify students with social, emotional, and/or behavioral needs and make meaningful connections to appropriate support providers
School-based behavioral and mental health providers coordinate appropriate prevention and intervention training for school staff. School-based mental health providers shall implement interventions to address school-wide positive behavior supports within school settings.
Partnership with LifeSolutions, through UPMC, to provide employees with a no-cost, confidential employee assistance program
Implementing social-emotional learning to help students manage their feelings and emotions, respect others, and build strong, positive relationships.
The implementation of Restorative Practices to help students develop appropriate social-emotional skills, understand how their actions affect others, and work to repair any harm done.
Student wellness and mental health subcommittee of the Superintendent's Student Council recommend strategies to support student mental health, including the establishment of the District's first mental health summit for students by students.
www.pghschools.org UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
The five priority goals articulate key strategies aimed at improving Culture, Systems, and Instruction in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Implementing these priority goals begins with inquiry. The conclusions emerging from this process will outline a collaborative and strategic approach to solve our challenges with student outcomes and experiences.
Priority Goal #1
Invest in culturally responsive, evidence-based training, tools, and instructional practices.
Priority Goal #2
Construct safety, health, and wellness protocols.
Priority Goal #3
Expand stakeholder communication and partnerships.
Priority Goal #4
Design effective organizational systems.
Priority Goal #5
Strategically allocate resources to ensure equity, excellence, and efficiency.
For more information on the Superintendent's Priority Goals, please visit www.pghschools.org/suptgoals
www.pghschools.org
UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
I am unapologetically student first and remain steadfast to the motto I have shared with countless students and staff over the years,
www.pghschools.org UNAPOLOGETICALLY STUDENT FIRST
“Nothing in life is so complicated, that it cannot be achieved by discipline and hard work.”
