Spring Branch ISD Featured News

 

 

Sometimes it is the little things that make all the difference. A seemingly little thing on the first day of in-person learning at Memorial Drive Elementary was a pink bulletin board. The idea behind the board was anything but little. 

“One of our teachers was going to do a bulletin board in her room titled, ‘I am awesome because…’ We decided to do a grade-level board instead to focus on how kids were feeling. We wanted to highlight that it was okay not to be okay,” said members of the fourth-grade team, Anne Smalling, Amy Lindsay and Caitlyn Mozisek.

So, in pink paper and complete with an emoji scale, students were invited to rank how they felt walking back into class following a nearly six-month-long absence brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“It is a normal reaction when you ask students, how are you feeling and they immediately respond, ‘I’m okay’ regardless if it is true or not,” said Smalling. “We wanted to focus on having our students be more empathetic to each other and provide solutions to the problems of feeling anxious or sad.”

This creative community activity sparked conversation, collaboration, and increased empathy across the grade-level.

“Kids have really enjoyed being able to show their teachers and their peers, in a non-threatening way, how they feel,” said Moziek. “Our hallway isn’t widely traveled, but those who have seen it have commented that it is a good idea. Our counselor loves that we are bringing awareness to all social-emotional well-being.”

This awareness is a conversation that’s not just happening at school. Families across the city, state, and nation are grappling with how best to support kids as they return to class or continue learning from a distance. The Memorial Drive team’s approach intentionally focuses on creating a way for kids to express their feelings and connect safely and meaningfully.

“We specifically designed this for our fourth-graders because they cannot communicate between classes at the moment,” said Lindsay. “Since we usually can gather together at lunch, recess, or other times throughout the day, we wanted to install something that would allow all fourth-graders to communicate their feelings visually. This is a quick way for them to share their feelings in the morning.”

In addition to the fourth-grade board installation, campus counselors are mobilizing to support students in various ways. From box lunches to Zoom calls, guidance lessons, and providing information and resources for educators about relationship building and self-care, every member of the Memorial Drive team is working to ensure kids are safe physically and mentally.

“Some days are going to be better than others,” said team members. “There are going to be highs and lows in this process. There is no such thing as ‘normal’ anymore, and we shouldn’t ever force our students to feel comfortable or happy. This lets us better understand how kids think, and brainstorm ways to manage anxious, angry, or sad feelings in a healthy way. It allows us to give grace over perfection.”

If the team at Memorial Drive had their way, pink bulletin boards would be popping up everywhere as a fun and safe reminder that it’s okay not to be okay. Really.