The Connection Corner
Your Whole Child Hub
Welcome to your "Whole Child Hub"!
Behavior Expectations at Hawthorn
At Hawthorn, we believe all students deserve to learn in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment. Our SOAR expectations—Safe, On-Task, Act Responsibly, and Respectful—help students understand what that looks like throughout the school day.
We are proactive in teaching and reinforcing these expectations, and we also take behavior seriously when expectations are not met. Misbehavior will be addressed in accordance with our Board Policy and Student Handbook. (See Links Below)
We encourage families to talk with their children about school expectations. While expectations at school may be different from what is expected at home or when spending time with friends, students are expected to follow the expectations outlined in the Student Handbook while at school.
Together, we can help students SOAR by making safe, responsible, and respectful choices.
Looking for support for yourself or a family member? Check out Referral GPS!
ReferralGPS is a free, confidential resource that helps families find local mental health providers based on location, specialty, insurance, and more. Care Navigators can also help families find services and schedule appointments.
Explore resources or connect with a Care Navigator:
https://referralgps.com/find-help/hawthorn73
Your Child Comes Home With a Problem…Now What?
When your child comes home and tells you about a problem at school, your first instinct as a parent may be to “fix it” for them. Instead, try this process:
Listen: Give your child a chance to share what happened without immediately jumping to conclusions or solutions.
Ask: Try questions like, “What happened?” “How did that make you feel?” or “What do you think you could do next?”
Problem-Solve: Encourage your child to think about what they can do to address the situation or handle it differently next time.
Connect: If the concern continues, involves safety, or your child needs additional support, reach out to your child’s teacher or school team. We want to work together to support your child.
Community Circles at HSYL and Townline!
Community Circles are underway at HSYL and Townline! Staff received training during our Institute Days, and students have already begun participating. Community Circles are a restorative practice that gives students and staff intentional opportunities to connect, build relationships, and strengthen our sense of community.
Bus Driver Training!
Staff Trained in Leading Community Circles
Townline staff participated in a training with Megan Goldman on restorative practices and community circles. Staff learned how to facilitate community circles with their classes during morning SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) time.
The Connection Corner Archives
Social Workers
Our students benefit from access to school social work services. Our social workers provide ongoing support in several ways. They collaborate regularly with grade-level teams to promote a positive school climate for all students, and help support staff in using instructional practices that support social-emotional learning across all subjects. Our social workers may also lead class lessons or work in small groups with students to provide more targeted support.
District Social Workers:
Meghan Frazier - Lincoln School - frazierm@hawthorn73.org
Rhonda Malina - Hawthorn School for Young Learners - malinar@hawthorn73.org
Sydney Pacernick - Elementary North/Aspen - pacernicks@hawthorn73.org
Anna Bach - Aspen -bacha@hawthorn73.org
Ashley Zarinana - Dual Language - zarinanaa@hawthorn73.org
Kathleen Falotico - Townline - faloticok@hawthorn73.org
Grace Haggerty - Townline-Dual - haggertyg@hawthorn73.org
Paul Mazzetta - Elementary North - mazzettap@hawthorn73.org
Connie Travis - Elementary North - travisc@hawthorn73.org
Nesrin Unlu - Elementary South - unlun@hawthorn73.org
Brittany Langton - Elementary South - langtonb@hawthorn73.org
Greer Prebish - Middle School South - prebishg@hawthorn73.org
Amunn Jaffery - Middle School South - jafferya@hawthorn73.org
Jaime Medbery - Middle School South - medberyj@hawthorn73.org
Brian Van - Middle School North - vanb@hawthorn73.org
Kelli Cordes - Middle School North - cordesk@hawthorn73.org
Scarlett Davalos - Middle School North - davaloss@hawthorn73.org
Connect with ME!
Megan Goldman
Director of Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Learning
847-990-4269
Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @D73SOARS
Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj-L3MVWzHT7xxgWytCWmYA