NOVEMBER 2025

As November brings shorter days, holiday stressors, and seasonal transitions, it’s not uncommon for students to experience shifts in mood, motivation, and overall mental wellness. This time of year offers an important opportunity for us, as educators, to be attentive to subtle changes in student behavior and emotional needs.

Even small indicators--withdrawal from peers, increased irritability, inconsistent engagement, or difficulty concentrating--can signal that a student is struggling. Our collective awareness makes a difference. Please continue to lean on the support of our counselors, CST members, social workers, and mental health professionals; we are all part of the same network of care.

Simple classroom strategies can help support student well-being, such as:

• Maintaining predictable routines

• Incorporating movement or brain breaks

• Providing options and flexibility where appropriate

• Creating warm, low-stress classroom climates

• Encouraging students to talk when something feels “off”

Thank you for being on the front lines of noticing and nurturing. Your daily presence, patience, and relationships with students remain some of the most powerful mental health supports they have.

For more information on Mental Health services in Salem County, visit The Human Services Advisory Council of Salem County.

Chronic absenteeism continues to be a challenge statewide, and Salem City School District is no exception. As we enter November, it’s important to recognize how deeply attendance impacts student learning, behavioral progress, and long-term academic outcomes.

Because teachers are often the first to spot attendance patterns, your outreach and collaboration with families matter greatly. Whether it’s a quick check-in with a student, a conversation with a parent, or a referral for support, your actions help us identify the root causes of absenteeism and intervene early.

Some ways teachers can help combat chronic absenteeism include:

• Greeting students warmly and consistently to create positive belonging

• Notifying administration or support staff when attendance concerns arise

• Keeping classroom routines engaging and predictable

• Making up missed work manageable and structured

• Celebrating improved attendance streaks

Together, we can build a culture where students feel connected, safe, and motivated to attend every day. Thank you for your continued commitment to showing up for our students and helping them show up for themselves.

Our district continues to expand its use of the Nurtured Heart Approach, and November is a great time to revisit its core principles. The approach centers on celebrating students’ successes and reinforcing the positive choices they make, even the small ones, while maintaining clear, consistent expectations.

Teachers across Salem City are already incorporating Nurtured Heart language and practices into their daily routines. By energizing what’s going well, we help students see themselves as capable, successful, and valued members of the classroom community.

Ways teachers can amplify Nurtured Heart practices include:

• Offering frequent, specific recognitions (“I see you showing great focus by…”)

• Reinforcing rules and boundaries calmly and consistently

• Redirecting behavior by highlighting strengths rather than focusing on missteps

• Establishing “no-nonsense” moments that reset behavior without escalating

• Celebrating student growth, effort, and self-regulation

Nurtured Heart is not about being overly positive; it’s about being intentional, present, and relational. Thank you for your continued dedication to building strong, resilient students and classrooms rooted in connection and accountability.

In addition, we want to highlight the work of our DREAMS Champion Team, who meet monthly to deepen their understanding of the Nurtured Heart Approach and bring new insights back to their buildings. Their commitment is helping build consistency and shared language across the district. A special recognition goes to Ms. Wilson, Ms. Pla, Mr. Baker, who dedicated themselves to a six-hour intensive Nurtured Heart training this month. Their willingness to grow their practice and model NHA principles is helping strengthen our collective capacity and support for students.

The middle and high schools have partnered with Gateway Wellness Services to enhance student well-being and community collaboration. Together, they have implemented two initiatives: the Life Skills Program and the Recovery Hope & Wellness Program. These programs provide evidence-based, trauma-informed, and peer-centered prevention education aimed at building resilience and reducing risk factors associated with violence, delinquency, and substance use among youth ages 11–17.

Additionally, students who receive disciplinary action related to vaping are required to participate in a monthly substance abuse education session, reinforcing healthy decision-making and personal accountability.

Staff members Melissa McLaughlin (JFA), Mark Baker and John Murray (SMS), Darryl Roberts and Larry Brown (SHS), and Herb Schectman and Meghan Taylor (Central Office) participated in the Salem County Reunification Activity at Salem Community College this month. This training brought together local and state law enforcement, members of the Salem County School Safety Committee, and representatives from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Management.

During the exercise, stations were set up to reunify forty 3rd-grade students from Penns Grove’s Field Street School with their parents—a vital practice scenario to prepare for real-life emergencies. Additional designated reunification sites include Salem County Vocational School and Schalick High School.

We appreciate everyone’s commitment to ensuring our district is prepared, coordinated, and ready to respond in the event of an emergency.