My name is Megan Goldman and this school year marks my 18th year serving this incredible community. I am deeply committed to empowering students, supporting educators, and fostering family engagement. With a focus on enhancing social, emotional, and behavioral well-being, I specialize in supporting the "Whole Child". I strive to ensure all students are supported socially, emotionally, and behaviorally.

Social development refers to a child's ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children.

Connection Before Correction is positive discipline that focuses on the power of love over lecturing. Children need to feel like they matter and that their voice is heard. Prioritize the relationship first.

https://youtu.be/KCtCeCs0DsE?feature=shared

Center for Childhood Resilience

Positive Parenting Tips: CDC

Parenting Essentials: CDC

PBS Parenting Resources: Managing Emotions

NAEYC Guidance for Challenging Behaviors

AACAP Resource Page for Parents on Challenging Behaviors and Emotional Regulation

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students' behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health.

January 25, 2024 Lunch and Learn @ 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

• “Fostering Accountability and Responsibility” with Touchstone Therapy

• View the flier and register here for the virtual event!

January 25, 2024 Parent/Guardian Night @ 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM

• “Raising a Drug Free Teen” with Andy Duran of LEAD

• Click here for the virtual link and more information!

February 7, 2024 Addressing Toxic Achievement Culture with Jennifer Wallace @ 7 PM

• In Partnership with the Stevenson Consortium and the PTO!

• View the flier and register here for the virtual event!

Mindfulness is awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings. Mindfulness can help people avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts, emotions, and other present-moment experiences without judging or reacting to them. (APA Dictionary of Psychology)

Staff representatives from Middle School South and Middle School North Advisory Committee's have participated in two half-day sessions so far this year of professional development and curricular planning with SEB Coordinator, Megan Goldman, in partnership with SEL Integrations. The goal of this work is to revise and reboot our GVC for Advisory for our Middle School students.

The Whole Child Wellness Committee met for our first session on October 17th. The Whole Child Wellness Committee plays a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of our students by focusing on Goal 4 of our Strategic Plan:

“District 73 will ensure the success of the whole child by providing comprehensive approaches and programming, grounded in the belief that each child deserves to be healthy, safe, engaged, supported and challenged.”

Snowflake Day and Snowflake Night provided our middle school students with a day of team-building, social-emotional learning, and collaboration with peers! The students were also treated to a special lunch and presentation from Terrence Talley, who shared an important message with all the students about "having each others' backs". Snowflake Night continued that message with several guest speakers and more team-building and social-emotional lessons! The students ended the night on the dance floor! It was an incredible experience for students, staff, and parents!

We are excited to be implementing an intervention system within PBIS this year! Check-In Check-Out, otherwise known as CICO, which is a systematic intervention where students who need additional support with behavior are matched with a trained staff mentor who meets with the student each day to focus on setting goals for the day. Throughout the day, the students receives structured feedback from all staff members on a point sheet in order to meet behavioral goals.

After much research and consideration from a team of teachers who trialed the updated Second Step Digital Elementary Program during the 2022-2023 school year, Hawthorn has adopted the Second Step Digital Elementary Program for students in grades kindergarten through grade 5. This updated program is used as a foundational resource implemented during the co-taught SEL time each morning at each elementary school. Staff received training in the program last spring and again this fall during Institute days. Watch for the Family Connection Letter to come home before each Second Step unit!

Our students also 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.

Social Workers:

Meghan Frazier - Lincoln School - frazierm@hawthorn73.org

Rhonda Malina - Hawthorn School for Young Learners - malinar@hawthorn73.org

Shelby Behrens - Aspen, Dual Language - behrenss@hawthorn73.org

Andrew Meyers - Aspen -meyersa@hawthorn73.org

Julie Gange - Dual Language - gangej@hawthorn73.org

Kathleen Falotico - Townline - faloticok@hawthorn73.org

Julia Flannery - Elementary North - flanneryj@hawthorn73.org

Connie Travis - Elementary North - travisc@hawthorn73.org

Nesrin Unlu - Elementary South - unlun@hawthorn73.org

Brittany Langton - Elementary South - langtonb@hawthorn73.org

Lauren Brownstein - Middle School South - brownsteinl@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

Megan Goldman

Social, Emotional, Behavioral Coordinator

847-990-4269

goldmanm@hawthorn73.org

Follow me on X (formerly known as Twitter) @D73SOARS

Check out my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj-L3MVWzHT7xxgWytCWmYA