New Rochelle High School has several programs in place to support social and emotional learning and to help students recover unfinished learning, school leaders told the Board of Education recently.
Principal Dr. Dagoberto Artiles, in the photo, and Interim Assistant Principal Zahida Aminy described a range of initiatives, as well as safety nets, to advance student achievement.
Aminy said social and emotional learning initiatives focus on developing a positive identity, managing emotions, making smart decisions, and finding appropriate outlets to navigate challenges. The school has created a Wellness Committee comprised of teachers, counselors, and administrators that soon will add students. Efforts focus on mindfulness activities and ensuring a safe and supportive environment where trust is built and students feel heard. Examples include the Restorative Circles program, which helps inspire self-reflection and responsibility while cultivating stronger, healthier relationships and building community. Power of Peace workshops, Aminy said, help students feel understood, connected, and empowered.
Artiles said data are used to identify focus areas to help students conquer unfinished learning. For instance, ninth- and 10th-graders’ literacy skills are studied to identify opportunities to help the expression and development of themes and central ideas. For 11th-graders, gauges measure how written narratives are explicitly understood, as well as what inferences are drawn from the text. Math initiatives include small-group instruction, as well as the launch of a summer algebra institute for eighth-graders and a math lab pilot.