Better Together: Creating Community in SD67
“I have at least one colleague I can go to when I need support with something.”
“I feel like I belong in my workplace.”
“I believe the work I do makes a difference.”
These are some of the statements we asked in a recent survey to better understand the experiences for employees in our school communities across School District 67 – Okanagan Skaha. We, like many other school districts in British Columbia, are feeling the impact of an evolving society on our education system. By seeking to understand the effects of these changes on our employees through their own voices, we can work together to foster wellness across our school communities.
Instinctively, we all know that employees who feel well at work, are more effective at work. There is a large body of evidence that supports this notion. In particular, the research of developmental psychologist, Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl, on stress contagion in classrooms and schools guides our work. Her research on social and emotional learning is foundational to everything that we do in our schools and provides evidence as to why the wellness of our school staff is absolutely critical to both the culture of the school community and the success of our students.
When we plan to support the wellness of our staff, we cannot overlook the unique nature of the working conditions in our schools. When the school bell rings at 8:30 there is a certain level of unpredictability walking into our schools and classrooms. Each student brings their own experiences, wants and needs, and no matter how much planning we do or how organized we are, school happens! But just as there are opportunities for chaos, struggle and strife, there are also opportunities for calm, growth and joy. Among all of this, how can we leverage opportunities to tip the scales towards the positive and foster school communities where our staff feel well at work?
In SD67 we are starting with connection. It’s not a cutting-edge or complex strategy, but it’s what our staff shares as important on surveys and in post-event feedback. In school communities where staff speak with pride about their work and their eyes light up with joy about students, you will also hear about stories of school wide staff tag games, yoga clubs or music trivia nights. In school communities where staff come together to support a student with unique challenges, you will also hear stories of staff supporting a colleague who is going through a difficult time. In our experience, when staff feel connected to both their school and colleagues, they feel more optimistic and supported; they feel more well at work.
Connection does not always come easily, especially in busy school days. Finding time to eat lunch with colleagues or take a moment to chat at the photocopier before racing to class can be hard. Finding time to connect with a colleague who happens to work at a different school can feel impossible. We cannot depend on connection (or whichever wellness strategy you might be focusing on) to happen naturally, we need systems in place. Systems that intentionally support our most valuable asset, our people.
In SD67 there are a variety of systems in place which aim to support actions that will cultivate wellness across our school communities, one of which is a district wide employee wellness committee. This voluntary group has representation from all our employee groups (support staff, teachers, administrators, senior school board staff), receives a small operating budget and meets regularly throughout this school year. This committee created terms of reference with input from employees, that serves to guide the actions and initiatives of the team and is revisited annually:
Vision:
Fostering healthy work environments where all employees can thrive and feel connected, valued and supported.
Mission Statements:
- To promote a workplace environment that values holistic health including healthy physical, mental, social and intellectual development by supporting a diverse range of opportunities.
- To provide district wide opportunities for all employees to engage in activities and events that promote wellness.
- To provide education and resources for all employees to work, play and live well.
The committee plans a variety of initiatives throughout the school year that support the vision and mission. For example:
- Golf, volleyball and curling tournaments provide an opportunity for staff to participate in a sport and enjoy a meal together.
- February wellness challenge invites staff to complete daily wellness challenges together.
- Wellness book club featuring discounted wellness themed books and an opportunity to gather to discuss their chosen book.
- Try-it nights feature staff teaching others about their own strategies for wellness -everything from line dancing, spin classes, cooking, sewing, to bike maintenance – whatever talents our staff are willing to share!
- Family fun night, held at a local amusement park, allows families to connect, play and have fun together.
The employee wellness team recognized that it can be challenging for our casual staff, who are not directly linked to a school community, to feel connected and valued. In response to this gap, we created a postcard with a customized message of appreciation that is sent out to all casual staff in June. We also included a sticker with one of the images below. This small gesture received very positive feedback from staff who in turn expressed gratitude for being appreciated.
Another recent initiative of the employee wellness committee was to work with an amazing graphic designer Kristin Wiens to create a series of images that reflect the vision of the wellness committee. (check her out on Instagram @kristin.wiens)
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These images have been printed onto cards that are frequently used to express notes of gratitude or recognition for staff. They have also been printed on stickers, magnets, tote bags and water bottles which have become coveted prizes at staff events. The goal is for these images to be a visual reminder of just how important our people in SD67 are.
Throughout our district, many staff have made connecting a priority through regular habits and actions. Our assistant superintendent sends a personalized email to staff on their birthday. Staff meetings include connection as an agenda item; for example, by including things like opportunities to express appreciation for colleagues or community building activities.
One middle school implemented a modified bell schedule on Wednesdays, intentionally creating time for staff collaboration and grade/school wide assemblies. During grade assemblies, teachers of that particular grade meet as a team. They collaborate around topics and concerns that are relevant to them, often including things such as learning goals or students of concern. During whole school assemblies, the entire school comes together in a pep rally style event for celebration, learning, and fun. By building this assembly and collaboration time into the system it forces action towards the outcomes we value. There is this great quote that misery loves company, but so does joy, and joy throws better parties. Creating a schedule with time for connection ensures that joy does not get lost when times get busy.
If you were to reflect on your own education experience as a student, what is it that you remember most vividly? It is likely the teachers you had, the friends you made and the experiences you shared. In SD67 we have prioritized relationships and belonging in our strategic plan. The goal states “Our learning environments and school communities support the wellbeing and sense of belonging for all learners by nurturing safe learning environments, fostering inclusion and valuing the rich diversity of our students.” In order for our employees to cultivate these learning environments, we know that they themselves need to feel these things first. They need to have a colleague they can go to for support, they need to feel like they belong in their school community, and that the work they do makes a difference. By creating systems and actions that support connection among our school communities, we hope that staff will reflect just as fondly on their days working in our schools as they did when they were a student learning in them.
Photo: School District 67 – Okanagan Skaha
