Recap of PPS-SF Annual General Meeting: Supporting High School Students
Over the past couple of months, many parents have brought up their concern for high school students as elementary schools reopen for face-to-face school. We listened and made the theme of this years Annual General Meeting Supporting High School Students! The night started with a short introduction about who we are at PPS-SF and then we got into the three main focus areas: wellness, academics, and upcoming opportunities. To access the video, you can view it on our YouTube channel here.
Image Credit: SFUSD Safety and Wellness.
Wellness
We heard from Kevin Gogin, the Director of Safety and Wellness from SFUSD. Here were some of his key takeaways:
Every high school has a wellness team which usually consists of a community health outreach worker, wellness coordinator, school district nurse, and RAMS mental health provider.
There are a variety of different services that include individual and group services.
Wellness staff will join virtual classrooms and tell students about the different services they offer and how to access these services.
Students are able to drop-in to wellness services or can choose to self refer themselves to services.
Students and families can get additional help through the Student and Family Resource Link Line. You can access it in three ways:
familylink.sfusd.edu to complete an online request form
Email a request to familylink@sfusd.edu
Call 415-340-1716
We heard from Javonne At-Chan, Community Wellness Counselor at Bayview Hunters Point YMCA. Here were some of her key takeaways:
There are free mental health services for individuals, children, couples, and families at the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA.
She noticed that for young people having family support, and having family even be a part of the process, during their counseling services made a big difference.
She also found that giving resources and tools to parents and families was useful for both the family and student.
Academics
Image Credit: Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.
We heard from Mele Lau-Smith, Chief of Student, Family & Community Support, from SFUSD. Here were some of her key takeaways:
Students, their families, their teacher, and their counselor know their academics best. Meeting with their school counselor early in the school year lets you start this partnership early on.
ParentVue is a great tool where you can communicate with teachers, see an unofficial transcript, and see their attendance record
She recommended using the My Future in My Hands Guide which was designed to answer questions that often arise during a student's high school journey and help provide basic information as students consider their college and career options. You can find copies of this guide, in multiple languages at this link, just scroll to the bottom.
We heard from Anna Klafter, Principal at Independence High School, here were some of her key takeaways:
Alternative and continuation schools are on hexmesters, so they have six terms a year. Each term they meet with counselors to go over their progress and credit acquisition. This allows them to plan for credit recovery early.
Each school usually has its own credit recovery program in addition to credit recovery through CCSSF.
Many alternative schools give credit for summer work and internships which allows for them to earn money while getting school credit.
Note: Independence High School has always provided students in SFUSD with flexible learning options. See more information about the school and how to apply here and here.
We heard from Diana Alvarez Santos, Head Counselor at Marshall High School, here were some of her key takeaways:
Each student is different so there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to academic
Each school has a Coordinated Care Team that looks out for students to see where they are struggling. If they see the student is struggling, they will try to get in contact with the family, which is why it’s incredibly important to keep a current address and phone number on record.
Progress reports are mailed, to your home address, at the end of each grading period. You can use these to see how your child is performing.
There is credit recovery and some schools have that built into their schedule. Students can take up to two credit recovery courses each semester and credit recovery is offered over the summer. Learn more about credit recovery and register.
We heard from Eric Rice, Director of College & Career Pathways at SFUSD, here were some of his key take-aways:
Students have found amazing ways to continue their passions during the pandemic
Students are having challenges during remote learning, but a lot are finding new ways to thrive in this environment
Many high school staff want to make coming back face-to-face a very supported and emotional transition. It will not be business as usual but they want it to be impactful.
Even during the pandemic, students in SFUSD’s many Career Pathways programs have found creative ways to continue “hands-on” learning. Check out all 49 Career Pathways offered at SFUSD high schools. These programs are fantastic opportunities for real-world learning that also prepares students for college as well as careers.
Image Credit: Opportunities For All.
Summer Opportunities
We heard from Sarah Williams, Acting Director at Opportunities for All. It is an initiative to connect young people to paid employment, job training, and mentorship. Here were some of her take-aways:
There will be two sessions this year.
The only criteria for applying are: You live, go to school, work, or have a parent that works in San Francisco, with preference with SFUSD students.
Most placements will be virtual or a hybrid of virtual and in-person.
There has been an influx of applicants, if your student is interested, apply ASAP!
Here is a link to summer programs offered through SFUSD, including programs for students with IEPs, , Early College, and Internships (note, some program deadlines have passed)
Image Credit: Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.
Break-Out Room Feedback Summary
Participants had an opportunity to share experiences with one another and reflect on how the past year has been for older students and their families. Discussion focused on sharing with one another what has been hard, what if any positive experiences or growth they have noticed, and what their hopes are for next year.
Several participants shared difficulties in navigating parenting during distance learning: making decisions about how much they should “push” their child to engage in classes, not feeling that they had the skills or capacity to provide needed academic and technical support, and feeling helpless to support student’s mental health and social and emotional needs which in many cases were serious and very concerning to parents and guardians.
Many families, in particular those who are not native English speakers, found communication especially difficult this year and had trouble accessing support that was available when school was in person, such as counseling and academic support.
Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by distance learning, many participants valued the increase in family time, the slower pace of life, and more time to plan and prioritize rather than running around to many activities. A few students even seemed to thrive in distance learning.
Image Credit: Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.
Almost all participants are ready for students to return to in-person learning and to have access to clubs, athletics, and social activities. Most feel that the emphasis in the fall should be on reconnecting and supporting students’ social and emotional needs. Many people also stressed that there need to be opportunities for students to accelerate learning, and compensate for academic challenges that many faced during distance learning. Several expressed hopes that safety will be prioritized and emphasized with students who they worried may not take health and safety guidelines seriously.
We look forward to continuing the conversation and providing updates and resources to support our older students going forward!