WORTHINGTON – The newest thing at Worthington’s R.H. Conwell Elementary School is a teaching strategy that focuses on social and emotional skills. It will be implemented school-wide, including students, teachers and parents.
MindUp is a set of social, emotional and self-regulatory strategies and skills, developed for pre-K through middle school students by the Hawn Foundation, founded by actress writer and philanthropist Goldie Hawn.
The program is said to foster a classroom environment in which a child’s ability to succeed academically and to personally thrive is maximized and directly linked to their overall state of well-being.
According to Conwell Principal Gretchen Morse-Dobosz, the MindUp program reduces stress, improves focus and academic performance, strengthens abilities for concentration and helps children and educators thrive in a community of learners.
The MindUP website also notes that the program “nurtures optimism and happiness in the classroom, helps eliminate bullying and aggression, and increases empathy and compassion, while resolving peer conflicts in schools.”
Morse-Dobosz said that she and her staff had experience in several types of social and emotional teaching programs when the school opened. However, they wanted to implement one that would be shared by all teachers and best serve students and the school community. They chose MindUP.
Morse-Dobosz traveled to the Brown Elementary School, a private school in Schenectady, New York, to meet with the head of school and observe the MindUP program in progress. Her staff then volunteered time to go to the school and observe the teaching methods and interview teachers about the program.
“After our trips to the Brown School, a facilitator came out in July and did a training with us,” Morse-Dobosz said. “This has been in process all year. I think it has really empowered the teachers and they all feel very invested in the school.”
The MindUP will not be just for students. “This will be implemented schoolwide and teachers will also be using the techniques as well,” Morse-Dobosz said. “We will also partner with a community outreach education person to facilitate monthly meetings with parents to talk about how they can support the themes and strategies at home.”
The Conwell School has an enrollment of 60 to 65 students.
This year there will be a slightly earlier start and dismissal time, with school beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 3:10 p.m.
A back-to-school barbecue will be held Aug. 26 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The PTO will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and families are encouraged to bring a side dish to share.