The Five Core Competencies of Social Emotional Learning
Dear PS 107 Families,
All schools in District 15 were recently notified that we are required to complete a social-emotional screener for all of our students by December 2nd. There had been some conflicting communication from the Department of Education about these social-emotional screening tools, and we now find ourselves with a relatively short timeframe in which to complete them.
Schools are permitted to select their own social-emotional screening tool; however, with so little time, PS 107 has opted to use the Devereaux Student Strengths Assessment or DESSA, which all teachers were required to use (and therefore have been trained to use) in the 2021-22 school year. The DESSA asks questions about areas of social-emotional functioning including decision making, relationship building, confidence, and others.This tool will be completed by your child’s classroom teacher during the week of November 28th.
The results of this screener will not be included on report cards, will not have any impact on grades, and will not be used to make any diagnostic or evaluation decisions. The results will be stored securely in an online portal that meets the DOE’s strictest privacy and security settings and will only be viewable by your child(ren)’s teachers and select school staff such as the principal or counselor.
During the week of November 28th, teachers will complete the screening questionnaire for each student in their class. The questions on the screening are answered by teachers based on their observations of your child in the preceding 4 weeks. The questions are not asked directly to your child and your child will not lose any instructional time as a result of the DESSA.
Parents may opt out of the DESSA. If you would like to do so, please complete this form by Friday, November 25th at 5 pm. If you complete this form, your child’s teacher will not complete a DESSA for your child.
Whether you choose to opt out of the DESSA or choose to have it administered, know that the PS 107 community believes strongly in the importance of building the social and emotional skills of students. Social-emotional learning (SEL), which includes developing relationship skills, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and optimistic thinking, is a cornerstone of all that we do at PS 107. If you have any concerns about your child’s social-emotional skills, please feel free to reach out to their classroom teacher or a member of our counseling team, Sarah Green (sgreen@ps107.org) or Colleen Dondero (cdondero@ps107.org).
Once again, if you would like to opt out of the DESSA screening tool, please complete this form by Friday, November 25th at 5 pm. If you have additional questions about the DESSA, please take a look at this information provided by the Department of Education or reach out to me directly at jcohen72@schools.nyc.gov
I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, filled with joy and celebration with your loved ones!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
PS We have one new Amazon wishlist for a PS 107 family in need, and two additional wishlists with a few remaining items on them! During this season of giving, please consider supporting our families who need a little extra help during a challenging time.