By Tracy Ouellette
SLN Staff
East Troy High School will take part in the Trauma Sensitive Schools Project this coming school year.
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction initiative will provide professional development and technical assistance to the high school at no cost to the district East Troy Schools Director of Special Education and Pupil Services Kate Harder said.
“The project is designed to assist a team of staff in leading the school to create a trauma-sensitive environment through a ‘whole-school’ approach similar to the way in which PBIS began,” Harder said. “This whole-school approach will allow the focus to be placed on learning, skill-building, resiliency and time in the classroom rather than on a specific student’s recovery.”
Harder said the project is designed to train a team of staff from schools across the state in how to work with and lead staff with in their building(s) to evaluate student behavior and supports through a trauma-sensitive lens.
“Instead of thinking of behavior as something that a student chooses to do, we reframe that concern to consider what might have happened to them to lead them to that outcome or behavior,” she said. “Students who come to school having experienced trauma need support in order to learn the skills to regulate their emotions.”
Both Hibner and Harder have spoken to the School Board about the increased emotional, psychological and financial needs of the students in the district and how the district has expanded its role in serving the students and their families over the last several years.
“Being part of a small community, it might seem as though trauma should impact very few students, but it is actually very common,” Harder said.
“Children and adults alike can be impacted by complex/developmental trauma which comes about from ongoing toxic stress, simple trauma from single events or even historical/generational trauma. Furthermore, because trauma’s effects typically present as a mental health issue, the need for mental health supports and services within schools continues to increase,” she continued
According to the Center for Disease Control, recent research shows about 67 percent of people experience at least one adverse childhood experience.
“Trauma-Sensitive Schools provide a safe environment for students, knowledge that they can trust the adults in their school, increased student empowerment through choices and intentional and focused work to collaborate with students, families and community based agencies in order to find the best plan for a student,” Harder said.
The School District has been proactive in its work to help as many children as possible over the last several years by offering events such as (Co)operaton Learn and regular informational classes for parents and community members to bring awareness to the issues students and families are faced with.
“We are thrilled that East Troy High School was selected to participate in this unique learning and training opportunity and are excited to learn more as the project unfolds and initial training begins in August,” Harder said.
