Teachers were treated to a special, surprise performance by members of the East Rockaway Junior/Senior High School Chorus at Superintendent’s Conference Day on Sept. 3. A group of eighth through twelfth grade students under the direction of Seanna Silver performed “You Will be Found” from the Broadway musical “Dear Evan Hansen.” Along with the heartfelt lyrics, the students each wore a shirt with the name of a teacher who made a difference in their life. The performance was arranged by Superintendent of Schools Lisa Ruiz as a special thank you and welcome back for the teachers and to raise faculty and staff awareness of the new NYSED mandate for districts to provide mental health education/instruction, while also embedding mental health well-being within the broader context of the school’s environment. 

This year East Rockaway will be forming a mental health and wellness steering committee to develop approaches to create and maintain a positive school climate and develop strategies to support our students and their families who are at risk or are struggling with mental health challenges. The district will also be conducting a school climate survey in the fall which will ask students, parents, and staff members for feedback on the most important dimensions of school climate. Results will be used to inform the district’s next five-year strategic plan, assist administration in setting goals and allow the district to better serve its students and families. The survey will address the following topics: academic support, student support, school leadership, safety and behavior, family involvement and student experience. More information on this will follow in the coming weeks.

A video of the performance can also be viewed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/103lpY99YEQg2cRgywXF4nJydS4P0a-Jp/view?usp=sharing.