Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
exposed to a traumatic event that can affect their learning and behavior. e research shows that adverse childhood experiences can cause physi- cal and emotional distress in children, impairing learning and impacting school performance. ese experiences include being subjected to or witnessing violence or abuse, accidents and natural disasters, bullying, having close relatives incarcerated, wit- nessing police activity or community violence, and living in chronically chaotic environments where housing and financial resources are not consistently available. At Encina, where 98 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, the likelihood is high that a substantial number are impacted by these and other traumatic experiences. at's why trauma- i n f o r m e d p r a c t i c e s l i k e s c h o o l w i d e meditation, a campus "wellness room," wraparound ser vices for students and their families, and restorative disciplinary practices are so important, Roth says. "How do you support that kid who you hand out a test and he flips over a desk? Because he needs some help, not discipline," Roth says. "How else can we combat the school-to-prison pipe- line? It's extra work, but our school believes in it so much." Nurturing a community of trust e giggling never quite stops as seventh and eighth graders try to maintain their balance on one leg with their hands together above their heads in the yoga tree pose. It's physical education time at Jamestown Elementary School just after morning bell, but instead of tetherball and laps around a track, the activity is a circuit of yoga poses intended to give these students a little space before the day of learning starts. " We like to start them off in the morning in a positive place. We can't control what happened at home, but we can control how we start here," says Jamestown teacher Michelle Bennett, explaining that the school day is crafted with a trauma-in- formed lens. " We looked at what these kids need, and we built the schedule to best support them." It is part of Jamestown School D is- trict's mission to be a trauma-sensitive school system (the small district also includes a 30-student school in nearby Chinese Camp). With about 350 K-8 stu- dents in rural Gold Country, Jamestown Elementary has cultivated a community of support and trust that has been rooted in trauma-informed practices for a decade. Now, the collaborative focus of every adult at the school is trained on the well-being and safety of their students and "post-traumatic growth." "It was a big paradigm shift at the beginning. We just took bite-size pieces until it was part of who we are. It takes years to build a culture," says third and fourth grade teacher Melissa Miotti, a member of Jamestown Teachers Association ( JTA). "It's all about the connections with the kids, because if we don't have connections, we can't work together. Helping students means supporting them in all aspects of their lives." "We can't control what happened at home, but we can control how we start here." —Michelle Bennett, Jamestown Teachers Association Students at Encina High School do breathing exercises before taking a test. Roth checks in with a student. 21 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 019 Michelle Bennett