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Kids Deserve It - Adam Welcome

Monday PM Breakout Session Options

Speakers

Featuring Keynote Speaker Adam Welcome

Summary

Kids Deserve It is a simple yet profound message and it’s time that we all join the conversation! Connect with kids, integrate innovative new technology practices into your curriculum that students will love! • Rediscover the power of literacy and how it changes lives! • Create content with students and for your school on YouTube and podcasts to create a culture and climate that the entire community wants to be a part of! • Come up with a plan to facilitate coding with your students to get them ready for all the opportunities that are currently available in our world. • And, remember why you got into this profession and also how important your own family is. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we’re not going to be any good for our school team. No more excuses, it’s time to start making it happen for your students, staff, parents and entire community - I know you can do it and I can’t wait to help you make it happen!

Identifying & Managing Emotions as School Leaders - High 5 Adventure Learning Center

Monday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Having conversations within school communities about emotions is a vital component of social and emotional learning. Engaging in reflection related to the emotions we experience is important for us as individuals as well as for the teams we work with. This is helpful in enhancing the sense of connections and belonging within a school community, which are vital building blocks for creating a place where folks can take risks, learn and thrive. This interactive workshop will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the ways in which emotions impact how we show up for leaders in our school communities and for ourselves. Attendees will be invited to participate in activities that are equally relevant to facilitating conversations among school staff teams and with students. The session will be facilitated by our team at High 5 Adventure Learning Center, located in Brattleboro, VT. High 5 has been implementing the Edge of Leadership program in the SAU 29/Keene school district for nearly a decade, using a methodology that combines SEL, adventure and experiential learning. High 5’s work with schools in the area of emotions is based on our 20+ years of working with students and faculty and is informed by research done at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.

SEL vs. Mental Health Literacy-Pathways to Empower

Monday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Final Description Forthcoming

Feelings Matter: How can We Successfully Embed Social Emotional Learning in our Schools? - The Learning Bar

Monday PM Breakout Session Options

Speakers

Dr. J. Douglas Willms

Dr. J. Douglas Willms is a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Education, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and the Past-President of the International Academy of Education. He is the Founder and President of the Learning Bar Inc. and Professor Emeritus at the University of New Brunswick, where he held the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Literacy and Human Development

Summary

More students are experiencing mental health problems. Fewer students have a positive sense of belonging at school. These were national trends before the pandemic. The stress of the pandemic has made matters worse. Many families are experiencing housing and food insecurity for the first time. Child abuse and intimate partner abuse have increased. For over two years, students have had few outlets to express their feelings as they have been physically isolated and lacked opportunities to socialize. Can embracing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in our schools provide a way to support students in the transition back to school? If so, where should teachers and principals begin? What are the next steps? How will school staff know they are making a difference? SEL is not a school subject like language arts, math, biology, or history. It is a process that requires embedding a set of five core skills into classroom lessons and school policies. It begins with students’ feelings. One of the core components of SEL is Self-Awareness, which is about students being able to identify and express their emotions, thoughts, and values, and know how their feelings affect their behaviour. This is the necessary first step in the process of embedding SEL in a school, because it is the foundation for building relationship skills, being socially aware, regulating behaviours, and making responsible decisions. During this session, Dr. Willms will describe how the five components of SEL can be defined in practical terms, how they can be measured, and how they can be successfully embedded in a school. He will draw upon examples from a large survey on student well-being and a successful intervention conducted over the past year in a school district with a diverse student population.

If You Build It They Will Come: The Inclusion Paradigm-Dr. Lauran Star

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Current research repeatedly demonstrates having an inclusive organizational culture within the academic systems and districts improves workforce diversity, attraction & retention, job satisfaction, innovation, and performance. Yet, many organizational systems, districts, leaders, and managers are still focused on workforce diversity. It is time to shift perspectives to inclusion as diversity will follow. From Dr. Lauran Star’s anticipated best seller, Pivotal Inclusion, Dr. Star demonstrates the need to shift perspectives and focus on inclusion first, as diversity will follow. This hands-on workshop examines the academic workplace culture and how the misalignment of DE&I creates conflict and confusion. Based on evidence, we will reassess the benefits of inclusion within your academic workspace / district and uncover tools that will improve your workplace culture. We will create a strategic plan focused on inclusion that will assist you in improving retention, innovation, and overall performance

Supporting the Rights of Transgender Youth - Expert Panel

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Meeting the needs of LGBTQ students can be challenging and confusing. School officials are tasked with ensuring that all students have access to equal education opportunities regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, but providing a supportive and inclusive environment is easier said than done. In this breakout session, participants will hear from a college student and a parent/school board member, each of whom have navigated difficult issues in New Hampshire public schools. You will also hear from an expert in transgender healthcare for LGBTQ youth, who will provide insight into what an equal education looks like for transgender and gender nonconforming youth. A civil rights attorney will also be present to discuss the laws that protect LGBTQ students and challenges that commonly arise in K-12 schools.

Restorative Practice: All Students need is a little R&R (Restore and Renew) - Pinkerton Academy Panel

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Moving to restorative practices requires a thoughtful, staged transition. In this workshop, the panel of presenters will share the steps their school community has taken in its exploration and implementation of restorative practices. Attendees will explore restorative practice methods and follow one school's journey to building community and strengthening relationships. HOW THEY BROUGHT ABOUT CHANGE: Pinkerton Academy is historically known for its traditional approach to education. Treating harm as a teachable moment, rather than an occasion warranting punishment, runs counter to many ingrained practices and societal messages. However, it has become quite apparent that such traditional approaches are no longer effective. Even before the recent changes in state law, regarding student discipline, Pinkerton had begun to acknowledge that these traditional consequences (i.e. detention, suspension, etc.) did not make the necessary impact on students, reduce recidivism, enhance learning, or strengthen a student’s sense of belonging in their community. With that in mind, Pinkerton began working on new methods, approaches to learning and interventions that have served the student community in a more purposeful and meaningful way. While maintaining allegiance to the current conduct policy, the staff have successfully implemented several restorative approaches such as: Restore and Renew, Rejuven8, and Community Service. Providing students with agency, as embedded within disciplinary and restorative practices, has resulted in impactful shifts in behavior and in the overall well-being for many of the students who have, in the past, presented with even the most significant and challenging of behaviors. PRESENTERS: Pinkerton Academy Staff-Jenn Bordis - Math Teacher, Jason Gagnon - Associate Dean, Roger Konstant - Associate Dean, Kim Larkin - Associate Dean

Explore Careers, Go on Virtual Field Trips, and support students with SEL and ELL resources - Discovery Education

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Summary

The Discovery Education Learning Platform has been made available to all NH K-12 schools by the NH DOE through June 2025. Come learn more about this amazing resource full of kid-approved, standards-aligned video and digital content that ignites curiosity, breaks down complex topics, and lets students see themselves in the story. Educators can incorporate rich media right into their daily lessons and activities in the core subjects as well as SEL, ELL, careers, health, and the performing arts. See how your students can explore the world beyond their school walls and dream of how their learning can ignite their future.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators: Building your Learning Recovery Plan - Lynn Kosinski (Full day Session)

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Speakers

Lynn Fairbrother Kosinski

Summary

Please note: If you select this break out session that this is an all day session. Please select both the Tuesday AM Session and the Tuesday PM session when choosing this presentation. The current challenge on the horizon is learning recovery, and it is imperative we examine that challenge through a lens of equity. All students, educators & families have experienced trauma because of the pandemic, and that trauma has been exacerbated by inequities in our system. Beginning at the root of the problem, FranklinCovey Education helps districts and schools confront the unconscious bias inherent in student expectations that research shows leads to the achievement gap. Through world-class training and coaching, we build a foundation of time-tested principles and core paradigms that sets the stage for emotional resilience, empowering students who face trauma to develop the leadership skills – self-discipline, vision, collaboration, empathy, creativity, grit – needed to thrive. While this foundation is being built, we accelerate the academic side of the schoolhouse with our goal tracking process, spurring academic growth and closing learning gaps. To meet the needs of districts and schools struggling to address learning loss, we focus on building emotional resilience and shifting paradigms to produce empowering cultures where individual genius is intentionally recognized. This builds confidence in students, who now have a stable foundation to begin achieving academically. Using the framework of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, we zero in on learning gaps by focusing on key goals, acting on lead measures, tracking progress and creating a cadence of accountability. As students achieve their goals, they build more confidence and begin to make academic gains. Through continued coaching, curriculum, consulting and customization, we help districts and their schools achieve their strategic goals of mitigating learning loss.

Foster an Engaging Learning Environment by Keeping Your Teachers Inspired

Tuesday AM Breakout Session Options

Speakers

Charlene Ball - National Academic Advisor

The National Academic Advisor role is a ‘bucket list’ role for Charlene. As a thirty-one-year veteran in education, she finds immense satisfaction and fulfillment in working with teachers and leaders to help them make data-informed decisions to change outcomes for all students. Charlene brings a wealth of knowledge with instructional practice, curriculum design, data teams and school improvement experience as she works with schools and districts to accelerate learning for all. She has used Renaissance products since 1991 in a wide variety of roles.

Summary

Empower your teachers with time saving adaptive technologies and analytics to help them accelerate and personalize instruction. Come learn how Renaissance is supporting New Hampshire educators and school leaders with innovative, digital learning tools and data-driven insights to keep students and families engaged in learning.

If You Build It They Will Come: The Inclusion Paradigm-Dr. Lauran Star

Tuesday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Current research repeatedly demonstrates having an inclusive organizational culture within the academic systems and districts improves workforce diversity, attraction & retention, job satisfaction, innovation, and performance. Yet, many organizational systems, districts, leaders, and managers are still focused on workforce diversity. It is time to shift perspectives to inclusion as diversity will follow. From Dr. Lauran Star’s anticipated best seller, Pivotal Inclusion, Dr. Star demonstrates the need to shift perspectives and focus on inclusion first, as diversity will follow. This hands-on workshop examines the academic workplace culture and how the misalignment of DE&I creates conflict and confusion. Based on evidence, we will reassess the benefits of inclusion within your academic workspace / district and uncover tools that will improve your workplace culture. We will create a strategic plan focused on inclusion that will assist you in improving retention, innovation, and overall performance

A Winding Road - One Middle School’s Journey Towards Competency Based Education

Tuesday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Developing a system of competency based education (CBE) is a long and complex process. Join Christine Downing, Andrea Castaldo, and Steve Paterson to learn about Kearsarge Regional Middle School’s (KRMS) journey to develop a school-wide model of CBE within a district-wide system. Beginning with a small group of curious educators six years ago, KRMS has since developed competencies, learning targets, and performance scales across all subject areas. Through the commitment of professional development time and resources, KRMS is working to develop a comprehensive and sustainable model of CBE that supports the district’s strategic goals. We will share our experiences, including the evolution of our model, specific strategies for developing CBE at a middle school, timelines, resources, future plans, and utilizing Atlas Rubicon for curriculum articulation and alignment. Presenters: Christine Downing, Secondary Curriculum Director, Kearsarge Regional School District Andrea Castaldo, Assistant Principal, Kearsarge Regional Middle School Steve Paterson, Principal, Kearsarge Regional Middle School

A Conversation to Look Critically at...NH Building Administrator’s Employment Contracts- Steve Rothenberg

Tuesday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

This presentation/conversation is designed to help attendees quantify and qualify elements within typical NH building-level administrator contracts. During this presentation we will use, as examples, agreements of local NH administrator associations which are approved by the PLRB to engage in collective bargaining (therefore these agreements are accessible online). Themes explored will include: • Current trends and themes in healthcare, separation payment, COLAs and general compensation • How should inflation, Covid and other environmental factors be considered? • How do separation benefits like sick day buyouts have less value for administrators who are/were not vested in the NHRS by 2011 • How do administrator contracts serve us in times of need including issues of non-renewal and separation? (much of this standard for administrators is linked to the 1987 case, Littky v. Winchester School District). Should we be exploring other models? • Can and should administrators in my district organize? (pros/cons) Steve has negotiated six complex contracts and through that process has completed extensive analysis and implemented long-term position strategies. He offers a perspective from both sides and has experienced working with layered problems, as well as in designing innovative outcomes. This session is designed for attendees who seek to learn more about the collective bargaining process. — Steve Rothenberg Bio: Steve Rothenberg is the about-to-retire as CTE Principal for the Concord Regional Technical Center in Concord. This is his 30th year as a public school educator. He is the Past President of New Hampshire Career and Technical Administrators Association, a Trustee (and chair of the Academic, Student Affairs, and Workforce Development Committee) of the Community College System of New Hampshire and an executive board member of the Mayhew Program. He has been involved in a number of workforce development efforts across NH including National Governors Association Work-Based Learning team and NHRH Nellie Mae’s “Alliance” and other similar workforce initiatives. Steve also leads teacher-education classes, including on CTE curriculum, instructional and assessment for new teachers pursuing alternative certification. He writes regularly about CTE and workforce development including for the Concord Monitor and ACTE’s Techniques magazine. As an elementary school teacher, Steve won ISTE’s International “Technology-Using Teacher of the Year” in 1997. Steve lives in Contoocook, NH with his wife Kimberly Hannon (a CTE cosmetology teacher) and two border terriers. Steve is the principal of a new consulting company, Rothenberg Consulting Group focused on career-education, pathways, competency-based education, and other specific technical services. He can be reached at steve@rothenbergcg.com.

Diverse Data Collection Drives Equitable Access to Learning-Karen Matzo and Lauren Mercier (Demonstrated Success)

Tuesday PM Breakout Session Options

Speakers

Karen Matso, M.Ed, MSW - Director of Professional Development and Literacy Curriculum
Lauren Mercier, M.Ed - Professional Development and School Specialist

Summary

Demonstrated Success will present a session focused on collecting and using data to promote equity. We will explore what equity means through different lenses such as student learning, adult culture, community climate and culture, distribution of resources, and efficacy of programming. Demonstrated Success will share innovative data sources that reflect equitable access to learning and culturally responsive school culture, and provide resources and a framework through which to do this important work

The 4 Disciplines of Execution for Educators: Building your Learning Recovery Plan - Lynn Kosinski (Full day Session)

Tuesday PM Breakout Session Options

Summary

Please note: If you select this break out session that this is an all day session. The current challenge on the horizon is learning recovery, and it is imperative we examine that challenge through a lens of equity. All students, educators & families have experienced trauma because of the pandemic, and that trauma has been exacerbated by inequities in our system. Beginning at the root of the problem, FranklinCovey Education helps districts and schools confront the unconscious bias inherent in student expectations that research shows leads to the achievement gap. Through world-class training and coaching, we build a foundation of time-tested principles and core paradigms that sets the stage for emotional resilience, empowering students who face trauma to develop the leadership skills – self-discipline, vision, collaboration, empathy, creativity, grit – needed to thrive. While this foundation is being built, we accelerate the academic side of the schoolhouse with our goal tracking process, spurring academic growth and closing learning gaps. To meet the needs of districts and schools struggling to address learning loss, we focus on building emotional resilience and shifting paradigms to produce empowering cultures where individual genius is intentionally recognized. This builds confidence in students, who now have a stable foundation to begin achieving academically. Using the framework of The 4 Disciplines of Execution, we zero in on learning gaps by focusing on key goals, acting on lead measures, tracking progress and creating a cadence of accountability. As students achieve their goals, they build more confidence and begin to make academic gains. Through continued coaching, curriculum, consulting and customization, we help districts and their schools achieve their strategic goals of mitigating learning loss.