Social Emotional Launch

Sharing a little cheer on a rainy Friday we announced a Challenge Grant to provide social emotional resources for the new Maize Intermediate School and Maize South Intermediate School thanks to an application by the team of Mandy Glasse, Tyler Slattery, Lauren Dutcher, and Caitlin Hamilton.

$3,000 was awarded to each school to help launch effective and comprehensive school counseling programs, which will create calming spaces, facilitate needs-based group counseling, and provide tools to set students up for success.

Caitlin Hamilton says, "Providing students with effective calming spaces, needs-based counseling groups, and individual self-regulation tools will allow us to meet our students’ needs, support our staff in their efforts to implement SEL practices, and create well-rounded comprehensive school counseling programs in these new intermediate schools."

Thank you to this team for their collective efforts to create such an amazing foundation in the new schools for our 5th and 6th grade students.

Grant funds have helped to create calming spaces equipped with sound machines, interactive calming tools, sensory items, art supplies, and flexible seating options. As our school counselors attest, it is important to have a variety of tools accessible for students in a calming space, as each student has differing needs.

The funds have also allowed the counselors to purchase specific counseling curriculum resources to develop counseling groups, which helps to support a variety of student populations throughout the year. This includes interactive and therapeutic games, art activities, and other hands-on opportunities that encourage students to engage with each other and expand on their learned skills.

Support Opportunities

Maize students have faced many unique and difficult challenges during the pandemic. Additional resources are needed to help our students heal and continue their growth and learning in our schools.

If you are able to provide funding to purchase additional social emotional resources, please contact MEF Executive Director, Travis Bloom, to discuss ways you can help.

316.350.2029 | tbloom@usd266.com