Aliyya Swaby Photo
Grace Nathman said that behavior referrals at Quinnipiac School more than halved this year, due to the BOOST! program’s help connecting students with additional social-emotional support from community groups.
The principal joined district and school officials as well as community representatives Thursday afternoon at Wexler-Grant School to celebrate the five-year anniversary of BOOST!‘s involvement in New Haven Public Schools.
The three-way partnership between the city, district and United Way started its efforts helping students improve reading skills and overcome trauma at five schools in 2010 and then gradually expanded to a total of 16 schools.
Harries with United Way officials Jack Healy, Charles Mason, Laoise King
Superintendent Garth Harries called BOOST! a crucial part of the school reform initiative in New Haven, bringing a “sense of collective responsibility to its students” by bringing the city together. He handed officials from United Way a piece of artwork from a Wexler-Grant student to show the district’s appreciation for their support.
Principal Nathman said Quinnipiac became a “mindful school” last year with BOOST’s help, building meditation and yoga into students’ schedules with the help of community partners. “Without spending tremendous amount of money,” school leaders were able to improve the emotional health and behaviors of their students, she said.
Quinnipiac BOOST coordinator Nora McDonnell said the collaboration with community partners extends to parent engagement — each month, guest speakers from local groups like Cityseed talk to parents over coffee on a variety of topics. Other groups like New Haven Reads offer students regular access to books and educational materials.
Representatives from all schools said that some of their community partnerships were short-lived.
At Wexler-Grant, school officials established partnership agreements with each community organization “to come up with a common plan” on how to help students, said Kristina DeNegre, the school’s assistant principal. “It is the best way to hold everyone accountable,” she said. The school also checks in with partners midyear and at the end of the year, to ensure each side is holding up its end of the partnership.
This year, they also asked students what they wanted to see in the schools, she said.
