Expanding on-campus support for students to help mitigate the social-emotional and academic effects of COVID-19

It’s hard to believe we are now in our third school year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And, while we have come a long way from the stay-at-home orders and distance learning of spring 2020, we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic here at GUS, along with schools across the nation and the world. While there is still so much we don’t know, what we do know is that children have been affected in many profound ways and that now is the time for action. To best serve our young people here at GUS, not just now but into the future, we have expanded our student support services in a number of ways.

Across the country, cases of depression and anxiety are on the rise in young people. While we actively support the social-emotional well-being of our students in a number of ways, we are not immune to this phenomenon here at GUS. And while we are able to offer support to students experiencing depression or anxiety while at school, we find they are best supported through these issues long-term with outside support. Unfortunately, finding outside support has proven difficult for our families. In an effort to help families find the support they need, we are now working with independent counselors to offer services on campus during the academic day. This allows students to get the support they need, with the added convenience for families of having the appointments on campus. All counselors will continue to practice independently. We hope that this change will allow students to get the long-term care they need.

We are also happy to be partnering with Peer Projects-Therapy from the Heart to offer screenings and services for speech and OT here on campus. We know that many of our families have already looked to Peer Projects to help support their children. Again, these relationships will be independently arranged, but with GUS supporting by offering time and space within the day. As with the counseling, we hope that not having to shuttle your child back and forth, and knowing there will be strong alignment and communication with the school, is a comfort to families working to support their children in these ways.

While GUS has always been a place that works to serve a wide range of students, the disruption of the pandemic has certainly brought new learning challenges. As a result, this fall we have expanded our academic support team with the specific aim of helping young people with increased academic needs as a result of the pandemic. We are now offering comprehensive support in both literacy and math. Through in-classroom support, small groups in and out of the classroom, and weekly planning times with teachers, we are working to meet each student where they are and fulfill their individual needs - whether those needs are a direct result of the pandemic or otherwise. This support is woven into the academic day - not only for convenience but also to keep in mind the stamina and social-emotional needs of a child. Additionally, we are deepening our focus on student assessment so that we have a clear picture of student skills and growth throughout the year, and can adjust and fine-tune our instruction, support, and enrichment as needed. This close monitoring and evaluation of student skills will continue to inform our practice and the ongoing development and evolution of our academic program overall. Our faculty assessment committee also meets regularly to discuss how assessment can help us support our students and enrich our curriculum and instruction.

Whether a new student to GUS or a long-time GUS student, we have all been affected by the pandemic and these effects can present in different ways and at different times. By expanding our support team, we are doubling down on our longstanding commitment to meet students where they are, both academically and emotionally, so that they continue to love learning and thrive at GUS. In many ways, GUS kids have been the lucky ones, but we remain diligent in our commitment to understanding how young people have been affected by this crisis, at GUS and beyond, and all the ways GUS can support them as we all move forward, together.