Student Wellness and Safety Task Force

Northshore is committed to creating a learning environment that is safe, respectful, and conducive to high achievement for each and every student. Therefore, we have a  responsibility to commit time, energy, and resources in developing a clear District vision for student wellness and safety and a continuum of predictable and consistent services and support for students and staff.

The Student Wellness and Safety Task Force runs from November 2, 2022 through June 2023 and meets approximately twice a month. Initial findings and recommendations will be presented to the School Board by the end of April 2023.

The twenty-nine member task force includes broad representation from the community including students, families, staff, community members, and partners.

 

Public Participation

Thank you for your interest in the work of the Student Wellness and Safety Taskforce. The Taskforce is a working body whose recommendations will be given to the Superintendent, School Board, and Cabinet. All meetings are open to the public and observers must adhere to the following protocols: 

  • Be seated in seats assigned for visitors and guests

  • If you have comments or questions, they cannot be asked during the meeting. Please write your question or comments on an index card and turn into a Taskforce facilitator. Include your name, email or phone number so that a facilitator can provide a response. 

  • Please do not engage Taskforce members during breaks.  

  • Recording or taking photos during the Taskforce can be distracting to the process and requires approval by all committee/taskforce members.

  • Minutes will be posted within three working days of the meeting on the Taskforce website. 

 

Guiding Principles

Northshore is committed to creating a learning environment that is safe, respectful, and conducive to high achievement for each and every student. Learning environments in Northshore will promote a sense of belonging, be vibrant and inclusive, and have rules that are fair and equitable. This includes but is not limited to:

  • Providing welcoming, supportive environments for all student and families - taking into account student voice and encouraging exploration and development of diverse attitudes and beliefs
     
  • Protecting against unsafe conditions, behaviors, or actions by adults and/or students that might threaten the academic performance, health, or well-being of students including:
    • Acts of discrimination
    • Harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyber bullying; or
    • Existence of a school environment or culture that may cause any student to feel unsafe
       
  • Ensuring that all policies and procedures regarding discipline are enforced consistently, equitably, and proportionally across schools and demographic groups including:
    • Development of administrative student discipline policy that appropriately involves teachers, administrators, students, parents, and the wider community
    • Communication to students of their rights and responsibilities
    • Protection of students within school from retaliation
    • Avoidance of any actions that might contribute to what is known as the “School to Prison Pipeline”
    • Prohibition on the use of corporal punishment 

 

Problem Statement

Student wellness and safety depends on a multitude of activities and supports including social-emotional learning, mental health supports, response to intimidation, bullying, and harassment, and our approach to de-escalation and student emergencies - to name a few. While there are many effective wellness and safety programs available to our students, the District should always be evaluating and improving its vision and plan for providing a coordinated and predictable continuum of supports and services.

To effectively realize student wellness and safety, departments need to understand how students, families, and staff define these constructs, de-silo work, make visible student-centered strategies, identify gaps and potential solutions, and build a baseline of support, services, and practices available across all of our schools. Engagement of our school communities will be essential in these efforts.

 

Student Wellness and Safety Task Force Charter

The Student Wellness and Safety Task Force is responsible for informing development of a multi-year plan to operationalize commitments outlined in Parameter 7, Student Learning Environment including, but not limited to:

Deliverables

  • Help to define what welcoming, supportive, and safe means to students and families in relationship to the learning environment.
  • Provide recommendations to the District on how to measure progress towards the Parameter 7 Guiding Principles.
  • Analyze current District policy and legislative requirements in support of student wellness and safety - identifying any recommended improvements to District policy and procedures.
  • Support a review of current District student wellness and safety programs, supports, and services - identifying District strengths and areas of improvement.
  • Make recommendations about an enhanced suite of student wellness and safety tools and supports.
  • Inform development of a baseline continuum of supports, services, and practices - including a multi-year timeline and budget - necessary to meet the Guiding Principles of Parameter 7.
  • Inform development of procedures to support implementation of Board Policy 4311, School Safety and Security Services responsive to changes to state legislation, community engagement, and recommendations and the work of the 2021-22 School Resource Officer (SRO) Task Force. 
  • Identify and participate in necessary work groups.
  • Inform and support broad and targeted engagement with students, families, and community to ensure the voices of those most impacted are included in the task force deliberations and final recommendations to the Superintendent. Community engagement may include but is not limited to a community student wellness and safety survey, focus groups, and public meetings.

Work groups within the Student Wellness and Safety Task Force:

Work groups will be an important structure that we use to engage planning across a variety of topics that pertain to student wellness and safety. These work groups will be determined by the task force and may include but are not limited to: universal social emotional services, student discipline and disproportionality, student rights and responsibilities, campus safety and response, and preventing and responding to bias/racism and harassment/bullying/intimidation. 

Broad and Targeted Stakeholder Engagement

The task force will inform development and support implementation of broad and targeted school community and family engagement. Engagement will likely include: student focus groups, language-based meetings, a broad community survey, school leader and staff conversations, a presentation to the School Board during a study session, and an April 2023 School Board presentation on initial findings and recommendations.

 

Membership

Residence within the Northshore School District is a requirement. Background and experience that are helpful for task force participation include but are not limited to:

  • Youth development and social emotional learning
  • Crisis or emergency planning
  • Familiarity with school discipline rules or policies
  • Best practices in adult learning and professional development
  • Restorative practices and Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS)

Members should be committed to serving:

  • An eight-month term 
  • A minimum of 4 hours per month; 2 meetings per month

All task force members will be expected to:

  • Participate with an open mind
  • Value and respect the contributions of others
  • Support open dialogue by sharing and asking open, honest questions that seek to understand and that encourage the surfacing of ideas
  • Keep what is best for students  at the heart of all we do
  • Attend consistently

 

Board Study Session: April 24, 2023

Student Wellness and Safety Task Force - Final Presentation: June 22, 2023

Student Wellness and Safety Task Force - Final Summary Report Presentation: January 16, 2024

 

Meeting Schedule

The Student Wellness and Safety Task Force meetings will be held on 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.The first meeting will be Wednesday, November 2, 2022 and all meetings will be held at the Northshore Administrative Center in the Board Room (3330 Monte Villa Parkway, Bothell, WA). Work groups are encouraged to meet on their own and at their desired location any time between each formal task force meeting.

Students are responsible for finding their own transportation.

Contact

If you have any questions, please email communications@nsd.org

Summary Report

The Student Wellness and Safety Task Force concluded its work in June 2023. This is the final Task Force summary report.