Ed. Note: The following is courtesy of the Saugus Union School District.

Saugus Union School District announced Monday that 84 campus supervisors completed a rigorous new training program designed to enhance their knowledge of students’ social emotional needs, provide practical communication tools for nurturing and enjoying their connection with the students and make their role more enjoyable.

“Our campus supervisors spend more than a quarter of the day in contact with the students at each school site,” said Dr. Joan Lucid, Superintendent of the Saugus Union School District.  “In fact, along with the principal, they have the distinctive opportunity to observe children’s growth over the course of their seven years on campus. We wanted to make sure they have every tool available to them so their interactions with the children are enriching and rewarding.”

The training was designed and conducted by renowned author of “The ‘Perfect’ Parent,” Roma Khetarpal, who designed this new and unique four-day training session specifically for Saugus Union School District. Within the district, the program was spearheaded by Dr. Lucid, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Christine Hamlin and Director of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Isa DeArmas.

Photo courtesy of Saugus Union School District.

“Our program is designed to educate and empower campus supervisors on the importance of their job,” said Khetarpal. “The campus supervisors from SUSD rose to the challenge and came away with a new understanding of their role and the emotional intelligence it requires, both to themselves and to the students they work with. We were really pleased with the outcome.”

The training grew out of student surveys that were conducted in 2015 regarding their feeling of connection with the adults who were caring for them during recess and lunchtime. The students’ responses helped shape a program that would enhance adults’ understanding of students’ emotional needs, give them practical tools for nurturing and enjoying those connections with the students and make their role more enjoyable.

“Our campus supervisors truly appreciated the opportunity to participate in professional development,” said Dr. DeArmas. “They have a much deeper and clearer understanding of how their day-to-day interactions affect the students, which gives them better insight on how to be a positive influence.  All of our campus supervisors are incredible people…this program helps them translate that to the job.”

Included in the four half day training sessions were sections on social emotional learning, helping students to better understand their own emotions during conflict and how to direct them toward solutions and separate sections on teaching tools to make the campus supervisors more accepting and respecting of personalities and emotions, approachable, sensible, reasonable, responsible, enjoyable and memorable.

About SUSD:

The Saugus Union School District serves the Santa Clarita communities of Saugus, Valencia and Canyon Country with 15 elementary schools.   The District was recently awarded Gold Ribbon Awards for 14 of 15 schools, and these awards continue a tradition of excellence for the District, which includes five National Blue Ribbon Awards, 35 California Distinguished School Awards (for 15 schools) and six California Business for Educational Excellence Awards (one Star School and five Scholar Schools).