BEST SUMMER INSTITUTE 2014

Strand L

Educating the Whole Child: Moving from Awareness to Action

Tom Aloisi, Donna McAllister, Kate O’Neill, and Lindsay Simpson
Student Health and Learning Team at the Vermont Agency of Education

Description
Vermont schools increasingly recognize a need to move toward a system that reflects Vermont’s priorities of educating the whole child, improving their readiness, ability and motivation to learn and promoting long term development and success. A growing body of research shows that this broad approach to education yields greater student success overall. During this strand, participants will examine each of the tenets of a Whole Child approach to student success: Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported, Challenged. This approach will be integrated into the framework of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and will complement other systems such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Teams of two representatives from a school are recommended to attend because this work is to be integrated within an MTSS. Open to schools serving any grades.

Objectives
By the end of the institute, participants will have:
· Examined each of the five tenets of ASCD’s Whole Child approach,
· Articulated the connection between the whole child and academic success,
· Analyzed their current school’s continuous improvement plan to identify strengths and opportunities that address the whole child, and
· Written objectives and strategies to improve student learning through a whole child approach in their school’s continuous improvement plan.

Pre-Reading

http://www.wholechildeducation.org/about
Read page about the whole child approach to education and click on each tenet to read a description of each tenet.

Bios

	Tom Aloisi, M.Ed., Tom Aloisi, M.Ed., joined the Vermont Agency of Education in November 2013 from Washington D.C., where he served as education and outreach manager for community-level and school-based STD screening and outreach programs in partnership with community organizations. Tom has served as a local school board member in Vermont, and has extensive public health experience having worked at the Vermont Department of Health and in positions in both Boston and Baltimore. He’s excited to be back in Vermont after 12 years to implement a new five-year CDC grant project focusing on improving sexual health for Vermont students.
	Donna McAllister, M.Ed., has worked at the Agency of Education on the Student Health and Learning team since 2007. She provides professional development and technical assistance to school personnel to help them improve classroom-based health education.
	Kate O'Neill, MPH, has worked at the Vermont Agency of Education on the Student Health and Learning team since 2004. She provides leadership, support, professional development and grant management for Vermont schools to improve academic, social, and physical outcomes for Vermont's youth.
	Lindsay Simpson has been a member of the Vermont Agency of Education’s Student Health & Learning Team as the Physical Education Coordinator Since December 2005. Through her work with teachers, as a member of AOE cross-division teams, and via external partnerships she enjoys varied opportunities to improve student wellness and academic achievement. Outside of work, Lindsay is energized by volunteering with Girls on the Run Vermont. She gets her kicks running miles in the woods with two- and four-legged buddies.