How Your Student is Being Supported

Every student's wellness is a priority for the Los Altos School District (LASD). Your student's physical and mental health is nurtured through caring teachers and staff at your school, as well as:

• Parent Education Speakers
• PE Classes (with health and wellness-focused lessons)
• School Psychologists
• Mental Health Counselors
• Social-Emotional Learning

All LASD teachers received extensive training on ways to create a strong school-based social-emotional learning program. They’ve had recent professional development in Trauma-Informed Practices, Emotional Resilience, CASEL’s 5 Core Competencies, My Social-Emotional Classroom, and more.

Read on to learn what's currently happening in each of these areas.

Parent Education Speakers

Throughout the school year, parents of LASD students can attend the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series, offering nationally and internationally recognized experts who discuss a wide range of topics relevant to parenting. Funded by LAEF, LAMV PTA Council, MVEF Educational Foundation, and MVLA High School Foundation, these talks are free to parents in our school districts. 

Topics this school year include: “Permission to Feel”, “How to Raise a Boy”, "Distance Learning Toolkit", “Middle School Matters”, “Raising Antiracist Kids: The Power of Intentional Conversations About Race”, “Follow-up to the Self-Driven Child”, and “The Power of Showing Up”.

Physical Education (PE) Classes

Elementary school students attend PE class virtually with a certified PE teacher, funded by LAEF, once a week. PE attendance is required unless a student has a formal exemption. In addition, the PE staff provides a daily fitness challenge and an activity calendar for each month. The fitness challenge is open to all LASD students, families, and staff, and students may earn a virtual badge if they complete it. The focus of PE class is for students to enjoy activities while increasing endurance, strength, flexibility, and knowledge. Each year, students are taught about healthy choices, including food, hydration, exercise, and sleep. 

Junior high students at Blach and Egan attend PE class virtually twice a week to develop a better understanding of a healthy and fit lifestyle physically, emotionally, mentally, and socially. Students are required to participate in physical activities, such as stretching, strength training, and sports. The focus is on personal fitness goals. PE classes also include health guidance that covers nutrition and exercise, anti-bullying, cybersafety, mindfulness, and study skills. PE teachers include physical activity as part of their live virtual classes as well as leverage technology to help students demonstrate specific skills and track their fitness goals.

School Psychologists 

Each LASD school has a school psychologist who supports both the special education department and the general welfare of students. Psychologists work closely with classroom teachers to create safe learning environments. They may lead social skills groups with targeted students, teach problem-solving skills in a classroom, or counsel students in their office who are struggling to fully engage in their education due to anxiety or depression, especially in this unusually challenging school year. More intensive support is also available to elementary and junior high school students through our school district as recommended by the school psychologist or principal.

Parents who feel that their child needs extra mental health support should reach out to their school psychologist or principal.

Mental Health Counselors

Every LASD school has counseling and mental health services, provided by CHAC therapists, available to help students referred by the school psychologist or principal. CHAC therapists are trained, experienced professionals who strive to remove barriers to learning so students can get back in the classroom. With funding support from LAEF and other sources, CHAC provides individual and group counseling for students, along with grief and crisis intervention services. CHAC therapists for junior high are trained in the unique needs of students this age. Additional parent consultation and family services are available through the CHAC Clinic in Mountain View. 

In addition to CHAC therapists, each junior high has a mental health therapist, partially funded by an El Camino Healthcare District Community Grant, devoted to support the more acute needs of that student population and to support the overall wellness community at the school. 

LAEF funds the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series, elementary school PE teachers, and CHAC counseling and mental health services.

Thank you for contributing to LAEF this school year.

Social-Emotional Learning

Elementary school students have a “Morning Meeting”, which is a component of Responsive Classroom. Students gather each school day to build community and proceed through four sequential components: greeting, sharing, group activity, and a morning message. 

Responsive Classroom is a student-centered, social-emotional learning approach to teaching and discipline. It comprises a set of research, and evidence-based practices designed to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities for both students and teachers.

Junior high students attend “Advisory”, a required class, three times a week. Adult and peer connectedness are central to fostering academic engagement and learning at this age. The Advisory class is designed with this as a priority, recognizing the critical importance of social-emotional skill building — especially as students learn remotely.

Advisory incorporates the 5 Competencies of Social Emotional Learning through interactive discussions, videos, and activities. The class curriculum is supplemented with the use of the Responsive Advisory framework and Suite 360.

LASD Teacher Training

LASD remains committed to equipping our teachers to effectively support student wellness through continued professional development. 

All LASD teachers have received extensive training on ways to create a strong school-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program. (SEL is the process through which students learn and then apply skills to understand and manage emotions, set goals, foster positive relationships, and practice making good decisions.) Some teachers also received training on mindfulness for staff and how to implement those practices in their classroom, attended a Mission Be workshop on mindfulness, or participated in other wellness and mental health learning opportunities.

All staff members (certificated and classified) have been trained about suicide warning signs using Keenan SafeSchools and LASD psychologists facilitated discussions to follow up after the training to ensure all staff understood and could recognize the warning signs. 

Additional information about Mental Health Resources in LASD can be found in the February 2021 LASD Superintendent's Newsletter.

Let’s thank our teachers and staff for investing in the physical and mental health of our students during this challenging school year.

   Donate Now to Help LAEF fund Student Wellness