On August 6-7, School District 45 hosted over 30 new teachers and staff for a two-day New Employee Orientation.
Activities began on Monday morning with a breakfast at Jefferson Middle School. District 45 leaders, including Superintendent Dr. Brian Graber and Board of Education President Judy Degnan, warmly welcomed the new employees.
Following opening remarks, building principals took the opportunity to introduce their new employees to everyone.
Over two days, the new employees received information from departments within the district, including human resources, technology, and curriculum and instruction.
One of the new educators attending was Sofia Porrovecchio. Sofia will be a sixth-grade science teacher at Jackson Middle School this year and found the sessions very helpful.
“The district has been very welcoming,” said Porrovechio. “I already feel more connected being able to talk with Chris Arado and some of the other mentors today. I can tell that this is a passionate district, especially about students.”
Porrovechio said that as the school year begins, she is anxious about the realization that she will be a new person in the building. “I know I will need to step out of my comfort zone to make new friends and get to know how everybody operates.”
District 45 Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Chris Arado and Director of Student Services Diana Brown led a training session on social-emotional learning. The session focused on how children and adults can effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
Participants learned how SEL is based on the understanding that the best learning emerges in the context of supportive relationships that make learning challenging, engaging, and meaningful.
As a new teacher at Jackson, Porrovechio especially appreciated the emphasis on SEL. “I found it helpful because if students aren’t in the right mindset, learning will suffer,” she said.
One key feature of the new employee orientation is the mentor program, in which new certified staff members are paired with district veterans in the same or similar positions.
The mentor program is intended for all certified staff, where new employees receive a mentor. The pair gathers regularly for over two years for meetings, observations of one another, reflection, and lots of discussions.
“Our mentors are really important in serving as that first touch point,” said Arado. “They’re also integral in helping our new employees know the other people within the system that are there to help support them.”
Arado added that the district wants new educators to feel at home.
“Just like we want our students to feel an authentic sense of belonging and like they are an integral part of the classroom system, we want the same for adult-centered systems. We want all our new teachers to know their worth, see it, and authentically feel they’re vital to our system.”
Arado was excited about this year’s group of new educators. “They have great energy. Everyone has been focused and engaged. They are interacting with each other and their mentors, they’re contributing, and they’re asking really great questions. I’m excited.”