'25 MSAA Summer Institute

Love and Logic is a nationally known program teaching practical and proven tools to help raise respectful, responsible and happy children. Love and Logic is a process by which children grow through their mistakes and learn from the consequences of their choices.
Through the Love and Logic curriculum, participants will learn how to empower themselves with practical skills to transform educational experiences for both teachers and students. They will also learn various classroom management techniques designed to avoid power struggles with challenging students while promoting decision-making and problem-solving skills as well as encouraging students to take ownership of their behavior and learning.
Most importantly, Love and Logic provides self-care for educators that allow them to model desired attitudes and behaviors effectively.
We will focus on students with trauma and how to set healthy boundaries, overcome defiance, and guide these youth toward success.

When we assess the potential of AI for transforming education, we should remember the iconic imagery of an infant monkey choosing between two surrogate 'mothers' - one a metal cylinder with a milk bottle and the other a soft fabric roll. AI-the steel mother-promises many practical benefits for an area like school counseling from mapping a student's potential to recommending a set of pathways for them to explore, but is no substitute for the mentorship of human counselors, which neuroscience shows is critical to student engagement and development. A cognitive scientist from MIT and Yale-backed by the US Department of Education-and the principal of Uxbridge High School-nationally recognized for his responsible approach to AI-will explore how we can leverage this remarkable opportunity to merge human compassion with computational efficiency in the service of student success.

How can schools integrate proactive, Tier 1 Mental Health Literacy (MHL) into their schools as part of a Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) while aligning with evolving health education standards? During this interactive session, Mental Health Collaborative (MHC), a national nonprofit based in MA, will explore why MHL is critical to include in MTSS and include the four key components of MHL: reducing stigma, understanding mental illnesses, promoting positive mental health, and enhancing help-seeking efficacy. Participants will walk away with actionable steps and evidence-based tools to bring this education to educators, middle and high school students, athletic coaches, and caregivers. This session is designed for school administrators seeking to build sustainable, school-wide mental health initiatives that support students, staff, and families.

Grief significantly shapes the emotional and developmental journey of young people, often creating barriers to their learning and overall well-being. The way adults, particularly educators, respond to a student's experience of loss can either foster resilience or deepen their challenges. "From Loss to Learning" equips school leaders with essential insights to better understand the importance of being grief-informed in supporting student success. Participants will explore the prevalence of loss among youth, the varied ways grief manifests in school settings, and the profound impact it has on students' academic performance, behavior, and emotional health. This session empowers educators to create compassionate, supportive environments where students who are grieving can thrive.

Student Study Teams (SST) are collaborative groups within the MTSS framework that address students' academic, behavioral, and social-emotional needs. This session will explain how the SSTs work within West Springfield Middle School, from early development to full implementation, with tangible takeaways for those ready to create a SST at their building.