2024 MASA Fall Conference

Balancing the Pressure: Cultivating Resilience and Well-being in Students delves into the unique pressures faced by students today, such as academic and cultural expectations, language barriers, social media, mental health stigma and more. Through interactive exercises, participants will gain insight into these challenges and their impact on student behavior and school climate. The session will offer innovative strategies to alleviate stress, improve academic performance, and enhance student engagement, equipping educators with tools to support the well-being and success of students and staff. Learn how Plainwell Community Schools has partnered with Clayful and the impact coaching has made in the district. Takeaways: 1. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of the specific pressures that students face today. This knowledge will help educators and administrators to better empathize with and support these students in innovative ways. 2. The session will equip attendees with practical and actionable strategies and techniques to help reduce the stress and pressure experienced by students. 3. Attendees will gain insights into how Plainwell Community Schools leverages technology with Clayful in order to support mental health, improve academic performance, attendance rates, and student engagement.

Section 27k presents a great opportunity for Michigan school districts. This distinctive legislation directs state funds straight to employees, assisting them with student loan payments. It effectively increases the money employees receive. In this session, we will discuss the requirements for both districts and employees to ensure the maximum benefit and compliance. Additionally, we will hear from a superintendent who has successfully helped his employees make the most of Section 27k. Takeaways: 1. Best practices and procedures to ensure compliance and maximize funding. 2. A comprehensive understanding of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) and its integration with Section 27k. 3. Confidence and knowledge on applying today's insights about Section 27k to support employee financial well-being within the district.

Across the state of Michigan, school districts are developing innovative ways to support the physical and mental health of children and young adults in their communities. These initiatives provide greater access to healthcare, improve academic performance and provide lifetime benefits for health and wellness. This panel will highlight best-practices for engaging with the community, convening potential health system partners and creating facility and staffing models to bring the centers to fruition as well as the impacts the clinics are having on students. This session will feature Superintendents from three districts: Ludington Area School District, Grand Ledge Public Schools and Mason County Central Schools sharing how they successfully partnered with local healthcare systems to implement school-based tela-health mental health services and in-person mental and physical health services. Community health partners from Corewell Health and University of Michigan Health-Sparrow have been asked to participate to provide a perspective from the Healthcare systems. Takeaways: 1. Participants will learn about three unique mental and physical health clinics in three different school districts. 2. Panelists will share how the partnership with local healthcare systems came together and how the partnership continues to operate the clinics. 3. Superintendents will share specific student outcomes from implementation of their clinics.