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We know that life at any age can be challenging. And we also know that an antidote to challenge is connection. But, how do we achieve that connection and sense of belonging given the demands that exist in a busy school? Hear from the lens of a school psychologist and an instructional specialist, how their school developed, implemented and later tweaked strategies to create a sense of belonging among staff and students. Participants will walk away with practical approaches and actual strategies to building connections within the curriculum, classroom, and larger community.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

- Identify three benefits of the feeling of belonging and the impact it has on a student's academic and social emotional well being from the literature.

- Identify and incorporate three strategies that will increase connection among staff.

- Identify and incorporate three strategies that will increase connection among students in their school buildings.

This event is targeted towards:

1. Mid Career PhD Professionals

2. Early Career PhD Professionals

3. Recent Graduates

4. Graduate Students

Presenters Bios:

Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman is a clinical psychologist, certified school psychologist and author of The Grit Guide for Teens and The Resilience Workbook for Kids. Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman maintains a private practice in Scarsdale and works as a school psychologist in the Harrison schools in Westchester, New York. She has authored numerous articles and led workshops on topics including cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, helping children and adults with stress and worry, helping people change, grit and self-control, and positive psychology. Dr. Baruch-Feldman is a past president of the School Division of the Westchester County Psychological Association and was awarded School Psychologist of the Year by the New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP) for Westchester /Rockland/Putnam Counties in Nov. 2017. Dr. Baruch-Feldman uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help children and adults with depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD and build resilience. She has also trained hundreds of teachers, parents, children and health care professionals, giving workshops and lectures throughout the country. Dr. Baruch-Feldman graduated with Honors in Psychology from Barnard College of Columbia University. She received her doctorate in Clinical-Child Psychology and School Psychology Certificate from St. John’s University. She did her internship and post-doctoral training at Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She also trained at the Albert Ellis Institute and is a Fellow and Supervisor in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Visit her online at www.drbaruchfeldman.com.

Jennifer Markarian is an instructional specialist in the Harrison schools in Westchester, NY. Ms. Markarian is a graduate from Johns Hopkins University and received her Master's in Elementary Education from CUNY, Lehman College. She was a teacher with the NYC DOE for four years, prior to teaching in the Harrison Central School District. In her fifteen plus years in the classroom, she has taught first, second, third and fifth grade. Ms. Markarian currently supports the elementary schools’ faculty and students, coaching and mentoring teachers, designing and leading professional development in a variety of areas, and writing and developing curriculum.

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