City Connects Coordinators Focus on Building Trust and Relationships as School Gets Underway
“Trust occurs over small moments,” City Connects Program Manager Stephanie Sanabria said as she reflected on the start of the school year in her city of Springfield, Massachusetts.
Sanabria’s team of City Connects Coordinators—who support 40 schools in Springfield—is focused on creating opportunities for those small moments of connection amid the often hectic first few weeks of school.
“Relationship building takes time,” said Sanabria. “It’s really important that we establish those connections early on so if a student is facing any challenges we already have the rapport that we’ve built with the child or family and they know we are there for support.”
Coordinators are greeting families at arrival and dismissal, getting to know students and teachers through classroom check-ins at breakfast and visits to the lunchroom and playground, and connecting with families at back-to-school nights. One Springfield Coordinator volunteered to help with uniform checks each day, a seemingly small act that could have a big impact.
“It gives her a chance to get to know the kids and let the teachers know she is available for support in the school. It can also be a chance for early detection. Maybe a student needs a uniform, or is new to our school district, or the family needs more information about the uniform policy. There are so many different things that come up that could lead to continuous support and outreach,” said Sanabria.
Beyond being there for the small moments, Springfield’s Coordinators are starting off the year by leading or taking part in school-wide support teams, coordinating support for students with critical needs, and planning events to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
“While the beginning of the year is really busy it’s also such a pivotal time to set a positive tone. Establishing the culture of your school, the mission, the values, and bringing that to life and embodying it,” said Sanabria. “Coordinators play a big role in that.”
Peyton Schick, City Connects Program Manager in Minnesota, says the start of the year is a critical time for connecting and reconnecting with students, families, teachers, and community partners. Her team of Coordinators support 10 Catholic schools across the Twin Cities and are eager to understand the strengths, needs, and interests of their students.
“It’s more than just thinking about things students might need in the classroom to be set up for success; it’s the things they need both at school and outside of school that we are really focusing on at this time of year to help create that sense of belonging for our students,” said Schick.
At the Saint Helena Catholic School in Minneapolis, City Connects Coordinator Nicole Derke hits the ground running at the start of the school year by reaching out to parents of students with accommodation plans and scheduling one-on-one meetings with new students within the first few days of school. She also visits each classroom, starting out with a lesson to help students get to know her and understand her role.
“I do ‘get to know you’ projects with the students that go beyond favorite things—they also touch on how students learn best, how I can recognize when they’re having a tough day, what I can do to help, and what subjects they feel confident or less confident in,” said Derke. “I prioritize being present around the school—joining students at lunch and recess, and being at the car line to greet families. These informal moments are just as important for building trust and relationships as the structured ones.”
Coordinators in Minnesota are also focused on reconnecting with community partners. Several schools have already hosted Helen Keller International, a community partner that provides students with free eye exams and glasses. They’ve also connected with Ready Set Smile, an organization that provides free dental cleanings for students, and Every Meal, which provides weekend meals for families.
Fall has only just begun, but Coordinators in Minneapolis are already engaging community partners to prepare for the winter.
“Here in Minnesota at the beginning of the year we are already thinking about winter. We meet with our new-to-country students to make sure they have warm clothing and are prepared for how cold it gets in the winter months. We partner with the Knights of Columbus for winter clothing donations for our families,” said Schick.
For City Connects schools across the nation and in Ireland, the first month of school also means student interest surveys. These surveys are part of the City Connects practice and help inform individual student plans and whole class reviews.
“This is the time of year we are really focused on student interest surveys. We want to make sure we capture students’ voices and find out what they’re interested in, what they’re excited about, and what they want to explore. Then we are able to share that information with their teacher because sometimes they don’t already know,” said Cynthia Scheller, Director of Student Support Programs and Practice at Boston College’s Center for Thriving Children.
Like all the City Connects practices at the start of the school year, interest surveys can be used to make connections and build that sense of belonging for students.
“Coordinators have utilized the student interest surveys many different ways. It can inform our clubs, lunch activities, or influence attendance. But really it’s about letting students’ voices be heard so that they can be included,” said Sanabria.
