Bend Elementary embraces trauma-informed practices, visited by California surgeon general

TEHAMA COUNTY, Calif. — Bend Elementary School of the Evergreen Union School District in Tehama County is working to incorporate trauma-informed practices into its school system.

Last week, California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos made an appearance at Bend Elementary to observe how the place of learning is utilizing trauma-informed training. Ramos visited with Superintendent of Evergreen Union School District Brad Mendenhall and Bend Elementary Assistant Principal Jessica Gantenbein, read to students, and toured the school.

Gantenbein told us every teacher at the school has gone through the surgeon general office'sfree trauma-informed training. The training aims to help school staff members, plus early-care providers, respond to trauma and stress in kids.

Using this guidance, Bend Elementary staffers hope to create a more comfortable environment for student learning.

“You can have an amazing lesson plan and great curriculum, but it won’t be received unless you take care of your child’s physical and mental health needs,” Gantenbein said. “And so what we do here is, that’s our number-one priority.”

Gantenbein said trauma-informed training takes into account what each child has been through outside of the classroom. In addition, it preaches pausing and reflecting before reacting to students who may be acting out.

Bend Elementary teachers are also trained by Tehama County personnel, who explain the science behind trauma and how to teach students who have faced adverse childhood experiences.

In its rural community, Bend Elementary has 100 students and six teachers. Gantenbein said of the school's environment, “When the students enter the school, I greet them every day, we make sure everybody is good to go. And then from there, the entire staff, whether it is the wonderful women that are in the cafeteria, or the aides or the teachers, or the janitor who stops and talks to all of the kids, they all spend the time to make sure that the kids are good, they feel connected, and they feel safe.”

The assistant principal detailed that school personnel will continue to focus on trauma-informed practices in future staff meetings. They also plan to receive more training from Tehama County employees in the near future.

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