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2025 - 2026 School Calendar
2026 - 2027 School Calendar

School Climate

School Climate

School Climate Policy

Solterra Academy is dedicated to providing a positive, safe, and comfortable learning environment for every student.  Solterra has a School Climate Committee which oversees our School Climate Improvement Plan.  The mission of this group is to closely investigate and monitor the existence of challenging behaviors, bullying and teen dating violence, and to educate and support the entire school community in promoting positive interactions between students and staff throughout the building.  This is premised on our four core values of Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, and Safety.

Solterra Academy pays particular attention to the quality and character of the school life, with a particular focus on the quality of the relationships within the school community, and which is based on patterns of people’s experiences of school life and that reflects the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning, leadership practices and organizational structures within the school community.

School Climate Improvement Policy

The following School Climate Policy was developed by the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE) and goes into effect on July 1, 2025.

Definitions:

“School climate” means the quality and character of the school life, with a particular focus on the quality of the relationships within the school community, and which is based on patterns of people’s experiences of school life and that reflects the norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching, learning, leadership practices and organizational structures within the school community.

“Positive Sustained School Climate” is the foundation for learning and positive youth development and includes:

  1. Norms, values, and expectations that support people feeling socially, emotionally, culturally, racially, intellectually, and physically safe.
  2. People who treat one another with dignity and are engaged, respected and solve problems restoratively.
  3. A school community that works collaboratively together to develop, live, and contribute to a shared school vision.
  4. Adults who model and nurture attitudes that emphasize the benefits and satisfaction gained from learning;
  5. A school community that contributes to the operations of the school and the care of the physical environment.

“Social and emotional learning” means the process through which children and adults achieve emotional intelligence through the competencies of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.

“Emotional intelligence” means the ability to:

  1. Perceive, recognize, and understand emotions in oneself or others
  2. Use emotions to facilitate cognitive activities, including, but not limited to, reasoning, problem solving and interpersonal communication
  3. Understand and identify emotions
  4. Manage emotions in oneself and others.

“School environment” means a school-sponsored or school-related activity, function or program, whether on or off school grounds, including at a school bus stop or on a school bus or other vehicle owned, leased or used by a local or regional board of education, and may include other activities, functions or programs that occur outside of a school sponsored or school-related activity, function or program if bullying at or during such other activities, functions or programs negatively impacts the school environment.

“Cyberbullying” means any act of bullying through the use of the Internet, interactive and digital technologies, cellular mobile telephone or other mobile electronic devices or any other electronic communication.

“Teen dating violence” means any act of physical, emotional or sexual abuse, including stalking, harassing and threatening, that occurs between two students who are currently in or who have recently been in a dating relationship.

“Mobile electronic device” means any hand-held or other portable electronic equipment capable of providing data communication between two or more individuals, including, but not limited to, a text messaging device, a paging device, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer, equipment that is capable of playing a video game or a digital video disk or equipment on which digital images are taken or transmitted.

“Electronic communication” means any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical system.

“School climate improvement plan” means a building-specific plan developed by the school climate committee, in collaboration with the school climate specialist, using school climate survey data and any other relevant information, through a process that engages all members of the school community and involves such members in a series of overlapping systemic improvements, school-wide instructional practices and relational practices that prevent, identify and respond to challenging behavior, including, but not limited to alleged bullying and harassment in the school environment.

“Restorative practices” means evidence and research-based system-level practices that focus on:

  1. Building high-quality, constructive relationships among the school community
  2. Holding each student accountable for any challenging behavior
  3. Ensuring each such student has a role in repairing relationships and reintegrating into the school community

“School climate survey” means a research-based, validated and developmentally appropriate survey administered to students, school employees and families of students, in the predominant languages of the members of the school community, that measures and identifies school climate needs and tracks progress through a school climate improvement plan.

“Connecticut school climate policy” means the school climate policy developed, updated and approved by an association in the state that represents boards of education and adopted by the Social and Emotional Learning and School Climate Advisory Collaborative, established pursuant to section 10-222q of the general statutes, as amended by this act, that provides a framework for an effective and democratically informed school climate improvement process that serves to implement Connecticut school climate standards, and includes a continuous cycle of:

  1. Planning and preparation
  2. Evaluation
  3. Action planning
  4. Implementation

“School employee” means (A) a teacher, substitute teacher, administrator, school superintendent, school counselor, school psychologist, social worker, school nurse, physician, paraeducator or coach employed by a local or regional board of education, or (B) any other individual who, in the performance of his or her duties, has regular contact with students and who provides services to or on behalf of students enrolled in a public school, pursuant to a contract with a local or regional board of education.

“School community” means any individuals, groups, businesses, public institutions and nonprofit organizations that are invested in the welfare and vitality of a public school system and the community in which it is located, including, but not limited to, students and their families, members of the local or regional board of education, volunteers at a school and school employees.

“Challenging behavior” means behavior that negatively impacts school climate or interferes, or is at risk of interfering with, the learning or safety of a student or the safety of a school employee.

“Evidence Based Practices” in education refers to instructional and school-wide improvement practices that systematic empirical research has provided evidence of statistically significant effectiveness.

“Effective School Climate Improvement” is a restorative process that engages all stakeholders in the following six essential practices:

  1. Promoting decision-making that is collaborative and actively involves all stakeholders (e.g., school personnel, students, families, community members) with varied and meaningful roles and perspectives where all voices are heard;
  2. Utilizing psychometrically sound quantitative (e.g., school climate survey, discipline data) and qualitative (e.g., interviews, focus groups) data to drive action planning, preventive and intervention practices and implementation strategies that continuously improve all dimensions of school climate, including regularly collecting data to evaluate progress and inform the improvement process;
  3. Tailoring improvement goals to the unique needs of the students, educators, and broader school community. These goals shall be integrated into overall school improvement efforts thereby leveraging school strengths to address evidence-based areas of need, while sustaining the improvement process over time;
  4. Fostering adult learning in teams and/or professional learning communities to build capacity building among school personnel and develop common staff skills to educate the whole child;
  5. Basing curriculum, instruction, student supports, and interventions on scientific research and grounding in cognitive, social-emotional, and psychological theories of youth development. Interventions include strength-based programs and practices that together represent a comprehensive continuum of approaches to promote healthy student development and positive learning environments as well as address individual student barriers to learning and adult barriers to teaching; and
  6. Strengthening policies and procedures related to:
    1. climate and restorative informed teaching and learning environments;
    2. infrastructure to facilitate data collection, analysis, and effective planning;
    3. implementation of school climate improvement plans with the goal of becoming restorative;
    4. evaluation of the school climate improvement process; and
    5. sustainability of school climate and restorative improvement efforts.

School Climate Coordinator Roles and Responsibilities

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year thereafter, the superintendent of schools for each school district, or an administrator appointed by the superintendent, shall serve as the school climate coordinator for the school district.

Solterra Academy’s School Climate Coordinator is: AnnaMaria Martin, Principal and Chief Administrator

The school climate coordinator shall be responsible for:

  1. Providing district-level leadership and support for the implementation of the school climate improvement plan for each school;
  1. Collaborating with the school climate specialist, for each school to:
    1. develop a continuum of strategies to prevent, identify and respond to challenging behavior, including, but not limited to, alleged bullying and harassment in the school environment, and
    2. communicate such strategies to the school community, including, but not limited to, through publication in the district student handbook;
  1. Collecting and maintaining data regarding school climate improvement, including, but not limited to, school discipline records, school climate assessments, attendance rates, social and emotional learning assessments, academic growth data, types and numbers of alleged and verified bullying complaints submitted by members of the school community, types and numbers of challenging behaviors addressed using the restorative practices response policy, and data concerning the implementation and outcome of restorative practices; and
  1. Meeting with the school climate specialist for each school at least twice during the school year to (A) identify strategies to improve school climate, including, but not limited to, by responding to challenging behavior and implementing evidence and research-based interventions, such as restorative practices, (B) propose recommendations for revisions to the school climate improvement plan, and (C) assist with the completion of the school climate survey.

School Climate Specialist

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year thereafter, the principal of each school, or a school employee who holds professional certification pursuant to section 10- 145 of the general statutes, is trained in school climate improvement or restorative practices and is designated as the school climate specialist by the school principal, shall serve as the school climate specialist for the school.

Solterra Academy’s School Climate Specialist is: Nicole Haeseler, Assistant Principal

The school climate specialist shall be responsible for:

  1. Leading in the prevention, identification, and response to challenging behavior, including, but not limited to, reports of alleged bullying and harassment;
  2. Implementing evidence and research-based interventions, including, but not limited to, restorative practices;
  3. Scheduling meetings for and leading the school climate committee;
  4. Leading the implementation of the school climate improvement plan.

School Climate Committee

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year thereafter, each school climate specialist shall appoint members to the school climate committee who are diverse, including members who are racially, culturally, and linguistically representative of various roles in the school community.

The school climate committee shall consist of:

  1. The school climate specialist;
  2. A teacher selected by the exclusive bargaining representative for certified employees chosen pursuant to section 10-153b of the general statutes;
  3. A demographically representative group of students enrolled at the school, as developmentally appropriate;
  4. Families of students enrolled at the school; and
  5. At least two members of the school community, as determined by the school climate specialist.

Membership of the school climate committee shall be annually reviewed and approved by the school climate specialist, in coordination with the school climate coordinator.

The school climate committee shall be responsible for:

  1. Assisting in the development, annual scheduling, and administration of the school climate survey, and reviewing of the school climate survey data.
  2. Using the school climate survey data to identify strengths and challenges to improve school climate, and to create or propose revisions to the school climate improvement plan.
  3. Assisting in the implementation of the school climate improvement plan and recommending any improvements or revisions to the plan.
  4. Advising on strategies to improve school climate and implementing evidence and research-based interventions, including, but not limited to, restorative practices, in the school community.
  5. Annually providing notice of the uniform challenging behavior and/or bullying complaint form, or similar complaint form used by the school, to the school community.

School Climate Survey

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and biennially thereafter, the school climate committee, for each school, shall administer a school climate survey to students, school employees and families of students, provided the parent or guardian of each student shall receive prior written notice of the content and administration of such school climate survey and shall have a reasonable opportunity to opt such student out of such school climate survey.

School Climate Improvement Plan

For the school year commencing July 1, 2025, and each school year thereafter, the school climate specialist, for each school, in collaboration with the school climate coordinator, shall develop, and update as necessary, a school climate improvement plan. Such plan shall be based on the results of the school climate survey, any recommendations from the school climate committee, including the protocols, supports, and any other data the school climate specialist and school climate coordinator deem relevant. Such plan shall be submitted to the school climate coordinator for review and approval on or before December thirty-first of each school year. Upon approval of such plan, a written or electronic copy of such plan shall be made available to members of the school community and such plan shall be used in the prevention of, identification of and response to all challenging behavior. Additionally, districts may place the school climate improvement plans into their district and school improvement plans.

Training

For the school year commencing July 1, 2024, and each school year thereafter, each local and regional Board of Education shall provide resources and training to school employees regarding:

  1. Social and emotional learning;
  2. School climate and culture and evidence and research-based interventions; and
  3. Restorative practices.

Such resources and training may be made available at each school under the jurisdiction of such board and include technical assistance in the implementation of a school climate improvement plan. Any school employee may participate in any such training offered by the board under this section. The school climate coordinator, shall select, and approve, the individuals or organizations that will provide such training.

Funding

The school district shall in its discretion allocate sufficient funding to satisfy the requirements of this policy for all schools in the district. Such funding shall be distributed accordingly, with Superintendent approval, for assessments and professional development, as well as for school community outreach, training, and technical assistance.

Accountability

Solterra Academy shall adopt and allocate adequate resources to support the Connecticut School Climate Policy and adhere to state regulations set forth in Public Act 23-167.

Connecticut School Climate Standards

  1. The school district community has a shared vision and plan for promoting and sustaining a positive school climate that focuses on prevention, identification, and response to all challenging behavior .
  2. The school district community adopts policies that promote:
    1. a sound school environment that develops and sustains academic, social, emotional, ethical, civic, and intellectual skills; and
    2. a restorative school environment focused on overcoming barriers to teaching and learning by building and supporting meaningful school-wide relationships, and intentionally re-engaging any disengaged students, educators, and families of students in the school community.
  3. The school community’s practices are identified, prioritized, and supported to:
    1. promote learning and the positive academic, social, emotional, ethical, and civic development of students;
    2. enhance engagement in teaching, learning, and school-wide activities;
    3. address barriers to teaching and learning; and
    4. develop and sustain a restorative infrastructure that builds capacity, accountability, and sustainability.
  4. The school community creates a school environment where everyone is safe, welcomed, supported, and included in all school-based activities.
  5. The school community creates a restorative system that cultivates a sense of belonging through norms and activities that promote social and civic responsibility, and a dedication to cultural responsiveness, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

  • 10-222d Policy on bullying behavior as amended by PA 08-160, P.A. 11- 232, P.A. 14-172 and PA 18-15 and PA 19-166.
  • 10-222g Prevention and intervention strategy re bullying and teen dating violence 10-222h Analysis of school districts’ efforts re prevention of and response to bullying in schools. School climate assessment instruments
  • 10-222i State-wide safe school climate resource network. [Repealed, Effective 7/1/2025 State-wide safe school climate resource network]
  • 10-222k District safe school climate coordinator. Safe school climate specialist. Safe school climate committee (as amended by PA 21-95, Section 14)
  • 10-222p Review of safe school climate plans by Department of Education. Approval or rejection.
  • PA 23-167 An Act Concerning Transparency in Education

Staff Reporting of Challenging Behaviors

School employees who witness acts of challenging behavior or receive reports of challenging behavior must contact the Assistant Principal of the Student of Concern, the Clinician of the Student of Concern, the Harmed Student’s Clinician, and the School Climate Specialist through email, phone, voicemail or in person on the same day that it was reported or witnessed. 

Solterra Academy does not tolerate retaliation in any form for any complaints made in good faith, regardless of the outcome of the investigation. Parents/Guardians of students who engage in challenging behavior that becomes verified acts will be notified within 3 business days of the completion of an investigation.  Parents/Guardians of students who were harmed will be informed of the incident, as well as the school’s response to such acts.  The School Climate Specialist and the Assistant Principal of the student will assess the facts of a challenging behavior incident and complete the “Response Process(es) Notification Form” (H-Drive Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate”). A confirmation of receipt of the “challenging behavior reporting form” will be provided to the individual who completed this form within 3 school business days, and the behavioral assessment will be finalized within a reasonable amount of time.

Challenging Behavior Reports

It is the responsibility of all staff to identify and report behaviors which are, or potentially could lead to, verified cases of bullying or teen dating violence or are considered “challenging behaviors”. Any challenging behavior that is observed should be reported using a Challenging Behavior Report From (witnessed). The Yellow Form found in the Mail Room also found in the H-Drive Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate”. Behaviors that are not witnessed but reported should be documented and reported on the Challenging Behavior Report Form (not witnessed). The Purple Form found in the Mail Room is also found in the H-Drive Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or Solterra School Climate”.

Completing a Challenging Behavior Report Form (witnessed)

Challenging Behavior Report forms (witnessed) (yellow paper form) are available in the mailroom and on the H-Drive in a  Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate. The staff member who witnesses the incident  should do the following:

For Challenging Behavior Incident report:

  • The staff member should notify the School Climate Specialist, Clinician and the classroom’s Assistant Principal of the Student of Concern and describe the challenging behavior through an email or phone call with details of the situation
  • The staff member then completes the Challenging Behavior form – Completing all sections that are applicable and attach a COPY of the Student Behavior Report to the Challenging Behavior Report Form
  • The Assistant Principal and/or the School Climate Specialist will investigate if the behavior is more than a Challenging Behavior
  • Challenging Behavior Reports should be turned over to both the Student of Concern and Harmed students’ clinician on the same day it was witnessed.
  • Once the Teachers’ and Clinicians’ of the students involved have signed the form, it is passed to the Assistant Principal for the Student of Concern and the School Climate Specialist
  • The School Climate Specialist and/or the Assistant Principal will start an investigation

Description of Events

  • The purpose of the Description of Events is to clearly outline what led to a Challenging Behavior Report. This needs to also be documented in a Student Incident Report
  • This section, along with a COPY of the Student Incident Report attached to the Challenging Behavior Report, must be completed in order for Teachers, Clinicians, Assistant Principals, and School Climate Specialists to sign off on the form.

 

Restorative Learning Component

  • Purpose of the learning component is to ensure that the Student of Concern is reflecting on how their behavior impacts others and how to repair relationships with peers and staff
  • This section should be completed if staff have witnessed the interaction by asking the Student of Concern the Restorative Questions.  If it was not witnessed by school staff but reported to school staff, the Assistant Principal or the School Climate Specialist will complete this section with the Student of Concern.

Investigation

  • The School Climate Specialist along with the Assistant Principal(s) of the Student(s) of Concern and Harmed Student(s) will investigate the report
  • Once the investigation has been completed, the School Climate Specialist and/or the Assistant Principal will complete the Response Process Notification Form and give a copy of it to the person who completed the Challenging Behavior form.
  • If it is a verified event, the Assistant Principal(s) and/or the School Climate Specialist will contact the Parent(s)/Guardian(s) of the event and of the intervention

Completing a Challenging Behavior Form (reported/not witnessed)

A Challenging Behavior Form (reported/not witnessed) (purple paper form) are available in the mailroom and on the H-Drive in a Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate.” The staff member who the act was reported to should do the following:

  • The staff member should notify the School Climate Specialist, Clinician and the classroom’s Assistant Principal of the Student of Concern and describe the challenging behavior through an email or phone call with details of the situation
  • The staff member completes the Challenging Behavior Form (reported/not witnessed) to the best of their ability to what was reported.
  • The Assistant Principal and/or the School Climate Specialist will investigate if the behavior is a verified act or not
  • Challenging Behavior Reports Forms (reported/not witnessed) should be turned over to the School Climate Specialist on the same day it was reported
  • The School Climate Specialist and/or the Assistant Principal will start an investigation
  • This form will be filed with the Challenging Behavior Reports in the School Climate Specialist’s office

Response Process Notification Form:

Response Process Notification Forms are available in the mailroom and on the H-Drive in a Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate”. This is for Administrator use only.

  • This is a separate form that is completed by the Assistant Principal of the Student of Concern and the School Climate Specialist once the investigation has been completed
  • The form will be completed within 3 school business days after the investigation has been completed
  • A copy of the form will be given to the student(s), parent(s)/guardian(s), or staff member who completed the Challenging Behavior Report
  • The original form will be given to the School Climate Specialist to be filed with the corresponding Challenging Behavior Report that will be kept in the School Climate Specialist’s office.

Data Collection and Review

  • The information on the Challenging Behavior and the Response Process Notification forms will be logged into the database by an administrative assistant.
  • After being logged into the database, the completed Challenging Behavior and Response to Notification Forms should be given the School Climate Specialist for Committee review.

Student and Parent Reporting of Challenging Behaviors

Students and/or Parents/Guardians are encouraged to and should report acts of challenging behavior to school staff and may remain anonymous. Students and/or Parents/Guardians can complete an online form by accessing the Solterra Academy’s website or by contacting a School Administrator. The Administrator will need to complete a Challenging Behavior Report Form located in the (H-Drive Folder called “Solterra General Forms” or “Solterra School Climate”) and give it to the School Climate Specialist to conduct the investigation.  Parents/Guardians and Students can also access a Challenging Behavior Report form on Solterra Academy’s website.

Investigation of Challenging Behaviors

The School Climate Specialist, along with the Assistant Principal(s) of the students involved, conducts the investigation of all complaints of Challenging Behavior by promptly meeting with Student of Concern(s), the Harmed Student(s), and any witnesses.  Anonymous reports will also be investigated thoroughly, however, no discipline or action can be issued solely based on an anonymous report. Guidelines surrounding disciplinary responses to verified acts of bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation are listed below and in Chapter 7 of this manual. 

The investigation of non-witnessed reports will be documented on the Investigation of Challenging Behavior Form.  This can be found in the H-drive in the folder “Solterra School Climate”.  This is for Administrative Use only. Once the investigation has been completed this form will be given to the School Climate Specialist to be filed with the Challenging Behavior Report Form and kept in the office of the School Climate Specialist.

Challenging Behaviors that are verified acts of bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation will result in the School Climate Specialist notifying the School Climate Coordinator and the appropriate Administrator as well as the students’ Teachers and Clinicians.  The students’ Administrator and the School Climate Specialist will notify the Parents/Guardians of any Student of Concern who commits an act of bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation no later than 3 school business days after the completion of the investigation.  In addition, the Parents/Guardians of the Harmed Student will also be contacted within 3 school business days.

If an incident is confirmed through the investigation to constitute a true act of bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation by a staff member, the School Climate Specialist will notify the Principal and Clinical Director who will determine next steps such as reporting to DCF and/or Human Resources.

The Principal or their designee will notify the appropriate law enforcement agency if they believe bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation constitutes criminal conduct.

A PPT may be called if necessary to address bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation.  When necessary, a change in the classroom placement or transportation of the student engaging in verified acts will be pursued in order to further protect the victim.

The School Climate Specialist will document and maintain records related to reports and investigations. A list of the number of verified acts of bullying, cyberbullying, teen dating violence, assault, physical violence, protected class violation/harassment, and/or Title IX violation will be submitted to the CSDE annually as required by law.

Beyond the above protocols and supports, the new school climate policy defines a specific subset of challenging behavior that requires Solterra Academy to respond with certain tiered interventions (referred to hereinafter as “tiered response incidents”). Pursuant to C.G.S. Sec. 10-222hh(b)(6), a tiered response (as detailed in the table below) is required for an incident of challenging behavior that meets any of the following criteria:

  1. Requires temporarily clearing a classroom or removing a majority of students to reduce the likelihood of injury;
  2. Indicates a credible intention to cause bodily harm to self or others; or
  3. Results in an injury requiring medical attention beyond first aid (or less severe injuries caused by the same person on more than one occasion, as verified by a school nurse or other medical professional). The law goes on to provide that, if a district determines that conduct meets the above criteria, school climate improvement plans must include the following responses:

 

Occasion Number – Tiered Response Incident

Tiered Intervention Required

First offense

Principal must notify the parents/guardians of each student involved in a manner that complies with FERPA.

Second offense

Principal must invite the parent/guardian of involved students to a meeting (virtual or in person) to discuss supports and interventions applicable to each student — including, but not limited to restorative practices

Multiple subsequent offenses (or single incident that causes severe harm)

Principal must notify the parents/guardians of involved students of other resources for supports and interventions, including, but not limited to the following: the 2-1-1 Infoline program; services/ programs available through the Behavioral Health Partnership, established through C.G.S. Sec. 17a-22h; or other resources for professional services, support, or crisis intervention.

In addition, for tiered response incidents, there must be a meeting between an administrator and the school employee who witnessed the incident. The purpose of the meeting, which must occur within two days of the incident, is to determine the supports and interventions required to address the needs of students and school employees, although supports and interventions for special education students must be determined by the student’s Planning and Placement Team (PPT). In addition, protocols and supports must include a process by which a teacher may request a behavior intervention meeting.

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