By Anne White
New Canaan’s Board of Education spent over an hour examining how the district is approaching student mental health, school climate, and social-emotional learning (SEL), engaging in a detailed discussion that touched on student resilience, data interpretation, and the tension between emotional education and physical development.
At the center of the conversation was the district’s use of the Comprehensive School Climate Inventory (CSCI) which measures perceptions of safety, belonging, emotional well-being, and civic engagement. According to Dr. Susan Bliss, Director of SEL for New Canaan Public Schools, while many scores were consistent across elementary and middle schools, “social-emotional security” was among the lowest-rated categories, particularly among students.
Bliss explained that unlike staff and parents—who consistently rated school climate metrics above 3.5 on a 5-point scale—students reported an average closer to 3.0 when asked if they felt emotionally safe or had witnessed repeated teasing. “It reflects national trends,” Bliss told the board. “Every district using this instrument is seeing lower scores in emotional safety.”
While the conversation covered data integrity and comparative analysis, several board members shifted the discussion toward the methods being used to address student well-being. One focal point: whether the district’s SEL curriculum—which includes tools like the Mood Meter, affirmation exercises, and lessons in emotional vocabulary—strikes the right balance.
Board Member Matt Campbell questioned whether too much focus on emotional self-monitoring could backfire. “If we teach them to walk on eggshells,” he said, “they become more fragile.” He pointed to the discrepancy between how adults and students perceive emotional safety and asked whether this reflects increased sensitivity among children or misalignment in communication.
Others echoed concern about over-involvement. “We’ve heard from parents who say there’s too much intervention at recess,” Campbell added. “If we’re always stepping in, we’re not giving kids the space to learn conflict resolution on their own.”
Bliss acknowledged the challenge. “Our goal is to help kids learn how to problem solve,” she said. “We’re training teachers and recess monitors to ask questions like, ‘What could you do differently next time?’—not to shut things down.” But she also noted the district’s obligation to ensure safety: “We’re a public school. We can’t let them duke it out.”
Amid these concerns, Board Member Julie Toal steered the discussion toward what she described as a “practical, unifying goal”: increasing physical activity in elementary schools.
“I think our kids need more movement during the day,” Toal said. “Whether it’s a second recess, a longer recess, or more gym time—there’s so much research that shows this improves academic outcomes, stress management, and behavior. It’s a natural solution to many of our goals.”
Toal made clear that her proposal was rooted in her own observations as a parent. “Kids come home on rainy days and they have only had indoor recess which is inside their classroom,” she said. “PE is only once every eight days. That’s not enough.”
She expressed concern that the district’s SEL curriculum may be too intense, especially for younger students. “We’re going heavy on the Mood Meter,” Toal said. “Talking to kindergartners about anxiety—it’s too much at that age.”
Dr. Bliss responded by highlighting the variety of SEL tools in use. While programs like RULER are part of the approach, she emphasized that each school’s climate committee crafts its own action plan, combining formal frameworks with more traditional skills such as using “I statements,” resolving conflict, and regulating behavior.
“The point is not to fixate on emotions,” Bliss said. “It’s to help students return to learning ready to focus.”
The board also discussed survey design and how it may impact results. Bliss noted that 49% of students selected “neither agree nor disagree” on certain questions, including ones that reference “most kids” in their wording. “That introduces ambiguity,” she said. “And the state is changing the survey structure for that reason.”
Looking ahead, the district may reconsider whether to continue using the same assessment in 2026, especially as changes to the format could affect data continuity.
Despite the range of opinions, there was agreement on one point: creating healthy school climates is labor-intensive but essential. “The work is valuable,” said Bliss. “These kids are our future. When we teach them resilience, empathy, adaptability—that’s what strengthens a community.”
