PGE SIP and Sensory Room Visit

Following our School Improvement Plan review and visit to Pleasant Grove Elementary I was excited to share some of the photos of the happenings at PGE.  Unfortunately, that got interrupted by Hurricane Michael that devastated the Florida Panhandle. It is a week later and after several days off last week students at PGE are back, along with students throughout Citrus County.  We continue to lift the families of the Panhandle and the thousands of first responders responding to the post Hurricane Michael work.

Principal Janet Tuggle and I sat down to review the SIP and share about PGE.  As Mrs. Tuggle walked me through the PGE SIP and a number of the happenings at PGE I couldn’t wait to start our tour.  In particular, I was excited to visit their “sensory room” that they have developed with PGE Assistant Principal Julie Jones and staff.  (See photo below for a full view of the room.) Sensory Room(s) is often a general term used to categorize a broad variety of therapeutic area specifically designed and utilized to promote self-organization and positive change. The space is helpful in creating a calm, safe space to facilitate and help students refocus.  The area can provide opportunities for engagement in prevention and crisis de-escalation strategies, as well as a host of other therapeutic exchanges.  The room has Legos, puzzles, places to lay down, run, and in general regroup. The staff use the room for variety of situations including self-care/self-nurturance, resilience and recovery.  We are seeing many of our elementary schools incorporate sensory rooms into their schools.  I think many of us can use time in a sensory room.

Mrs. Tuggle takes a moment with one of her students.

During one of our walks at PGE a student came up to Mrs. Tuggle to say “good-morning”, there is nothing more warming than to see the caring between a student and educator and this was one of those moments.  As Mrs. Tuggle asked about the student’s day in an effort to “check on them”, I wasn’t sure who was blessed more from the moment, the student or the principal.

I am so looking forward to visiting PGE again very soon.

PGE sensory room– click on photo for larger view.

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