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Making Connections

  • Multi-Tiered System of Supports

    Through the lens of systems-work, the EUPISD promotes the installation and implementation of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) as defined by the MTSS Practice Profile. Through MTSS implementation, we work to meet all of our students’ academic and non-academic needs.

    MTSS is a comprehensive framework comprised of a collection of research-based strategies designed to meet the needs of the whole child. Developed in Michigan by a collaborative stakeholder group, the MTSS Practice Profile includes the following Essential Components:

    • Team-Based Leadership
    • Tiered Delivery System
    • Selection and Implementation of Instruction, Interventions and Supports
    • Comprehensive Screening & Assessment System
    • Continuous Data-Based Decision Making.

    Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child

    The EUPISD recognizes that for many years, districts and schools have focused on the academic needs of students; being educational institutions, that is entirely understandable. Recently, it has become increasingly clear that academic success is influenced by many other factors which can significantly impact achievement and teaching practices. In other words, we must address and provide supports for social-emotional, physical and mental well-being of students by design, or we will have to deal with them by default.

    The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model outlines a collaborative approach to meeting the whole child's needs. It recognizes five core tenets, the ten components of Coordinated School Health, and the need for policies, practices and processes aligned to the model. Developed through a partnership between the ASCD (the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and the CDC (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and adopted by the Michigan Department of Education, the WSCC model recognizes essential community partnerships and requires schools to look outside of their bricks and mortar to truly meet student needs. Most importantly, the WSCC model encourages a systems approach and can be used to drive a tiered delivery system as part of a school's integrated continuous improvement.

    Continuous Improvement Process

    The EUPISD supports an effective continuous improvement pathway for all disricts, focused on meeting as many needs as possible with data, funding, tools, and differentiated supports to improve whole child outcomes. A high-functioning continuous improvement process should be comprised of the following:

    • Equitable opportunities, environments, and supports resulting in students that are healthy, safe, engaged, challenged, and supported,
    • A continuous cycle of improvement that informs the way we work on a daily basis (rather than being an annual event designed to meet compliance requirements),
    • Improvement processes that are integrated rather than isolated,
    • Continuous improvement targets that reflect non-academic areas that influence academic achievement (rather than just academics by themselves),
    • Improvement plans that consider systems necessary to support high-quality implementation of actions and high levels of student outcomes.
    • A committment to understanding students through lenses that consider not only needs, but also assets.

     
Ms. Paula Finfrock

Phone: 906-632-3373 Ext. 5143

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Education, Michigan State University Masters of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction Lake Superior State University

Ms. Paula Finfrock

LifeSPAN Project Director

Paula Finfrock serves as the project director for LifeSPAN; a program funded under SNAP-Ed (the education portion of supplemental nutrition assistance program from the USDA).  By overseeing the project as a whole, she is in charge of project reporting and communicating with our fiduciaries, Michigan Fitness Foundation. She provides support for LifeSPAN nutrition facilitators who teach PreK-6th grade students all about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables as well as being physically active. The program's focus is to help families gain knowledge through evidence-based programming and increase access to local resources that help them integrate healthy eating and physical activity into their daily life.

Paula has 15+ years as an educator in early childhood on up to college level in multiple areas ranging from physical activity, health, special education, and Native American culture/traditions.

Contact for:
LifeSPAN program
Ms. Lisa Jo Gagliardi

Phone: 906-632-3373, ext. 5132

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Master of Public Administration Keller Graduate School of Management DeVry University Bachelor of Studio Arts, Minor Psychology Michigan State University Trained Trainer for: ACES, Michigan Model for Health, Sex Education and HIV, Bully-Free Schools-Peer Aggression, LGBTQ, Action-Based Learning

Ms. Lisa Jo Gagliardi

Regional School Health Coordinator

Lisa Jo Gagliardi is a resource for student's physical and social emotional health.  Working under the WSCC Model (Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child), Lisa Jo works on various grant programs to help students’ non-academic needs be met, as well as being the consultant for health education PK-12, and physical education.  Some programs Lisa Jo currently works on are: Comprehensive School Health (Michigan Model for Health and Sex ed/HIV and LGBTQ), The U.P. Health Project, ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) presentations,  Action-Based/Brain-Based Learning presentations, the MEMPSA Integrating Health into School Improvement Plans grant, McKinnney Vento, and serving in leadership capacities as part of the Regional Implementation Team for MTSS Scale Up, EUPISD NCA Accreditation, and the Michigan School Health Coordinators' Association. 

Lisa Jo began her career in Kalamazoo working for a large non-profit, grant funded, serving people with disabilities.  Her background in mental health knowledge, grant writing and administration, and public administration led her to become the elementary counseling grant coordinator for Rudyard Elementary where she oversaw the project implementation with two social workers and two counselors.  She also soon became the Response to Intervention coordinator, getting staffed trained and implementing RTI in ELA.  After working for Rudyard, Lisa Jo took her current position at the EUPISD.  Over the years she has written many grants, overseen five school-based health centers, headed two large grants; physical education grant and elementary counseling grant that was allocated to three elementary schools, worked on Farm to School, and other Whole Child programs.

Contact for:
Comprehensive School Health for EUPISD and COPESD (predominantly Michigan Model for Health PK-12 and Sex Ed/HIV)
WSCC (Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child)
UP Health Project
MEMSPA IHSIP Project for Soo Twp and Houghton Lake Middle School
Regional Implementation Team for MTSS
Youth Mental Health Community Conversations-Building Resilient Communities committee Chair
Health and PE CRT
ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Presenter
Action-Based/Brain Based Learning facilitator
LGBTQ professional development/creating positive safe school climates
Bully-Free Schools: Circles of Support, SRSS-IE Resource
Ms. Kathryn HIlls

Phone: 906-632-3373 Ext. 5151

Email:

Degrees and Certifications:

Bachelor of Arts in Music Bachelor of Arts in Journalism Minor: Communication Studies Western Michigan University

Ms. Kathryn HIlls

Nutrition Facilitator

Kathryn Hills is a nutrition facilitator for LifeSPAN (Life Sustaining Physical Activity and Nutrition). She teaches K-5th grade students all about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables as well as being physically active. 

Contact for: LifeSPAN
Last Modified on November 2, 2020