FLORHAM PARK — The Florham Park Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Steven Caponegro, announced the launch of NextMark Teacher Training on Student Mental Health in the classroom for Florham Park educators to begin in March, becoming the first school district in Morris County to commit to this teacher training program.
“I was incredibly excited and proud to find out from NextMark that Florham Park Schools was the 1st district in Morris County to contract with them to provide these trainings to our staff. This is a credit to our Board of Education, Administrative Team, Special Services Department, and staff who support ongoing training on mental health and social emotional learning in the schools, since it is our job as educators to remain proactive and to always focus on the whole child,” said Dr. Steven Caponegro, Superintendent of Florham Park Schools.
The NextMark Teacher Training Program educates staff on how to recognize student mental health issues in the classroom and provides real life practical strategies to manage and shape student behaviors. The program focuses on five of the most common mental health issues educators face in the class including Anxiety Disorders, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Mood Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorders (ODD).
“This relationship with NextMark Teacher training will provide our entire faculty with the tools and mindsets they would need to serve all of our children, in particular, those that may be facing mental health challenges. The Florham Park Schools aims to serve all of our children in a kind, supportive, caring environment,” said Mrs. Jane Steffen, Director of Special Services Florham Park Schools.