Cedar Springs educators find success by connecting the dots

CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. (WOOD) — Educators at Cedar Springs High School are connecting the dots between kids and good mental health through an initiative to ensure every student has a trusted adult connection.

Danielle Paoni, a licensed professional counselor and National Board Certified Counselor, is the mental health counselor at the high school. She explained how she supports students in crisis, whether that’s helping them through a panic attack, addressing self-harm or providing guidance during difficult personal circumstances like family separation.

“My role is to build that connection and kind of open their minds so they can get back to their learning,” Paoni said.

This focus on student relationships is at the heart of the “Every Student Known” initiative, which launched three years ago. The program involves staff members not only having a positive interaction but charting the connections with students in key areas: knowing the student by face and name, understanding their extracurricular interests and identifying who the student would turn to for support.

“We chart it in four different categories, and we just make sure that each student has a (connection) in every category,” Paoni explained.

While the connections may have existed informally before, the initiative formalized the process and made it a schoolwide priority. According to Paoni, the results have been promising, with improvements in attendance, academic performance, and overall school safety.

“If you want a school where students are performing their personal best and building a future worth hoping for. It’s going to be a school where every student is known,” she said.

The initiative also feeds into the school’s safety and threat assessment protocols, providing valuable information to help support students in crisis. Paoni said events like the recent tragedies in Georgia and Oxford have only reinforced the importance of this work.

“It makes me very sure of the work that we’re doing here like we’re already doing that work, and it helps me do it better,” she said.

With the backing of the school’s principal, the “Every Student Known” program continues to evolve, ensuring no student falls through the cracks at Cedar Springs High School.

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