B.I.O.N.I.C. Team for a District’s Staff
As schools are seeing the impact of their B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams reaching struggling kids who are new, sick, hospitalized, bullied, or losing loved ones, the impact can be dramatic in creating a more caring climate in the schools. Kids are getting their eyes off their cell phones and noticing students in the halls or in their classes who seem discouraged or withdrawn. They notice the kids who are eating lunch alone.
After Green Mountain High School’s B.I.O.N.I.C. Team was in existence for three years, the Advanced Placement English Teacher approached Sandy to say, “After experiencing the suicides here at Green Mountain and as a teacher at GM for the past 13 years, I can say that I have seen a dramatic change in the climate of our school, and there is no doubt in my mind that it is because of the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team. B.I.O.N.I.C. has taught our student population about humanity, about how to show they care, and how to trust that others truly do care about them.” Other B.I.O.N.I.C. schools have noticed that change too.
One of the greatest strides has been witnessed in a community in Colorado. The district leaders for school counselors in the district, contacted the B.I.O.N.I.C. staff in the spring of 2001 to ask if they could start a B.I.O.N.I.C. Team for the thousands of staff in their district. That would be the first of its kind in B.I.O.N.I.C. programming.
They said to Sandy Austin that they were seeing the pressures of the pandemic getting to the point of overwhelming many staff members. They thought that a B.I.O.N.I.C. Team for district staff members could really bolster up their morale to encourage them through the difficult times. So they started a district-level B.I.O.N.I.C. Team?” They created a referral system in which staff members could refer a colleague who was sick, hospitalized, or lost a loved one. They could also refer themselves in case they hadn’t been reached out to.
Seeing how exhausted the staff was at the end of the school year, the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team wanted to thank and celebrate their efforts. So they started the summer off by giving a thank you gift to all staff members for the difference they made in the lives of the students and families during the school year. For those staff who were on summer vacation – teachers, cafeteria workers, school counselors, administrators, etc. – the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team members drove to the staff homes to deliver the gift. The staff were astonished to receive such a thank you!
This fall the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team’s reach increased many fold. Late in the fall with COVID’s Omicron variant spreading rapidly across the country, the staff were getting overwhelmed again. So the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team continued to reach out. Later in the fall, two elementary teachers reached out to the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team stating that they were feeling suicidal. The B.I.O.N.I.C. Team got them the help they needed. B.I.O.N.I.C.’s authentic outreaches showed those teachers that they were truly there for them.
To imagine the impact of those teachers’ suicides – if they had gone through with it – would have devastated the entire community, and left an indelible hole in the hearts of their students (current and former), staff, families, and community. The B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams have started a movement of caring that is quietly saving lives, and improving schools and communities to make this world a better place.
B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams sometimes seem like the best kept secret in a community. They impact students, staff, and families and have an incredible ripple effect in the community by letting kids know they are “seen,” they “matter,” and people care. B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams give hope to school staff in the midst of their challenges to let them know there is help and support for them in the tough times. Let us know if you want to see this kind of impact of hope in your school and/or community.