Students Georgia Felopolus, Brittany Roulette, Heather Graninger,
Krysta Ward and De’Andre Brown wait to speak before the faculty
at a recent meeting.
Teachers Scott Coleman and Janet Barham sponsor the group
Connect with Kids along with Mary Beth Worhatch
Connect with Kids thanks teachers for connecting with kids
Story, photos by Tysean Ford
CWK Network is a multimedia clearing house focusing on education, health, and the well-being of children and families. The CWK mission is to develop and implement local community action networks that connect multimedia partners and local school districts in coordinated initiatives focused on improving school and community climate.
Physical education teachers Mr. Scott Coleman and Mrs. Janet Barham, sponsor Connect with Kids at Stafford Senior High School. Stafford has students who participate in this program. These students include De’Andre Brown, Heather Graninger, Krysta Ward, Brittany Roulette, and Georgia Felopolus. Brown enjoys this program because this program changes students’ lives. “We try to help students with issues such as poor grades, bullying, and our most recent topic, truancy,” said Brown. “I personally, have had to deal with these issues myself.”
CWK provides solutions to the challenges that children and youth face by listening to them as they tell their unique stories. CWK provides expert advice on how to help them. By giving real children and youth a voice, CWK helps students identify with and learn from their peers. “I want the teachers to know they all influence their students; whether it is negative or positive,” said Ward.
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Stafford Senior High School
The article below was featured in our school newsletter for December 2008. At a recent faculty meeting our CWK students wanted to let the staff know that they believed in them. They began their presentation by showing the Dallas speech that inspired us at the CWK workshop back in October.
The students involved with CWK wanted to meet with the faculty and give a testimonial to the teachers who had “connected” with them throughout their lives. Our students feel if there is a real “connection” between student/teacher than students will feel school is a safe and secure place to be. They will “want” to come to school rather than “have” to come to school. Some of our students do not have this safe environment at home and this gives them a place to come, learn, socialize, and hopefully “connect” with an adult that they can trust and that cares about them.
Our CWK students challenged the staff at Stafford High School to make those connections with their students. Even the smallest thing such as a “Hello, how are you today?” could make a connection.
Future projects that our CWK students would like to do involve:
- Class competitions for the best attendance/rewards
- Posters with catchy slogans promoting good attendance & Poster contest for students promoting good attendance
- Assembly for the students by the students on improving attendance
- Student Mentor & Learn and Serve involvement to improve attendance and get more students involved in the process
- Webpage & Fusion page articles about improving attendance
- Artistic: Rap/Poem/Song, etc. contest on promoting good attendance
- PTSA meetings to inform and involve more parents/teachers/students
- Student of the month for perfect attendance
- ISS & after school detention: CWK students talk to these students about improving attendance
- Teacher Mentors: Students at risk check in once a month
- Surveys to get feedback on why kids skip school and what can keep them in school
- Parent presentation for those at risk of attendance problems
- Athletes talk to students about the importance of being in school 7 periods a day/5 days a week
- Tip Box
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