CHCCS Hosts First Family Engagement Summit

The planning began in June 2017, led by Roslyn Moffitt, Director of Title I/ Family and Community Engagement, and developed by a team of CHCCS staff from across departments and schools. The vision was to present a free educational and community- building summit for all families associated with the district. On Saturday, April 14, at Culbreth Middle School, the vision became a triumphant reality. More than 100 adult participants attended the summit.

“The Family Engagement Summit was a true testimony to the fact that we are in this together,” said Dr. Misti Williams, Executive Director of Leadership and Federal Programs. “The energy that morning at Culbreth was incredible as our staff, community partners and families came together to discuss our most important asset, our children. No matter what the topic, there was an obvious commitment to conversation and understanding around information shared, learning acquired and just plain fellowship with others.”     

The summit’s theme, “Building Student Self-Confidence,” was chosen to align with the district’s increased emphasis on the whole child, so the workshop topics went far beyond academic issues.     

The mission of the summit was to create opportunities for families to connect - and to learn more about their children’s needs and how to address them, both at home and at school. One of the first committee goals was to develop a communication strategy to inform all CHCCS families about the summit. From the earliest planning meetings, the team was mindful and vocal about how too many parents “fall through the cracks” with the traditional communication tools. Helen Atkins, Coordinator of English Language Learners, called upon her entire staff to assist with publicizing and registering non-English speaking families, and translators were on hand for the workshops.

As parents and others arrived to coffee, juice and pastries, they browsed a hallway filled with vendor tables from district and community organizations, including El Centro Hispano, Triangle Bikeworks and Book Harvest, who donated books for the families. The program opened in the Culbreth Auditorium, with Superintendent Dr. Pam Baldwin welcoming participants. A local girls’ choral group, Sisters’ Voices, provided a musical interlude of traditional and popular songs. 

The featured speaker was Mary Andrews, long-time family literacy advocate in the community (and former reading specialist with CHCCS). Andrews talked about the tremendous importance of reading and speaking with children from infancy, in everyday conversations, as well as while sharing the magic of books. She punctuated her talk with a demonstration of how many books she keeps in her handbag, at the ready for her grandchildren, or her own reading appetite.     

Participants chose from 14 workshops, led by a variety of district staff and community experts. The topics ranged from “Everyday Math at Home” to “Helping Your Child Find Resilience” and “Mastering Complex Tasks,” and the content was carefully designed to address different stages of development and grade levels, from Pre-K to high school. Sessions also specifically targeted Exceptional Children and English language learners.    

One popular choice was a workshop on understanding “Cyber Security,” presented by Hugh Harris of the Public Protection Section of the North Carolina Department of Justice. “The event was fantastic. I loved the enthusiasm of the attendees and organizers of the event. I really enjoyed meeting everyone involved,” Harris said. “Because the internet is a major part of our daily lives, it’s important for families to understand there are online risks to our personal information and safety. It’s valuable for parents to have honest, open conversations with their kids to help them stay safe online.” Harris recommended visiting www.ncdoj.gov/internetsafety to learn detailed information about internet safety.    

A mother who attended Harris’ workshop praised the value of his presentation. “Now I know how to back up my mom-cop rules. Now we can talk about it and explain the reasons (for cyber safety). It helped me understand the why.”  

Another workshop that drew many participants was “Summer Reading for K-5,” co-led by Carolyn Sirera and Alma Berg, both Title I interventionists. Their session was filled with hands-on activities and introductions to websites with self-guided reading supports.     

Stefanie Mazva-Cohen, social worker at Culbreth and a core member of the planning team, said, “I always like the expression, ‘Life is made of moments, not milestones.’ What I loved was going into sessions and seeing parents accessing the information in their native language with the support of our CHCCS translators. Community and district folks were getting to know us as parents and families - and we were benefiting from their wealth of knowledge.”    


When the workshops wrapped up, most participants stayed for a taco bar lunch, provided by Chartwells School Dining Services. Because the summit offered free childcare, nearly 75 children also spent the morning at Culbreth, and after board games, activities in the gym and a movie selection, many of them joined their parents in the cafeteria. High school volunteers pitched in with various stations and tasks. They were key in providing childcare. 

Families nearly filled the cafeteria, mingling with both friends and new acquaintances. Dr. Williams called out numbers for the Walmart gift card raffle, with five families receiving $50 cards (provided by Public School Foundation) - and plenty of excitement was generated among the participants.    

“At the end of the sessions, families lingered over lunch, to continue conversations and to connect. Those moments made the summit priceless,” said Mazva-Cohen.   

Janet Cherry, CHCCS Director of  System of Care, said the event was "a refreshing day with parents and students, full of excitement and camaraderie. Looking forward to next year!"
     
Moffitt said, "The Family Engagement Summit was a wonderful vision that came to life. A cross section of individuals worked extremely hard to ensure that parents and families would have a meaningful day of workshops geared toward student success. It is important for families and educational staff to work together for the benefit of our students! We’re looking forward to the next summit to be held in October of 2018. ‘We  love our families’ is not just a catchy saying. It is one of our core beliefs!”

Click here to see more pictures from the summit.

A huge shoutout to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation for creating and providing magnets, pens, t-shirts and Walmart giftcards. Thank you team!

read more "CHCCS Hosts First Family Engagement Summit"

NCCU Football Players Visit FPG Third Graders

When the third grade students arrived at Frank Porter Graham Bilingue (FPGB) Elementary on Wednesday, March 7, they found a large banner hanging in their hallway: FPGB (loves) the Eagles. A mystery, to be sure. Several young football fans thought maybe the Super Bowl winners were being celebrated, and one student asked why the Patriots weren’t included. But a little past 10:30 that morning, the mystery cleared when 10 football players from North Carolina Central University - the Eagles!- showed up in their jerseys, wearing big smiles. As they divided up in small groups and entered each classroom, many of the astonished third-graders squealed and clapped, while others stared in disbelief.
     
During these long weeks before spring break, teachers welcome all the creative measures they can use to keep their students engaged. Kelsey Mackay, a teacher on the team, approached social worker Kerry Sherrill, seeking strategies for the extra encouragement and motivation some of her students really needed. What better way to get their attention than to invite a group of conference-winning football players over to spend part of the morning?
     
MacKay grew up in football-rich South Carolina, and she attended Clemson. She already had a strong sense of how much impact can come from athletes in the classroom. She and Sherrill brainstormed ideas. “We decided to try Central, because of the reputation of their tight community among alumni and current staff and players,” Sherrill said, “and to expose our small population of Black American students to positive messaging and role models who look like them.”
     
Sherrill reached out to her social work colleagues in the district and very quickly, a couple of NCCU alumni were able to arrange a contact in the football office. In the email invitation to Travis Taylor, director of football operations, Sherrill and MacKay wrote, “Third-grade is a tough year with the End-of-Grade exams starting and more pressure on the students.  We would like to have players come to each of our four third-grade classrooms and talk about what character traits have helped them as they developed into adults, if they have faced and overcome challenges and barriers, and what advice they would give the children about not giving up.”
   
The carloads of players and athletic support staff drove up to FPGB a few days later.
   
After the Eagles’ surprise entrance, and once the students had settled down and taken their seats on the floor, the pairs and trios of athletes answered questions about ways to strengthen team unity and how to manage conflict and frustration. When one student asked, “What do you do when you’re frustrated?” the players’ responses ranged from, “Try to step away and get myself together,” to “Go and call my mom and talk it through.”
   
The children listened intently, faces upturned toward the tall young men, and often they nodded solemnly. Sherrill reported that the very next day, “One student was getting frustrated and he pulled out his autographs to motivate him and was able to re-engage in his assignment.”
   
“What are some values that have helped you?” asked a student.
   
“My mom always got me to school on time and she made sure I ate my vegetables and fruit-- no junk food!”
   
“Mom always made me do my homework and then go to sleep by 9:00,” said another Eagle, to which a teacher called out to her students, “Did you hear that ? 9:00!”
   
“I always try to do my best and stay ahead of the game," said one player. "It’s hard to be successful without doing well in school - and always support your friends!”
   
One athlete said, “No matter what people say about you, don’t let them tell you what to think about yourself.”
   
"Knowledge is the only thing that cannot be taken away from you,” an athlete told the children, and Sherrill reported that a week later, the teachers were still sharing that quote.
   
When a student asked, “What does it take to win a championship?” the football players became even more animated.
   
“You’ve got to be a family, from the coaches down.”
   
“Gaining knowledge everyday - trust in what your teachers and coaches tell you. They really care about you!”
     
The players all talked about their very hectic schedules, but they emphasized that they’re students first, and they’re always working hard to balance classwork with being student-athletes.
     
Then came Part Two of the Eagles’ visit - board games in each classroom! Sherrill and MacKay had hoped to organize outdoor activities, but with the cold rain, they had to devise a Plan B. The laughter and hooting that came from each table of game-players filled the rooms.
     
Over and over, the students said, "BEST DAY EVER!!!!"
     
As athletes finished signing autographs and began to say goodbyes, one child asked, "When are they coming back?"
     
Over and over, the teachers talked about how amazing it was to see all the smiles on children's faces, and the excitement and joy they expressed.
     
Travis Taylor shared his own message once the football players had returned to the NCCU campus.

“Thank you for reaching out. The players absolutely loved their time at your school. I think this is a new partnership that’s going to be wonderful for both parties. It’s moments like this that make you realize you’re doing something right, to know that we inspired and made those kids’ day special. We love you guys - you are a part of our team. One family, one team!”

read more "NCCU Football Players Visit FPG Third Graders"

PetPals Serve as Comfort Therapy Dogs in Schools

Pandora the Poodle has become a Carrboro High School Jaguar, joining other PetPalsNC therapy dogs that have been matched with schools in the CHCCS district. Once a week, Pandora checks in to the office with her handler, Ginny Murray, and they set up in the cafe commons for the lunch period. Despite the commotion of noisy teenagers crowding the space, Pandora stands at calm attention, eyeing her surroundings and edging toward any student who approaches for a quick introduction - or those who settle in for a longer petting session.
   
April Crider, Carrboro High social worker, said that they “borrowed” a therapy dog from Culbreth Middle School earlier in the year, after the death of a student. “The students found the dog to be a great distraction, and it just felt good at that moment to cuddle with her.” Now Carrboro High has its own dog, and Pandora will have a regular schedule. Hopefully, students will come to recognize the powerful benefits the regal poodle can offer, even in the brief time it takes to sit with her and stroke her soft, gray head.
   
Trained dogs have offered various supports to our students for years, especially as reading buddies in elementary schools. But their presence in middle and high schools is relatively new, and the impact they bring is less tied to academic activities than general emotional and social benefits. Educators and parents have become increasingly aware of the stress and anxiety that take a toll on adolescent and pre-teen students, and the value of using therapy dogs in school settings is more widely recognized.
   
Stefanie Mazva-Cohen, social worker at Culbreth, reached out to PetPalsNC after she learned about the program from its founder, Wendy Stewart. She knew that students at her school would embrace the comforts and reassurance that come from spending time with a familiar pet. In 2015, when Mazva-Cohen introduced the program to Culbreth staff and families, she sent out an email saying, “Culbreth is getting a new therapist!” In fact, Culbreth has two PetPals, Abby and Dutch, and they alternate weeks for their visits.
   
Many of the PetPal sessions at Culbreth involve one-on-one interactions, often when a child is talking to a counselor or other support person. “If a student is having a particularly hard time, we’ll arrange time with Abby or Dutch,” said Mazva-Cohen. “The child’s petting the dog, I’m petting the dog, and the dog becomes a connections catalyst. A real blessing.”
   
Culbreth has experienced several tragic losses in recent years, and the dogs became part of the crisis counseling teams. Yet the connections need not be tied to loss or crisis. “There isn’t a child who can’t use fifteen minutes with a dog every week,” Mazva-Cohen said.
   
Pandora of Carrboro High is just now getting her paw in the door. Most students haven’t met the dog yet, but an Exceptional Children's class experienced the benefits of a therapy dog during Pandora’s second visit. “Our students with special needs LOVE Pandora,” said Melissa Barry, EC system level teacher. “Interaction with a therapy dog not only calms our students, but also enhances their language skills as they talk to Pandora - and about Pandora. We visited with Pandora yesterday, and our students are still talking about the experience today. Our students enjoy petting, walking, watching and interacting with the dog.  Interaction with Pandora helps our students extend their abilities - yesterday, we had students walking farther than typical simply because they were walking the dog outside!”
   
As Carrboro High teacher assistant Donna McMillan said, “The brief encounters I had with students petting Pandora I would sum up as pure happiness and joy. And we all need a little of that every day!”


PetPalsNC is a 501(c)3 “dedicated to promoting and supporting the use of animal-assisted therapy and activities for K-12 students to enhance academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth.” (petpalsnc.org) The program serves numerous Orange County schools. The CHCCS partners are Rashkis Elementary, McDougle Elementary, Phillips Middle, Culbreth Middle and Carrboro High. School counselors and social workers act as liasons to establish and oversee the program at each school. Currently there are more requests for service than there are funds and teams to cover expansion. 

read more "PetPals Serve as Comfort Therapy Dogs in Schools"

Social Workers and UNC

Pictured left to right: Marne Meredith (Ephesus Elementary),
Wendy Johnston (Glenwood Elementary) and Melissa Breaden
(Pre-K)

The Field Education Program of the UNC School of Social Work recently extended its appreciation to Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools for long standing service and commitment to the field of social work and to the community by serving as a training site for Master-level social work interns.  

Congratulations, CHCCS school social work field instructors!

.

read more "Social Workers and UNC"

Lisa DeCesaris - Teal Ribbon Award Winner

Congratulations to Lisa DeCesaris, Social Worker at McDougle Middle School. She is this year’s recipient of the Teal Ribbon Award sponsored by Orange County Rape Crisis Center (OCRCC). 

The Teal Ribbon Award recognizes significant contributions to the mission of ending sexual violence and its impact by a community partner outside the OCRCC family. 

Lisa is being recognized for her efforts and years of active support for prevention programs like the Standing Side by Side parent workshop series, Stop the Drama peer influencers club and the McDougle Middle School QSA.  Lisa was also instrumental in the development of a sexual violence response protocol.  

Lisa was honored at this year's Teal Ribbon banquet and ceremony on April 5, 2017.

Congratulations Lisa!

read more "Lisa DeCesaris - Teal Ribbon Award Winner"

National School Social Work Week

The week of March 6-10 marks the celebration of National School Social Work Week. 

With the theme of "Be the Change," school social workers across the country will highlight their critically important role in helping students every day to meet the academic, social, and emotional challenges on the road to becoming successful and productive young adults.  

Join us in thanking our CHCCS School Social Workers for the very important role they play in the success of our students and our schools. 

read more "National School Social Work Week"

School Social Worker Week

School social workers are part of a multidisciplinary educational team that helps address the needs of students and their families. Students receive assistance to help them overcome issues with self-esteem, social skills, depression, anxiety, anger management, and much more. Because of their specialized training, they are adept to address the social and psychological issues that can block academic progress. 

Through student screening, individual and group counseling, crisis intervention and prevention programs, they help young people overcome the difficulties in their lives, and as a result, give them a better chance to reach their full academic and personal potential.

This week, we celebrate the dedication and expertise of our school social workers. Governor McCrory has signed a resolution proclaiming March 6-12 as School Social Worker Week in North Carolina.

Please join us in thanking and honoring these very important members of our school teams.

read more "School Social Worker Week"

Hanging Out With Ricky Martin!

The Mariposas group at Frank Porter Graham Bilingue was founded last year with 15 girls. This year it has doubled in size to 30 girls and now includes middle schoolers from Culbreth and McDougle Middle Schools. The goal of the group is to use Latino culture, traditions and identity to teach academic motivation, social/emotional health, leadership and civic engagement. The group meets every Monday evening. Parents are a huge component of the group activities and they join the girls two Mondays a month for paired activities.

Another mission of the group is to expose the girls to as many professional Latinos as possible. To that end, last May the group traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet privately with Justice Sonia Sotomayor at the Supreme Court. The judge spoke to the girls about overcoming economic, racial and social barriers to succeed. It was a memorable experience for the girls and the chaperones!

Last week, the group had an opportunity to meet Ricky Martin when he was in town for a show a the Durham Performing Arts Center. For the Ricky Martin activity, the girls had to commit additional time in the evening to come to school and learn about Ricky Martin's life as a performer, a humanitarian and the struggles related to his sexuality.

The Ricky Martin foundation in Puerto Rico deserves a shout out for making this opportunity a reality for our girls.

Amazing things are happening at Frank Porter Graham Bilingue!

read more "Hanging Out With Ricky Martin!"

Ephesus Elementary's Kindness Video

In addition to being National Volunteer Week, it is also Kindness Week (coincidence?).

To help remind us of its impact, our friends at Ephesus Elementary, with the help of the Public School Foundation, made this wonderful video tribute to kindness. Enjoy.

Back to CHCCS website

read more "Ephesus Elementary's Kindness Video"

CHCCS Celebrates School Social Workers

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is pleased to honor our school social workers during this National School Social Workers Week (March 1-7).

School social workers play an important role in the education of the whole child, and our district could not properly function without their diligent commitment to student success. School social workers work to eliminate unnecessary barriers, and to establish working relationships with families and community resources. They are equipped to focus on the non-academic factors (those outside the classroom) that influence student learning. They assist with mental health services, crisis intervention, student attendance, and improving the overall learning climate. In short, school social workers lend the critical support needed to help students reach their full potential.

One example of their work includes the great strides our district has made in the past few months in the movement to prevent child sexual abuse. Ten CHCCS school social workers are being trained as Authorized Facilitators of the YMCA’s Stewards of Children program.

Please join us in thanking our school social workers for their important work!

Back to CHCCS website

read more "CHCCS Celebrates School Social Workers"

Project Connect

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools social workers and interns recently attended the 6th annual Project Connect. Project Connect is a one-day event designed to provide an array of services to individuals and families facing homelessness. CHCCS social workers worked with families to complete free/reduced lunch applications, discuss school concerns and resources within the district, and connect families with community agencies, such as counseling resources, child care referrals, housing/shelter options and employment resources.


Back to CHCCS website

read more "Project Connect"