Page 45 - Superintendent Report 2021-22

The acronym CHAMPS reflects the types of expectations educators need to clarify for students
about every major activity and transition that occurs in the classroom:

C = Conversation
H = Help
A = Activity
M = Movement
P = Participation
S = Success

Safe Schools Ambassadors

The Safe Schools Ambassadors (SSA) program recruits and enlists student opinion leaders from
formal and informal groups on school campuses to serve as allies with adults in preserving positive
campus climates. It was predicated on the premise that students see, hear, and know things about
campus interpersonal dynamics that adults don’t know and can intervene as influence agents in ways
that adults can’t. Safe Schools Ambassadors intervene with specific diplomatic communication skills
in non-classroom settings to defuse conflicts, support targets, distract or reason with aggressors,
and neutralize cruel humor, harmful gossip, rumors, and intergroup prejudice.

Following initial training provided onsite by Department of Safe Schools trainers, school site advisors
meet with SSAs regularly to supervise, debrief, and encourage them. Community Matters, a non-
profit organization housed in Santa Rosa, California, own this expanding international program. The
District has an exclusive agreement to present the program free of charge to schools in Palm Beach
County.

This program builds a cadre of skilled students who model, utilize, and extend high-level social and
emotional learning skills on elementary and secondary campuses. The program helps keep the peace
on campuses. It maximizes the social and emotional learning skills of the Safe Schools Ambassadors
and advisors so that they can utilize positive approaches to problem-solving in classrooms, at home,
and in the community.

Safe Schools - Supporting Students in Foster Care

The Safe Schools tutorial program provides after-school tutoring and educational support for
children and youth in neglected residential group homes. The program aims to provide personalized
supplemental instruction to increase academic achievement. District-certified teachers serve as
tutors and utilize effective learning strategies, relevant instructional materials, and reliable data to
impact student outcomes positively.

Often children and youth residing in neglected group homes have faced considerable trauma and
are highly transient, which can significantly impact educational progress. The tutorial program is
tailored to meet students’ unique needs and overcome educational barriers. The tutoring activities
focus on skill remediation, computer-based lessons, mentoring, and homework assistance through
targeted data-driven instruction.

Each group home operates differently but has similar missions in offering comprehensive programs
and ongoing residential treatment. In coordination with the dedicated staff at the eligible neglected
institutions, we provide continuous educational services to meet the students’ academic needs.

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