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Appendix B: Programs Under Consideration for Future Adoption

Health Education and Well Being

Good health and well-being are essential for learning. Health is not only the absence of disease but also complete physical, mental, and social well-being. When school-age children are not in good health or have other unmet basic needs, they become distracted, unable to concentrate in school, keep up with their demanding schedules, and sometimes even unable to attend school. For students to become productive, responsible citizens, schools must help them develop health-promoting skills and behaviors and attend to the physical, mental, and social components of their lives.

To enhance the health and well being of the students, teachers, and community, the Neighborhood Charter School will explore implementation of a coordinated school health and well-being program, to include health education, nutrition, physical education, health promotion, a healthy school and community environment, and a family support services program.

The objectives of the Health and Well-Being Program are:

§ To form a School Health Advisory Group consisting of school and community representatives to plan and advise on the coordinated school health and well-being program.

§ To hire a Health and Well-Being Coordinator to facilitate the development and implementation of the school health and well-being program.

§ To develop and implement a coordinated school health program which will:

§ Integrate health education into the educational curriculum at all grade levels.

§ Assess health status and needs of the student body (e.g., health insurance coverage, medical conditions, medication needs, consistent health care provider, etc.).

§ Connect school and individual students to community health resources (e.g., Medicaid, PeachCare, other coverage programs, the Fulton County Health Department, etc.).

§ Organize health activities and programs for students, staff, and the community (e.g., health fairs, bicycle helmet campaigns, smoke detector programs, tobacco use prevention, weight loss programs, etc.).

§ Collaborate with other school staff (including but not limited to food services staff, custodial staff, physical education staff) to promote a healthy school environment.

§ Provide family support services to those families that may need additional social or medical services.

§ Provide in-home or in-school assessment and referral services for families having difficulty accessing medical, emotional, financial, employment, or childcare services.

§ Activate the Crisis Intervention Team as needed (Team to be defined).

I Can Problem Solve (ICPS)

ICPS is a curriculum that was written for children aged 4 to 12 years old. It incorporates training for teachers as well as parents, which can provide for continuity between home and school. It has 25 years of solid research behind it and has been implemented with good results in the Chicago Public School System as well as Dade County Public School System in Florida.

The purpose of the program is to teach children how to think through their own problems and arrive at a workable solution. This program is considered to be a primary intervention (prevention program) for violence, drug use, and teenage pregnancy.

ICPS consists of approximately 30 lessons in which the children learn problem-solving vocabulary, sequential and consequential thinking, and problem-solving skills. It provides the teachers and parents with an understanding of how to question and prompt children so they can find their own solutions, and when used correctly gives immediate, positive results.

Within three to six months, children have more confidence in their abilities, act less impulsively, are less disruptive in class, are able to think about the consequences of their actions, are able to consider the feelings of others when making decisions, and are more tolerant of differences among people around them.

Dr. Myrna Shure, the program developer has won three awards from the American Psychological Association and one from the National Mental Health Association for her work. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has recognized her parent’s guide “Raising a Thinking Child” as a model prevention program. The guide also received a Parent's Choice Award in 1996.