Celebration!

Just a reminder for Principals and committee chairs to save May 5, 11:30-2 pm, for the Spring Celebration date.

 Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them to become what they are capable of being. 

  Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

 The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people. 

  Author: Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th US President, Republican

 People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. 

  Author: John Harrigan

March Peaceable
Possibilities 

Mentors Make a Difference

Mentoring has been around forever, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have a mentor. A mentor is someone who can help a person navigate the unknown, introduce them to new ideas or directions, and serve as a role model. Many people attribute their success in life in part to a mentor. When a student is struggling and needs an additional caring adult in their life, having a third party to bring mentors and mentees together can start a relationship that can change a life. The mentoring program within Peaceable Schools acts as that third party.

Peaceable Schools offers children wonderful skills and directions, but some students need more, and they need individual attention. Students targeted for the program have been identified as at-risk through testing, observation, and referral.

At this time the mentoring program within Peaceable Schools has 11 mentors working one-on-one at Grandview Elementary in grades 2- 6 in a pilot program. Research will be expanded in the fall. Volunteer mentors from the community have been recruited to meet one hour a week during the school hours with a student. They not only form friendships, but they also help the child accomplish individual goals. They may help with academics, or social and emotional behaviors. It is hoped that mentors will help decrease the development of new problem behaviors and prevent current problems from escalating.

Positive changes have already been observed in some of the Grandview mentees. Spending time with a child, establishing a relationship of trust, and believing in a child can have a profound effect on these young lives.

Shauna Valentine, Mentoring Coordinator

Mentoring Coordinators: Shauna Valentine, Janet Young

Research Group: Michelle Marchant, Paul Caldarella, Laura Cummings, Jenni Smith

ELEMENTARY

Spotlight on Mike Adams

Peaceable Schools added a valuable member to their team in September 2005, when Mike Adams joined the staff. Working as a Project Specialist and School Coordinator, Mike helps to coordinate Peaceable Schools at Hobble Creek, Goshen, Sage Creek and Grandview Elementary. He also teaches Strong Kids at Rees Elementary. Mike said, "I came to Peaceable Schools because I really like the philosophy of positive behavior support. It just makes sense.”

Mike earned his Bachelors degree in Psychology and Masters degree in Educational Counseling. Before coming to Peaceable Schools, Mike spent 8 1/2 years working with troubled youth. For 6 1⁄2 years he was a counselor at Slate Canyon Youth Center and for the last 2 years he was a juvenile probation officer. He liked both of these jobs very much, and enjoyed the experience they gave him with working with youth. Mike has enjoyed the 7 months he has been at Peaceable Schools, he believes it is a good fit for him philosophically. One of Mike's favorite quotes comes from the Prevention Plus manual, "… Every misbehavior is an opportunity to teach correct behavior." Another quote Mike likes that fits well with Peaceable Schools is, “If we start building better fences at the top of the cliff, we’ll need less ambulances at the bottom.”

Mike grew up in Orem, UT and now lives only 4 blocks from his parents house. He has been married for 4 1⁄2 years and has one baby girl, Isabelle, whom he loves playing with. In his spare time he also enjoys golf, reading, fishing, playing the guitar, and X-Box. Thanks for your dedication to Peaceable Schools Mike, you are a great team member.

Peaceable Schools Social Skills Practiced at Home!
Spanish Oaks Elementary

Mrs. Stirland’s 5th grade class accepted the challenge and completed their at home monthly social skill assignments for the months of January and February.  They had 100% participation for the social skill:  How to Accept Responsibility for Actions and 80% for the social skill: How to Listen.

Peaceable Schools is a school wide partnership program with BYU to help students learn a pledge, three important social skills, and school rules that will help them be successful at school and in life.  The class earned a pizza party for being so responsible.  Way to go Mrs. Stirland’s 5th grade class!

Also, as a part of our school wide Peaceable Schools program, students earn “Caught You Caring” rewards for demonstrating good citizenship and practicing our school wide social skills of:
How to Accept Responsibility for Actions
How to Listen
How to Ask to Join In

- Sherry Eaton, Spanish Oaks Elementary Facilitator

       Tosh Davis getting his earned                                                                     Mrs. Stirland's 5th Grade Class

        reward for being responsible

Mt. Loafer Good Citizens Awarded the “Baadsgaard Buddies”

Caring was the focus this month at Mt. Loafer Elementary School. The following students showed how they treat others the way they would like to be treated, they did nice things for others, and they tried to be kind to everyone. Because of their fine examples, they were awarded with the Baadsgaard Buddy for the month of February. They are:

Jordon Spencer, Sidnee Norman, Brennen Oliver, Malena McKee, Ricky Villanueva, Drew Meservy, Katie Newman, Cierra Davis, Paris Pray, Caleb Centeno, Reese Youd, Nathan Debrine, Madison Stevens, David Crippen, Emily Linford, Ashley Underwood, Jaxon Bradshaw, Derek Warren, Sabe Rees, Jeshua Anderson, Jared Hendrickson, Madeline Elder, Yalaina Linford, Cassidy Adams, J.D. Thorne, McKay Simmons, Cassidy Oss, Crystal Perry, Taylor Christensen, Emily Burton.

- Larraine Nelson

Pizza for those who read!

As part of reaching their goal of 1,000,000 minutes of reading, Mt. Loafer Elementary PTA provided pizza to those students who read the most minutes in each class. Mrs. Baadsgaard, the principal, is pictured here with students enjoying a slice of pizza! Thanks for your effort Mt. Loafer students!!!

- Larraine Nelson

SECONDARY

Spotlight on Veronica Gorgueiro

Veronica Gorgueiro speaks of her experience as an LDS missionary in the Dominican Republic as a pivotal time in her life. "In the eighteen months I spent on that tiny island nation," Gorgueiro says, "I learned about what is truly important in life. The experiences I had while living with the people of the Dominican Republic have been the most important factor in helping me to decide that serving at-risk, under-privileged and minority youth is my ultimate career goal."

But, before Veronica gets to work helping others, the first year graduate student in the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education within the McKay School of Education is receiving a little help of her own. On March 28, Veronica will travel to Anaheim, Calif. to accept the National Association of School Psychologists Minority Scholarship.

Veronica called the $5,000 scholarship a huge blessing to her and her husband of seven months. "Also," she said, "it's great recognition for my family and the people who have helped me along the way. It's nice for the people who write letters of recognition to know [their letters] did something for me." Fortunately for Veronica, a San Diego native who received her undergraduate degree from UCLA, many of her friends and family will be able to travel to Anaheim to watch her accept the scholarship at the NASP's annual convention.

Being awarded the scholarship came as a surprise to Veronica. She came across the application for the scholarship while browsing through the NASP's Web site for a class one day. "I thought there was no chance I'd get it, but I filled it out because I thought, 'Who knows?'" she recalled. Veronica's surprise has turned to gratitude as she's been told that the CPSE department historically has not been awarded very many minority scholarships. "I think a lot of people don't understand the diversity that is here at BYU," she said. "I hope this scholarship will pave the way for other minority students at BYU and highlight the diversity here."

Veronica plans to serve as an advocate for youth of all backgrounds as a school psychologist. "I hope to aide students in reaching their full potential and to promote healthy growth and development through culturally competent consultation, assessment, prevention and intervention," she said. "I have always hoped to create opportunities for minority students, and this scholarship will lead to more chances for me to do that."

-Joel Mitchell

RESEARCH

Research Corner: Hilda Sabbah

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Hilda Sabbah has come a long way to be part of the Peaceable Schools Research Team, where she started part time in August 2005. Hilda’s desire for education is what fueled her to come to the US and join her husband, Walid Sabbah, in 2000. She has enjoyed Provo and says this about living here, “I love Provo because of the conservative lifestyle which corresponds to my Islamic conservative lifestyle. I feel it a safe environment to raise a family. I also enjoy all my friends, colleagues, and professors and I am honored to be part of the Peaceable Schools team, which is trying to make a difference in the lives of school children in Utah.”

After completing her Masters degree in Educational Leadership and Foundations in 2001, she started her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Foundation. In December 2005, she finished her dissertation titled, “Gender Issues in Islamic Schools: A Case Study of Two Schools in the United States", and graduated, becoming a full time member of the Peaceable Schools research team as a Research Associate. Also in December, Hilda added a baby girl to her family of four children, ages 7 years to 3 months.

Hilda is interested in both quantitative and qualitative research and is currently working on a qualitative study about professional development as well as other quantitative analysis with the research team. Thank you for all of your hard work Hilda, we are proud to have you on the Peaceable Schools team!

Here is the link to Hilda’s dissertation online, feel free to take a look:
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd1111.pdf