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CCSS Grade 9 Coyote Retreat. Fostering Protective Factors in the Grade 8 Transition to Secondary School . “Be Brave, Believe, Be Yourself” . The Struggle. The transition to secondary school comes at a critical point in adolescent development and has potential long term effects.
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CCSS Grade 9 Coyote Retreat Fostering Protective Factors in the Grade 8 Transition to Secondary School “Be Brave, Believe, Be Yourself”
The Struggle • The transition to secondary school comes at a critical point in adolescent development and has potential long term effects. • Students who are unsuccessful in grade 9 are more likely to struggle throughout school and as young adults. • Grade 9 students struggle significantly with peer interaction, teacher interaction, attendance, mental health issues, bullying and falling academic performance, putting them “at-risk.”
At-Risk As identified in the Early School Leavers Study (2005), an at-risk youth is one who is unlikely to successfully progress towards graduation with the skills and self-confidence necessary to have meaningful options in the areas of work, leisure, culture, civic affairs, and relationships (cited in Tilleczek & Ferguson, 2007).
Nested Transitions Tilleczek (2010) suggests the transition from elementary to secondary school is best described as a series of “nested transitions”: • From childhood to adulthood (physical and cognitive development); • Along pathways to success through schools, communities and families; • From elementary to secondary school within these larger transitions.
The Paradox Want more independence and autonomy. Need more support to navigate changes. Elementary School Secondary School
Self-esteem hangs in the balance • Self-esteem is the integrated sum of self-worth and self-competence. • Self-worthis strongly influenced by quality of relationships with others and the judgements we make about how we are living up to expectations. • Self-competence is related to our belief in our own coping skills. (Mruk, 1999 cited in Jindal-Snape& Miller, 2008).
Jindal-Snape & Miller (2008) summarize a number of resilience and risk factors in their exploration of transition using resilience and self-esteem theories. Risk Factors Resilience Factors Self-esteem Locus of control social skills temperament personal awareness empathy parenting style parent relationship academic performance friend network
5 Areas Key to Transition • Decreasing the number of problems in child’s life, • Thinking of life as a developmental pathway, • Providing a secure base of attachments, • Fostering self-esteem, and • Facilitating self-efficacy by involvement in planning and preparation (Jindal-Snape & Miller, 2008).
Literature Review • other comprehensive literature reviews • studies involving 1:1 interviews/written feedback • longitudinal surveys • meta studies in which survey data was complemented by school data
Recommendations • Foster school attachment. • Provide opportunities to form and reinforce positive relationships with peers. • Create opportunities for relationship building and mentoring by senior students and caring adults. • Decrease anticipation stress of adolescents (and families) by providing accurate information about expectations, school structure, and strategies. • Increase feelings of competency by providing opportunities to achieve success and practice skills • Collaborate with families to support adolescents.
CCSSGrade 9 Coyote Retreat 2010 • First week of school; seniors go Wed, gr. 9s Thu/Fri. • Senior mentors meet grade 9s at camp and give out CCSS t-shirts, the unofficial camp uniform • Grade 9s and student and teacher mentors participate in a variety of activities, each followed by a debriefing session ice breakers GLO motivational & problem solving activities high & low ropes challenges • Highlight: motivational speech by Stu Saunders
The Goals of the Activities • Team building • Goal setting • Forming relationships with peers, seniors and staff • Leadership • Personal development and awareness • Understanding “High school is what you make of it” • Inclusive community building • Embrace diversity • Peer support • Cultivating sense of belonging
What we experienced … • Staff • Senior mentors • Grade 9s
What happened later … • Continued positive relationships between grade 9s and the staff and seniors who attended the camp • Lots of CCSS t-shirts in the halls • Dramatic reduction in the course failure rate between first semester this year and last for grade 9 students. (Only 19 grade 9 students failed courses at the end of semester 1, vs. 44 previous year.) • Reduction number of suspension days for grade 9 students. • Substantial drop in truancy rate for gr. 9s in semester 1 over the previous year. (Reduced by half.) • At risk students who did not go to camp still face the most challenges
The CCSS Grade 9 Retreat 2011 and2011 and Follow up • Expanded senior mentor training and role facilitated by The Beanstalk Project – www.thebeanstalkproject.org • Integration of leadership/teambuilding workshops in programming for those not attending • Follow up motivational session mid-September by Beanstalk Project for all grade 9s • Afternoon workshops with the Beanstalk Project for Shining Stars from Camp and Students who did NOT attend camp • Follow up video presentation by Beanstalk Project facilitated by mentors in home rooms
What happened next … • Increased participation • More of the same – fewer failures, better attendance, fewer teacher concerns • How do we pull in the students who we already know are at risk and refuse to attend camp?
Looking Ahead to 2012 • Grade 8 Fantastic Fridays • Addition of CCSS led workshops to camp schedule, e.g., mental health awareness and resources • More mentor programming throughout the school year • Incorporation of elements of the IPP into the follow up work with mentors and teachers
Nuts & … • Approximately 2/3, ¾ have attended – 180 grade 9s, 20 senior students, 18 staff • Grade 9s pay $100 each with poverty intervention and contests for bursaries • Senior students and staff do not pay • Seniors help facilitate activities and supervise cabins; many offer high school 101 in cabin • Singing, skits etc. are encouraged at camp fire
… Bolts • Teacher participation is voluntary and includes admin, guidance, co-op, EAs as needed • Teachers with grade 9 classes either go to camp, do on-calls for others who go to camp, or provide/supervise program for students who do not attend camp • Everyone needs to bring sleeping bag, pillow, towels, flashlight, cold and wet weather gear – we play rain or shine!
Facilities: www.ylcc.com • YLCC Orillia can accommodate approx. 300 overnight, Pigeon Lake approx. 120; cabins with bunks and mattress sleep up to 20; common washroom facility • YLCC Camp counsellor ratio is approx. 1:15 with more staff on hand; all fully trained and safety certified • All meals provided; nut free • Facilitated activities run from 7:30 flagpole to 11pm • Facilities include high and low ropes, rock wall, fixed and non-fixed initiatives, grassy fields, wooded area, camp fire ring, beach & kayaks • Separate teacher cabins w/washroom sleep up to 12 • Special needs can be accommodated
Promotion • Promotion during January feeder school visits and Grade 8 Parent Night • Posters and permission forms go out with draft timetables in June • Summer reminders through e-mail, Synervoice • Forms and money collected on Orientation Day and up to Camp Day
T-shirt Design Contest Win your trip to camp!
Organization • Permission forms and money collected by feeder schools and forwarded to CCSS – NOT processed by feeder schools • Forms and money collected on Orientation Day and up to Camp Day • One teacher goes with senior students a day early for training • Students assigned to cabins such that at least 2 students from any given feeder school are in a cabin – everyone knows someone • Students permitted to request a cabin mate if necessary – few do • Cabins are assigned to buses • Grade 9s report to the foyer on the morning we leave and find their names on alpha lists which indicate cabin and bus number • Bag checks are done as students board buses • YLCC plans everything else!
The Bottom Line Coyote Retreat • Camp fees $16 000 • Bussing 3 000 • T-shirts and prizes 1 000 The Beanstalk Project Mentoring Program 3 500 • Includes 2 x full day workshop • 1 video module
Reading & Resources www.claringtoncentralss.ca Select Guidance, Grade 9 Transition Model To view complete proposal and PowerPoint heather_newton@kprdsb.ca