Creating A Safe School Climate In Our School

CASS is a multifaceted program that brings together members of a school community to change the social culture within a school. A safer social climate fosters a positive environment in which caring adults are committed to setting firm limits on unacceptable behavior and helping children learn the skills to stop and prevent peer aggression. The effort to reduce peer aggression involves long-term, systemic change through a collaborative approach utilizing faculty, parents, and high school mentors. Its goal is to positively impact the social norms in the school community by recognizing the hurtful, covert behaviors of peer aggression, identifying a more positive set of normative behaviors for adults and students, and implementing an action plan.

Peer aggression includes physical, verbal, and relational aggression. Relational aggression (RA) is a unique form of peer aggression that involves threatening or harming one’s relationships.

The CASS program is based on the knowledge that we have to change the normative beliefs of children if we want to change their behavior. This takes time. We allow three full years for the systemic change. It begins with a group of volunteers from the school and the community who form a task force to lead the change process. Here at Cathedral Center the task force includes an Administrative Group, Parent, Group, Teacher Group and Mentoring Group.

The Cathedral Center community of staff, students, and parents work together to ensure that all who enter our school will feel physically and socially secure. Our safe environment will promote the emotional and academic development of all. Open communication, without fear of retribution, is the norm. Students and staff look forward to coming to school because everyone is accepted and treated equally with dignity, respect, and sensitivity. We value the unique qualities in each person. These ideals will empower each member of our community to defend and nurture one another.

A group of Cathedral Center parents, along with area high school students, make up a team of CASS mentors that that are committed to being positive role models for Cathedral Center students in grades 4—8. The parents act as facilitators, assisting the high school students in preparing for their mentoring sessions and supporting them during the presentations. Parents meet with the mentors once a month, prior to the school presentations.
As stated in the Ophelia Project manual, mentorship is an important vehicle in The Ophelia Project for promoting positive change. Mentors are carefully trained to understand pro-social behavior, to demonstrate effective communication skills, and to serve as roles models for peers and younger children. Mentorship experiences build leadership capabilities in students.

Our Mentors

Our Faculty, high school and parent MENTORS LEAD BY EXAMPLE!

High school students are trained to be role models and agents of change, working directly with middle school or elementary students.

Teachers work collectively to arrive at a set of normative beliefs that create safe schools and with the help of high school mentors these beliefs are introduced and reinforced by every teacher and adult in the school.

All children are given the time needed to change their thinking about aggression and the skills they need to deal with conflict directly and positively.

Parents play a pivotal role by providing education and connection for other parents.

Organizations in the community lend their expertise and resources to the school.

Parents, teachers and high school mentors all receive the training they need to play their role.

Each year there are pre- and post-surveys to measure success and give future direction to the project. Gradually every aspect of the school community intentionally promotes the beliefs, attitudes and behavior that bring people into a caring community. Eventually, CASS ceases to be a "program" and just becomes the way this school works.

Task Force Members

Catholic Schools Week

Cathedral Center School celebrated Catholic Schools Week from January 29 – February 3 this year. There were activities planned for students, teachers and families throughout the week, including a family brunch, special Mass, 7th and 8th grade talent show, faculty lunch and much, much more!

The theme for the weeks activities was Catholic Schools:
Character. Compassion. Values

The students from various grades were asked to define these words. Some of their definitions were:

These definitions were read at the opening prayer service on Monday. At the end of the prayer service, students gathered as grade levels. Students were asked to nominate one girl and one boy from their grade who exemplified these attributes. The students were asked to write at least one reason why s/he nominated a particular student. The votes were gathered and tabulated by the teachers.

Tuesday was “Student Day” at Cathedral Center. As part of the celebration, the school gathered for an assembly to recognize the boys and girls nominated as a “Student of Character and Compassion.” Each student nominated by their classmates received a certificate, a pen, and a tee shirt with the logo “I go above and beyond.” Congratulations to all the students.

Grade Level Lunches Get An "A+"

Grade Level Lunches are a new addition to Cathedral Center this school year. This is an opportunity for parents to join their child for lunch, while visiting with other students, parents and teachers from the same grade.

Mrs. Abramczyk coordinates and schedules the crew for the grade lunches, as well as organizing the decorating, setting up, serving, and clean up. Each room parent has been the coordinator of the Grade Level Lunch invitations and responses. Miss Hund is the overall coordinator of reservations, she orders the catered lunch, and assures that no student is left out of this function.

If no family member is available to join a student at lunch, Miss Hund makes sure someone “adopts” him or her for the luncheon. For some grades she may plan an activity or a game for the class and parents to participate in.

The Grade Level Lunches take place on the early dismissal Wednesday of each month with parents arriving at noon and the students then joining them. If you have been to one you know how wonderful they are for everyone.

There are still some lunches to come... 1st Grade in March, 2nd Grade in April and 3rd Grade in May. We hope you plan to attend if you have a child in those grades!

Thank you to all those parents who have helped thus far, and continue to do so, making these a great success! Any parents interested in being a server/helper for a lunch that their own children are not attending, please leave a note in the School Office for Mrs. Abramczyk.

CASS has focused a strong portion of time and effort into redirecting our children's energy into more positive behaviors and that’s where Mix-it-up Lunches come in!

This activity has created a fun venue for our kids to interact with students from other grades. This also allows our older students to take on the role of mentors and maybe share some of the wisdom they have acquired from their high school mentors.

CASS has extended itself into the library... Miss McQuown has graciously donated her time into developing the CASS Corner. An extensive collection of reading material covering relational aggression, friendship and character covering all grade levels is continually growing. Miss McQuown also reads selected stories to the primary grades.

The Cool Club

The Cool Club Team works with students in grades K through 3. The group is comprised of the dedicated and caring team and the overwhelmingly supportive K through 3rd Grade teaching staff.

The first half of the year the Cool Club focused on bullying, the three groups involved (the aggressor, the victim, the “kids-in-the-middle”), and all their feelings. They shared stories, played games, role-played and had small and large group discussions. The CASS team works with the students for a 40-minute session once a month. A and B classes for a given grade level are brought together for each session.

The focus for the second half of the year will be communication and learning conflict resolution skills.

CASS Wrap-Up

CASS is present in many ways in our school. Last year 1 out of 3 students perceived aggression to be an issue in our school and we learned that our hot spot is the cafeteria. So last summer a devoted group of creative, compassionate parents brainstormed on ways to empower our community to embrace the CASS mission.

You have read about Mix-it-up Lunches, Monthly Grade Level Lunches, and the CASS Corner in the Library.

Some other CASS projects include:

• September Day of Prayer - “We are a Mirror of Christ." A large number of parents participated as group facilitators, speakers and activity coordinators.
  
• Dr. Jurkovic and Miss Hund organized a very informative Parent Education Series in the fall.
  
• Miss Hund developed the CASS Journal. This yearlong journal was created to encourage the students to reflect on how they can live the Christian values they are taught.
  
• The Golden Broom Award: Mr. Gangemi and/or Mr. Smith of the maintenance staff leave the golden broom in the classroom that is tidiest for that week. This simple activity encourages all to take responsibility and show respect for our school by keeping it neat and tidy.
  
• Posters encouraging positive character have been framed and are displayed through out the school. These posters will be frequently changed.
  
• The CASS bulletin board in the cafeteria continues to develop into an interactive display for the students, emphasizing positive character values and community strength.

Is CASS Working At Cathedral Center?

Yes, the program is working!  We still have bullying and hurt, but the bullies have lost some power, and the victim now has the language to identify the behavior.  The kids in the middle now recognize the behavior and realize that it's OK to step in and help.  The CASS Program has empowered our children with the knowledge they need to better deal with bullying and negative behavior displayed by other kids.

The Ophelia Project is committed to standing by our side for three years, guiding us through this process and improving upon the already apparent progress we've made thus far.

Those individuals who embarked on this journey early on never had the expectation that all children in our school would be friends or that we could totally eliminate all aggressive behavior in our school.

We did, and still do, believe that each member of our Cathedral Center family is uniquely special and should likewise be treated with dignity and respect.

Our measure of success is your child’s perception.