The CharacterStrong Podcast CharacterStrong

Today our guests are Ryan Breen, a sophomore at Chaminade High School and Adam Giardina, Guidance Counselor at Chaminade High School. We talk to Ryan & Adam about an article that Ryan wrote for the New York Post Scholars Contest that focuses on the mental health of of young men. Ryan shares why he wrote the article and the needs that he is seeing in the young men in his community. Adam shares about how they have started to implement CharacterStrong in this first year of adoption, and how it is helping the students at Chaminade focus on their mental health. Ryan & Adam also share a few tips for other schools & districts that are implementing CharacterStrong.


To Read Ryan's NY Post Article Click Here

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Join us at the 2024 CharacterStrong National Conference Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Dr. Andre Stout, Principal at Truman Middle School in Tacoma, WA. We talk with Dr. Stout about building capacity rather than seeking buy-in to implement social & emotional learning with fidelity. He explains the distinction between capacity and buy-in, emphasizing the importance of staff truly possessing the capacity to effectively implement. Dr. Stout also shares how the use of student community circles has significantly improved the environment at Truman Middle School. These circles have fostered a sense of community and connection among students, contributing to the overall success at the school.
 
Learn More About CharacterStrong: 
Join us at the 2024 CharacterStrong National Conference Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website  
Dr. Andre Stout is the principal at Truman Middle School in Tacoma Washington. He has over 20 years of experience in education and the last 15 serving as an administrator.

Today our guest is Chris Young, Principal at North Country Union High School in Newport, Vermont. We talk with Chris about the innovative Community Development Days at North Country. These events provide students with a dedicated space to discuss and learn about crucial topics such as mental health, wellness, and bullying. Chris shares the journey of implementing these development days, explaining their significance and the positive impact they've had on the community. He also offers valuable tips on how they supported staff during the rollout and reminds us of the incredible potential of our students.
Learn More About CharacterStrong: 
Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website  
Chris Young is the principal of North Country Union High School in Newport, Vermont. Chris is in his 5th year as principal there, which is also his alma mater, the school at which both of his parents taught for a combined 50 years, and the school from which both of his children graduated - Falcon Pride runs deep in Chris’ family! Chris began his service at North Country in the Fall of 2019, and just a few months later confronted the challenges of the pandemic and the task of keeping the school community together and healthy through remote and hybrid learning. Chris quickly understood that the pre-existing mental health needs of his students were only exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly those who have been traditionally marginalized. As a result of the growing need for mental health and wellness support, Chris built upon the Wellness Center Model that already existed at North Country, and expanded it into a universal level of support for all students. By elevating the advisory structure to a structured daily time period that specifically addressed mental health and wellness, and creating Community Development Days that provided extended learning time for topics such as suicide prevention, dating violence, and substance abuse prevention, Chris has helped to create spaces at North Country where all students can ask questions, build relationships with trusted peers and adults, and learn together what it means to be a healthy school community.

Today our guest is Marcy Carter the Middle School Dean of Students at Parchment Public Schools in Kalamazoo MI.
We talk with Marcy the integration of PBIS and social emotional learning in a building. She emphasizes the necessity of combining both these elements and the significance of a PBIS matrix as a foundation. Marcy also highlights the importance of clarity in our roles and responsibilities as educators, as we help students understand expectations and responsibilities. Marcy also gives some practical tips for how others can effectively bring PBIS and social & emotional learning together.
Learn More About CharacterStrong: 
Access FREE MTSS Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Felisha Santiago, Director of School Supports at CharacterStrong. We talk to Felisha about the impact of Restorative Practices can have in our schools, with both students & staff. She discusses how restorative practices assist students who have committed an offense to reflect and rectify the situation. Felisha talks about how restorative practices can be implemented at various levels of school relationships: individual, classroom, and school-wide. She also shares that, when executed properly, Restorative Practices can help decrease behavioral issues.

Click to download the Student behavior checklist: characterstrong.com/studentbehaviorchecklist
Learn More About CharacterStrong: 
Access FREE Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website

Today our guest is Dr. Lori Lynass, Director of Tier 2 and Tier 3 at CharacterStrong. We talk with Dr. Lynass the impact of student behavior on educator burnout and possible solutions. She gives a current statistic that shows that teachers have the highest burnout rate among professionals right now. Dr. Lynass explains that student misbehavior often indicates they are deregulated, and emphasizes that connection is a crucial tool to meet students' needs. She also suggests some strategies educators can use to give students a break, pointing out that educators, too, also sometimes need step back and take a quick break.
 
Click to download the Student behavior checklist: characterstrong.com/studentbehaviorchecklist
Learn More About CharacterStrong: 
Access FREE Curriculum Samples Attend our next live product preview Visit the CharacterStrong Website