Several of the members of the LAHS Foundations Team from left, Colby Holland, Christine Engelbrecht, Caron Inglis, Renee Dunwoody, Scott Reynolds, Suzanne Montoya, Gayle Eustis and Jennifer Kieltyka. Courtesy/LAPS
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
The Safe and Civil Schools curriculum for educators, students and parents is a program that strives to provide consistency and structure schools need to provide safe learning environments.
Thanks to a two-year education enrichment grant from the LANL Foundation, the Los Alamos Public Schools is able to provide this program of professional development to every school in the district, as well as to administrative staff.
“Safe and Civil Schools gives us the consistency and structure we need to provide safe learning environments across the district,” LAPS Interim Superintendent Jennifer Guy said. “We want all students and staff to feel safe and supported at school so they can focus on learning. I am thankful that we have this opportunity to provide excellent professional development to every school and district team. It is exciting for us to be able to learn new things together.”
LAPS Healthy Schools Director Kristine Coblenz added, “We’re super excited about Safe & Civil Schools! The structure helps schools build a safe, supportive school culture.”
During her five years as Healthy Schools director, Coblenz has spearheaded efforts to provide a more inclusive, nurturing environment at LAPS.
“We chose Safe & Civil Schools because they have a tried and true history of success over decades,” Coblenz said.
Each school and the administration have a team devoted to learning about and implementing the curriculum. Team members meet monthly with Safe & Civil Schools trainer Trisha Skyles.
“People feel very motivated,” Coblenz said. “Trisha is a very dynamic facilitator. She even gives us homework!”
It’s the job of the teams to share their knowledge with the entire community at their respective schools, Coblenz said. The program is designed to get engagement from the entire staff.
It’s especially timely now because of the effects of the pandemic, Coblenz said. Now that students are returning to a more structured environment the transition has not been easy for everyone.
“We are seeing more outburst type of behavior,” Coblenz said. “Bullying is a pervasive problem. The surrounding culture model bullying behavior and the Internet has provided another platform.”
The role of alienation and bullying in school shootings has been explored by experts in the field.
“School shooters always feel an injustice is being done to them,” Coblenz said.
One of the most important components in the program is developing clear expectations for students and staff, Coblenz said. The program focuses on helping students get back on track rather than on punishment. The program also works to build a welcoming and engaging environment for all of the students, she said. Greeting students by name as they enter the school and making sure every student has a trusted adult at school help facilitate the feeling of belonging.
“We want to build an environment where students feel physically, emotionally and academically safe,” Coblenz said. “An academically safe environment is one where students feel able to take risks and stretch themselves. Skills for success are social, emotional and organizational as well as academic.”
LAPS has developed a comprehensive safety survey for students, staff and parents and guardians. The survey will be sent via email from the principal of a child’s school to parents and guardians.
“Data from the survey will be used to help us know what we need to work on,” Coblenz said.
Coordinator of Student Services Liz Meek has been Coblenz’s partner in this endeavor, she said. Coblenz also wants to acknowledge the support of Interim Superintendent Guy and the school board.
School Board member Ellen Specter is a strong supporter for the program.
“As a School Board member, I am 100 percent committed to schools that are safe and welcoming for all students,” she said. “The Safe and Civil Schools framework gives us the structure to achieve this goal. Safe and Civil Schools helps us build on our current strengths and to identify opportunities for improvement.”
“I’m grateful to all my colleagues for their support,” Coblenz said. “It’s good to be part of a team.”
To learn more about the Safe and Civil Schools program, visit safeandcivilschools.com.