Proving It Takes a Village
to Make Coronado’s Community a Success
Background of Coronado SAFE:
Many residents of Coronado are familiar with Coronado SAFE, which stands for Student and Family Enrichment. Coronado SAFE sponsors “Coffee Talks” for parents, student workshops, parent workshops, and community events, including “Screenagers” and “Prescription Meds and Addictions,” which both took place in October of this year. Additionally, each January Coronado SAFE holds an Annual Coronado SAFE Parenting Conference, featuring two keynote speakers and four in-depth workshops, where parents, grandparents, and caregivers can learn the latest information on raising children of all ages. (See additional information at the conclusion of the article to register for this year’s parenting conference as well as to read a review of last year’s parenting conference.)
Coronado SAFE, a non-profit organization which has existed since 1999, offers much needed resources and support to Coronado families. Through Coronado SAFE, families can find resources on brain food/nutrition, drugs and alcohol, mental health, peer pressure, suicide, and technology. At their schools’ campuses, students in grades pre-K through senior year of high school participate in on-going programs offered by Coronado SAFE, including On Applebee Pond, Club SAFE, Team SAFE, SAFE Skills, and Project SAFE. Students are exposed to age-relevant information to give them the knowledge and skills to make “SAFE” choices when it comes to a variety of sensitive and pertinent topics.
Coronado SAFE Coalition:
What many people don’t realize is that since 2001 Coronado SAFE has partnered with public and private schools, the City of Coronado, the Coronado Police Department, the Council of Churches, and Naval Base Coronado. Once a month representatives from each of the aforementioned organizations all come together to meet as the Coronado SAFE Coalition, “a group of key community stakeholders who support the social-emotional well-being of Coronado children and families.”
Georgia Ferrell, the Executive Director of Coronado SAFE, shared what the Coronado SAFE Coalition means to her, saying, “One of the things that makes Coronado SAFE so strong is its collaboration with key stakeholders in the community. A clear example of this is the Coronado SAFE Coalition, which consists of a key group of community leaders that meet monthly to discuss key issues affecting youth and families of Coronado. We touch on a lot of topics that support efforts being made by our organization along with others like the city, police, recreation center, public and private schools. Our focus is on helping youth thrive by bringing awareness of, and supporting efforts to decrease anxiety, depression, suicide and drug abuse. These are complex issues no one person or organization can adequately tackle on their own. Collaboration is key and is the foundation of Coronado SAFE and the SAFE Coalition.”
Coronado Unified School District Superintendent Karl Mueller said, “The SAFE Coalition really takes advantage of this unique community that we share. When we can bring in partners from City Council, from the church coalitions, from the police department, all four school sites, and other community organizations like the Rec. Center, we’re really showing this community our commitment to the health and well-being of each and every child that we serve, not just in Coronado Unified School District, but across our entire ‘island.’ I’m thankful that I get to work in a community that places such a value on the health and safety of our children.”
Coronado SAFE Coalition’s November Meeting:
On Monday, November 28 from 7:30-8:30 am I had the pleasure of being a guest at Coronado SAFE Coalition’s monthly meeting. Gathering in Coronado Unified School District’s board room on Sixth Street, members of the Coronado SAFE Coalition arrived bright and early, greeting each other with warm smiles as they asked one another with genuine interest how everything was going. It was evident that the Coalition members don’t view their monthly meetings as a chore, and as they sat down in a circle, coffees in hand, they were were ready to discuss ways to strengthen their community and help our students thrive.
The meeting started with Georgia Ferrell updating everyone about the upcoming Coffee Talk on December 12, 2016 and the fifth Annual Coronado SAFE Parenting Conference on January 28, 2017. The Coffee Talk, entitled Spirituality, Coping, and Life Events, will tie in mental health with spirituality, and is being promoted with the local churches in an effort to get them more involved. This year’s Parenting Conference is entitled Continuing Education for the Most Important Job You’ll Ever Do, and Ferrell noted that there are several speakers slated to offer support to parents as they deal with the challenges of raising today’s youth.
Ferrell also discussed how there was a recent screening available at the high school, where students were given the opportunity to answer ten questions regarding anxiety and depression. High school counselor Afsaneh Safaie shared that students who scored high, indicating that they might be in need of help, were brought into the high school counseling office for support. Safaie explained that parents of students who exhibited signs of anxiety and depression were notified to discuss possible interventions to help with academic, personal, and/or social issues, which might be the cause of their children’s stress.
The discussion of the screening then tied into the upcoming suicide prevention training, which is being planned for students in eleventh and twelfth grades this spring. Suicide, which is the second leading cause of death among fifteen to twenty-two year olds, is obviously a serious concern, and it was heartwarming watching a room full of caring adults discussing how they can best serve the students who are at risk the most. Many of these students will be leaving the nest to go to college, and, even if they themselves aren’t at risk, chances are they will encounter someone who is.
The Director of Student Services for the Coronado Unified School District, Niamh Foley, said that the upcoming suicide prevention training will take place in intimate groups rather than addressing a whole grade level at the same time. She described the training as helping “put tools in the kids’ toolboxes”; to prepare them to be aware of their own mental health as well as equip students with the knowledge of what signs they can look for in their friends and acquaintances.
Brooke Klosinski, the City of Coronado Recreation Coordinator, then shared information about Team SAFE and ASB flag football, and discussed all of the holiday events and camps that are planned. (See additional information at the conclusion of the article for more details.) What was really interesting listening to her speak is the idea that even though she sees children when they’re away from school, she too shares the same concerns that many of the school employees feel, wanting to ensure that students feel accepted and valued regardless of the setting.
City Council member Mike Woiwode mentioned how he recently attended a Live Well San Diego event, where he was able to learn about programs that neighboring towns employ that are successful and relevant to their communities. He said that while not all of the ideas applied to Coronado, there were some that would greatly benefit the Crown City. Woiwode encouraged people to contact the Recreation Department with any new ideas. Complimenting the Coronado Police Department’s G.R.E.A.T. Program (Gang Resistance Education and Training), Woiwode said that a district in Texas is interested in modeling Coronado’s program.
As members of the Coronado SAFE Coalition took turns going around the circle sharing, various topics were discussed including how Coronado SAFE will now be providing counseling at Sacred Heart Parish School. Erica Rosas, the special education coordinator at Sacred Heart who was there in place of Principal Peter Harris, was able to ask the guidance counselors from the public schools questions. She shared that she is proud of her school, which offers services for students with special needs as well as a Catholic education. According to Rosas, often parents of students with special needs are forced to choose one or the other because many parochial schools do not offer special education services.
Other topics brought to light at the Coalition meeting included what Village Elementary School and Silver Strand Elementary are doing to promote attendance. Principal Whitney DeSantis shared that at Village Elementary the class with the highest attendance wins a trophy, and that individuals in that class all receive medals that they can wear around campus, including at recess, to encourage others. Principal Tammy Marble of Silver Strand Elementary talked about her “Popcorn, Pickles, or Popsicles” initiative, where classes with the best attendance get to choose a snack for their prize. In the spring Silver Strand will host a picnic for the grade level with the best attendance.
Principal DeSantis brought up Village Elementary’s next Character Counts award ceremony, where one student from each class will be acknowledged for representing that month’s character trait, and Principal Marble talked about how she continues to look for the best ways to prevent bullying while supporting students, parents, and teachers.
With the holiday season upon us, Principal Marble also brought up grant funding to supply bicycles to families with need, and is hoping to tie that in with the police department’s donations of helmets and locks.
Denis Perez, Assistant Principal at Coronado High School, discussed the school’s programs aimed at distracted driving and drinking and driving. He said the emphasis on the program is, “Let’s do this as a community. Be aware.” With the bicycle culture being such an important part of our community, Perez said the school is teaching students that riding a bike needs to go beyond just being safe, and that students need to be aware of their surroundings. Woiwode agreed that the whole community needs to be included in bicycle awareness, and added that he’s afraid that kids’ voices aren’t being heard. He believes that students who ride bicycles need to speak up at City Council meetings to encourage the City Council “to take a sensible approach” to making bicycling safer in Coronado. Ferrell requested that Woiwode alert the Coalition when there are City Council discussions concerning bicycle safety and bike lanes. Principal Marble said that they recently reviewed bicycle safety at her school, and will be doing so again in the spring. She welcomed the City Council to join them.
Assistant Principal Perez said that the high school administration continues to partner with the PTO and that they are constantly in the process of analyzing grades, attendance, and discipline, asking themselves, “What are the ways we can best support our students?”
Regarding Palm Academy, high school counselor Afsaneh Safaie said that students are benefiting from more internships, job shadowing, and training in the community, and are working on building resumes. Safaie shared that Palm Academy continues to look for community support in helping students.
In regard to caring for students, Brooke Klosinski gave Coronado Middle School Principal Karin Mellina a sincere compliment, and asked Principal Mellina to share with the Coalition what she had recently shared at a PTO meeting. Mellina explained that in an effort to ensure that each student has an adult with whom he or she connects with at school, she sent out a list that included every student’s name to the entire faculty. Teachers were asked to check which students they had a connection with; which students did they know something about other that they were in their classes? After compiling all of the information from teachers, Mellina was able to determine which students didn’t have any personal connections with teachers so that she could determine which students might need more attention. She shared that she “wants every student to have a connection” because sometimes that connection alone might be the sole reason a student comes to school each day.
Mellina credited Superintendent Karl Mueller with the idea, and Mueller, who clearly wasn’t seeking accolades, asked, “If you are having a bad day, is there an adult on campus you would turn to?” He applauded Mellina’s efforts, and Ferrell then remarked, “Teachers and coaches are on the first line of defense.” Coronado Middle School counselor Elise Agrella shared that she is hopeful this initiative will help with decreasing isolation, and noted that this goes along with their challenge of building empathy.
Watching the Coalition in action was inspiring because it really showed what greatness can come forth when ideas are able to be expressed openly and sincerely. The Coalition members support one another, sharing what works as well as what needs improvement in an effort to ensure that students of all grade levels and their families are treated with the utmost respect in all areas of their lives here in Coronado. The Coalition setting provides the opportunity for members of the community to brainstorm together as well as bounce ideas off one another. It is evident that the Coalition’s mission to “support the social-emotional well-being of Coronado children and families” is one in which they are collectively dedicated to in earnest.
This Year’s Coronado SAFE Coalition:
Additional Information:
To register for the 5th Annual Coronado SAFE Parenting Conference (Continuing Education for the Most Important Job You’ll Ever Do) on January 28, 2017 click here.
To read a review about last year’s Coronado SAFE Parenting Conference (The New Science of Parenting) click here.
Coronado Recreation’s Holiday Fun flier:
