CHAT
Cochrane High Healing Arts Time
How We Began
- This began semester 2 of the 2014-2015 school year as a Pilot Project
- Grew out of a need to create a differentiated space for students who needed something more than our learning centre space or one on one counselling time.
- A chance to reset during the day, reflect, connect, get grounded.
- A chance to practice the de-stressing and relaxing strategies learned.
- A chance to connect and feel connected
SOS-Q Student Orientation to School Questionnaire
- A questionnaire to help identify students who may be at risk of disengaging. The 7 categories assessed are: Safe & Caring School, Peers, Self Confidence, External Resilience, Internal Resilience, Utility of School, Extra Curricular.
- Now an online format and embedded into PowerSchool for ease of transition
- Red, Orange and Yellow indicate students at risk & requires further follow up
- Goal is to provide supports to reinforce the students sense of well being, balance and engagement with school.
How to explain the need for a Healing Arts Space in a High School
The Space
Food & Hydration Corner : Cobbs Bakery Donation - thks
Student painting project to cover the library windows
Student painting on a window - expression & filtering
Gallery Wall
Music and essential oils
24 different expresions of anxiety
Wheels of Wellness
Gallery of Paintings
Enough
Study of fear & anxiety
Anxiety - anxiety and how big a part of my life it is, how a little bit of how I'm thinking everyday.
Hands - shows my depression and self harm and suicidal thoughts. Wanting to go towards the light but there's obstacles in the way.
Tears - represents my calm and stillness. Sometimes the anxiety comes and all I can do is cry"
A-N-X-I-E-T-Y
"It’s irrational and illogical fears are both physically and mentally exhausting. There’s a constant flood of worry, and fear of everything and anything imaginable. It’s blaming myself before giving others the chance to blame me. Setting low standards to avoid the fear of becoming a disappointment. However the fear is still there. Every social situation that used to seem so simple, now becomes a labyrinth of worries.
My walls are so high, I just want to find someone that can climb them. But I know this is merely impossible as even when I am faced directly with a question I was so longing to be asked, a person to come around and actually care about what I have to say, I still say nothing at all.
Anxiety. It’s needing to get away from my surroundings but also the thoughts circulating through my head. It’s loving my friends as well as being alone but not wanting either because when I’m out, I want to be in, and when I’m in I need to be out.
The Art of Healing
One Day I will Fly to my Freedom
L' automutilation
Mental Health Stigma
Warning -this is me!
Thomas Killmann Conflict Style
What we learned from the pilot
- student attendance improved 20%, course completion and averages went up as well as overall sense of well being improved
- ways of coping diversified and were more positive
- we needed a new way to collect data more efficiently
Referral Reasons
Coping Strategies - student reported
Absence Comparison
Pilot Semester - 72 absences total = 18 days
Program Objectives - Studend Perspective
Referrals by Dept.
Changed the Referral Form
Snapshot of Attendance and Marks - JC
Semester 1 - 76 absences = 19 days 67.6% average
Semester 2 - 158 absences = 39.5 days 50% average failed 3 of 4 core classes
- 1st suspension
Grade 10 2014-2015
Semester 1 - 113 total absences = 28.25 days 5 credits completed with a 13.7% average
Semester 2 - away at BC Venture Program - completed 15 credits there
- 2nd suspension then 10 day detox - Venture program - Foothills outpatient group
Grade 11 2015- 2016 *CHAT referral Sept 14*
Semester 1 - 63 total absences = 8.25 days 22 credits completed with an 80.2% average
Semester 2 - 42 total absences = 10.5 days 21 credits completed with an 81.2% average
Grade 12 2016-2017
Semester 1 mid term 25 absences = 6.25 days on track for credits with 89% average
Post Secondary Plan: Culinary Arts at SAIT
JC Pilot
JC September of following year
JC September of this year
How a "typical" student utilizes CHAT
- Before school check in
- Block 1 - attends class, goes to learning centre @ 1/2 way to work on assignment
- Block 2 - asks teacher if they can go to CHAT and shows that they are caught up on work. Teacher calls down to CHAT Rm to confirm
- Lunch - CHAT, tea and toast, works on their canvas, connect with others
- Block 3 - Math test in learning centre
- Flex - comes down to CHAT to connect with other students and work on canvas
- Block 5 - stays in class
- After school - stops by to talk and set up intention for tomorrow
Contact us for a conversation or a tour
Email: blink@rockyview.ab.ca
Website: http://cochrane.rockyview.ab.ca/
Location: 529 4th Avenue North, Cochrane, AB, Canada
Phone: 403-932-2542