Building a village Building a village (March 22, 2002)

CHAC programs work in Castro School community

By Amy Goodpaster Strebe

If it takes a village to raise a child, then the Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) is building a village at Castro Elementary School to help teachers, students and their parents. The Village Program at Castro is a pilot program created this year by CHAC with participation from Healthy Start to help the high percentage of Hispanic students and their families successfully acclimate to the school community.

"We're trying to create a village here on campus to make it feel more like home for the students and their families," said Rosine Ferber, a CHAC marriage and family therapist. "Eighty-five percent of the students at Castro are Hispanic, and they're all at-risk," she said.

The CHAC counselors at Castro _ Ferber and three interns _ administer several programs at the school in which they work with students individually as well as in groups. One of the programs CHAC offers is Just For Kids, an eight-week substance abuse prevention program that is currently in place at all schools in Mountain View and Los Altos, Ferber said.

The Parent Resource Center is another service, run by Healthy Start Coordinator Elsa Pulido and a rotating CHAC counselor, to help Castro parents improve the liaison between home and school. Parents are invited to come to the support group every Thursday for two-hour sessions conducted in Spanish.

"It's a wonderful opportunity for parents to reach out to others and make friends," said Ferber. "We have so many parents who are struggling being in this country, and they need help in guiding their children. We try and create a home away from home for their children since the parents oftentimes cannot provide them with the nurturing they need."

This nurturing can come in the form of healthy snacks and a warm beverage when the counselors discover that some children are hungry when they come to school.

Another program CHAC facilitates at Castro takes place in the Cougar Game Room where kids can come during lunchtime if they don't have anyone to play with. Fifth-grade "Cougars," trained student leaders, volunteer their time to help the counselors. Students can learn to play chess and checkers, and use the art table.

On Thursday afternoons Ferber works with the Homework Club, which operates five days a week until 6 p.m. "In the past it hasn't worked that well because the kids weren't motivated," said Ferber.

"Recently we've devised a token economy where special H.W. Club Bucks are given out to students who successfully complete their work," she said, adding that she takes groups of children to her room to redeem the bucks and purchase reward items.

"We've created an external motivator for the students," said Ferber. "Their academic performance is so tightly connected with their self-esteem. If we can raise one we can hopefully raise the other."

Students and their families aren't the only component of Castro CHAC seeks to help. Teacher support is another important part of the program.

Teachers can take advantage of an "on call" therapist and drop in to talk or vent frustrations or difficulties and to brainstorm solutions with a counselor. Teachers can also come in with their students if they feel stuck and, can use a facilitator to work out agreements and contracts.

Although the Village Program is in its first year, Ferber said she thinks it's already making a difference at Castro. "I think the program is working and providing enrichment. One of our counselors has even volunteered to read books to kids who are dropped off early before school starts. We love Castro and we have a fabulous principal here who's an angel. She's progressive, open to new ideas, and will do anything for the kids she can," said Ferber. "We're hopeful that all the schools who are serviced by CHAC will adopt this program."