BARR
WELCOME TO THS FRESHMEN!!!
We look forward to meeting and working with all of our freshmen this year! All of our Freshmen will be part of our BARR (Building Assets Reducing Risks) Program. The program is designed to support our freshmen with the transition to high school so they will be successful and earn all 60 credits they need to stay on track for graduation. Below you can find more detailed information on the program. Welcome to Tahquitz! We are excited for a this school year will hold!
About BARR (Building Assets Reducing Risks)
How it Works
The research-based Building Assets Reducing Risks program was developed by teacher and counselor, Angela Jerabek to help first-year high school students feel welcome and excited about succeeding in high school, and beyond. Encourage learning and development of all students is the primary goal of the program. This is done through various means of promoting caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities for participation. Structurally, the program is designed to quickly identify behavior changes in students and determine if the changes are simply developmental adjustments or indications of risk which needs to be addressed to help the student be successful in 9th grade and beyond.
Targeting Ninth Grade
Ninth graders are placed into student blocks, each led by a team of teachers that meets regularly to discuss the progress of each student. Monthly staff meetings with all ninth grade teachers provide an additional opportunity to discuss, identify, and address concerns. Additionally, a support staff team meets weekly to coordinate services for students identified in the teacher block meetings who need additional support. These weekly risk review meetings allow the interdisciplinary team to assess and intervene, giving individualized attention to address risky behaviors or accelerate high performance, as needed for students to ensure successful completion of all 1st and 2ndsemester classes.
Student Engagement
Students participate in weekly activities, known as "I-Time,” which are center on the concept of the 40 Developmental Assets. These social-emotional learning activities are focused on building intentional student-to-student and student-to-teacher relationships while promoting student strengths. I-Time activities are designed to help kids:
- Build a connected community
- Set personal goals
- Learn leadership skills
- Enhance communication skills
- Develop personal assets
- Understand grief and loss
- Prevent and address bullying
- Understand and appreciate diversity
- Celebrate success
What are the Developmental Assets…
The Hopeful Message of the 40 Developmental Assets
Everyone has the power to help young people succeed
The secret to helping children and youth grow into happy, healthy, and responsible adults isn’t really a secret at all. Simply make a point to connect with young people: Get to know them, talk to them, understand them, help them, and build relationships with them. As a caring, trusted adult, you’ll be better able to provide the building blocks young people need to succeed and reach their goals. Adult role models, guides, and friends are very important to young people. With your help, young people can begin to understand themselves and the world around them. We all know growing up isn’t always easy. That’s why young people need adults like you in their lives.
Here are the facts
Research from Search Institute identifies 40 Developmental Assets that have a powerful, positive impact on young people. Children and teenagers who have high levels of these assets get involved in fewer risky behaviors and are much more likely to exhibit the positive values, such as leadership, good health, diversity, and success in school. The bad news is most young people don’t have enough assets. About 59 percent of young people, ages 11–18, have 20 or fewer Developmental Assets, according to Search Institute surveys. The good news is we can change this because we all have the power to build assets in young people’s lives.
Understanding Developmental Assets
The eight asset categories Search Institute has found crucial in helping young people grow up healthy include:
- Support: Young people need to be surrounded by people who love, care for, appreciate, and accept them.
- Empowerment: Young people need to feel valued and valuable. This happens when youth feel safe and respected.
- Boundaries and Expectations: Young people need clear rules, consistent consequences for breaking rules, and encouragement to do their best.
- Constructive Use of Time: Young people need opportunities—outside of school—to learn and develop new skills and interests with other youth and adults.
- Commitment to Learning: Young people need a sense of the lasting importance of learning and a belief in their own abilities.
- Positive Values: Young people need to develop strong guiding values to help them make healthy life choices.
- Social Competencies: Young people need the skills to interact effectively with others, to make difficult decisions, and to cope with new situations.
- Positive Identity: Young people need to believe in their own self-worth and to feel they have control over the things that happen to them.
Each of these categories involves several specific assets that help young people grow up healthy.
Tips for building assets
In your home and family: Post a list of the 40 Developmental Assets on your refrigerator door. Each day, do at least one thing to build assets for each family member.
In your neighborhood and community: Learn the names of the young people who live around you. Find out what interests them, and ask them about those interests.
In your school or youth program: Plan asset-building activities as part of the curriculum or program. For example, engage young people in service-learning projects, social skills training, or reading for pleasure.
Want to know more about the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them? Visit http://www.search-institute.org/content/40-developmental-assets-adolescents-ages-12-18
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Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.