Innovative. Proven. Compassionate.
Please join Dr. Linda DePriest, Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Support, and Mr. Tony Majors, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, for an informational lunch to showcase the evidence-based practices and trainings of STARS proven to positively impact school climate.
Reserve your seat today by emailing events@starsnashville.org or calling 615-983-6805.
Leaders of Today
Don’t let anyone tell you that you won’t be anything in life.
Prove them wrong and go out and be all that you can be. Chase all of your dreams!
Be a dream chaser not a dream killer.
There is nothing you can’t achieve.
A leader will step out and put all the negative things down in the dirt and create positives.
There is a wonderful program called STARS that is willing to help anyone that wants to become a great leader.
Within this program you will become a brand new person, and you may even find out things about yourself you didn’t even know.
From summertime to school year use, teen online safety needs to be a top priority for parents. Rodger Dinwiddie, chief executive officer of Students Taking A Right Stand (STARS) and president of the International Bullying Prevention Association, outlines computer safety use and Facebook Safety standards in this short video.
Be sure and subscribe to STARS YouTube Channel “STARSNashville” for the latest news on the nonprofit organization’s work in assisting students, families and schools with prevention, intervention and treatment services addressing bullying, substance abuse, violence, and social and emotional barriers to success. A nationally recognized resource for student assistance, training and professional consultation, STARS’s staff serve in schools and community sites throughout Middle Tennessee via STARS Specialists, Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Youth Overcoming Drug Abuse (YODA) as a licensed alcohol and drug out-patience treatment facility as well as their Kids On The Block puppetry program helping educate kindergarten through sixth grade students about health and social concerns that affect their lives while promoting an understanding and acceptance of all children and adults regardless of their differences.
On April 1st-April 4th, 2012, STARS took a group of eight high school students who are deaf and hard of hearing to Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Gallaudet University is the largest college in America that offers services specifically for students who are deaf and hard of hearing. Over 4,000 students attend this school from all over the world.
This trip is incredibly important because it shows our students first-hand the academic opportunities available to them. While on the trip, the students stayed on campus in the dorms, ate at the cafeteria and were able to socialize with other college students. They were given a full tour of the campus, met with academic advisors and admission counselors, had question and answer time with a student panel, joined a college class in session, and were introduced to several successful professionals who are deaf and hard of hearing and working in the Washington, DC area.
One boy who currently plays football in Tennessee was able to meet with the Gallaudet football coach and join a practice with other Gallaudet players. The experience was incredible and provided the students with hope and inspiration for their future.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention month and to honor this our Kids on the Block team has been presenting to all six (yes, 6!!) elementary schools at Ft. Campbell this week. We have been presenting our Child Abuse Prevention program to all their third graders and our Coping With Crisis program to all second graders. We will have some photos and stories to share about these experiences later on.
In the meantime, here is a letter we received from a school counselor:
Dear Kids on the Block,
Thank you for coming to [our school] today. You are doing great work to keep our children safe. It is heart-breaking to know as you spoke to the children today that as they were all laughing, it was probably hitting home with several of them. I hope that this message will resonate with each of them. That they will know that it is not their fault. That they will know they can trust their teacher if they should choose to ask for help. That they will know that it is not “okay” for anyone to hurt them. I will send the papers home with them as well. I hope this will begin a dialogue with their parents and much good will come of it.
Each performer was excelllent. Their puppet voices were so good. May you be blessed for all the great work you are doing.
~~~
We are truly honored to work with these students, their schools and communities. Thanks so much.
