Latest news with #CHAT
Business Upturn
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
JOSTENS® EPIC SCHOOL REVAMP™ CONTEST HOLDS 2nd ANNUAL REVEAL
Fontana, Calif., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cheers echoed throughout Chaparral Academy of Technology (CHAT) as students, faculty, families and neighbors gathered for the highly anticipated Jostens Epic School Revamp reveal. As part of their grand-prize package, a campus transformation and identity refresh through Jostens SchoolMark® was enthusiastically welcomed by the entire school community. The festivities began outdoors with a curtain-drop unveiling purple and teal murals across the school's front. The artwork showcased their updated mascot, CHAT the Roadrunner, and school tagline, Leave Your Mark. Before the excitement moved indoors, the crowd took in the colorful upgrades at every turn, including a decked-out main office, decals on nearly every door, countless banners and sprawling installations around the playground. Once the energetic rally began inside, CHAT staff unveiled additional murals showcasing each of the school's four houses, and students led the room in reciting their new school chant. Principal Tim McCaffrey elaborated on the school's inspiring new motto, Leave Your Mark, encouraging kindness and authenticity daily at CHAT and beyond. The celebration continued with fun-filled games, heartfelt videos and a surprise appearance by CHAT the Roadrunner — decked out in his brand-new mascot suit — to end the event on a high note. Beyond the visual and identity transformations, the Jostens Renaissance®-inspired academic pep rally served as an important opportunity to recognize the individuals who make CHAT special. Students were called forward to receive awards for their achievements, while several educators and faculty were applauded for the many ways they make a difference and positively impact their school's culture. Jostens will host numerous CHAT leaders at the 2025 Jostens Renaissance Global Conference this June in San Diego. The three-day event will give staff the chance to connect with educators from across the country and equip their team with practical strategies to improve educator morale, academic achievement and character development to implement at CHAT this upcoming year. Tim McCaffrey, the Principal at Chaparral Academy of Technology, shared, 'Jostens Renaissance literally changed my life. It changed how I view my scholars. I knew I wanted to create a school that kids immensely loved and wanted to run to. It shaped the principal I am today, and it's been a dream to work with the entire Jostens team.' John Jenson, the Director of SchoolMark at Jostens, stated, 'Tim puts the epic in Epic School Revamp. He is a walking example of how to Leave Your Mark every single day.' Principal Tim McCaffrey and CHAT staff fully embraced the process and were excited to collaborate with the Jostens team. With the revamp now complete, Jostens looks forward to seeing how the new environment supports growth, connection and opportunity for the future of CHAT and generations of Roadrunners to come. ABOUT JOSTENS Jostens, a trusted partner within the academic and achievement space, provides products and services that help its customers celebrate meaningful milestones. The company's product assortment includes yearbooks, publications, custom-crafted jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12, collegiate and professional sports markets. Jostens was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Visit for more information. ABOUT JOSTENS RENAISSANCE EDUCATION Jostens Renaissance Education is a framework for building a culture where teachers love their jobs and students thrive in school. Renaissance helps schools across the country achieve tangible results through strengthening educator morale, academic achievement and character development. Founded in 1988 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., for more information visit Attachments Chaparral Academy of Technology's Bold New Look CHAT's Pep Rally Following the Big Reveal Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
JOSTENS® EPIC SCHOOL REVAMP™ CONTEST HOLDS 2nd ANNUAL REVEAL
CHAPARRAL ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY COMMUNITY WELCOMES A REFRESHED IDENTITY & CAMPUS Chaparral Academy of Technology's Bold New Look CHAT's Pep Rally Following the Big Reveal Fontana, Calif., May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cheers echoed throughout Chaparral Academy of Technology (CHAT) as students, faculty, families and neighbors gathered for the highly anticipated Jostens Epic School Revamp reveal. As part of their grand-prize package, a campus transformation and identity refresh through Jostens SchoolMark® was enthusiastically welcomed by the entire school community. The festivities began outdoors with a curtain-drop unveiling purple and teal murals across the school's front. The artwork showcased their updated mascot, CHAT the Roadrunner, and school tagline, Leave Your Mark. Before the excitement moved indoors, the crowd took in the colorful upgrades at every turn, including a decked-out main office, decals on nearly every door, countless banners and sprawling installations around the playground. Once the energetic rally began inside, CHAT staff unveiled additional murals showcasing each of the school's four houses, and students led the room in reciting their new school chant. Principal Tim McCaffrey elaborated on the school's inspiring new motto, Leave Your Mark, encouraging kindness and authenticity daily at CHAT and beyond. The celebration continued with fun-filled games, heartfelt videos and a surprise appearance by CHAT the Roadrunner — decked out in his brand-new mascot suit — to end the event on a high note. Beyond the visual and identity transformations, the Jostens Renaissance®-inspired academic pep rally served as an important opportunity to recognize the individuals who make CHAT special. Students were called forward to receive awards for their achievements, while several educators and faculty were applauded for the many ways they make a difference and positively impact their school's culture. Jostens will host numerous CHAT leaders at the 2025 Jostens Renaissance Global Conference this June in San Diego. The three-day event will give staff the chance to connect with educators from across the country and equip their team with practical strategies to improve educator morale, academic achievement and character development to implement at CHAT this upcoming year. Tim McCaffrey, the Principal at Chaparral Academy of Technology, shared, 'Jostens Renaissance literally changed my life. It changed how I view my scholars. I knew I wanted to create a school that kids immensely loved and wanted to run to. It shaped the principal I am today, and it's been a dream to work with the entire Jostens team.' John Jenson, the Director of SchoolMark at Jostens, stated, 'Tim puts the epic in Epic School Revamp. He is a walking example of how to Leave Your Mark every single day.' Principal Tim McCaffrey and CHAT staff fully embraced the process and were excited to collaborate with the Jostens team. With the revamp now complete, Jostens looks forward to seeing how the new environment supports growth, connection and opportunity for the future of CHAT and generations of Roadrunners to come. ABOUT JOSTENS Jostens, a trusted partner within the academic and achievement space, provides products and services that help its customers celebrate meaningful milestones. The company's product assortment includes yearbooks, publications, custom-crafted jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12, collegiate and professional sports markets. Jostens was founded in 1897 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. Visit for more information. ABOUT JOSTENS RENAISSANCE EDUCATION Jostens Renaissance Education is a framework for building a culture where teachers love their jobs and students thrive in school. Renaissance helps schools across the country achieve tangible results through strengthening educator morale, academic achievement and character development. Founded in 1988 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., for more information visit Attachments Chaparral Academy of Technology's Bold New Look CHAT's Pep Rally Following the Big Reveal CONTACT: Brandon Potts JOSTENS 952-830-3206 in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
14-05-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
Trump's Fentanyl Crackdown Strategy Under Scrutiny Amid Overdose Death Drop
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States saw its largest-ever drop in drug overdose deaths in 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Wednesday. There were 30,000 fewer overdose deaths compared to the year before, the data showed, at around 80,000. Only two states saw a slight rise: Nevada and South Dakota. Why It Matters The shift comes at a time when deaths from illicit fentanyl have been the focus of U.S. lawmakers, especially President Donald Trump, who spoke frequently about the flow of the drug across the U.S.-Mexico border during his election campaign. What To Know The CDC said drug overdose deaths were down 27 percent from 110,000 in 2023, and put this in part down to Trump declaring the opioid crisis a public health emergency during his first term in 2017. While rates have fallen since 2023, when former President Joe Biden was in office, experts said that more research was needed to understand what has driven the reduction. Some reasons given were an increase in the availability of overdose-reversing drug naloxone, expanded addiction treatment, and changes in the way people use drugs. Still, annual overdose deaths are higher than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, the CDC noted that overdoses are still the leading cause of death for people 18-44 years old, "underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to maintain this progress." A member of the Portland Fire and Rescue Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) team pushes cares for a patient after they were given Narcan for a suspected fentanyl overdose on January 25, 2024. A member of the Portland Fire and Rescue Community Health Assess & Treat (CHAT) team pushes cares for a patient after they were given Narcan for a suspected fentanyl overdose on January 25, 2024. PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images Some experts worry that the recent decline could be slowed or stopped by reductions in federal funding and the public health workforce, or a shift away from the strategies that seem to be working. The Trump administration has largely focused on illicit fentanyl when it comes to drug policy, largely because the synthetic opioid has led to many deaths in recent years. It views this as a border security issue and has sought to crack down on smuggling across the southwest and Canadian borders since January. The Drug Policy Alliance warned last week that Trump's proposed budget, currently passing through Congress, could put lifesaving programs at risk. The plan includes a $1.1 billion cut to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as to the CDC for overdose prevention. Meanwhile, drug manufacturers, distributors, pharmacy chains and other businesses have settled lawsuits with state and local governments over the painkillers that were a main driver of overdose deaths in the past. The deals over the last decade or so have promised about $50 billion over time, with most of it required to be used to fight addiction. Another settlement that would be among the largest, with members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma agreeing to pay up to $7 billion, could be approved this year. The money, along with federal taxpayer funding, is going to various programs, including supportive housing and harm reduction efforts, such as providing materials to test drugs for fentanyl. What People Are Saying The CDC, in its statement Wednesday: "CDC remains steadfast in its commitment to prevent substance use disorders before they begin, expanding access to treatment, and strengthening recovery pathways to build a healthier future for all Americans." What's Next The CDC said it could continue offering prevention and support services if it receives sustained funding. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
New York Times
03-05-2025
- General
- New York Times
Honey, Sweetie, Dearie: There Are Perils in ‘Elderspeak'
A prime example of elderspeak: Cindy Smith was visiting with her father in his assisted living apartment in Roseville, Calif. An aide who was trying to induce him to do something — Ms. Smith no longer remembers exactly what — said, 'Let me help you, sweetheart.' 'He just gave her The Look — under his bushy eyebrows — and said, 'What, are we getting married?'' recalled Ms. Smith, who had a good laugh, she said. Her father was then 92, a retired county planner and a World War II veteran; macular degeneration had reduced the quality of his vision and he used a walker to get around, but he remained cognitively sharp. 'He wouldn't normally get too frosty with people,' Ms. Smith said. 'But he did have the sense that he was a grown up, and he wasn't always treated like one.' People understand almost intuitively what 'elderspeak' means. 'It's communication to older adults that sounds like baby talk,' said Clarissa Shaw, a dementia care researcher at the University of Iowa College of Nursing and a coauthor of a recent article that helps researchers document its use. 'It arises from an ageist assumption of frailty, incompetence and dependence.' Its elements include inappropriate endearments. 'Elderspeak can be controlling, kind of bossy, so to soften that message there's 'honey,' 'dearie,' 'sweetie,'' said Kristine Williams, a nurse gerontologist at the University of Kansas School of Nursing and another coauthor. 'We have negative stereotypes of older adults, so we change the way we talk.' Or caregivers may resort to plural pronouns: Are we ready to take our bath? There, the implication 'is that the person's not able to act as an individual,' Dr. Williams said. 'Hopefully, I'm not taking the bath with you.' Sometimes, elderspeakers employ a louder volume, shorter sentences or simple words intoned slowly. Or they may adopt an exaggerated, singsong vocal quality more suited to preschoolers, along with words like 'potty' or 'jammies.' With so-called tag questions — It's time for you to eat lunch now, right? — 'You're asking them a question but you're not letting them respond,' Dr. Williams explained. 'You're telling them how to respond.' Studies in nursing homes show how commonplace such speech is. When Dr. Williams, Dr. Shaw and their team analyzed video recordings of 80 interactions between staff and residents with dementia, they found that 84 percent had involved some form of elderspeak. 'Most of elderspeak is well intended. People are trying to show they care,' Dr. Williams said. 'They don't realize the negative messages that come through.' For example, among nursing home residents with dementia, studies have found a relationship between exposure to elderspeak and behaviors collectively known as resistance to care. 'People can turn away or cry or say no,' Dr. Williams explained. 'They may clench their mouths shut when you're trying to feed them.' Sometimes, they push caregivers away or strike them. She and her team developed a training program called CHAT (for Changing Talk), three hourlong sessions that include videos of communication between staff and patients, intended to reduce elderspeak. It worked. Before the training, in 13 nursing homes in Kansas and Missouri, almost 35 percent of the time spent in interactions consisted of elderspeak; that number was only about 20 percent afterward. At the same time, resistant behaviors accounted for almost 36 percent of the time spent in encounters; after training, that proportion fell to about 20 percent. A study conducted in a Midwestern hospital, again among patients with dementia, found the same sort of decline in resistance behavior. What's more, CHAT training in nursing homes was associated with lower use of antipsychotic drugs. Though the results did not reach statistical significance, due in part to the small sample size, the research team deemed them 'clinically significant.' 'Many of these medications have a black box warning from the F.D.A.,' Dr. Williams said of the drugs. 'It's risky to use them in frail, older adults' because of their side effects. Now, Dr. Williams, Dr. Shaw and their colleagues have streamlined the CHAT training and adapted it for online use. They are examining its effects in about 200 nursing homes nationwide. Even without formal training programs, individuals and institutions can combat elderspeak. Kathleen Carmody, owner of Senior Matters Home Care and Consulting in Columbus, Ohio, cautions her aides to address clients as Mr. or Mrs. or Ms., 'unless or until they say, 'Please call me Betty.'' In long-term care, however, families and residents may worry that correcting the way staff members speak could create antagonisms. A few years ago, Carol Fahy was fuming about the way aides at an assisted living facility in suburban Cleveland treated her mother, who was blind and had become increasingly dependent in her 80s. Calling her 'sweetie' and 'honey babe,' the staff 'would hover and coo, and they put her hair up in two pigtails on top of her head, like you would with a toddler,' said Ms. Fahy, 72, a psychologist in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Although she recognized the aides' agreeable intentions, 'there's a falseness about it,' she said. 'It doesn't make someone feel good. It's actually alienating.' Ms. Fahy considered discussing her objections with the aides, but 'I didn't want them to retaliate.' Eventually, for several reasons, she moved her mother to another facility. Yet objecting to elderspeak need not become adversarial, Dr. Shaw said. Residents and patients — and people who encounter elderspeak elsewhere, because it's hardly limited to health care settings — can politely explain how they prefer to be spoken to and what they want to be called. Cultural differences also come into play. Felipe Agudelo, who teaches health communications at Boston University, pointed out that in certain contexts, a diminutive or term of endearment 'doesn't come from underestimating your intellectual ability. It's a term of affection.' He emigrated from Colombia, where his 80-year-old mother takes no offense when a doctor or health care worker asks her to 'tómese la pastillita' (take this little pill) or 'mueva la manito' (move the little hand). That's customary, and 'she feels she's talking to someone who cares,' Dr. Agudelo said. 'Come to a place of negotiation,' he advised. 'It doesn't have to be challenging. The patient has the right to say, 'I don't like your talking to me that way.'' In return, the worker 'should acknowledge that the recipient may not come from the same cultural background,' he said. That person can respond, 'This is the way I usually talk, but I can change it.' Lisa Greim, 65, a retired writer in Arvada, Colo., pushed back against elderspeak recently when she enrolled in Medicare drug coverage. Suddenly, she recounted in an email, a mail-order pharmacy began calling almost daily because she hadn't filled a prescription as expected. These 'gently condescending' callers, apparently reading from a script, all said, 'It's hard to remember to take our meds, isn't it?' — as if they were all swallowing pills together with Ms. Greim. Annoyed by their presumption, and their follow-up question about how frequently she forgot her medications, Ms. Greim informed them that having stocked up earlier, she had a sufficient supply, thanks. She would reorder when she needed more. Then, 'I asked them to stop calling,' she said. 'And they did.' The New Old Age is produced through a partnership with KFF Health News.
CBS News
21-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
More Minnesota families deciding to homeschool their children
More and more Minnesota families are opting out of the traditional classroom. POD days at Christian Homeschool Academy Tutoring (CHAT) keep getting busier. "There's been a big uptick in the last three years," CHAT co-director Laura Johnson said. At the start of the 2018-2019 school year, there were under 20,000 Minnesota students in homeschooling . That number skyrocketed to over 30,000 at the height of the pandemic. In all, Minnesota homeschool totals are up nearly 40% from pre-pandemic and 7% since last year. "I think during COVID, parents got to see, maybe a little bit more of what was really going on in the classroom," Johnson said. "And I think that with our liberal state, I think a lot of families are just not comfortable with what is being taught." Johnson says she sees more and more families looking for faith-based learning. Although not everyone at CHAT is Christian. Faith isn't the only draw, though. "I think people are realizing all the, you know, opportunities that are out there with it, and also just the resources that they have," homeschool mom Lauren Burns said. The spike in homeschooling rates doesn't surprise her. "I think people did it because of maybe COVID, but some people are continuing it because they're seeing how amazing it is to have the flexible schedule that you can," Burns said. Burns is a mom to three: 6-year-old Brooke, 9-year-old Blake and 11-year-old Christopher. Her family made the switch to homeschooling about four years ago. Homeschooling was always a desire, but COVID was the catalyst. So were state test scores. "The statistics of some of the students across Minnesota being below lines of reading and writing and arithmetic and everything, and their scores being so low, it made me lose a little bit of faith in the system," she said. "And so, I started being like, all right, well, what are my other options?" Before making the switch, her oldest, Chris, worked with a tutor. "I almost felt like he was learning more in that one hour of focused, specific time than he was in his other hours at school," Burns said. "And so I was like, wow, if I can get this done in focused time, and he's going to learn so much in one hour of focused time, what could we be doing with the rest of our days? Why not? Do you know our focus time and then be able to be outside and be a kid?" For Burns, it was an easy switch. She was already running an out-of-home daycare and the transition to teaching at home was pretty seamless. She's found her kids do better with focused, flexible learning. In fact, they've consistently tested above state levels. While Burns stays home with kids, her kids stay social at POD twice a week. They're involved in church Bible study, chess club and sports. Burns loves the community they've created and the hands-on learning homeschooling allows for. "There are so many co-ops now, and there are so many opportunities to get together for social groups or for nature groups, or, you know, science groups, or whatever it is, that it's not just being in your home, homeschooling anymore," she said. "You will really are out and with your community and with friends and just building bonds with people who are just amazing." She feels grateful for the privilege and sacrifice. "Of course it doesn't work for some families, but we're very blessed that we are able to do it," Burns said. "And my kids have really thrived under it." Public schools still remain the most popular choice for Minnesota families; nearly 90% of K-12 students attend public schools.
