Latest news with #HopeSquad
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
'Truly one of the best that Ephrata High School has to offer'
Jun. 4—EPHRATA — Hannah Keen, a senior at Ephrata High School, has been recognized as one of the June Students of the Month for her exceptional growth, dedication and positivity both in and outside the classroom, according to Marla Allsopp, the teacher who nominated her. Allsopp, an English teacher, has had the privilege of teaching Keen in her College English 101 and 102 classes and the award highlights Keen's journey from a struggling student to a passionate learner and leader. Having known Keen since her sophomore year, Allsopp has witnessed firsthand the significant transformation in Keen's academic and personal life. "Her growth and how she has come out of her shell, and how she has really discovered who she is, has been really inspiring to me," Allsopp said. The recognition of Keen as Student of the Month is not merely an acknowledgment of her academic achievements but a celebration of her character and willingness to support others, Allsopp said. Allsopp emphasized Keen's inclusive spirit, pointing out her ability to connect with her peers regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs. "She really is accepting and wants to listen to you and knows that she has something to learn from you," Allsopp said. This quality not only fosters a positive environment but also encourages open dialogue among classmates, leading to more engaging discussions in the classroom, Allsop explained. Keen has consistently demonstrated leadership in academic settings, particularly during class discussions, according to her teacher. "She leads the discussion, asking people questions and digging into why they think the way they think," Allsopp said. Allsopp elaborated, saying Keen's conversational skills not only promote participation but also allow her to respectfully disagree with others, when necessary, a vital leadership trait that encourages critical thinking. "I absolutely hear what you're saying, but this is the way that I saw that," Keen said, reflecting on her approach to discourse. In her college English classes, Keen exceeded expectations through her detailed and research-driven work. "She will come in several times during the days as she's preparing to ask me questions and tell me about other research articles that she's looked up," Allsopp said. Keen's curiosity and proactive nature make her not only a student who seeks knowledge but also one who shares it, Allsopp said, helping her classmates understand complex materials in the process. Beyond academics, Keen has shown a commitment to extracurricular activities. She has been involved in the Hope Squad, an organization focused on mental health awareness, for three years and played a vital role in coordinating activities that promote peer support. Allsopp praised her dedication. "She showed up every single day and made sure things were happening, made sure things were going on," her teacher said. Allsopp said this commitment has encouraged other students to engage in the initiative, highlighting Keen's ability to make a difference within her school community. When asked about her passions, Keen shared that reading is one of her favorite pastimes. "You can live a thousand different lives and learn so much from reading," Keen said. Her love of literature has significantly shaped her educational experience, especially this year, as her English teacher introduced her to new writers and ideas. "It was so nice to escape from the hectic chaos of senior year," she said. Keen also encourages her peers through her own journey. Reflecting on her past struggles, she provided advice to younger students. "Life probably sucks right now, but it will not suck forever. All you can do is keep moving forward," Keen said. She said this perspective has not only been a guiding light in her life but also serves as encouragement for those who may face similar challenges. As she prepares to graduate, Keen plans to attend South Puget Sound Community College to pursue a paralegal degree while balancing work. Her aspirations reflect her diligence and commitment to personal development. "I just want to see where life takes me," she said. Allsopp said Keen's nomination as Student of the Month encapsulates her remarkable journey of resilience, leadership and friendship. Along with her ability to uplift her peers while wholeheartedly engaging in her studies, she sets an inspiring example for students at Ephrata High School. "She is truly one of the best that Ephrata High School has to offer," Allsopp said.
The Independent
09-04-2025
- The Independent
Schools relying on digital surveillance find security still takes a human touch
Four years ago, a sixth grader in Rigby, Idaho, shot and injured two peers and a custodian at a middle school. The tragedy prompted school officials to reimagine what threat prevention looks like in the district. Now, student-run Hope Squads uplift peers with homemade cards and assemblies. Volunteer fathers patrol hallways through Dads on Duty. A team of counselors, social workers and probation officers gathers to discuss and support struggling students. Thanks to a new cell phone ban, students are talking to each other more. The positive results of these combined efforts have been measurable. 'We've helped change … lives,' said Brianna Vasquez, a Rigby High senior and Hope Squad member. 'I've had friends who have been pulled out of the hole of depression and suicidal thoughts because of (the Hope Squad).' ___ The Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, is investigating the unintended consequences of AI-powered surveillance at schools. Members of the Collaborative are The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report, Idaho Education News, The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Seattle Times. ___ America's educators are working to prevent harm like Rigby's shooting. Many U.S. districts have turned to technology — especially digital surveillance — as the antidote. Not everyone is sold on that approach, as there can be issues, including with privacy and security. Without broad agreement on which strategies work best, some districts are trying a combination of technology, on-the-ground threat assessment teams and mental health supports. Jennifer DePaoli, a senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute who has studied school safety, said a multi-pronged approach is 'very sensible.' ' People are the solution' In Rigby, educators lean toward human interaction. Artificial intelligence and digital surveillance systems are perhaps less likely to identify who's eating alone at lunch or withdrawing from friends. 'It's all about culture,' said Chad Martin, superintendent of Jefferson County School District in Rigby. 'It starts with that – just having a friend, having a group of friends, having a connection somewhere.' Rigby school leaders use technology to detect threats, including an app, STOPit, which allows students to anonymously report safety concerns, and surveillance software that monitors students' keystrokes for troubling terms. Martin said those are helpful but must be used in concert with human-led initiatives. The district's version of a threat assessment team has been one of the most impactful tools, Martin said. In monthly group conversations, school staff may realize that a student who's been missing class has a parent who was recently arrested, for example. 'Everybody has a little piece of information,' Martin said. 'The goal is to put those people in the same room and be able to paint a picture that can help us support kids.' Although Idaho doesn't mandate the use of in-school threat assessment teams, 11 states do. In 2024, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 71% of U.S. public schools have a threat assessment team. A leading model, used by thousands of districts, is the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). These were developed by forensic clinical psychologist Dewey Cornell after he spent years studying homicides committed by children or teens, including school shootings. He said digital surveillance technology can offer schools 'an illusion of safety and security.' With CSTAG, teams made up of school staff members use a multi-step process when threats emerge. The group might suspend or relocate a student while conducting mental health screenings, facilitating a law enforcement investigation and developing a safety plan. If implemented correctly, Cornell said, this approach is less punitive and more rooted in intervention. Cornell co-authored a recent study in Florida, where threat assessment teams are mandatory, finding 'low rates of school removal and very low rates of law enforcement actions.' 'If you're a school counselor and you can work with a troubled kid and help get them on the right track, you're not just preventing a school shooting, but you're more likely to be preventing a shooting that would occur somewhere else and maybe years in the future,' he said. Threat assessment teams aren't immune from scrutiny. Complaints have emerged about them operating without student or parent knowledge, or without staff members to represent children with special needs, and about discrimination against Black and Hispanic students. The Learning Policy Institute's DePaoli said more research is needed on whether they successfully identify threats and provide students with appropriate support. Utah's Jordan School District uses the CSTAG model. Travis Hamblin, director of student services, credits the 'human connection' with strengthening how the district handles threats, boosting student safety and well-being. Earlier this school year, it received an alert through Bark, a digital monitoring tool that scans students' school-issued Google suite accounts. It flagged a middle schooler who'd uploaded a hand-drawn picture of a gun. Through the CSTAG decision-making process, the threat assessment team avoided unnecessarily escalating the situation by determining the student didn't intend any harm, Hamblin said. They chalked it up to immaturity and asked the student to refrain from such drawings. The district employs someone — a former administrator and counselor — to field the Bark alerts and communicate with school staff. Administrators from every Jordan school have undergone threat assessment training, along with select staff members. 'A digital tool for us is a tool. It's not the solution,' Hamblin said. 'We believe that people are the solution.' Student- and parent-led efforts in Idaho In Rigby, one of those people is Ernie Chavez, whose height makes him stick out in a hallway streaming with middle schoolers. He's with Dads on Duty, which brings in parents to help monitor and interact with students. Throughout the school, students reach out to Chavez for high-fives. On one February afternoon, he was greeted with applause and cheers. Similarly, the district's Hope Squads, in place since 2021, have become an active presence on campus. The student-led coalitions, implemented in thousands of schools across the U.S. and Canada, aim to foster connection and reduce the risk of suicide. 'We refer … students every year to counselors, and those students go from some of the worst moments in their life (to getting help),' Vasquez said. 'We build the connection between adults and faculty to the student.' Hope Squad members notice peers who seem down or isolated and reach out with a greeting or handmade card. We 'show them that we care and they're not alone,' said member Dallas Waldron, a Rigby High senior. The groups also plan special events — like a week of mental-health activities. Sophomore Emilie Raymond said the shooting showed 'people need to feel included and they need to find that hope.' Another change: a new cell phone ban. Before, students were 'sitting in the corners, isolated, staring at a screen,' said Ryan Erikson, Rigby Middle's principal. Now, 'they're playing games, they're goofing off … they're actually conversing.' While the district's approach to stemming violence is robust, 'it's not perfect,' said Martin, Jefferson's superintendent. 'We're still going to have things come up that we haven't prepared for or weren't on our radar. But we address them and just try to do whatever we can to support kids.' ____ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
09-04-2025
- Associated Press
Schools relying on digital surveillance find security still takes a human touch
Four years ago, a sixth grader in Rigby, Idaho, shot and injured two peers and a custodian at a middle school. The tragedy prompted school officials to reimagine what threat prevention looks like in the district. Now, student-run Hope Squads uplift peers with homemade cards and assemblies. Volunteer fathers patrol hallways through Dads on Duty. A team of counselors, social workers and probation officers gathers to discuss and support struggling students. Thanks to a new cell phone ban, students are talking to each other more. The positive results of these combined efforts have been measurable. 'We've helped change … lives,' said Brianna Vasquez, a Rigby High senior and Hope Squad member. 'I've had friends who have been pulled out of the hole of depression and suicidal thoughts because of (the Hope Squad).' ___ The Education Reporting Collaborative, a coalition of eight newsrooms, is investigating the unintended consequences of AI-powered surveillance at schools. Members of the Collaborative are The Associated Press, The Christian Science Monitor, The Dallas Morning News, The Hechinger Report, Idaho Education News, The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Seattle Times. ___ America's educators are working to prevent harm like Rigby's shooting. Many U.S. districts have turned to technology — especially digital surveillance — as the antidote. Not everyone is sold on that approach, as there can be issues, including with privacy and security. Without broad agreement on which strategies work best, some districts are trying a combination of technology, on-the-ground threat assessment teams and mental health supports. Jennifer DePaoli, a senior researcher at the Learning Policy Institute who has studied school safety, said a multi-pronged approach is 'very sensible.' 'People are the solution' In Rigby, educators lean toward human interaction. Artificial intelligence and digital surveillance systems are perhaps less likely to identify who's eating alone at lunch or withdrawing from friends. 'It's all about culture,' said Chad Martin, superintendent of Jefferson County School District in Rigby. 'It starts with that – just having a friend, having a group of friends, having a connection somewhere.' Rigby school leaders use technology to detect threats, including an app, STOPit, which allows students to anonymously report safety concerns, and surveillance software that monitors students' keystrokes for troubling terms. Martin said those are helpful but must be used in concert with human-led initiatives. The district's version of a threat assessment team has been one of the most impactful tools, Martin said. In monthly group conversations, school staff may realize that a student who's been missing class has a parent who was recently arrested, for example. 'Everybody has a little piece of information,' Martin said. 'The goal is to put those people in the same room and be able to paint a picture that can help us support kids.' Although Idaho doesn't mandate the use of in-school threat assessment teams, 11 states do. In 2024, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that 71% of U.S. public schools have a threat assessment team. A leading model, used by thousands of districts, is the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG). These were developed by forensic clinical psychologist Dewey Cornell after he spent years studying homicides committed by children or teens, including school shootings. He said digital surveillance technology can offer schools 'an illusion of safety and security.' With CSTAG, teams made up of school staff members use a multi-step process when threats emerge. The group might suspend or relocate a student while conducting mental health screenings, facilitating a law enforcement investigation and developing a safety plan. If implemented correctly, Cornell said, this approach is less punitive and more rooted in intervention. Cornell co-authored a recent study in Florida, where threat assessment teams are mandatory, finding 'low rates of school removal and very low rates of law enforcement actions.' 'If you're a school counselor and you can work with a troubled kid and help get them on the right track, you're not just preventing a school shooting, but you're more likely to be preventing a shooting that would occur somewhere else and maybe years in the future,' he said. Threat assessment teams aren't immune from scrutiny. Complaints have emerged about them operating without student or parent knowledge, or without staff members to represent children with special needs, and about discrimination against Black and Hispanic students. The Learning Policy Institute's DePaoli said more research is needed on whether they successfully identify threats and provide students with appropriate support. Utah's Jordan School District uses the CSTAG model. Travis Hamblin, director of student services, credits the 'human connection' with strengthening how the district handles threats, boosting student safety and well-being. Earlier this school year, it received an alert through Bark, a digital monitoring tool that scans students' school-issued Google suite accounts. It flagged a middle schooler who'd uploaded a hand-drawn picture of a gun. Through the CSTAG decision-making process, the threat assessment team avoided unnecessarily escalating the situation by determining the student didn't intend any harm, Hamblin said. They chalked it up to immaturity and asked the student to refrain from such drawings. The district employs someone — a former administrator and counselor — to field the Bark alerts and communicate with school staff. Administrators from every Jordan school have undergone threat assessment training, along with select staff members. 'A digital tool for us is a tool. It's not the solution,' Hamblin said. 'We believe that people are the solution.' Student- and parent-led efforts in Idaho In Rigby, one of those people is Ernie Chavez, whose height makes him stick out in a hallway streaming with middle schoolers. He's with Dads on Duty, which brings in parents to help monitor and interact with students. Throughout the school, students reach out to Chavez for high-fives. On one February afternoon, he was greeted with applause and cheers. Similarly, the district's Hope Squads, in place since 2021, have become an active presence on campus. The student-led coalitions, implemented in thousands of schools across the U.S. and Canada, aim to foster connection and reduce the risk of suicide. 'We refer … students every year to counselors, and those students go from some of the worst moments in their life (to getting help),' Vasquez said. 'We build the connection between adults and faculty to the student.' Hope Squad members notice peers who seem down or isolated and reach out with a greeting or handmade card. We 'show them that we care and they're not alone,' said member Dallas Waldron, a Rigby High senior. The groups also plan special events — like a week of mental-health activities. Sophomore Emilie Raymond said the shooting showed 'people need to feel included and they need to find that hope.' Another change: a new cell phone ban. Before, students were 'sitting in the corners, isolated, staring at a screen,' said Ryan Erikson, Rigby Middle's principal. Now, 'they're playing games, they're goofing off … they're actually conversing.' While the district's approach to stemming violence is robust, 'it's not perfect,' said Martin, Jefferson's superintendent. 'We're still going to have things come up that we haven't prepared for or weren't on our radar. But we address them and just try to do whatever we can to support kids.' ____ The Associated Press' education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
