Small Town News

Children at Fletcher Walker Elementary to learn empathy during 2009-10 school year

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At a special assembly Wednesday, Sept. 9, children at Fletcher Walker Elementary were given a preview of the lessons they could expect to learn this school year from Marina Davies, a behavioral health specialist with Lassen County Mental Health.

Davies will spend one hour with students in third through seventh grade twice each month working on social skills and character development within a classroom setting. The pilot program ran last year and was successful. It utilizes a technique called Skills Streaming to create pro-social behavior.

At the "Youth Empowerment Assembly" Davies explained the focus of the program in 2009-10 would be empathy, something she had introduced the previous year but planned to delve into with more detail this year.

She told students that empathy is the ability to feel other people's pain and understand how we hurt them.

"When we practice empathy we are in good character at all times," said Davies.

The program incorporates the six pillars of character as identified by a program called Character Counts that was implemented by the Westwood Unified School

District several years ago. The six ethical values that make up the pillars include trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.

Davies said lessons would cover caring, listening, avoiding bullying and fighting or being the mean girls or mean boys.

She told students she would like Fletcher Walker Elementary to be known throughout Lassen County as the school with the most empathy.

She encouraged children to be all inclusive in their social activities by looking out for those standing on the sidelines.

At the beginning of the assembly Davies demonstrated this point by forming the Ring of Cooperation. She began with two volunteers who stood back-to-back with linked arms, and sat down and got back up without breaking the link.

She added groups of two until the circle incorporated most of the children attending the assembly. The children had to work as a team, allowing others into the group even if that meant they had to let go of the arm of their best friend.

The chain did not work well either when the stronger participants stood up too quickly.

"Take time, help each other out," coached Davies.

Just before students were dismissed for recess, Davies told them she wanted no one outside the circle at the end of the school year.

The program at Fletcher Walker is funded by the 2004 Mental Health Services Act that provides intervention and prevention programs in high risk communities. Davies gets to know the children by spending time with them at recess.

Also, she went to Westwood Park this summer for a play program with parents and children and while there interacted with the children and teens in the community.

Davies who works out of the One Stop Center in West-wood said she wants children to know where to go when they need help or need someone to talk with.

When parents give their permission students can participate in professional counseling sessions.

Part of the program with the older children focuses on the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.

Children need to be listened to, acknowledged and heard, said Davies.

It's important that adults acknowledge their needs and mentor, motivate and model appropriate behavior.



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© 2009 Westwood PinePress Westwood, California. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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