South Metro Newsletter

Greetings!

As we move into the second half of the school year, I would like to thank all of the parents for your support in a successful first session! Semester one of this school year has seen several students transition from our GNETS setting into a less restrictive placement, either at their home school location or into unit classrooms strategically located across the district. Our students have also benefited from therapeutic programming and highly trained staff, in effectively maximizing use of coping strategies to reduce the number of severe outbursts in behavior and in managing emotional regulation.

In the coming months, we look forward to adding more animal assisted therapy with the proposed introduction of a therapy dog named Skillet. Our scholars’ exposure to Skillet will provide another avenue for students to de-escalate while in crisis and to increase the use of coping strategies and skills. We look forward to adding the valuable staff member to both center locations managed by South Metro GNETS.

Additionally, our staff will continue their on-going professional development journey through our Inter Observer Agreement (IOA) training exercises. This program initiative will provide staff an opportunity to sharpen their skills in both data collection and analysis. We are excited to continue to develop our staff to maximize the benefits and quality of support to our program learners.

I look forward to meeting and seeing you all at our Parent Lunch and Learn series, which is coordinated by our Community Family Liaison.

Yours in Service,

Derrick Gilchrist

Hands are cold but hearts are warm at JBH.

Building relationships, recognizing accomplishments, connecting with staff/ students, practicing NME!

Students researched, planned, and presented facts, food & holiday traditions from different countries. A fun and educational activity for our "World Travelers" 😊

Welcome back South Metro GNETS Parents and Guardians,

Random Acts of Kindness Day is February 17, 2024.

Random Acts of Kindness Day was initiated in 1995 in Denver, Colorado by a nonprofit organization called The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. For those of you that wish you could change the world, National Random Act of Kindness Day, on February 17, is just for you. Here are a few tips on how to talk to your children about kindness:

1. Help Them Understand What Kindness Means: By teaching the empathy and compassion to your child.

2. Inspire Their Imagination: Pretend play is a great way for young kids to practice empathy.

3. Model Kindness Everywhere You Go: It is valuable for parents to show acts of kindness to others and to themselves. By showing kindness to yourself you are teaching your children the importance of self-care.

4. Encourage Kind Habits: Help your children match abstract concepts of kindness with concrete verbs that enact it: sharing, championing, compromising, listening, and noticing when others need help.

5. Understand That Kindness Isn’t Always Easy: We should remind ourselves and our children that kindness is hard sometimes but it doesn’t mean we are not kind when we are not always kind. It can be challenging however with intentional practice you can achieve success.

6. Pay Attention to the Effects of Kindness on Your Child: Help your children notice how it feels to be kind—and how other people respond.

For more information on Random Acts of Kindness read 6 Ways to Teach Kids to Be Kind by Catherine Newman.

Henry County Child Health Services help children prepare for school and develop to their full potential. Services include dental care, immunization and Well-Child checkups. Serves ages 3 months to 18 years old. Medicaid and Peach Care Accepted.

Contact/Website

(470) 661 – 0005| www.district4health.org

For appointments call 800-847-4262

Location

135 Henry Parkway McDonough, GA 30253

School-Based Health Center

What is a School-Based Health Center?

The School-Based Health Center (SBHC) provides on-site care for acute and chronic illness of school-aged children at North Clayton High School, North Clayton Middle School, Northcutt Elementary School, Lee Street Elementary, Huie Elementary, Forest Park High School, and West Clayton Elementary School. Arrangements have been created between the school district and Family Health Centers of Georgia that promote the health and educational success of students. The SBHC staff will provide pediatric care for students while working in a collaborative relationship with the healthcare technician at the school sites and families to:

• Improve access to health care services

• Promote prevention and early intervention

• Establish a medical home and primary care physician

• Provide education to students and parents

What services will be offered?

The School-Based Health Center at North Clayton High School is a Collaborative Partnership between Clayton County Public Schools and the Family Health Centers of Georgia.

The staff at the SBHC include: Behavioral Health Professional, Physician, and Nurse Intake Personnel. The services will be: Hypertension Therapy, Diabetes Management, and Behavioral Health referrals, Chronic Disease Management, Health Education, Nutritional Counseling, Youth Weight Reduction, Immunizations by appointment only, School and Sports Physicals by appointment only, sick visits, and well child checks.

School-Based Health Centers are located in a number of areas throughout the United States.

For more information about School-Based Health Centers, please read the article by Dr. Veda Johnson (Link)

"Maximizing Impact, Removing Barriers, Unleashing Academic Potential" to Build a Better Tomorrow, Today"

Location:

The Family Health Center at North Clayton High School

1525 Norman Drive, College Park, GA 30349

678-426-2800