2005 Title IV and TUPE Prevention Activities

Safe and Drug Free Schools/Behavior Support Project Specialist: Thought Title IV/TUPE and AB 1113 funding a Project Specialist was hired to provide more direct support to the school sites in developing their Safe and Drug/Violence Free programs. The Project Specialist is available to all site to provide drug/violence and TUPE resources and cessation information. In addition, this person provides direct support for sites with at risk students by developing on-going, need programs for intervention and prevention.

Positive Action Program : A District wide character education and drug, alcohol, tobacco and violence prevention curriculum taught to all students K-8. Positive Action is a series of lessons taught in the classroom about four times a week. Each lesson takes approximately fifteen minutes. A drug prevention component is taught to grades 5-8.

The Title IV News Publication: District Tobacco Use Prevention Education and other Title IV program information is published in a district Title IV News publication. It provides information regarding Safe and Drug Free and TUPE resources and materials, statistics regarding drug and tobacco use, updates regarding program goals, and more. The publication will be distributed quarterly.

Safe and Drug Free Advisory Council Committee Meetings: The District Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Advisory Committee provides a collaborative forum for parents, certificated and classified school staff, and the community to serve as program and fiduciary decision makers in developing, implementing, and evaluating the Title IV Program. In addition to governance and funding responsibilities, the committee provides a forum for discussion and communication among all of the critical program constituents. TUPE updates are given at Safe and Drug Free Advisory Council meetings. Each school designates a site representative to serve on the council. Site representatives on the council serve as a liaison in communicating program information to their site staff and other council members. Please contact Molly Engblom's office at 760-432-2303 for meeting dates and times.

Red Ribbon Week: The Red Ribbon Campaign originated in 1985, when drug traffickers murdered Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique Camarena. Californians for Drug-Free Youth, Inc. (CADFY) sponsored the first campaign in 1986; and, the National Federation of Parents, Inc. (NFP) sponsored the first national campaign in 1988. Every citizen was invited to wear and display red ribbons to demonstrate their commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle, meaning no use of illegal drugs and no illegal use of legal drugs. One week in October is chosen to focus on prevention and “build the bridge from awareness to action.”

The Escondido Union School District has taken an active part in Red Ribbon Week activities since the inception of the national campaign in 1988. The Red Ribbon Week march to city hall, in cooperation with the North Inland Recovery Center, banners made by students at each school and hung at city hall, wristbands worn by students and staff (donated by Realtors and Affiliates Against Drugs, RAAD), substance abuse prevention related assemblies, contests, and activities at each school site are all part of the district’s celebration of Red Ribbon Week. This year’s theme is : “Team Up for A Drug Free Community."

Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program: The Yellow Ribbon Program is based on the premise that suicide is not about death, but rather about ending pain and that it's OK to ask for help. Yellow Ribbon cards are distributed and carried as a simple, effective tool to use to ask for help when feelings of suicide arise. The card has proven to be a lifeline because it is a reminder to young people that they have permission to ask for help, it helps them talk when they may not have the words and it tells the recipient of the card how to help the suicidal person.

California Healthy Kids Survey:The California Healthy Kids Survey is a biennial survey sponsored by the California Department of Education.  The survey measures health-related behaviors and attitudes, and includes questions about diet and physical activity, use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs,and safety and violence.  School districts are required to administer the survey, as it meats categorical program requirements.  Survey results are used in assessing students' need and in prevention program development.The CHKS needs to be administered to 5th, 7th graders.  In the Escondido Union School District, all students in these will receive a parent consent form.   The District level results (key findings)from the 2005 California Healthy Kids survey are now available online.

Bullying Survey: The Escondido Union School District believes all students have the right to be educated in a positive learning environment. Our district is focusing on the issue of bullying and students’ safety at school. In order to gather information from many students, a survey has been developed to identify important issues. In the Spring,all children in grades 4-8 will have the opportunity to participate in this survey regarding bullying. The survey is anonymous and no student names will be used in the results. Surveys will be completed at school, electronically, via computer. The results from the survey will assist the district in identifying behaviors of bullies and their victims. The district goal is to understand the current climate at our schools. Along with the survey, the district is also reviewing safety related curriculum materials.

A Season for Non Violence: January 30-April 4, is a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities. Inspired by the 50th and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Handhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world. (Sponsored by the Association for Global New Thought)

Liaison Officers: The Escondido Police Department's School Resource Officers respond to violence and gang activities at the schools.

Parent Education: The Parent Involvement Technicians at each school provide workshops on such topics as Gang and Drug Awareness,child abuse prevention and parenting skills. In addition they provide cultural activities, community resources and Family Fun Nights. To find out more information about these programs, contact your Parent Involvement Tech at the school site.

The District has sponsored several parent workshops on such topics as Drug and Alcohol prevention, Gang Prevention and parenting skills. The Positive Action program also includes a parent component which teaches parents how to implement Positive Action in the Home.

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