As a part of Smart Character Choices, CTA high school students are divided up into six groups (changing each trimester) with a high school teacher serving as an adviser.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays, these groups meet during the Advisory period (29 minutes.)  During this time the students participate in team building activities and discussion groups.  Out of these discussions have come the High School Constitution and the CTA Way  documents that lay out what students want our school to be like.  Counselor, Cheryl Dille & high school teacher, Mike VandenBerg work with the Student Leadership Team – a select group of 13 students who have had intensive training – to choose activities and topics for discussion groups.  The Student Leadership Team also meets a few times per month with each elementary and middle school class to lead them in character/team building activities.
These class meeting groups were started during the third trimester of last year.  Since their implementation, we have seen a significant difference in the climate and tone of the high school.  Jon Irwin, one of the Smart Character Choices facilitators, noted a distinct change in the way students responded to his presence in the hallway after these meetings began.  Teachers and administrators and the students themselves can all attest that Smart Character Choices is making a difference!  This is our last year to participate in the federal grant program; our focus this year is on sustainability!
Don’t forget to check out the CTA web page at http://www.ctaschool.com and our Infinite Campus link where parents can track homework assignments, grades, and much more!