Prescott Unified School District’s Character Coaches develop student skills for academic and lifelong success
By Tara Fort
For the Character Coaches at Prescott Unified School District (PUSD), offering a positive impact on students’ lives is the highest priority. These women have the essential role of teaching strength-building skills for character development in many forms including assisting with conflict resolution; developing social skills; providing supporting and preventive interaction with students in the playground, lunchroom and other unstructured areas; helping develop positive relationships with students and families; viewing and assisting with low-level behavior remediation and intervention/conflict; and teaching self-regulation and coping skills to ensure classroom success methods.
Sadira Demarino was hired as a Character Coach at Abia Judd when the position first started in the schools six years ago and is an advocate of the nationally implemented programs created for student character and wellbeing. She said, “Programs like Character Counts! and Capturing Kids’ Hearts work together to shape the culture of our schools and strengthen us to carry on teaching the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.” She added, “I get to work with students if they need extra support so we can talk about making great choices for success in the school environment.”
Lincoln School’s Character Coach and 23-year veteran to the Arizona school system, Dondra Brush said, “I’m so glad the schools have us as Character Coaches as extra help and support for the teachers and the students. To know I might make a child’s life a little lighter for a day brings me so much joy.” Sandi Penrod, who has been a Character Coach since the position’s inception and has been in that role with Granite Mountain for two years, said, “The best part of my job is being able to have a positive impact on student’s lives, and my role is extended through my other duties like mediating peer conflict and assisting as part of the behavior team.” As a two-year Character Coach at Taylor Hicks School, Journey Castillo said, “In my role I partner with all of our students, individually or in groups, to practice and build skills in self-care, emotional regulation and maturity, healthy interactions with their peers, and more. I have the joy of being around some of the best youngsters in town! It is entertaining, challenging and healing.”
PUSD Superintendent Clark Tenney said, “Our Character Coaches play a key role in the success of our students. As more students come from increasingly challenging backgrounds, it is critical that we work as a team with parents to help all students learn and practice values like honesty, hard work, empathy, teamwork, respect, and responsibility. Character Coaches help students implement these important community values, so every student feels safe and comfortable, and prepares kids for academic and lifelong success.”
For more information about these Character Coaches and the Prescott Unified School District, visit www.prescottschools.com.