New MPS program tests pilot class for high school students

September 5 – Yesterday morning, one of McAlester Public School’s newest programs held a pilot event at the McAlester Elite Gymnastics Academy.

A handful of students from Randy Hughes Middle School were bused to MEGA for an hour-long gym class.

Gymnastics coach and owner Heidi Tanner and her team led the students through a preparatory tumbling course in MEGA’s smaller gym.

According to Project Prevent Director Katlyn Watkins, this is the first of many gymnastics classes for this group of students in the Special Services department at RHMS. They plan to attend MEGA twice a week in the mornings on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Special Services Director Kim Baxtwer explains that “this is the pilot” of the first year to serve students from MPS. Watkins adds that they hope to eventually add students from Will Rogers Elementary in the near future.

Vanessa Murphy, a special education teacher at RHMS, said, “He’s having the time of his life” when discussing a student’s behavior in class.

Principal Caroline Miller points out that several students who rarely smile seem to be having fun climbing, balancing and jumping on the courses Tanner created.

According to Watkins, Project Prevent serves all seven MPS locations and is designed to increase access to mental health services. To meet that need, five therapists have been deployed to serve our district and support the use of school counselors as a universal service for all students.

She adds that the program has helped implement Security Resource Officers throughout the district to assist with preventative measures. These new staffing levels have allowed for the district-wide implementation of multi-tiered support systems (MTSS) that ensure that each student’s behavioral and academic needs are addressed with varying levels of interventions.

Each school location has different needs, depending on the target population. That’s why Project Prevent looks at each school’s needs based on data and works with each school location to implement programs that best meet the needs of all students.

Watkins says, “Last year we hosted Family University, where parents of our students came to MAC, had dinner with us, and learned about topics like Love and Logic, QPR, and Anti-Vape Education. This year we plan to host a Mental Health Awareness themed soccer game, host more Family Universities, and participate in the MCAAP Suicide Prevention Walk.”

A key goal of Project Prevent is building relationships with the community and the parents of the children we serve, Watkins said.

If you believe a child needs help from Special Services, the first step in referring them is to contact the school counselor. The school counselor will attempt to gain a deeper understanding of the concern. The school counselor will then visit the student and develop a plan to support the student in collaboration with the student’s parents or guardians.

For more information about Project Prevent, contact Watkins at [email protected].