The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Student Assistance Program (SAP), which is administered by the PA Department of Education’s Safe Schools Office in partnership with the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs’ Division of Prevention and Intervention, and the PA Department of Human Services’ Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, is designed to assist school personnel in identifying issues including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health issues which pose a barrier to a student’s success. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program (SAP) is to help students overcome these barriers in order that they may achieve, remain in school, and advance. While Student Assistance Programs exist in other areas of the country, the structure and operation of the program in Pennsylvania is a unique expression of an integrated model serving the needs of Pennsylvania families and their students.
How Does SAP Work at Clarion Area?
The ESL program currently serves students whose families hail from Mexico, Guatemala, Pakistan, and China.
The English As A Second Language Program (ESL) is an instructional program for students who are learning to speak, listen to, read, and write English. The ESL program is offered at the district’s elementary school and high school. As required by law, students that qualify for the ESL program will receive this core subject that’s designed to replace or supplement language arts (elementary) or English (high school) while students learn to understand, speak, read, and write English. Students that qualify for the ESL Program still receive instruction in all other areas of the curriculum in the regular classroom.
PA Bullying Prevention Toolkit - click here
Can’t Quit Now! Safe Social Networking and Gaming
Young people use technology for many of the same reasons adults do; entertainment, relaxation, to gain knowledge and to communicate with others. Games, apps and social media (e.g., YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram) are popular technology pastimes for many youth. When using these types of technology, young people are often exposed to:
adult related content
people unknown to the youth
explicit material
experience higher incidences of cyber bullying
To limit the risks that youth might experience online, parents/guardians may:
teach children proper use of technology
discuss use and risks with children frequently
install parent controls
be familiar with games, apps and social media your children are using
For more information on social media safety visit:
Safe Search Kids: www.safesearchkids.com
Center for Safe Schools: http://www.safeschools.info/internet-safety
StopBullying.gov: https://www.stopbullying.gov/index.html
The Highmark Foundation has provided funding over the past ten years to help schools improve their bullying prevention and intervention efforts. One of the important components of bullying prevention and intervention is parental involvement and education. Parents whose children are targeted by bullying need information and resources to support their child through this difficult time. In an effort to provide parents with the assistance they need, the Center for Safe Schools with funding provided by the Highmark Foundation developed the PA Bullying Prevention Toolkit and companion guides. These free, downloadable tools are helpful to inform parents of the definition of bullying and how to support their children. The PA Bullying Prevention Toolkit and companion guides can be accessed at: http://www.safeschools.info/bullying-prevention.
The Office for Safe Schools’ Bullying Prevention Consultation Line is a toll free number that will allow individuals experiencing chronic and unresolved bullying to discuss effective strategies and available resources to deal with school-based bullying. This supportive resource has been developed in collaboration with the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CHPDP), and is available, at no cost, to students, parents/guardians and school districts across the state of Pennsylvania. Messages can be left 24 hour a day, seven days a week, and will be returned Monday-Friday during normal business hours. The Consultation Line number is 1-866-716-0424.