Focus on Health

Our students’ health and well-being form the foundation of learning and success in life.  Catalyst’s health focus is evident throughout our school.

Coordinated School Health Initiative

One of our most important community-wide efforts is called the Coordinated School Health Initiative (CSHI).  A committee of teachers, counselors, parents, students, the principal and other volunteers participate in this program.  The CHSI committee meets regularly to address the following eight school-wide health components:

• Health Education
• Physical Education
• Health Services
• Nutrition Services
• Counseling and Psychological Services
• Healthy School Environment
• Health Promotion for Staff

Community Health Survey

Catalyst conducts a Student Health & Risk Behavior Survey and the 40 Developmental Assets Profile survey with each of our students.  These surveys help the school assess individual needs as well as the broader requirements of the school population.  We implement changes through our school-wide health improvement plan.

During the accreditation process, this school health initiative garnered strong commendations from the NCA/CASI review team.

Health Classes

Our health classes help students learn relevant and critical skills based on specific, individual needs.  Health-related skills include:

• Accessing resources
• Practicing healthy behaviors
• Effective communication
• Goal-setting
• Decision making
• Advocating for one’s needs
• Analyzing messages in the media

A Campus Free of Illegal Drug Use

Students thrive on our drug-free campus.  It allows them to put all their energy into doing well in school.  For a few students, our goal is to provide support to keep them from slipping back into an old bad habit that interfered with a full life and success in school.  For these two reasons, all Catalyst students and parents/guardians must agree to all terms in the Drug Prevention Policy.

We require that each student take a urine analysis (UA) before starting Catalyst. The screen tests for marijuana and nine other families of drugs. Most students are screened two times per year; for a few, screening may be required more frequently.

FROM our PRINCIPAL  To us, education involves the mind, body and spirit. We believe that excellent academics can only be built on a firm foundation of physical, mental and emotional health. That is why the first goal of the school, each staff member, and each student is a health-related goal. We’re proud to have a program that supports these goals.