Tuesday March 12, 2019
Suicide Prevention Training
Serving the Rio Hondo Community
RHC’s Childcare Grant and Tutoring Program
VINCENT FRANCO Photo Editor
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Rio Hondo’s Campus Wide Repairs LEO VILLANUEVA
Vincent.franco2391@my.riohondo.edu
This coming Wednesday, March 13, Rio Hondo College will be hosting its own Suicide Prevention Training Day. It will be held inside the Learning Resource building, room LR 128, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The training will be held by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, teaching students staff and faculty about QPR (Question, persuasion, and Relief). Aiming to show how to talk, and ask the right questions to those who are in trouble and who think about suicide, also how to refer them to professional help. Many of Rio Hondo’s students visit the ‘Student Health & Psychological Services’ building (Student services building,RM SS230), with thoughts of suicide and fears of depression, seeking help. According to the departments head Psychiatrist, Denna M. Sanchez, Ph.D. an average of one to two students show up everyday with suicidal ideation. “It’s not only a psychological services issue its a community issue” Says Sanchez, “ so the more that we can teach people how to have these conversations..., That’s a prevention effort that I feel is a responsibility for everybody, not just psychologist.” Unfortunately, the department has been functioning with a small number of staff members, ranging from Sanchez being the only full time staff member, and just a hand full of interns. With such a high demand for their services it’s hard to give the proper help that’s needed. Because of this, there is a waiting that can be as long as two weeks. Without enough therapist they provide some counseling and mostly referrals to off-site counseling centers. The Suicide Training day workshop and services offered
Volume 58 Issue 3
Reporter
Leo.villanueva0001@my.riohondo.edu
our local schools over the last several years as part of our Adopt-A-School programs,” Superintendent/ President Teresa Dreyfuss said. The Adopt-A-School program with providing information on College programs during Back-to-School night, offering campus tours and connecting students with cultural programs at Rio Hondo. Each year Rio Hondo host about 250 middle school students for Discover Rio, a day of exploration of higher education opportunities. Rio Hondo College students Carolina Castillo, Samantha Martinez and Angela Yerena worked with students on writing projects and math support. The session included helping fi fth-graders brainstorm arguments for why the school would benefi t from having a longer recess or a vending machine and what arguments they might hear against those plans. They later offered small group tutoring in math and one on one assistance in reading during a pull-out session. Some tutors stayed until after school to assist students
Navigating construction sites seems to have become an integral part of student life for Roadrunners. An email was sent out February 26th, informing faculty members and students of a road closure on Circle Drive. With each new semester comes carmageddon, thanks to the fi ne job of security: a potential traffi c and parking disaster was averted. According to Yulian Ligioso, Vice President of Finance & Business, a hot-water leak was discovered under the roadway of Circle Drive near the Central Plant. The leak has been repaired, but work was halted due to heavy rainfall. An inspection of the site will be performed this week. Rio’s complex plumbing infrastructure combined with the lower quad’s topography presented challenges in locating the leak, but with the help of a drain camera, the leak has been narrowed down to an area near the café. A plan to replace the faulty pipe, or perform a bypass is the next step. The Finance & Business dept. is contemplating a facilities bond for 2020, which will include infrastructure needs, and within those needs will be a plan to phase out Rio’s aging Central Plant. The “L” Tower, formerly the library, is being seismically retrofi tted and upgraded to bring the building into compliance with Title 24/ CBC. Among those upgrades are new restrooms, and new elevators. Completion dates have not been provided for any current construction. Contractors have clearly marked and secured each site. It is advisable to maintain a safe distance from all construction equipment and barriers.
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PHOTO / RIO HONDO COLLEGE Children at Rio Hondo College’s Child Development Center explore and learn in classrooms for 2-year-olds and 3- to 5-year-olds.
Over the next four years Rio Hondo College will receive $664,220 in a Federal Childcare grant to remove financial barriers that can prevent students with children from attending college. CYNTHIA RIZO News Editor cynthia.rizo1559@my.riohondo.edu
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant will provide the college with $1665,055 annually to subsidize up to 75 percent of the cost of childcare for parents who are Pell Grant recipients or Pell Grant eligible. The grant provides the opportunity to eliminate cost for childcare for parents in need. The federal dollars will be provided on a sliding scale, depending on the family need. “Rio Hondo College is deeply committed to providing the promise of a higher education to all members of a community as a pathway to
a more fulfi lled life,” Superintendent/President Teresa Dreyfuss said. “Childcare cost are a signifi cant barrier to achieving that dream.” The Child Development Center (CDC) has a capacity to serve 105 children and currently has openings available in classrooms serving all ages. The CDC provides care from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Friday in coordination with the colleges academic schedule. The grant will fund a new administrative position to manage CCAMPIS programs, which include a slate of parenting classes and regular visits with a counselor for parents. Rio Hondo College has launched a free tutoring program for the area public schools in its Adopt-A-School program, providing college students who are studying child development and related fi elds to assist K-12 students during and after school. The program is offered at Scott Avenue Elementary in east Whittier City School Distract and at Dean Shively Middle School in Valle Lindo Elementary School District. “Our tutoring program builds on the relationship our College has built among