To encourage dialogue and reflection about making space for optimism and hope, our question for the week is: Share one or two positive ‘things’ that have happened since the beginning of school. Space for Optimism (Week of 9/24/23) (This is an anonymous Google Form)
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Our Essential Question: How can we cultivate and curate the progression of student learning and growth?
Our Mission: Blake Middle School believes in a living mission statement, based on the concept that our community seeks and respects knowledge, integrity, character, wisdom, and the willingness to adapt to a continually evolving world.
The most important attitude that can be formed is that of desire to go on learning. - John Dewey
You cannot teach today the same way you did yesterday to prepare students for tomorrow. - John Dewey
After the gorgeous stretch of weather last week, Ophelia’s rain and gray skies certainly made staying inside an easy decision for most of the weekend. We experienced emotions along a wide spectrum on Saturday, attending a memorial service for a dear friend of Katie’s family in Boston and then a family wedding in Falmouth in the evening. Both brought forth feelings of connection, gratitude, and hope. With Maggie home we enjoyed being together and having that time, albeit for only about 36 hours!
One practice I have carried forth from a workshop I attended last year with Jeff Perrotti was the ‘sharing of positives’ or ‘good things’ at the outset of meetings. There are many negatives that we encounter each day, and Jeff’s point was that we can not lose track of the positives - they sustain us and ‘lift us’ with purpose to address the ‘negatives’. A goal I have set forth for myself is to truly in a concerted way maintain this sense of hope/optimism into my day-to-day practices, both personally and professionally. The words below and posts are ones I have shared before and also have highlighted at our information nights this year for families. Ivey’s quote and Borba’s brief article provide a structure as well as strategies we can employ with our students and one another. And, although Peetz’s post highlighting the mental health crisis of adolescents that we know is real does not elicit sentiments of hope, it does provide a clear compass and urgency for our work - a culture of care grounded by connections with one another, relationships, and belonging towards a safe learning environment. ‘Speaking from the I’, the striving towards the realization of this environment is hopeful in and of itself.
Each and every school day will bring tens of thousands of reasons to celebrate in schools across the country. - Bill Ivey
“Child psychologist: The No. 1 skill that sets mentally strong kids apart from ‘those who give up’—and how parents can teach it.”
by Michele Borba in CNBC News
Research shows that hopefulness can dramatically reduce childhood anxiety and depression. Hopeful kids have an inner sense of control. They view challenges and obstacles as temporary and able to be overcome, so they are more likely to thrive and help others.
Yet despite its immense power, hope is largely excluded from our parenting agendas. The good news? Hope is teachable. One of the best ways to increase this strength is by equipping children with skills to handle life’s inevitable bumps.
Here are nine science-backed ways to help kids maintain hope, especially during tough times:
1. Stop negativity in the moment.
2. Use hopeful mantras.
3. Teach brainstorming.
4. Share hopeful news.
5. Ask ‘what if?’
6. Celebrate small gains.
7. Boost assertiveness.
8. Create gratitude rituals.
9. Embrace service.
Kids' Declining Mental Health Is the 'Crisis of Our Time,' Surgeon General Says
by Caitlyn Peetz in Education Week
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called out social media as a driving force behind the surge in children’s mental health challenges on Tuesday, and encouraged lawmakers to regulate how the platforms are marketed to and used by kids.
“A lot of these platforms have been designed by some of the most talented players in the world to maximize the amount of time that kids spend on them, and then, frankly, that adults spend on them, too. … That might be, from a business perspective, a reasonable model, but from a public health perspective that is not actually what we want because it’s having a bad effect on our kids.”
But the most important thing parents can do is to simply remind their children that they’re ready to listen.
“The most important thing that you can do for your child during turbulence is to make sure that they know you love them and that they can talk to you,” he said. “For them just to know it’s OK for them to talk to you, it’s not something to be ashamed of, and there are people they can go to for help … can go a long way to helping a child feel that they’re not alone.”
Sampling of Responses from Last Week’s ‘Question of the Week’: What do you hope school will look like in the future? Share why.
- I hope that school will be later in the morning, and a longer summer break.
- People will be able to learn no matter what their life is like
- In the future I hope the school will have more options for lunch and more turf fields.
- I hope that the school courtyard (the middle outdoor area of the school) can be accessible in the future for activities.
- One of the biggest changes that should be made in the future of our schools is having specific "courses" and classes with specific lessons on how to socialize in healthy ways, how to deal with conflict, how to manage stress depression and anxiety, every single day at school. It could be so easy to establish. Students could have a topic every single day, relevant to an emotion or situation and draw about it, write about it, practice effective research based strategies, set personal goals, have guidance through achieving those goals, have partner group and class discuss about specific conflicts and triumphs, conversations led by specialists, where student learn how to come up with healthy alternatives and how to celebrate the successes as well, where students learn balance and learn how to help stabilize their mental health.
- Stress anxiety and depression are serious mental issues rising at alarming rates, and many families don't have access to therapeutic care, but managing those issues requires actual skills that can be learned and should therefore be taught in all American public schools by a certified mental health instructor. The same way math is taught to exercise the brain's critical thinking and problem solving skills, the same way science is taught to inspire curious future researchers who are captivated by the features of our universe to gain skills in experimentation and research, and the same way history is taught to help growing learners understand our past and the dynamics of our civilizations to even be able to make great predictions for the future, mental health should be a course taught in every school for all ages for students to gain practical everyday skills to manage their existence.
- We have certified teachers who teach physical health or physical education classes so that students can learn how to take better care of their bodies, but how is that possible if students are losing their minds!? We already know students can't learn if their mental health is poor, but we're pushing them through the other core education classes and forcing them to excel anyway. None of it is making sense in the long run.
- With the way we have totally flipped human nature backwards within our civilization in America, where relaxation is almost not allowed unless there is a good reason or time to relax, mental health is seriously declining, so much so that there aren't enough therapists to effectively halt the decline. How are Americans okay with this? So we are just sitting back and saying well survival of the fittest, so whoever can afford the care and whoever is mentally strong will make it through, but godspeed to the rest of you! I don't know, but that doesn't sound like the best plan for our children nor for our future as a nation, where unhealthy minds could possibly "make it through" and end up running it.
- If we look at history, schools in the US were designed for American citizens for many reasons but eventually for our citizens to become effective able people to contribute to society and the success of our future. I think public schools in the future should prepare all Americans to be mentally healthy individuals who have a good hold on technology, successful future careers, and emotional maturity. Why are we throwing mental health on the backburner when it could easily be included in curricula as an entire annual course beginning in Kindergarten and ending senior year?
- A fun place
- A less stressful/homework filled environment
- I hope that school is a place that is only open during the hours of 9-3
- I hope that sixth graders could be able to play different sports.
- I hope in the future schools will have some hard copy work and just not all online.
- I hope school will look like a place to escape from outer life because school should not be a place of super high stress.
- That people are treated equally and there will be a play structure.
- I hope the future will look like a good place to learn.
- I hope school will be more hands on and fun
- I hope that school will be something to look forward to. I think this because I think it would be better to think about something positive than negative.
- I hope school in the future doesn't change because I like school the way it is :)
- I hope school will have more subjects to learn about. Such as, photography, bookmaking and interior design.
- I hope school will be fun and I will look forward to it. In the mornings I do not want to go to school sometimes.
- I hope we look innovative. I want us to keep moving forward and remain at the top of all of our fields. Stagnation scares me...
- I would want school to be cleaner
- I hope that school will have less homework because it’s overwhelming
- I hope school continues to build (human) relationships.
- I hope the middle school has a playground because taking away playgrounds from kids older than 11 is a form of discrimination because it pushes the stereotype that older kids do not want to play.
- A place where everyone is kind to others
- A safe and happy place for everyone.
- I hope school will be very fun and welcoming to kids. I hope in the future you can pick classes along with your academic classes for some more freedom.
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Take care.
Nat