Dear Blake Families:
As you are reading this update I am sure you join me in the disbelief that April is already upon us - the year is certainly moving along. I would like to commend all of our students for completing the first round of MCAS and also thank all of the staff members for their work to structure a positive and successful environment. As noted in last week's posting, the results of these tests will serve as a useful tool to help address the needs of our students. As the pace of our school days and weeks often feel like a blur, I felt lucky that I was able to 'slow down a bit' Friday evening, seeing my daughter, Maggie, perform in a production of 'Henry and Ramona'- a great concrete reminder for me about the importance of finding ways for our kids to make connections with others. Along the lines of making connections, I want to share three 'elements' of my week that I found directly related to the focus of Monday's faculty meeting as we think about the question posed in the article, 'Learning in an Inclusive Community' by Mara Sapon-Shevin - 'What does it mean to think inclusively, and how can this framework enhance the learning of all children?'...
This past Tuesday was our annual Career Day for 8th grade students at Blake - a tradition that has been in place for many years. We are fortunate that so many members of our greater community were willing to volunteer their time to talk about their careers (see note below). The day began for our students with Michael Pratt, Director of Marketing at Lego, and he shared thoughts about his career path, elements of his work, and satisfaction he finds at his job. I had also shared with Michael that it would be great for our students to hear about him as a person - 'what were you like as a student, an 8th grader, how his interests developed...what advice do you have for our students? what do you wish you knew in 8th grade that you know now - if you could press rewind?' What stood out most for me from his talk was the concept of one's vocation and avocation. It was clear to me that he felt fortunate that he was able to 'blend the two' - "Bottom line - I love my job." The words he shared and the excitement he exuded during his presentation resonated with me as I feel as though I share many of his sentiments when I come to Blake every day. His closing thoughts with our students were simple and direct -- "You can't be perfect all the time and you will make mistakes - make them count and learn...your parents and teachers - believe it or not, you do not know more than them...find something you're passionate about - makes life fun...opportunities are what you make of them - excuses are what you make if you don't."
That afternoon Jon Haycock asked if he could make an announcement on Wednesday morning in remembrance of Ken Brackett who died one year ago, on March 28, 2011. I have copied Jon's words here, as I feel they were representative of many of the feelings and emotions that were on our minds...
It's hard to believe that Ken Brackett died one year ago today. For you sixth graders, Mr. Brackett was a phys-ed teacher and coach at Blake for 13 years. He was a great guy with a wonderfully dry sense of humor and he absolutely loved teaching and spending time with kids. When I was driving to school on the morning of his memorial service, I heard the song, Glory Days, by Bruce Springsteen, who was Ken's second favorite singer from New Jersey. Later that morning, while driving to the service, I heard Glory Days again on a different station. I started wondering, is someone trying to tell me something? A few hours later it hit me. The narrator and characters in Glory Days are adults who are only happy when they're talking about the old days. They don't seem to have any appreciation or enjoyment of what's going on in the present. Ken Brackett was the exact opposite. He appreciated every minute of every day - the good, the bad, and everything in between - well, maybe he might have occasionally griped about some of the bad, but it was rare! If Ken was talking with you, you were the most important person in the world to him at that moment. And more often than not, he had a genuine interest and care in what you were saying. Many times over the years I'd have something to ask him and find him talking with a student and I knew I would just have to wait until he was finished with his conversation before I said anything. But I also knew that he would treat me with the same kindness if he and I were talking and someone else was waiting. To Ken Brackett, every day was a glory day and whenever I find myself dwelling too much about the past or projecting too far into the future, I think of Ken and re-focus my appreciation into the here and now. And in today's multi-tasking, over stimulated world, I find that to be quite a lasting legacy. Thanks for the insight Ken and thanks for being such a great friend.
Thank you, Jon, for the reminiscence. It is a difficult challenge to start a school day with a message of this nature, and your tone and message was clear, considerate, thoughtful, and centering.
My third 'element' of the week resulted from a conversation with a friend about a book she had recommended to me by parenting expert, Jean Illsley Clarke. We were discussing the importance of listening - really listening - in both our work and personal lives. My friend, a professional counselor, shared that the highlight of the book for her was the message to convey to others - 'Your needs are ok with me.' She had read this book years ago, and she continually finds herself coming back to this simple six-word phrase when trying to make connections and open lines of communication and support. They convey the idea that the listener is 'open' and immediately engaged and invested - a simple and affirming approach.
So, how does this all tie together? As a reflective person, I am always trying to find ways that we can connect, 'open doors of opportunity', and establish the foundation for a challenging and supportive educational experience for both students and staff. As we work with our students here at Blake, I hope we will continue to help them find meaning in their endeavors (academic and personal - possibly melding the two), live in the present and actively engage with one another, and continue to help to address each other's needs. My hope is that we will continue in this path so that our unique skill sets and experiences as the adults in their lives can collectively work together to identify, match, and address the needs of our students. If that is in place, I do feel as though we are on the path to establishing a truly inclusive and supportive educational community. At Monday's faculty meeting, we discussed the article 'Learning in an Inclusive Community', from Educational Leadership (September 2008) and heard from students from MHS's Harmony Club about their work and interests. A safe, supportive, inclusive, and nurturing environment for students and staff is critical, and it is important that we continually discuss ways that we can work to establish an accepting culture here at Blake.
Below please find updated information for the Blake community.
Best wishes for a great week.
Take care.
Nat Vaughn
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