Start With Hello

by Russ Becker

This week, Medfield’s R.E.N.E.W Project and Friends of Rachel club have been hard at work promoting the “Start With Hello” Movement. Start With Hello is put on by Sandy Hook Promise and it aims increase the welcoming nature of our school while decreasing social isolation among our students. The movement began with a simple idea that if you see someone by themselves, isolated and alone, sometime all you have to do is say hello to make them a part of your community. All week we have had students reading announcements to highlight the spirit of the movement, and we have handed out bingo boards that will encourage students to talk to others they may not know very well. Tomorrow our week concludes with a photo booth and a signed pledge to foster social inclusion at lunch. If you would like to know more please reach out and don’t forget to Start With Hello!

Medfield Schools Attend D.A. Morrissey’s Collaborative Problem Solving Seminar

Press Release from the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office

Nationally acclaimed speaker and author Dr. J. Stuart Ablon, a Psychologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, was the guest of Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey at an all-day training to help school districts deal with and find durable solutions to the most challenging and disruptive behaviors.

“The year after New York Police began training their school safety officers in Dr. Ablon’s ‘Think:Kids’ Collaborative Problem Solving® model in 2013, there was a 58 percent decrease in arrests made at school and 20 percent decrease in the reports of major crimes,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “Norfolk County schools may have different issues than any metropolis, but the solutions he offers work across demographics.”

More than 110 educators, school nurses, psychologists and adjustment counselors – including 40 school resource officers – took part in the September 20 event including Russ Becker, the adjustment counselor for Blake Middle and Medfield High School.

“Dr. Ablon’s methods are simple, but not easy. They start from the premise, rooted in research, that most kids ‘do well if they can’,” Morrissey said. “When they act out in school, the adults around them can be trained to work with them to identify, then teach the skills they need to succeed.”

The “Think: Kids” method is the opposite of permissiveness, but also avoids ineffective punishment models, Morrissey said. Instead, educators and school resource officers are trained in Collaborative Problem Solving – meaning the students are strategically engaged in coming up with resolutions to the conflict. In doing so, they improve skills that will prevent the problem from recurring.

“The new criminal justice reform act changes the role of school resource officers, removing them from enforcing school rules and discipline,” District Attorney Morrissey said. “Our training today provides information on research-based interventions being used across the country to address challenging student behavior without resorting to police powers or punitive steps.”

The research shows that collaborative problem solving creates more durable solutions to problematic behavior than either permissiveness or punitive action, and the District Attorney also sees benefits for the students as they age into adulthood.

“Helping students overcome poor impulse control, inability to manage irritability or disappointment, or help them learn to manage conflict – all while still in the safe environment of a school – can only help their future,” Morrissey said. “Spend a morning in any district courtroom and you will see petty assaults, property destruction and other crimes that arise from the same skill deficits.”

The conference was held in seminar space donated by the Bank of Canton at its corporate headquarters.

Contributed Photo info: Medfield Middle and High School Adjustment Counselor Russell Becker, left, joined more than 100 of his colleagues from across Norfolk County at the all-day training on effectively dealing with challenging behavior in schools hosted by Norfolk DA Michael W. Morrissey, right

A Lesson in Resiliency... from a Kindergarten Science Experiment

by Erik Ormberg





My wife and I will be completing our nineteenth year in education this spring. So, when a cool lesson is presented--or a gifted speaker inspires us--the topics oftentimes make their way to our dinner table. Last week my wife shared with me a story about a science project that I thought might resonate with the high school population.

Her kindergarten class planted four plants.

• Plant 1 was the CONTROL (It got everything...sun, soil, water and plant food)
• Plant 2 got NO WATER
• Plant 3 got NO SOIL
• Plant 4 got NO LIGHT

In the photo above you see plant 4’s (NO LIGHT) leaves and stems peeking out on the side of the box, fighting for sunlight. No WATER and no SOIL never flourished, but no LIGHT fought hard for the one thing it needed. Sunlight.

Once they took the NO LIGHT plant out of the box the students so how it had grown stronger and longer than the CONTROL plant that had everything it needed. The NO LIGHT plant had a better foundation for growth--or a better drive for growth.

This got me thinking about how much we provide our students. How we are often tempted to “clear a path for kids” as opposed to giving them what Malcolm Gladwell calls, “desirable difficulties.”

Do we set out for an “adversity-free” life for kids? Are we better serving students when the adversity teaches us a lesson that better prepares us for larger events later in life?

When students “earn” their way into an upper level course, or a spot on the team or a place on Student Government or National Honor Society there comes an intrinsic sense of worth and accomplishment. Similar to plant 4 these students have to stretch themselves a little further and work a little harder to get to where they want to go.

When I spoke to a student once about an English placement, she told me that her mom could have signed an override into honors, but the student wanted to “work her way” into the class as opposed to “signing her way” into the class. One mother told me, when her son lost eligibility for a sport due to a chemical health violation, “I want my kid to do three things, show remorse, repent and repeat.” One student embraced the challenge of earning her way into a class and one parent understood that discipline can teach. Someone once said, “it’s hard to learn a lesson from a mistake when there isn’t a consequence.”

As graduation looms for our seniors I think about the students who have earned so much of the accolades before them. The student on an IEP who overcame a learning difference. The kid who came to school actively willing to learn--doing what was asked of them minus the support of a parent, tutor or college coach. The child that was socially marginalized throughout high school but took counsel in one trusted adult or leaned on the acceptance of one common peer.

All of these students walk among us here at MHS. Some have managed their adversity with profound courage. Upon graduation most of our students will build on the identity they created here at MHS. Some will also be allowed to recreate that identity once they leave MHS.

Come Monday morning after the All Night Graduation Party I feel as though all our graduates become one again. They are all the same; on equal, yet uncertain, footing. The cliques are forced to change once the diplomas are in hand. All the unique differences that defined them melt away. One final time, as a class, they become whole again as they transition into the role of MHS alumni. Frightening thought for some--refreshing thought for others.

Amazing things can happen when “creative friction” exists or when a mountain appears before us--and we are forced to climb it knowing there is a reward on top. The goal maybe invisible at certain junctures, but crystal clear at other points. It has also been said that we “are much more sure-footed walking uphill than downhill.”

As our seniors shuffle out of MHS and into their newly found landing spaces we hope they bring with them an element of resiliency. We hope that they possess that special trait that allows them to assimilate to an unknown environment where conditions are not always optimal, but those conditions force them to reach further and grow stronger.





A picture of the NO LIGHT plant which grew longer and stronger than the CONTROL plant.

Technology and Apps to Support Mental Health and Mindfulness

By Stephanie Worthley

The MHS Counselors spent time this summer creating a toolbox of resources for our students to use when struggling with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. Apps and websites can be effective in making therapy more accessible, efficient, and portable. The MHS Counselors used Summer R&D time to research apps and websites that can most efficiently help students whether at school or that they can access at home.

The following apps have all been reviewed and previewed by the MHS Counselors and may prove to be helpful in times of stress:

Calm
    Calm is the #1 app for meditation and sleep. Join the millions experiencing lower stress, less anxiety, and more restful sleep with our guided meditations, Sleep Stories, breathing programs, masterclasses, and relaxing music. Recommended by top psychologists, therapists, and mental health experts.
    Guided meditation sessions are available in lengths of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 minutes so you can choose the perfect length to fit with your schedule.
    Topics include:
* Calming Anxiety * Managing Stress * Deep Sleep * Focus and Concentration * Relationships
* Breaking Habits * Happiness * Gratitude * Self-Esteem * Body Scan * Loving-Kindness
* Forgiveness * Non-judgement * Commuting to work or school * Mindfulness at College
* Mindfulness at Work * Walking meditation * Calm Kids * And so much more...

Headspace
Headspace is the simple way to reframe stress. Sleep trouble? Meditation creates the ideal conditions for a good night’s rest. Relax with guided meditations and mindfulness techniques that bring calm, wellness and balance to your life in just a few minutes a day.

Calm Harm
Calm Harm provides tasks to help you resist or manage the urge to self-harm. The app then provides you with four categories of tasks to help you surf the urge. ‘Distract' helps in learning self-control; ‘Comfort' helps you care rather than harm; 'Express Yourself' gets those feelings out in a different way and ‘Release' provides safe alternatives to self-injury. There is also a ‘Breathe' category to help calm and get back in control.
Calm Harm has been developed for teenage mental health charity stem4 by Dr Krause, Consultant Clinical Psychologist using the basic principles of an evidence based treatment called Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT).

Safety Plan
Suicidal thoughts can seem like they will last forever – but these thoughts and feelings pass with time. This app is designed to support those dealing with suicidal thoughts and help prevent suicide.
Having a plan in place that can help guide you through difficult moments can help you cope and keep you safe. A safety plan is designed so that you can start at the beginning and continue through the steps. You can customize your own warning signs that a crisis may be developing, coping strategies for dealing with suicidal urges, places for distraction, friends and family members you can reach out to, professionals you can call, methods of making your environment safe, and your own important reasons for living.
If following your safety plan is not enough to stem a suicidal crisis, then this app also contains an easy-to-access list of emergency resources so that help is just a tap away. For long-term recovery, we provide a thorough guide to dealing with suicidal thoughts.

Mindshift
Struggling with anxiety? Tired of missing out? There are things you can do to stop anxiety and fear from controlling your life. MindShift is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it.
MindShift will help you learn how to relax, develop more helpful ways of thinking, and identify active steps that will help you take charge of your anxiety.

Breath2Relax
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing.Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management.

Moodtools
If you are feeling sad, anxious, or depressed, lift your mood with MoodTools! MoodTools is designed to help you combat depression and alleviate your negative moods, aiding you on your road to recovery.
MoodTools contains several different research-supported tools. They include:
  - Thought Diary - Improve your mood by analyzing your thoughts and identifying negative / distorted thinking patterns based on principles from Cognitive Therapy
  - Activities - Regain your energy by performing energizing activities and tracking your mood before and after, based on Behavioral Activation Therapy
  - Safety Plan - Develop a suicide safety plan to keep you safe and utilize emergency resources during a suicidal crisis
  - Information - Read information, self-help guidelines, and find help with internet resources
  - Test - Take the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire and track your symptom severity over time
  - Video - Discover helpful YouTube videos that can improve your mood and behavior, from guided meditations to enlightening TED talks

Booster Buddy
Manage your personal wellness journey and earn achievements as your sidekick guides you through a series of daily quests designed to establish and sustain positive habits.
•Check-in with how you are feeling each day
•Use coping skills
•Keep track of appointments and medications
•Get started on tasks
•Follow self-care routines
•Increase real-life socialization

YouTube: Marconi Union
Relax and restore your mind body and soul
Neuroscience Says Listening to This Song Reduces Anxiety by Up to 65 Percent
The group that created "Weightless", Marconi Union, did so in collaboration with sound therapists. Its carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and bass lines help slow a listener's heart rate, reduce blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/neuroscience-says-listening-to-this-one-song-reduces-anxiety-by-up-to-65-percent.html

Standards Based Reporting

Standards Based Reporting
A principal gives us pause with some analytical thoughts on grading

by Erik Ormberg

On May 9th I sat in on a Sociology class as middle school principal Nat Vaughn presented on Standards Based Reporting.  I had heard about SBR in passing, but my knowledge remains limited. The only way I see SBR in action, in my mind, is when I look at my 9 year old’s 3rd grade report card.

Mr. Vaughn started off by asking the class “What’s the goal?  What are you here for?”

“To learn.”

He asked the students about how easy it is for them to pick out the “easy” teachers and the “hard” teachers.  Most of those opinions are created by the traditional A-F grading scale. Simple formula….the teacher who gives the most As is “easy” and the teacher who doesn’t is “hard.”  There was general agreement about these statements.

Mr. Vaughn then went off on the arbitrary nature of letter grades (the D+ always fascinated me….”you are doing excellently poor work”) and the even more inane “Comment Section”.  The canned two-comment component has long been established as protocol on report cards at both the high school and middle school. Report cards are littered with the non-academically pointed “pleasure to have in class,” or hard-hitting, “missing work has impacted grade” or the telling, “conduct good.”

One student pushed back by saying that their parents only cared about the comments and that the grades didn’t matter.  A telling sidebar as to what some people really want to see on a report card:  honest feedback that goes well beyond a random collection of quiz grades, test grades, homework grades, lab grades combined with extra credit, re-dos, book reports, test corrections, group projects, presentations, attendance and alternate assessments.

The main area of focus, as described by Mr. Vaughn, revolved around offering “an equitable experience for kids.”  Grading lacks consistency across disciplines and, oftentimes within disciplines.  

Mr. Vaughn shared a GRADE DISTRIBUTION REPORT showing three teachers who teach the same subject in the same grade.  In terms of “As” one teacher gave 19%, another 71% and another 54%. After seeing this deviation a decade ago, Mr. Vaughn started asking some questions about that lack of consistency.

After consulting with members of the math department Mr. Vaughn asked about “acceptable variations” on grade reports.  His findings concluded that 10% would be the acceptable variation. Given how far off the variation was he started to look at reasons why:

• Is it different expectations?
• Different types of assignments?
• Teaching style?
• How teachers weigh each grade?
• Scaling?
• Bonus questions/Extra Credit?
• Calculator?
• Partial credit?
• Quiz/Test corrections?
• Homework passes?
• Drop the lowest grade?

Many of us in education...teachers/students/parents enjoy the perks of the homework pass or the policy of dropping the lowest grade.  We seem to like it when it benefits us.  But when we start looking at averages and the deviations that exist all of sudden our public school mandate that states all kids should be given a FAPE (Free and Appropriate Public Education) is called into question.

Mr. Vaughn then started to look at those “averages”.  Can students with the same grade be completely different students?  One student is a “grinder,” does all the homework and in-class assignments, but just doesn’t test well.  Another student, with the same grade, does half the homework assigned, pays little to no attention in class, but aces the tests.  If the student and parents see the same grade what might be more important is what is “behind the grade”: work ethic, group participation, willingness to push the conversation in class, effort and self-advocacy.

There were two slides in the powerpoint that captured my attention.  The first was a slide showed how most of the New England region is embracing SBR.  Massachusetts remains the one state not embracing SBR. The other interesting slide showed what traits people in the business world are looking for in a quality job applicant.

Top three: Bottom three:

Problem Solving Numeracy

Team work Emotional Intelligence

Communication Entrepreneurship

Do grades allow us to provide any feedback on these and other life skills and learning skills?  Are we accurately assessing students on CONTENT STANDARDS and LEARNING SKILLS when we give them grades?  

In thinking about how much technology has impacted the education of Medfield students in just the past five years I can think of other skill sets that are applied each day and graded and commented on through a system that seems far more draconian than cutting edge.

Mr. Vaughn stated that he likes “push back” from students and staff and today was not the day for that.  My question wasn’t WHY?.....but WHEN? Who will be first to rip down the old grading scale and integrate what we know are more telling descriptors of student learning.

As a high school guidance counselor I give much more than a cursory glance at a student’s transcript when I am writing a letter of recommendation.  But what I rely on more than GPA, ACT and SAT is our twenty-question Counselor Recommendation Form. Here is where we ask kids about their passions, how they deal with adversity, what their strengths and weaknesses are.  That form is much more telling of who the child is as a learner, musician, athlete, community servant or thespian.

Clearly Mr. Vaughn is passionate about the topic of SBR.  During a ninety minute block period he captivated the juniors and seniors in the class.  He took questions and provided some personal anecdotes about how kids learn differently, even sharing a story of a friend who hated his schooling experience all the way through college.  That friend has gone on to lead a very successful life with a fulfilling family and job.

After the presentation another discussion was had about providing staff the appropriate amount of time to do meaningful reflection and offer meaningful feedback for students--something that goes far beyond the “pleasure to have in class,” feedback we currently provide.  Many things need to change in order for this initiative to:

1. Be meaningful for all
2. Be accepted wholly as acceptable change
3. Be more than a one-year initiative

My hope is that our current grading system moves in a direction that is more consistent for kids.  An argument was made today for Standards Based Reporting and, quite honestly, there wasn’t much pushback in the room.  

One of Mr. Vaughn’s final thoughts echoed as the students dispersed, “Students can learn without grades, but they can’t learn without timely, descriptive feedback.”

Courageous Conversations: ADL’s 24th Annual Youth Congress

by Matt Marenghi

The Blake Middle School Anti-Defamation League Peer Leaders made their annual trip to Boston this past Friday, April 13 for ADL’s 24th annual Youth Congress. Not only were this year’s speakers fantastic, a group of our veteran ADL Peer Leaders (Zoe, Sophia, and Freya) actually ran a breakout session.

We first heard from sisters Deanna and Mya Cook, students who had received multiple detentions at school for having hair extensions. The sisters felt that their hair extensions are reflective of their culture and identity, and thus any effort to not allow them would be discriminatory. They led a courageous fight to end their school’s discriminatory hair policy and inspired all of us in the same. “To make changes you have to make others aware. If I had stayed silent and removed my braids, the school would have continued doing it to other girls.”

The keynote speaker was Brittany Packnett, an educator, writer, and national leader in social justice that stood in protest on the front lines in Ferguson, Missouri. The passion for justice with which she spoke infected and inspired all of us. As much I was engaged, it was more satisfying to see how these speakers engaged our students. As Ms. Packnett exclaimed, “Courage is scary but silence is scarier. Never underestimate your power as students to change the world!”

A shot of fellow guidance counselor Ms. Allen and I with our peer leaders at the ADL Youth Congress

(I am flash sensitive, not asleep :)

Our own ADL Peer Leaders, Zoe, Sophia, and Freya did an awesome job leading their breakout session, giving a lesson in tolerance and understanding to other New England area middle schoolers. The rest of our Peer Leaders were fortunate to attend their own breakout sessions, getting the opportunity to connect with Peer Leaders from other area schools.

As is the case every year, I feel so fortunate to bring students from Blake to this event. It is truly a highlight for Blake’s ADL Peer Leader program.