LGBTQ Staff Presentation

by Anne Lodge

Last week, the Medfield High School staff had the opportunity to hear an excellent presentation by Colby Swettberg, Ed.M., LCSW focused on working effectively with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.  Colby has an impressive resume including a Masters degree in Education with a focus on Anti-homophobia Education from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and a second Masters degree in Clinical Social Work at the Simmons School of Social Work.  She has worked to support LGBTQ individuals through her work in many capacities, providing consulting and trainings as one piece of that.  Colby’s resume is impressive, but her presentation was even more impressive.

During Colby’s work with the Medfield High staff, she shared first hand accounts of LGBT youths’ experiences in school and family settings, statistics and best practices, personal anecdotes, and solid action steps schools can take to increase the safety and support for all LGBTQ youth.  Additionally, she shared information on the differences between gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation.  Here are the highlights from that portion of Colby’s talk:

• Gender identity - how a person feels inside and how a person identifies; a person’s internal experience of their own gender
• Gender expression - the external characteristics or behaviors a person presents (i.e.: clothing, hairstyle, habits, etc.)
• Sexual orientation - who a person is attracted to; it is about who they are, not who you are

Colby shared that gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation exist along a continuum and that a person could be at different points along the continuum.  For example, an individual might identify as a female, yet their gender expression might be more traditionally masculine.  This is completely separate from their sexual orientation.  

Colby’s presentation was incredibly informative and well-received by the faculty.  It is my hope that with a greater awareness and understanding of different backgrounds and identities that all Medfield High School students feel safe and supported.

Wheelock Break Space

By Kathy Bockhorst

Thanks to a Medfield Coalition for Public Education grant, partially funding sensory motor items,   the new Wheelock Break Space has been a busy place at Wheelock.  This fall I have been able to offer all teachers the option to sign students up for one of several small group supervised break space visit with me, each day I am at Wheelock.  Teachers can sign-up different students each week or choose to send the same students several times.  Each visit lasts roughly ten minutes and focuses on making students aware of their ability to self-regulate.  The break space visits I run begin with the students identifying which “zone”  they are in (Blue - sad, bored tired, Green - happy, calm, ready to learn, Yellow - silly, excited, frustrated  or Red - out of control,  from “The Zones of Regulation” by Leah Kuypers).  The students are then free to choose from the many sensory items in the room, including a spinning egg chair, a tunnel, scooter and ramp, building manipulatives, yoga balls and a gym mat. Some groups have worked together to set up an obstacle course.  The Break Space is an “expected” space for students to be in the “Yellow Zone”,  feeling excited and energized.  After about 7 mins of movement the students are again asked to identify which “zone” they are in.  The lights are then dimmed and the students are  guided in a simple deep breathing exercise, thereby engaging in a strategy for returning to the “green zone”.  Many other adults are sharing the break space with students each day. It is a wonderful addition to Wheelock!

Youth Suicide Prevention

by Stephanie Worthley

Recently, I attended a conference, the School Administrator's Role in Youth Suicide Prevention. One of the speakers, Dr. Scott Poland, Co-Director Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University, provided staggering data about teen suicides, school shooters, and bullying. Dr. Poland spoke about best practices for schools, including implementing the SOS Signs of Suicide program. SOS is the only universal school-based suicide prevention program for which a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts has been documented. In a randomized controlled study, the SOS Program showed a reduction in self-reported suicide attempts by 40%. 

On November 18th and 19th, the Guidance Counselors presented the SOS Program to all of our freshman during their Wellness classes. The goals in participating in this program are straightforward:

• To help our students understand that depression is a treatable illness, and help them assess whether or not they may have symptoms consistent with depression.
• To explain that suicide is a preventable tragedy that can occur as a result of untreated depression.
• To provide students training in how to identify serious depression and potential suicidality in a friend.
• To impress upon our students that they can help themselves or a friend by taking a simple step of talking to a responsible adult about their concerns.

In addition to the SOS Program curriculum, the Guidance Counselors showed the students a short video created by Mayo Clinic. In this video, teens describe common signs that a teen is considering suicide and provide encouragement for communicating directly and immediately for support and safety. It also includes suggestions for what to say to a teen who may be at risk for suicide and ways to keep them safe. 

"Suicide Prevention is Everyone's Responsibility." - Dr. Poland

Three Simple Words to a Happier You

by Kathy Mahoney

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the New England Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (NEACRO) annual Reverse College Day in which the keynote speaker focused on gratitude. My biggest takeaway was the power of three simple words used to create a positive mindset. Oftentimes around the dinner table, we ask our family members “How was your day,” an innocuous question that can actually hinder our positive mindset. This question allows varied responses, both positive and negative. “What went well,” on the other hand, forces us to focus on positive happenings throughout our day. When first trying this out, teens might laugh at the idea and respond “nothing” or “I don’t know.” However, with a little prodding, they can think of even the smallest thing that brightened their day. Practiced each day, this method of focusing on the positive can nourish a positive mindset that will make us happier over time. So let me ask you, “What went well today?”

Dynamy

by Amanda Grillo

I recently attended an open house at Dynamy Gap Year in Worcester, MA. Dynamy offers students a year or semester long gap year where they explore hands on learning in the real world. Students will participate in internships and live independently with other Dynamy students. Students can intern in many different career fields including Animal Care, Business, Marketing, Education, Culinary, Media, Athletics, and Craftsmanship. Each week students intern close to 30 hours a week and have opportunities to participate in community service, social activities or take seminars taught by professors from Clark. I had the opportunity to hear from Dynamy students who shared that Dynamy has helped them become more confident, find their career passion and learn how to be an adult by cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping for themselves. Some students came to Dynamy because they needed a break from the typical classroom setting or because they had no idea what they wanted to do after high school, while others deliberately decided to come to Dynamy in order to build their resume and find their passion before attending college. One of the open house attendees asked a Dynamy student if they felt behind compared to their peers who immediately attended college. They said it was hard to explain at first since GAP years aren't a popular choice, but now their friends are jealous of their experience! I was very impressed by the internships offered, the staff and how positively the students and alumni spoke of the program. To learn more visit www.dynamy.org

7th Grade Parent Coffee

On Wednesday, November 4th, Mrs. Dondero had coffee with the 7th grade parents. Mrs. Dondero presented the parents with information about Emotional Intelligence, Stress and Anxiety Management, Self-Discipline and Motivation, 7th Grade specific information, and App Awareness. The parents in attendance seemed most interested in learning more about the Apps that their children are using, and the Apps they should stay away from. Here are some potentially dangerous apps that are popular among kids:
1. Tinder

2. Snapchat

3. Blendr

4. Kik Messenger

5. Whisper

6. Ask.fm

7. Yik Yak

8. Poof

9. Omegle

10. Down

To learn more about these Apps, please click here: 

http://www.foreverymom.com/parents-kids-10-dangerous-apps-time-hit-delete/