Community Engagement

The Kearsarge Regional School District is currently working under the 2016-2022 Strategic Plan. I know that's a catchy beginning, but stick with me. One of the goals of the strategic plan, Goal 4 reads as follows:

Goal 4: The KRSD will involve families, businesses, and community organizations to increase student
engagement and personalized learning opportunities.

Increasing communication and partnerships with the greater Kearsarge community provides opportunities
for students to engage in authentic learning outside of the classroom.  A community that is more involved
and aware of the workings of schools is more supportive. Higher levels of student engagement lead to
higher levels of student achievement.

Objectives identified for Goal 4 are:

• Form a district level committee to increase and improve community partnerships
• Collaborate with the communication committee to increase community awareness of school

programs and achievements.

• Inventory community partnerships currently in place and identify areas to develop new community

partnerships.

• Develop new partnerships which increase student engagement and opportunity.
• Create sustainability in all projects through reflection and refinement of offerings to meet student

needs.

We are fortunate that we partner with many areas businesses and community members. Here at the middle school we have a wonderful STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) camp facilitated by KRSD teachers who invite all kinds of guests who work in STEM careers, Hypertherm, WMUR, etc. It is a wonderful enriching summer opportunity for our students and the guests who participate. We also had a terrific career day organized by our Family And Consumer Science - FACS teacher Robin Young. Robin Arranged for fourteen guests to come to school and meet with our eighth graders. Each student was able to see several different presentations, the kids benefitted a great deal. We will continue to maintain these traditions and we are open to more.

One aspect of this Community Engagement Goal is our new district level committee. We have met three times now. We are comprised in this earliest stage of all staff members, and we will be reaching out soon to learn more about how we can meet the needs of parents and families when it comes to helping students k-12 succeed in school. Several, at least half, of the members of the community engagement committee are also parents of students in the district. The committee has elementary, middle, and high school representation. Right now we are reading a book together, Beyond the Bake Sale. All research is clear that community engagement helps students learn and grow more than they will without it. We realize we need to make schools welcoming that's our number one goal. We will need feedback from as many parents as possible.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, ideas, time, to contribute you may do so on the comment section of this blog, email me at pmercier@kearsarge.org, call 927-2100 and ask to speak with me, skywriting, smoke signals. You get the idea. I look forward to working with you.

Our guiding principle based on Beyond the Bake Sale is "to build a vital, trusting, productive community of people who enjoy learning from each other and can work through their differences in the interests of the children." 

Digital Well-Being

Are you addicted to your phone?  To social media?  To Facebook?

Before you respond, you have to read this article about how technology companies are making your experience addicting on purpose and by specific design.  Don't fret though.  Those red notifications that are shown to you intentionally to elicit a response can be overcome.  Here are some tips on how to avoid the addiction traps.

One thing that struck me when I was reading this information was how easy it is for adults to become as addicted as kids.  Adults seem to be able to notice when commercials are trying to convince us to buy products we don't need and when grocery stores place that candy at the checkout line so that kids might ask for it, but we don't apply the same understanding to our phone.

Check out this resource called Truth About Tech:  A Road Map for Kids' Digital Well-Being offered by Common Sense Media.  It is an exceptional article that highlights how technology that captures the attention of our children isn't always what is best for their well-being.  Please, please, please read the Road Map.  It has data that might shock you.  It also has some specific ways that we can act.

Please use the comment feature below to discuss which data point alarmed you and which call to action we can do as a KRMS team.

Works Cited

Filucci, Sierra. “Control Your Phone. Don't Let It Control You.”
Common Sense Media: Ratings, Reviews, and Advice, Common Sense Media,
1 Feb. 2018, www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/control-your-phone-dont-let-it-control-you.

“Kids' Digital Well-Being Is Common Sense | Common Sense Media.”
Common Sense Media: Ratings, Reviews, and Advice, Common Sense Media,
www.commonsensemedia.org/digital-well-being.

“Take Control.” Center for Humane Technology, humanetech.com/take-control/.

Device Free Dinner Challenge

The 8th graders from KRMS were in Washington, D.C. this past week for their annual class trip.  On Thursday night, they experienced a dinner at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  One of the chaperones decided to take action with the constant cell phone use.  She went around to each table and requested that all students place their cell phones in the middle of the table and enjoy the company of their classmates for a few minutes during this meal.  While it only lasted for a few short moments, students did comply with putting their phones down until they finished their meal.  

Could it be as easy as making this simple request to your kids at dinner time?  Probably not.  Don't fret, though, because Common Sense Media has a Family Guide for this challenge.  Common Sense Media links to a resource that has conversation starters, pickles & predicaments, challenging conversations, recipes for conversation shareables and conversation starter shareables.  

The Common Sense Media Family Guide on Device Free Dinners includes links to several articles.  One that I found particularly interesting was about Steve Jobs being a low tech parent despite being a high tech giant.  Another one that was helpful is from The Family Dinner Project and it's called Technology at the Table.  These are some of the questions asked in the article:

• Would you expect someone whose job revolves around technology to limit its use within their own home?  Why or why not?
• Should the same rules that apply to kids apply to parents?  Why or why not?
• Can you think of any reasons why it's sometimes good to take a break from screen time?

I hope that you will find the resources from Common Sense Media on Device Free Dinners helpful and that you will share your own advice on how you manage this in your home.

Check out this video about Device Free Dinners in the News.  

Service Dog at KRMS!

 We are fortunate enough in the Middle School, to have a service dog.  That’s right!  A dog in our school, that is keeping one of our wonderful kids, safe and healthy!  I will be honest, I know what a service animal is and what they are used for.  I know basic, very basic rules of etiquette for a service dog.  I have learned a lot now that we have a dog in our school community, and I am loving every minute of it!  I thought I would pass along some of the info and resources, so you can learn about it too.

Service animals are highly trained working animals, that are skilled in assisting people with all types of disabilities.  Individuals with hearing and vision impairments, Diabetes, stability issues, seizure disorders, the list goes on.  It is truly amazing how they can pick up on the slightest thing. 

I am going to bring you back to when I was a Hospice Nurse.  I worked for the VNA, and had the pleasure of being with patients and their families throughout the dying process.  

I will never forget a certain husband and wife.  The husband was terminally ill, and planned to stay at home till the end.  The couple had 3 very loud, yippy dogs that took a while to get used to.  They were very protective of their owner, and as time went by, they allowed me into their world, and let me care for their owner.  As the months passed, and their owner declined, the dogs became quieter, calmer and stayed close by.  They growled at times, even when the wife tried to help her husband.   I will never forget, the wife asked ‘how will I know that death is close?’, and my response was “your dogs will let you know”.  Later that night, the dogs would not leave her husband’s bed, close to his side, and did not move until their owner passed away.  The on call nurse was called, and the wife told her that she knew right away when the dogs changed their behavior.   

SO...on a lighter note...What does this look like for our school?  A service dog in the school setting means, the dog will be part of our community.  Seen in classes,  sporting events, activity nights, the cafeteria and on the bus.  Leashed and in control, but still an animal in the school.

While Service dogs are working, no matter where they are, there is a strict “no touch policy.”  If the dog is distracted, it takes their attention away from their person, therefore lessening their effectiveness.  The owner and dog have a routine and a bond.  For middle school students, and staff, we need to be respectful of the dog and the dog’s purpose while in the school. 

Service dogs get breaks, and get to play.  But keep in mind, they are trained to live their life to serve their owner (which I believe most dogs are like this instinctively), but this is more strict. 

If you are concerned about allergies, we are told that there is animal dander almost everywhere we go.  The potential exposure is minimal since the dog is with the student, around the clock, and there is no petting of the dog while in school.  KRMS has a limited amount of carpeted areas throughout the school where pet dander could settle.

Here is a link to a CNN video segment, featuring Elle Shaheen, who resides in Portsmouth NH with her Diabetic Medic Alert dog, Coach. 

Also, please refer to the KRSD Service Animal Policy for the District on the district web page.  

This has been such a fun topic to learn about, talk about, and now see, in our school!

Parenting Pitfalls

This is a photo recreation we did on my son's 16th birthday.  He was always such a serious little guy with an intense stare ... recreated without difficulty as a 16 year old.

Sorry for getting a little personal here, but ….

Shortly after giving birth to my son, I was holding his tiny, new body, taking in his miraculous beauty, when my new-mother-bliss suddenly evaporated and I was left with the horrifying realization that … I was responsible for keeping this little human ALIVE!!! This hardcore reality was incomprehensible in the moment, and I couldn’t believe I’d been so arrogant to think I could take on such a monumental responsibility.

Fast forward 16 plus years, and I look back at that time as so simple, so straightforward. Parenting a teenager is so much more complicated and scary.  Now my role as a parent requires that I help him stay safe, and healthy, and informed; that I talk to him and reflect back to him, and help him reflect on himself in a healthy and productive way. I, by all means, do not expect a perfect child, and I try to be appreciative of all of the mistakes he is making, taking comfort in thinking how many lessons he is learning along the way! However. It’s amazing how I beat up on myself when I start comparing him to the children of my friends. Why isn’t he running for student government? Why isn’t he pursuing lacrosse recruitment camp opportunities? Why isn’t he applying to be a U.S. Senate Page? Why isn’t he studying for the SATs? (He prefers to “wing it”.) Why this? Why that? It is a vicious and horrible rumination, and surprisingly hard to pull out of to focus on the fact that: my son is a caring, compassionate, hard working, and kind human being. Period. But as much as I know and value this about him, I still find that when I talk to friends with teenagers, or if I’m on dreaded Facebook, I compare, compare, compare. I can’t seem to avoid it.  

My problem is not unique- quite the contrary, it is part of the human condition. I’m guessing you may be able to relate all too well to my experience. So, I want to share two simple things that have helped me gain a healthier perspective of my parenting, and of my children. And I am hoping, in the vein of “Symbiosis,” that you will share in the comments section what has helped you with this issue.

First, I have created my own little informal parenting support group. I have three friends that I talk to about my parenting struggles and concerns. These three friends have been carefully vetted (unbeknownst to them): I need them to have similar parenting approaches as I, so that I can more readily put into practice suggestions they may offer; have similar values as I, so that we don’t slip into conversion tactics; and have kids that aren’t complete rock stars that will frankly just make me feel bad about myself. These friends listen to me, validate my concerns, and help me problem solve issues, while reminding me what great kids I have. I’ve gotten better and better at turning to them for support when I get in my beat-myself-up mode (which is still fairly often).

Second, I require weekly one-on-one time with each kid. We all have busy schedules, so we fit it in as best we can. It can be helping me make dinner, playing a board game or cards together, taking a walk in the woods with the dog, weeding, or even driving in the car (captive audience, no escape!). It has to be one-on-one for it to count (although the dog is the exception), and it has to be at least a half hour. I more often than not get an eye roll when I remind them it’s time, but they are always appreciative afterwards. Really appreciative. Every. Single. Time. And as a counselor I know that doing something with someone else allows for much easier conversation, as opposed to sitting down and talking. The discussions that have come out of these times have been meaningful, meaty, difficult, and amazing. That’s when I can truly gain appreciation for the person my child is developing into, and have a much better understanding of what he needs from me.

So there is that. As I said, I would love to hear what parenting hacks and helpful hints you have come up with to help with your sanity. There are all kinds of parenting books, blogs, articles, and podcasts out there … but the community of families that we have right here all around us is a treasure trove of knowledgeable experience. And if you’d like to spend some time with some of these fantastic, experienced parents who love to share and learn our “best of” parenting ideas, join our Parenting Workshops that we have in the library here at the Middle School.  There are two coming up - one on Wednesday, March 28, and the next on Thursday, April 5. Both will be from 5:30 to 7:00, and will include childcare. We have Rick Stockwell presenting, and then time set aside for discussion and idea sharing. It’s a fun and informative community event, and a great opportunity to meet other families in the district, who are likely struggling with some of the same parenting challenges as you. I would love to see you there.

Social Media and Body Image

When you think of social media, is the first thing that comes to your mind a selfie?  You know, the fish face with pursed lips?  Why do we take these pictures?  Better still, why do we post these pictures?

I read an article posted by Common Sense Media called "Is Social Media Giving Your Teen A Negative Body Image?"  The article was written in 2014 by Caroline Knorr and you can read the full text of it here.  Her thoughts are that students are seeking body image validation.  She comments that students learn how to edit and alter their photos from a very young age.  She references a statistic that 80% of 10-year-olds have been on a diet.

Common Sense Media offers this article to help your daughter with body image issues and this article to help your son with body image issues.

This infographic offers ways to help your child.

While this article is old (2014), all you have to do is Google social media and body image to find tons of current research.  This is a thing.  Kids (boys and girls) are dealing with unrealistic body image issues because of this early exposure and judgment of their images posted on social media.  Our culture is obsessed with women's looks.  Girls seek to imitate celebrities despite the fact that sometimes the celebrities use surgery, makeup, and photo editing to reach their final "camera perfect" appearance.

Take Away Messages

• Worry about your son's body image as much as your daughter's.  It's not just a girl thing.
• Ban "fat talk" in your home.
• Help your child find a positive social media outlet.
• Focus on healthy living instead of body image.  
• Seek to feel good about your own body image as your vocal dissatisfaction could be projecting to your kids.
• Remember media is very influential so challenge assumptions and stereotypes when you see them on commercials or tv shows.

Social media is meant to offer your child a community to share and be supportive.  It wasn't meant to rob your child of his/her self-esteem or fret about body image.  Social media is a great thing when used productively.  Our kids need our guidance.  Keep your eyes open for this issue of body image with your kids and use the Common Sense Media files as conversation starters.

Please use the comments section to offer advice or to share a story about your experience in moving your child in a positive direction with social media use.

Digital Portfolios as Evidence of ICT Proficiency

As the technology integrator for the middle school and high school, one of my roles is to work with teachers to integrate technology into their curriculum in order to deepen understanding for students on content topics.  Each teacher is at a unique spot on his/her technology journey so the assistance that I provide is personalized.

Usually, when a teacher delivers an integrated lesson, there will be a digital artifact as an output for the lesson.  This digital artifact then ends up in a student's digital portfolio.

At the end of 8th grade, the digital portfolios are assessed for basic ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) proficiency.  If the student's digital portfolio is assessed as proficient, then that student has met the criteria for technology and is able to register for the required 1/2 credit advanced technology course in high school.

There is a reflection component that occurs with major digital projects.  These reflections will become part of the digital portfolio as well.

While students don't always enjoy the reflecting process, it is a valuable experience.  It's very eye-opening for teachers as well to see how students reflect.

One of the reflection questions is often about one of the "habits of mind" (HOM) adopted this year by KRMS.

There are 3 key areas for the HOM:  Being Responsible, Being Respectful and Being Resilient.

On a recent combined project for Language Arts and Science affectionately known as the "Human Body Project," students were required to reflect on the HOM of being a responsible learner.

Here is the specific question:

Q3:  One of the KRMS Habits of Mind is “I am Responsible for my success as a learner.”  This includes being dependable, which is defined on the poster as “being on time, being prepared for class, staying on task, owning your actions and being honest.”  

For this reflection question, offer an honest assessment of whether you exhibited the habit of mind of being responsible or not. Give one specific example of how you did or didn’t exhibit this HOM and one specific piece of advice you will give yourself for your next research project.

Student 1
After nearly 1½ months of research and work, I believe that the Habits of Mind helped me work through this project. “Being on time, being prepared for class, staying on task, and owning your actions and being honest.” These character traits help create the ideas that make up who I am.

Student 2
I think one way I didn’t exhibit HOM was using my time wisely. I got pretty far ahead of my friends, so some of the classes I wouldn’t take full advantage of to finish my project but, to talk to friends. Advice I would give myself next time would be to utilize the time given and try not to exceed time.

Student 3
I believe that I was sort of dependable but I really need to improve on always staying on task. Even though the due date seems far away you still have to put in a lot of work and effort into your presentation. I think next time I do a project I should work on using my time wisely and not wasting time. Some days I would talk a lot with my friends and I have to decrease that time to put more energy into my project.

Student 4
I think that I could have been more responsible with my research. We were given plenty of time in class and I feel that I didn’t appreciate it enough. Next time I am given research to do, I will use my given class time to do as much as I can.

Student 5

I did not exhibit the habit of mind of being responsible. I procrastinated and did not use my class time well most of the time. In the end, I pulled it together really well. For my next research project, I will make sure I do not talk as much and get my work done instead. I am going to try to do better when I do my science fair project.

Ask your child to show you his/her digital portfolio.  It's in your child's Google Account in the Google Sites App.  Some of the students have been collecting artifacts since kindergarten and the portfolio showcases an excellent collection of technology proficiency evidence.  

Check out the reflections as well.

I hope you are impressed with the skills that your child is exhibiting with digital technologies such as completing online research, effectively communicating new information in creative ways, thinking in a computational fashion, and being an innovative designer.  If your child has tech ed for a special, then you will find a dream bedroom design using an online CAD program.  Many students have a collaborative website that they made in 7th grade science class on the water cycle.  Students might also have a video that they created using a greenscreen application.  Some students created a Minecraft world to demonstrate their understanding of their 8th grade reading of The Outsiders.  There is some impressive learning happening with technology.  

Once you look at the digital portfolio, come back and comment on what you have seen.  Ask questions.  Give shout-outs to your kids.  Compliment a teacher.  Give yourself a pat on the back!