Parent Resources in a Time of Unrest

I have not been able to write for the past week. I could tell you it was the stress of COVID-19, trying to lead a school at a distance, and holding a drive-in style Graduation. But, that would not be true to myself, and my beliefs – something I tell our students is so very important and meaningful. COVID-19 has been worrisome, and managing distance learning for three months has been challenging, but neither has made my heart ache like the racism that exists in our country and our world. Several recent events have brought this to the fore – yet, again.

Nelson Mandela wrote: No one is born hating another person because of the color of their skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love; for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite. Each and every one of us, as educators and role models for children, must do better. To say change is necessary is not enough. We must commit to doing the work immediately, and continually, as we listen, learn and have meaningful conversations about race in our country. This will be hard.

I believe that we can and should have these conversations in PK – Grade 8 schools. I told the Kent School employee group last Thursday in our closing meetings that along with our rigorous and relevant curriculum, which may have to be delivered in a hybrid way, kindness will also be the focus of next academic year. We must intentionally teach children how to be kind to each other in order to change minds and hearts. It is normal to be kinder to people we know and like.

Our employee summer read is A Passion for Kindness: Making the World a Better Place to Lead, Love and Learn. I am pleased to share that in October Kent School will host the book’s author, Tamara Letter, as the endowed Kudner Leyon Visiting Writer. I also highly recommend this wonderful resource for you.

In addition, I want to share some resources to help you talk with your children at home about racism and the protests that are occurring. 

My colleague Brenda Leaks, the Head of Seattle Girls’ School, a Middle School, wrote a poignant op ed I commend to you about having conversations about racism with children. 

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/we-must-have-difficult-conversations-about-racism-with-our-children/

The New York Times list for children’s books on racism is comprehensive. 

For an at home activity whenever you feel your child needs to practice being kind to people who are different from them, consider Just Like Me, from Harvard’s Making Caring Common initiative. https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/resources-for-families/just-like-me

I also recommend reading Love by Matt de la Pena and Loren Long, and Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller. I have read both of these books to our Pre-K, Kindergarten, and First Grade students this year, and they are wonderful children’s books to read together with your daughter or son, even if they are in Middle School.  

Kent School is committed to diversity. Our School’s Diversity Statement affirms that we recognize that a diverse student, parent, faculty, and trustee population gives us all the opportunity to learn and grow from the many valuable differences and perspectives that our community offers. We strive to create an environment where differences are understood, respected, and valued.

The peaceful protests we have witnessed nationwide give me hope. I have hope as I watch young people speak up, that they will not repeat the mistakes of the past. I have hope as I watch my own adult children’s current outrage over a broken system. I have hope as I witness crowds of multiracial humans protesting peacefully for injustice. I have hope for our future.

I believe that our country needs compassionate, empathetic leadership in politics and policy making, and after witnessing our 8th Graders complete their Middle School years and graduate from Kent School last week, I am confident we are preparing the humans that our world deeply needs. 

We Adapt

by Todd Mignosa, Middle School Science Teacher

By this time last year, my long-term sub experience had recently run its course, I was mid-stride into a busy season of leading paddle trips for kids on the Eastern Shore, and I was planning on returning to Kent School as a math teacher come Fall. Before the summer even hit its hottest days, the theme of the year had become apparent. Adapting to change; it seems a fitting description of the year and, coincidently, the last subject my seventh grade science class studied during distance learning.

I got the offer midsummer to return to teaching middle school science rather than math. I was excited about many aspects of transitioning into a math teacher, but the comfort of sticking with something more familiar led me to opt for science. With the speed that the summer flew by, I’m glad to have made that decision. 

This was going to be my first time starting the school year off as a teacher. I was looking forward to taking more ownership of my classes, setting the tone, establishing the pace, defining the expectations. This is something that I quickly learned to be easier said than done. Most of the students already had me as a teacher the previous year, and many of them participated in summer camp trips with me. They already had expectations of how the year would go. This proved to be challenging as well as a relief because I was able to build on my foundation from the previous year, but some of that foundation needed to be rebuilt.

Given my background in outdoor education, I am constantly struggling but learning to adapt to teaching in a more formal classroom setting, which is not a fact that is lost on the students. In my mind, this is my greatest challenge and my greatest strength as an educator. I used to teach horseback riding and would tell the kids not to allow a horse to eat plants on the trail because once you let it take advantage of you and that neck drops, good luck pulling that hundred pound, stubborn head back up. There were many times in which I could have benefitted from being more strict, especially at the year’s onset. At the same time, my demeanor has allowed me to create rapport with and form connections to students that I don’t think I otherwise would have been able to. I strive to find a balance there that will only come with experience.

Near the start of the school year, I was also adapting to my new roles as full-time bus/van driver and helping out with boy’s PE. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching PE. It was a welcome break during the day to get active and switch things up a bit. I’d be lying if I said that driving the bus wasn’t exhausting. Luckily, by the time I was starting to feel really burnt out by all the driving, Spring Break had hit.

I’m sure that all the changes and adapting that occurred post-Spring Break goes without saying. Looking towards next year, I am very excited to work on the curriculum and incorporate more labs and experiential activities. I’m sure the school year will take a different form than usual, but, as always, we’ll adapt.