Campus Voices
Middle School
Now that I am midway through my second year at BB&N, I can finally take a breath and look back at the experience so far. As Middle School counselor and the coordinator of the advisory program and its co-curriculum, I have much to reflect upon. What stands out most are the many new initiatives we have undertaken in our advisory program’s co-curriculum.
Throughout last school year, a team of us worked closely together to develop and pilot changes to an already strong and successful program. We had several goals in mind: streamline the curriculum between the grades into a two-year program, provide more opportunity for the 7th and 8th graders to interact with one another, and create systems that would, hopefully, promote a greater sense of community among the students.
Armed with information and feedback from the faculty, our small team was given a Stowe grant and worked throughout the summer. We created the first-year pilot of a new co-curriculum that encompasses all of the wonderful units that have been successful in the past, while adding some new elements. This was a huge job and a risky one too. One can never know how a pilot will play out once it is out there and brought to life! With the support of the faculty, and the openness of the students, we have forged ahead into new territory. Some changes have worked, some have not, but we are learning as we go and having fun on the journey. Most recently, we completed a comprehensive unit on bullying, differences, and kindness. This is a unit that has been a part of the co-curriculum for some time, but this year we decided to try something new.
Beginning with a required summer read of James Howe’s The Misfits, we set the stage for the year, highlighting the importance of caring for and respecting one another. During Orientation, the students combined their homerooms with both 7th and 8th graders and engaged in a discussion about the book. The following week, we hosted a parent coffee that fostered a second discussion among adults regarding not only the book, but also the topic—embracing the differences in others.
In December and January, both grades began their respective study of differences and the concept of embracing them in themselves and in others. This unit explored culture, religion, race, sexual orientation, and gender.
In the final wrap up, we chose to bring it all together by revisiting the concept brought forth in The Misfits – a No Name-Calling Week. In schools across the country, this nationally recognized event has become a favorite in elementary and middle schools. Its goal is to highlight for students how their words can hurt others and to accept the challenge of declaring their school a “name-calling-free zone,” if only for a week.
Prior to the week itself, we asked the students to complete two activities within a mixed homeroom setting of both 7th and 8th graders. First, each student was asked to take an index card and write down any name or names they may have been called in their life that truly hurt them. After advisors collected the cards, they moved on to the second activity called “I was just kidding!” In this activity, students were given a series of scenarios and were asked to identify whether the characters were engaging in harmless teasing or hurtful behavior. Following the activities, the index cards were used in creation of a “No Name-Calling” bulletin board. Some of the names on the cards were surprisingly harsh, nevertheless, we posted them all. In addition to the cards, we added tips and information on bullying and how to be a good friend. Once the names were hung up for all to see, the buzz began. Our community was faced with the shocking reality of the names posted on the board. Conversations were sparked throughout the building and follow-up discussions began for all.
At the end of the week, we hosted Kevin Jennings, the founder and former executive director of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network). GLSEN originally spearheaded the concept of No Name-Calling Week and it seemed fitting that Kevin would round out our first attempt at the event with an assembly and guided discussion on the topic. While at BB&N, Kevin also spoke to students at the Upper School and to a group of 30 faculty members that evening as part of BB&N’s faculty enrichment seminar series.
As we move into the final quarter of the year, we will continue to experiment with new lesson plans in the advisory pilot and look forward to the challenges! Many thanks to Mary Dolbear, Julie Lindstrom, Gus Means, John Zuzenak, Beth Brooks, and Kathi Gellar for their help and support of the No Name-Calling project.
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