Dear MHS Students,

What a weekend.....covid-19 quarantine, murder hornets coming to American, and SNOW in May!! We are going through a pretty unusual time! Think of all the stories you'll have to tell your grand-kids someday!

We have a little less than 6 more weeks of this remote learning to go, and we can do this! However, for our seniors....this week is it! If you need any help accessing your zoom classes or work, please let us know. We're happy to help!

Sincerely,

The MHS Counselors

Mrs. Worthley, Mrs. Mahoney, Mrs. Lodge, Mrs. Padden, Mr. Ormberg, & Mr. Becker

Reconsidering Your Plans for the Fall? Check this out!

NACAC's College Openings Update: Options for Qualified Students

NACAC’s annual College Openings Update: Options for Qualified Students (formerly the Space Availability Survey) is a voluntary listing of NACAC member post-secondary institutions that are still accepting applications from prospective freshman and/or transfer students for the upcoming fall term.

https://www.nacacnet.org/news--publications/Research/CollegeOpenings/

Another Senior Survey

The Medfield High School faculty developed the Vision of the Graduate to go along with our mission statement and core values. Please see our Vision of the Graduate statement here:

Medfield High School envisions a graduate who is an active and reflective member of their community. Students will graduate with the ability to think critically and communicate effectively using technology skillfully and ethically. They will pair these academic skills with empathy and resilience to be prepared for adulthood. Students will be able to balance responsibilities with their physical and social-emotional well being. Students will also show a willingness to take risks, and understand mistakes are part of the journey of a lifelong learner.

Now as graduating seniors, we want your feedback on how these skills are integrated in MHS. Based on the variables and skills listed above, please give us your thoughts on how these skills have translated to your overall readiness to succeed in whatever your chosen next step may be.

Please complete this quick survey here.

Reducing Anxiety With Thought Challenging

Thought challenging is a simple yet powerful cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique for reducing anxiety. Anxiety is best described as the unhelpful thinking patterns you experience when your mind fixates on threat, uncertainty and negativity. Thought challenging helps by broadening your focus to include the bigger picture. Below are two thought challenging techniques you can experiment with. Keep practicing and discover what works best for you.

The ABCDE Technique

Attention – When you feel distressed, stop what you’re doing and pay attention to your inner dialogue. What is your mind telling you?

Believe? – Do not automatically believe your thoughts!

Challenge – Defuse anxiety by broadening your focus. What’s the bigger picture? Is the thought fact or opinion? What might you think if you were feeling calmer?

Discount – Acknowledge that anxiety has been is dominating your thinking and let the unhelpful thoughts go. Explore options – What would be helpful to focus on right now? What options do I have available?

The THINK Technique

True? – Is this thought 100% true? If not, what are the facts, and what is opinion?

Helpful? – Is paying attention to the thought useful to me or others?

Inspiring? – Does the thought inspire me or does it have the opposite effect?

Necessary? – Is it important for me to focus on the thought? Is it necessary to act on it?

Kind? – Is the thought kind? If not, what would be a kinder thought?

Thought Challenging Tips

• Writing or typing your thought challenging process is more powerful than trying to do it in your head. We recommend trying out the free CBT Thought Diary app (Google Play, iTunes).

• If you’re not used to paying this much attention to your inner dialogue, thought challenging might feel unnatural at first. That’s okay. Over time, it’ll start to feel easier.

• This isn’t the most appropriate tool if you’re feeling very distressed, as it can be hard to think rationally when your emotional brain has taken over. Try defusing your emotions with a distraction activity (see the SEL Round Up in the 4th Edition) and returning to thought challenging once you’re feeling calmer.

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