Dear HKMS Families,

The concept of “One Trusted Adult” (or OTA) was not coined by Brooklyn Rainey but it has been cultivated by her into an actionable set of principles and beliefs.  Essentially, nearly every measurable outcome we have for children (from increased grades to decreased instances of self-harm) is tremendously impacted by the presence of a “trusted adult” outside of the family.  I am sure you can reflect on that special teacher, coach, clergy, neighbor, or another mentor that made a difference in your life. I have been to countless trainings that end with “...if students in your school have just one trusted adult then…(insert positive outcome).”   I wholeheartedly agree, and my question is always “Yes, but how do we do that? How do we cultivate OTAs in middle schools?!?” 

Until I came upon Ms. Rainey’s book, One Trusted Adult, How to Build Strong Connections and Healthy Boundaries with Young People, I was left guessing as to how we can properly build these relationships at scale.  Having just completed our staff-wide book club reading of OTA, we now have many more tools and approaches to build these healthy connections and support our young adolescents through these tumultuous years.  At our most recent faculty meeting, each staff member identified students with whom they had developed a “trusted” relationship.  At the same time, our counselor Mrs. Terry has been doing “1-minute interviews” with every student in the school, asking them if they have a trusted adult.  By cross-walking these “data," we can connect with students who have not yet found their trusted adult and build in more experiences and opportunities with staff to develop rapport. It is my belief this is at the core of our work and will benefit each and every child (and teacher too!). 

We are now in a stretch of days between Thanksgiving and the December winter vacation which are some of the most productive, challenging, and inspiring of the school year.  If the weather cooperates we will have 24 consecutive days without a planned day or half-day off.  The transition from T1 to T2 is a restart for our trimester-based FPA classes, but the rest of the classes are really sinking their teeth into the meatiest part of the school year.  Project-based learning, cooperative lessons, presentations, reports, simulations, and challenging assessments will all be evident in the coming weeks.  Please be sure to monitor your children for signs of stress, as both the holidays, the seasonal lack of  Vitamin D, and higher-than-ever expectations at school can shift children from normal healthy stress to unhealthy levels.  If you think something is off, it likely is. You know them best! Please let us know sooner rather than later.  It is my hope that by cultivating our trusted adults at school we will be better able to support each other as we guide and cheer on these amazing young people we have the privilege to learn alongside.   As John Lennon said, "I may be a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."  

Please accept my best wishes for a restful and relaxing weekend.

Sincerely,

Steven Clapp, Ed.D.

Principal

Helen Keller Middle School

Find your strength, build upon it, and share it!

At HKMS we believe all students should be thriving whether performing below, at, or above grade-level standards.  This section will highlight just one of the ways we support learners and/or extend their thinking. 

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