Students Advise on Fostering Free Speech

 

The heads of schools of the Eight Schools Association, of which NMH is a part, recently heard NMH students’ ideas and recommendations about promoting the open exchange of ideas.

Seven NMH students took part in Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR), a program that supports student research into a social justice issue. Students select a topic, and are taught qualitative research skills as they conduct research at their school. Then they analyze the data and make recommendations for addressing the topic they researched.

As this was NMH's first year in this program, student members of the Academic Honor Board were named as participants. The students — Melvin Mercado Bulacia ’19, Lila Flynn ’18, Jonathan Farrell ’18, Ellery Halsey ’18, Anna Martin ’18, Amelia Simmonds ’19, and Alice Villano ’19 — met weekly with Hugh Silbaugh, dean of faculty, and Sarah Warren, academic dean.

They chose to research the question: “What policies and practices at NMH foster or suppress free speech and open political discourse?” They conducted a school-wide survey and interviewed more than 20 students from various demographic backgrounds. The work culminated in a formal presentation to the heads of the Eight Schools Association.

Their recommendations are to:

• Invite speakers with a range of viewpoints
• Teach students how to have productive and respectful discussions
• Train teachers to express their beliefs respectfully and responsibly

“Our students could not have been more thoughtful, poised, articulate, and engaging during their presentations,” said Head of School Peter Fayroian. “More than one of my peers made sure I knew how impressed they were about our students' commitment to and presentation of their research.”

Vaping, Juuling, and Helping Your Student

From Sara Rourke, MD, director of medicine, NMH Health and Wellness Center:
Dear NMH families,
Earlier this year, I wrote to you about vaping and its dangers. It is now clear that the vape vehicle of choice at NMH is Juuling. Nationwide, an estimated 16 percent or more of high school students have vaped, and that number is on the rise.

This semester I have been working with the NMH counseling team as well as Amanda Santos Valenzuela, who leads our health education effort, to address vaping and Juuling at NMH. I would like to take this opportunity to share information about what vaping is and the risks it carries for your teenager.

Amanda recently presented at a faculty meeting about the basics of vaping, inspired by research out of Stanford University, and incorporated a unit on vaping into our ninth-grade health curriculum. She and the peer educators have created posters about the effects of vaping, addiction, media influences, and campus resources to quit vaping. And the peer educators are working on presentations for all-school meeting and Sunday evening dorm talks.

Peer educators inspired the addition of an “amnesty box” at O’Connor. This is an anonymous, safe, and secure space for students to put items that may violate school rules now and in the upcoming academic year. This spring, students have dropped off numerous items including alcohol, Juuls and cartridges, e-cigarettes, medication, and chewing tobacco.

We are awaiting results of this year’s survey by the research team led by Suniya Luthar, which will give us a more accurate sense of the incidence of vaping/Juuling on campus. We will meet soon to prepare for supporting your student in the 2018–2019 academic year.

I strongly encourage you to review the links below to educate yourself, then to have an honest conversation with your student about the health risks of vaping/Juuling. Let your student know that the O’Connor Health and Wellness Center is ready to help with nicotine replacement therapy and/or therapy with our counseling team.

• Juuling
• American Association of Pediatrics vaping fact sheet
• CDC Talking Points: How to talk with your teen
• How does vaping work?

Teaching Fellows Present Research, Stay at NMH

NMH isn’t only for the education of teenagers. The school and the University of Pennsylvania collaborate in a teaching fellowship that gives selected Ivy League graduate students the opportunity to engage in academics and enrichment within the classroom.

In their second year of teaching at NMH and studying at the UPenn Graduate School of Education, teaching fellows conduct a yearlong inquiry into an aspect of their teaching, which they present in lieu of a master’s thesis at the end of the Penn program. In April, we asked Rachael Abernethy, Camryn Crocker, and Seth Montgomery to present their inquiry projects to NMH faculty, both to share their excellent work and to inspire veteran teachers to take an inquiry stance in their own teaching and learning.

Rachael presented her work on helping students cultivate a writing process that can develop their thinking and sustain them through the challenges of reading deeply and thoughtfully in literature classes. Camryn presented his work on integrating both cooperation and competition in the history classroom. And Seth presented his study on the effects of de-tracking mathematics students. Each project produced deep learning both for the teaching fellows and for their fortunate students, who got to see their teachers as fellow learners and role models.

We are pleased and fortunate that all three of this year’s graduating teaching fellows will stay on at NMH as full-time faculty next year.

Mandala Arts and Literary Magazine Published

Since 1971, Mandala has been an annual publication showcasing art and writing by NMH students, staff, and faculty. What makes this project particularly special is that all the editors are students.

Starting in September, students on the Mandala editing team meet weekly to promote the publication, and as the submissions come in, they work together to vote on the contents. “It’s not so much about getting a particular quota,” faculty advisor Lauren Scott Corwin explains, “as it’s about being intentional in making a project that works together from start to finish.”

This year’s Mandala includes more 40 pieces chosen from some 125 submissions. The publication includes photography, painting, drawing, and sculpture, alongside poetry and other types of creative writing.

Right before spring break, the editors finished the selection process and started the layout, deciding where and how each item would appear. The cover is a watercolor by Victoria Lozano Escarra ’18 based on a human brain. The colors of this piece were also used inside on the title page. “Every detail of this project was considered,” Corwin says, “they left no stone unturned.”

By the end of the winter term, student-editors were downright comfortable with each other. They spent the last day making doodles of themselves and each other, which ended up on the final page of the publication.

This labor of love can be viewed in its entirety here.

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Announcements

Don’t let these deadlines sneak up on you!

• Commencement Flowers and Cards: Order deadline is May 11; flower orders cannot be filled after this date, though card orders can be.
• Hogger Packs: Order deadline is May 14.
• Commencement Eve Dinner: Reservation deadline is May 20; please observe this date so you and your guests can be seated together. Also, only cash or check will be accepted at the door.

Where NMH athletes are headed for college: NMH has had a successful year on the athletic fields, and our graduating athletes will take their skills to college this fall. Here is a list of where our athletes are headed. Congratulations!

NMH seed library starts growing: April showers bring May flowers … and fruits and vegetables in this case. NMH Sustainability Director Becca Malloy and Rachel Mooers ’18 are pleased to announce the opening of the NMH seed library. Click here to learn more about it and how you can borrow from and contribute to the seed supply.

More debate victories: On April 29, members of the NMH Debate Society traveled to nearby Deerfield Academy to take part in the season-ending debate tournament. Read how the NMH team continued to dominate.

Schauffler Scholar Series: On May 1, Martha Neubert was the featured Schauffler Scholar Series speaker. Martha presented a timeline she compiled as part of her thesis work. She aims to give the audience insight into "the courageous women who fought and continue to fight — both publicly and privately — to humanize their lives and work, to reclaim their dignity,” she says. “It is intended to illustrate the collective power women harness to build movements for economic justice.”

What’s on the global menu? Our global ambassadors found a way to share history and culture through brunch. Read about this new delicious annual event.

“Shampoo Shuttle” reduces waste, helps homeless: Social entrepreneurs Heidi Leeds ’18 and Isabella Lombino ’18 found an opportunity where others saw only waste. They collect partly used shampoo from a local hotel, repackage it, and distribute it to homeless people. Read more.

Sacred Concert is Sunday: For 124 years, NMH students have been singing sacred music in the Auditorium on NMH’s original campus in Northfield. On May 6, current students will continue this long standing tradition. Sacred Concert begins at 2:30 this Sunday, and all families are invited to attend or watch the livestream.

Athletes of the Week: Congratulations to our latest athletes of the week, Jordan Lafave ’21 and Colton Sy ’18. Read why these athletes deserve this recognition.

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Upcoming Events

5/5 SAT tests
5/6 124th Concert of Sacred Music
5/6 Cum Laude Society installation
5/7–18 AP exams
5/8 Dinnertime jazz
5/8 Senior oration presentations
5/11 Deadline for Commencement flower and card orders
5/11 Food Systems Teach-in
5/14 Deadline for Hogger Pack orders
5/20 Deadline for Commencement eve dinner reservations
5/22 Reading day
5/23–25 Exams
5/27 Commencement