Kindness
In Chapel over the last two weeks, the Middle School has explored what kindness looks like. This week, each Advisory reported out on their conversations about kindness and identified exemplars of kindness in our community. The examples that students cited were beautiful, mostly because they were simple and ordinary things. They cited classmates, or even students in other grades, who consistently smiled and greeted others, who held the door open for others many steps behind them, or who made an effort to be welcoming and inclusive. After hearing many voices ackn
owledge examples of kindness in our community, we were inspired by a short TED Talk by Mark Bezos. After reflecting on his rather humorous experience of trying to be kind and generous, he concluded,
“In both my vocation at Robin Hood and my avocation as a volunteer firefighter, I am witness to acts of generosity and kindness on a monumental scale, but I'm also witness to acts of grace and courage on an individual basis. And you know what I've learned? They all matter. So as I look around this room at people who either have achieved, or are on their way to achieving, remarkable levels of success, I would offer this reminder: don't wait. Don't wait until you make your first million to make a difference in somebody's life. If you have something to give, give it now.”
As important as it is to celebrate the kindness that we see and experience, it's equally important to be able to identify unkindness.
One 8th Grade Advisory reflected on what unkindness looks like. Just like the examples of kindness, this group identified ordinary actions. What comparing examples of kindness and unkindness, perhaps the lesson to take away is that the choice to be kind is easy, simple, and straightforward, and each of us has thousands of opportunities each day to choose to be kind. We invite families to continue to conversation about what kindness and unkindness look like and about the choice each of us makes - in our interactions with each other, in our communications, in our conversations and our aspirations, how can every choice be a kind choice?
Trends with teens
In recent months, there has been some chatter about an unhealthy trend popping up among teenagers: vaping. Last February,
USA Today highlighted a related trend, dripping, and a few weeks ago
Forbes published a report on the rise in vaping or the use of e-cigarettes among teens. One of the rumors that seems to accompany this trend is the notion that the use of e-cigarettes or vaping is healthier than smoking. However, any e-cigarettes will hold substances that are not healthy, especially for teens, including nicotine and other toxins.
- In the United States, youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes.
- In 2016, more than 2 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, including 4.3% of middle school students and 11.3% of high school students.
- In 2016, 3.2% of U.S. adults were current e-cigarette users.
- In 2015, among adult e-cigarette users overall, 58.8% also were current regular cigarette smokers, 29.8% were former regular cigarette smokers, and 11.4% had never been regular cigarette smokers.
- Among current e-cigarette users aged 45 years and older in 2015, most were either current or former regular cigarette smokers, and 1.3% had never been cigarette smokers. In contrast, among current e-cigarette users aged 18–24 years, 40.0% had never been regular cigarette smokers.
Our PHE curriculum includes the topic of wellness, substance abuse, and developing healthy strategies, and in the coming months, students will have a chance to learn more. In the meantime, talk to your student about vaping. Consider using the Surgeon General's tips for starting the conversation. Also, we will welcome back the substance abuse prevention specialist from FCD Prevention Works to join our community and speak to students in grades 6-12 and parents on Monday, February 5. Topics to be discussed with parents will include:
- effective ways to communicate with your child about drugs and drug use;
- up-to-date facts about current drug use and trends;
- what to say about your own experiences with alcohol and/or drug experimentation;
- and how to spot early warning signs of trouble and effective ways to respond.
Parents reported that the presentation last year was engaging, informative, and helpful. Look for registration information in the upcoming Friday Flash.
What we are learning...
Mrs. Alice Flores, Language Acquisition Teacher
What is your favorite color? Ocean Blue.
What is your favorite book? Many, about literature and philosophy.
What is your favorite movie? "The Pianist"
If I hadn't been a teacher, I probably would've been... a writer.
What is your favorite song? Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On."
If you could travel anywhere in space and time, where and when would you like to visit? Song Dynasty in China.
Where were you born? Hainan, China.
Any interesting trivia about you? I like to tell stories.
Where did you attend Middle School? Hainan, China.
Who was your favorite or most influential teacher? My Chinese teacher in Middle School, and a Chemistry teacher in college.
This is my fourth year in Annie Wright Schools teaching consignment and middle school Chinese. Seeing my students learning and growing, being in this kind intellectual community, and developing professionally and personally is a bliss. I truly enjoy my Chinese teaching in Annie Wright even though I have to face some challenge sometimes, which can be transformed to inspiration and motivation to growth. I believe that things that did not kill you make you stronger.
The Sixth Grade Chinese class is learning the unit “My Family”. The Key Concept for this unit is “communication” and the related concept is “audience” and “message.” While, the Inquiry Statement is that: Effective communication happens when one sends a message to audience with consideration of their interest and how to approach.” They are learning how to introduce their family members by describing their house address, phone number, age, professions, physical characteristics, and their likes and dislikes. Actually, they are working on a presentation and will present it and be evaluated by not only their classmates but also me on next Tuesday. Then, I will conduct a research on the topic “The Impact of Flipped Classroom Model in Middle School Chinese” continuing on the deeper and broader learning of the unit “My Family”.
I enjoy teaching because I am a curious person having passion for learning, adventure, and sharing. I believe that learning is a lifelong process. My curiosity leads me to explore the world, my adventure keeps me expand my view, while, sharing my knowledge and skills makes me happy. Teaching is to motivate, inspire and encourage my students to strive for success. As an educator, it is my responsibility to lift them up when they are down. I believe the purpose of education is to help students prepare for the real world by helping them become independent citizens and by providing them with knowledge needed for future careers. I want to inspire others to reach their fullest potential and to learn from them in the process. I love working with youth and seeing the difference I can make in their lives. I want to know by the time they leave my classroom they have gained something that will stay with them forever. I want to know that I have made a difference to a child. Teaching is such a rewarding job because I get to make a difference in children’s lives and help guide them to make the right choices in life.
