Friday, February 23, 2024
Good afternoon and Happy Friday!
The six weeks since the start of the semester have been very busy here on campus. Adding Snow Days, partial weeks, and ramping up towards P.A.W. (Projects and Assessments Week) to the mix have made it difficult for us to find consistent, solid footing, and there has been a rise in behavioral challenges in our class. Because a number of issues have arisen that made Ms. Lalli and I think it was time for a pause and a reset, we kept the grade after Wednesday’s meeting to review and clarify a few things. Peer Mentors and Advisors also addressed these issues with students this week, so I wanted to share with you as well so we are all on the same page.
The Care and Keeping of Community – REMINDERS
- Clean up after yourselves – It is each person’s responsibility to clean up their dishes and trash at lunch and in-between times. When challenged to take better care of the STEM space that we frequent during lunch, the class rose to the occasion and have been much more responsible. We need students to dedicate that same energy and commitment to cleaning up the lunch tables, hallways, The Coop, and other academic spaces.
- Show respect for others – Disrespect for others, whether it comes in the form of talking about people’s bodies or behaviors, deliberately ostracizing and excluding others, or taking pictures or videos of others without their consent, is a violation of both our community values and our rules against bullying. These things result in conversations with me and/or Ms. Lalli, and they can have disciplinary consequences. At the end of the day, we need to treat each other as we would like to be treated.
- Practice Academic Integrity – Taking shortcuts in academics gets in the way of student learning, and it violates our academic honesty policy. Sharing homework or test questions and information is not appropriate. There are academic and social consequences for this behavior – with the least of these being receiving a zero on the assignment. These behaviors erode trust between teacher and student, and violations of this policy can cause significant issues down the road. We are expected to be responsible for our learning, and cheating does not allow for that.
- Practice Personal Integrity – Taking things which do not belong to us, temporarily, permanently, or under the guise of a joke, is theft, and theft is against our community values and school rules. Use of another student’s ID card, without the permission of the student and family, comes under this category. Students caught in violation of this policy go to the Student Faculty Hearing Council and face suspension and other consequences. There is no reason to take something which is not yours.
- Be Present and Honor your School Obligations – Students are expected to be in school for the entirety of the school day, from their first commitment until 3:25pm. Our late arrival policy allows for students to come to school after 8:10 am if they have first period free, but all students must attend advisory, class/school meetings, and assemblies. They also cannot leave campus during lunch. Finally, regardless of whether students are finished with classes before the end of the academic day, they are expected to remain on campus until 3:25. As always, caregivers can pick up students for appointments or other obligations by informing the school via email at usattendance@d-e.org and ensuring the student signs out in the Upper School Office before leaving. We should be using the fullness of the academic day to connect with teachers, do group work, study, or complete homework.
I am asking you to partner with us to reinforce these reminders so we can continue building community together and helping create a school environment where we can all feel safe and comfortable.
Without question, I believe in the boundless potential of this class, and I know that we will continue to do great things individually and collectively. Working through growing pains and teachable moments is all part of the process. I’m here for it, for them, and for each of you. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns with which I can be helpful.
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend.
Tuc