MyPods

3/1/08:

We've held four sessions of MyPods so far. It appears that students and teachers are doing well and enjoying the time. Both teachers and students have commented about the openness of the forum MyPods creates.

Teachers will meet on Wednesday, 3/5 to discuss planning and upcoming lessons. A survey was completed by all participants and the results are posted here:

Results are written in percentages and rounded to the next whole number. (The survey was taken by approximately 100 students and 20 teachers.)

Statements	Don’t Know	Disagree	Sort of Agree	Agree	StronglyAgree	No Opinion
MyPods should be fun.	2	2	19	47	28	5
We should study in MyPods, that is, have homework.	2	86	9	3	0	0
Learning teamwork skills is important.	9	3	30	54	2	3
Learning respect for others is important.	2	3	25	58	19	3
Helping other people is important.	2	3	19	53	19	3
I want to feel respected.	7	7	33	33	16	7
Getting to know other students than my friends is important.	2	5	21	42	30	5
Outside-of-regular school activities are important.	2	5	21	42	30	5
Learning community-skills is important.	2	9	37	40	9	5
I don’t like that the ACE schedule was changed to include MyPods.	7	21	21	18	35	9
We should include creative problem solving.	5	42	28	12	11	7
MyPods should meet more than once per week.	11	61	14	7	5	7

Check the Fall RIMLE Newsletter at: www.rimle.org/ for an article about implementing an advisory program in the middle school.

From the Principal:

MyPods Update – February 13, 2008Dear Parents,Some might equate the middle-school advisory with the "It takes a village to raise a child" philosophy that gained media popularity a few years ago. Writing in Schools in the Middle magazine (March 1997), Howard Johnston, a professor of secondary education at the University of South Florida, said, "Good children are raised by communities of adults who share common beliefs and values about what constitutes reasonable and appropriate behavior, who accept responsibility for sharing the wisdom of their years and experience with children, and who share a common commitment to all the children in the community and nation. That is how we were raised. That is how good, successful, achieving, happy children are raised today." That said, a personal connection to an advisor can make a huge difference in whether a middle-school student succeeds or fails. Helping students succeed is what advisories are all about.As of this writing we have had three MyPods sessions. The Middle School faculty met on Wednesday, February 6th to discuss the program and the parental feedback that we have received. We appreciate the comments and will continue to refer to the input as the program develops. Teachers shared their own observations and spoke about feedback they had received from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students.One of the objectives of the MyPods program is to provide an environment and activities that will foster bonding within the group so that students feel accepted and valued. Teachers reported that students seem to be enjoying the mix of students from the three grade levels. Although many students know each other because Little Compton is small, MyPods has afforded the students with the opportunity to meet and become better acquainted with students they did not know previously. Several students have mentioned that in MyPods the cliques that exist within other settings of the school have been removed. Another of the objectives is to develop positive relationships through group dynamics. The small MyPods groups have engendered a sense of trust between students. The team-building activities have been well-received by most students. Over all, teachers have been surprised and pleased by the levels of honesty, creativity, kindness and genuineness that have already surfaced in MyPods. The protocol of the sessions creates consistency and the teachers are learning first hand from the students about their academic concerns.In our third session the students completed a survey as part of a longitudinal evaluation to help us determine the effectiveness of the program. As always, your feedback is important to us and we will continue to refer to the input from all stakeholders as the program develops.Sincerely,
Fran Blaess

The first letter from the principal:

January 10, 2007

Dear Parents,

I’m writing to inform you of an exciting new program that we will be implementing for our students in sixth, seven, and eighth grades beginning on January 23, 2008. At Wilbur and McMahon our new advisory program, named MyPods, has been carefully designed to support a connection among students and adults in a secure environment in order to improve learning. MyPods is predicated on the belief that every young adolescent should have at least one adult at school to talk to. Therefore, each group of students has purposefully been kept small and will be comprised of seven or eight mixed grade students with one or two teachers who will regularly work with those students.

Meeting on Wednesdays for thirty minutes during Ace period on a two week on, one week off rotating basis, each MyPod will participate in activities that will allow the teachers and the students to get to know each other better outside of the traditional classroom setting. Discussion topics include responsibility, respect, goal setting, problem solving, conflict resolution, and community service. Through activities and discussions, our students will develop a better sense of belonging and discover ways to be successful both in and out of the classroom.

Our first MyPods session has been a long time coming. This has been a priority for middle school for a long time and we have had professional development for over a year to develop a successful plan of implementation.

The kick-off session on January 23^rd will have students designing their own coat of arms with “I am Unique” as the underlying theme. After writing words and drawing sketches of each student’s talents, if the students desire, they will them share their work with the other members of their MyPod.

Our goal for the rest of this year and long term is to provide each middle school student with an opportunity to develop a closer, non-grading or judgmental relationship with an adult in their formative years when the kids are taking risks and making choices with their lives.

Please do not hesitate to contact with me if you have any additional questions about the Mypod’s program.

Sincerely

Fran L. Blaess

This is the notice distributed to all faculty members:

Wilbur McMahon School Advisory "MyPods"

· IS scheduled to meet Wednesday s for 30 minutes during the A.C.E. period 2 or 3 times per month

· IS a chance to build community

· WILL be an opportunity for students to interact positively within small groups

· WILL help develop respect for the school community

· WILL be state-mandated within the next year

· WILL make sure that every student has an adult to talk to

· WILL follow the textbook “Treasure Chest” which is endorsed by the New England League of Middle Schools

· IS MYPODS

A Notice About Confidentiality in MyPods:

Confidentiality must be encouraged for the group to work.

Students may discuss the content of MyPods with parents but are encouraged to omit the names of their MyPod members.

Also, be honest that if a student divulges information that may infer danger or harm we HAVE to report that information to the appropriate person.*

However, encourage students to tell you, the school counselor or the principal privately that something is wrong.

What happens if someone breaches confidentiality?

By even you, the teacher.

*We will have to deal with any potentially dangerous situations as you would in a classroom setting. Use your best judgment – but we’re not here to counsel.

MyPods began on Wednesday, January 23, 2008 for all 6-8 grade students.

Contact Principal Fran Blaess or any member of the

MyPods Committee:

Mike DeLeo - Jean Dunn - George Mullins - Kathy Rioux -

B.J. Whitehouse - Megan Wordell

Textbooks used to develop program and lessons include: