Blake Affinity Groups
Notes from Youth Sports Presentation
October 16, 2019 - PTO Presentation
July 12, 2018 - One Love: PTO Donation
April 10, 2018 - Digital Learning Day: George Couros
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The focus of DLD this year was on Innovation in Education, and MHS was happy to have George Couros as the keynote speaker. The theme revolved around making relationships with and committing to teach all students. DLD hosted a great many presenters, and over 600 education professionals from all over Massachusetts attended this popular and successful professional development opportunity. Thanks to the DLD committee for their work is crafting a special learning opportunity. Included in the day was a panel session that consisted of the Superintendents from Needham (Dan Gutekanst), Franklin (Sarah Ahern), Medfield (Jeff Marsden), and the Director of Social/Emotional Learning (Dave Worthley) from Medfield. The panel was moderated by Blake Middle School Principal Nat Vaughn, who initiated conversation regarding SEL in schools, what have have done already, and where we need to go next. Discussion was rich and lively, and the audience were able to ask questions and be involved in the conversation. It appears as though Medfield Public Schools are in the forefront in terms of addressing the social and emotional needs of the student population, which is a direct result of the priority placed on SEL from the top down.
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April 5, 2018 - One Love Foundation: Claire Giampetroni
Medfield High School was happy to invite The One Love Foundation again to train student facilitators, and take part in meaningful discussion again this year.
Claire Giampetroni, the One Love regional coordinator, came to the MHS on March 29th, and trained 35 seniors to be able to lead group discussion around the film, “Escalation”, which is loosely based on the tragic story of Yeardley Love. The workshop is the creation of the One Love Foundation, which was created after the death of Yearley Love, who was a senior student and lacrosse player at the University of Virginia when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, also a senior lacrosse player at UVA.
The foundation created a film called, "Escalation", which is 40 minutes long, and shows, in very current and relevant terms, the evolution of a romantic relationship, and demonstrates the warning signs when things turn unhealthy. The film not only focuses on how to avoid specific situations personally, but also clearly delineates the role of friends and family in regard to support and prevention. The film is powerful and sad, and demonstrates an unhealthy relationship that starts typically, but progresses to possessiveness, violence, and ultimately, death. Students have been well trained to help lead productive conversation. We suspect that students will process the material and the concepts discussed over several weeks, which is why we are holding this workshop in April rather than later in the year.
We are excited that we were able to provide this experience again for our students. We appreciate the support of the Medfield High School PTO for their continued support in the form of a donation to this foundation. The discussions that followed were outstanding, and the students trained as facilitators were very good, digging deep into a complicated and sensitive subject. If you have any questions, please let me know. A link to the One Love Foundation website is below, as well as their resources and referral page.
One Love Homepage
One Love Resources and Referral Page
Claire Giampetroni, the One Love regional coordinator, came to the MHS on March 29th, and trained 35 seniors to be able to lead group discussion around the film, “Escalation”, which is loosely based on the tragic story of Yeardley Love. The workshop is the creation of the One Love Foundation, which was created after the death of Yearley Love, who was a senior student and lacrosse player at the University of Virginia when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, also a senior lacrosse player at UVA.
The foundation created a film called, "Escalation", which is 40 minutes long, and shows, in very current and relevant terms, the evolution of a romantic relationship, and demonstrates the warning signs when things turn unhealthy. The film not only focuses on how to avoid specific situations personally, but also clearly delineates the role of friends and family in regard to support and prevention. The film is powerful and sad, and demonstrates an unhealthy relationship that starts typically, but progresses to possessiveness, violence, and ultimately, death. Students have been well trained to help lead productive conversation. We suspect that students will process the material and the concepts discussed over several weeks, which is why we are holding this workshop in April rather than later in the year.
We are excited that we were able to provide this experience again for our students. We appreciate the support of the Medfield High School PTO for their continued support in the form of a donation to this foundation. The discussions that followed were outstanding, and the students trained as facilitators were very good, digging deep into a complicated and sensitive subject. If you have any questions, please let me know. A link to the One Love Foundation website is below, as well as their resources and referral page.
One Love Homepage
One Love Resources and Referral Page
February 12, 2018 - Chris Herren
MHS was thrilled to have Chris Herren come to speak to our Junior and Senior students about his history and story of addiction. Chris was a highly talented basketball player, and played professionally for many years, including his time with the Boston Celtics. Chris is from Fall River, so his story is a local one.
Alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. He shares his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, Basketball Junkie, as well as in numerous interviews throughout the Emmy nominated ESPN Films documentary Unguarded, of which he is the subject.
In June of 2009, he launched Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in his or her life on or off the court. In inspiring presentations, he draws on his own history and experiences to convince audiences that it is never too late to start making positive decisions and urges audience members to just “Be You”.
To support this vision, he founded The Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing recovery navigation, family support, wellness education initiatives and community outreach with the goal of assisting one person, one family on their recovery journey.
In March of 2018, Chris founded Herren Wellness Group, a health and wellness organization that offers a holistic approach to recovery through innovative prevention and treatment solutions.
Students were captivated by his storytelling, and MHS provided time in Advisory groups to discuss the topics covered. MHS has created a Chapter of Project Purple, which is a Chris Herren initiative, which is led largely by Megan and Michael H. Project Purple members spread the word regarding healthy choices, responsible decision making, and accountability.
Alcohol and drug-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put his sobriety and family above all else. He shares his harrowing story of abuse and recovery in his memoir, Basketball Junkie, as well as in numerous interviews throughout the Emmy nominated ESPN Films documentary Unguarded, of which he is the subject.
In June of 2009, he launched Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, to share his story with audiences in the hopes of reaching just one person and making a difference in his or her life on or off the court. In inspiring presentations, he draws on his own history and experiences to convince audiences that it is never too late to start making positive decisions and urges audience members to just “Be You”.
To support this vision, he founded The Herren Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing recovery navigation, family support, wellness education initiatives and community outreach with the goal of assisting one person, one family on their recovery journey.
In March of 2018, Chris founded Herren Wellness Group, a health and wellness organization that offers a holistic approach to recovery through innovative prevention and treatment solutions.
Students were captivated by his storytelling, and MHS provided time in Advisory groups to discuss the topics covered. MHS has created a Chapter of Project Purple, which is a Chris Herren initiative, which is led largely by Megan and Michael H. Project Purple members spread the word regarding healthy choices, responsible decision making, and accountability.
October 17, 2017 - Medfield Talks: Jon Kleiman
Jon Kleiman from Challenge Success and author of The Well Balanced Child, spoke at Medfield High School on Tuesday night thanks to the Medfield K-8 PTO. Kleiman spoke eloquently on the importance of increasing the "resilience, creativity, and well-being" of young people. He stated, "When we are too focused on grades and performance, we deny our children the time and energy they need to tackle the demanding work of growing up." In his presentation, he also presented strategies designed to "better establish a healthier home environment...[and] reduce academic stress without sacrificing achievement." Click here to learn more about Challenge Success, an organization that "provides schools and families with the information and strategies they need to create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for their kids." Challenge Success is based out of Stanford University and is a national organization geared toward balancing life for our young people.
September 29, 2017 -
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June 6, 2017 - Marion Blumenthal Lazan
The Sophomore and Junior class was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience a session with Marion Blumenthal Lazan, who is a Holocaust survivor, speaker and author on a global scale. Marion's book, Four Perfect Pebbles, is a powerful memoir that describes the devastating years that shaped her childhood, and describes her journey as a child, surviving prison camps in Holland and Germany, including Bergen-Belson. The auditorium was fully packed, and students were mesmerized as they listened not only to the horrors of the Holocaust, but also to Marion's message: "Be kind to each other. Practice tolerance. Know yourself, and become a better person everyday." I spoke at length to Nathan Lazan, Marion's husband of almost 64 years, and he told me all about his family and the people they have spoken with. He asked all about my family, and wanted to know not the general, but the details. This was an incredible experience for our students to be a part of. Living history is a powerful teacher. This generation is the last that will be able to hear the stories first-hand. At the conclusion of the presentation, Marion stayed and hugged approximately 150 students, and Nathan got several hugs as well! This was the kind of educational experience that leaves a person better than they were before they entered the room. The focus was on the history, to be sure, but also on the message that "People matter. How we treat each other matters. Respect each other, and be gentle and kind."
This is a link to Marion's Website and information about her book, Four Perfect Pebbles.
Four Perfect Pebbles by Marion Lazan
This is a link to Marion's Website and information about her book, Four Perfect Pebbles.
Four Perfect Pebbles by Marion Lazan
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June 4, 2017 - Project Purple
With the support of the Medfield PTO, Project Purple was able to distribute wristbands to each senior as they came into the all-night graduation party. Megan and Michael Hawley greeted each senior with a Project Purple wristband and promoted "good choices" as graduates gathered together for the last time. The message was well-received, and has generated some positive buzz around healthy decision-making and positive choices.
April 27, 2017 - One Love Foundation
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In early February, the Medfield Coalition for Public Education brought an idea to Susan Cowell that involved a workshop regarding Relationship Violence. Susan brought the idea to the administrative team, and we watched the film on which the workshop is based. We decided that this was a perfect opportunity to arm our Seniors with this information as they prepare to enter a world that can be complicated and confusing. The workshop is the creation of the One Love Foundation, which was created after the death of Yearley Love, who was a senior student and lacrosse player at the University of Virginia when she was murdered by her ex-boyfriend, also a senior lacrosse player at UVA. The foundation created a film called, "Escalation", which is 40 minutes long, and shows, in very current and relevant terms, the evolution of a romantic relationship, and demonstrates the warning signs when things turn unhealthy. The film not only focuses on how to avoid specific situations personally, but also clearly delineates the role of friends and family in regard to support and prevention. Each Senior Advisory teacher was asked to submit two names of students who they felt would be good facilitators, as the OneLove Foundation recommends that the workshop be facilitated by students, and supported by trained adults. I met with each student, and explained the process. On April 3rd, we had a training coordinator from One Love conduct a 90 minute virtual training after the students viewed the film. The students were active participants in the training, and the feedback from the students being trained has been excellent. All of this leads to our workshop on April 27th. During last block, seniors will view the film, "Escalation" in the auditorium as a whole group. Students will then break into their advisory groups. Each group will have two student facilitators and two adults helping lead discussion that is based on 17 scripted questions that are based on the film. Guidance staff and administration will be on hand to help out, and our training coordinator form One Love, Krista Giuntoli, will be on hand to help as well. The film is powerful and sad, and demonstrates an unhealthy relationship that starts typically, but progresses to possessiveness, violence, and ultimately, death. Students have been well trained to help lead productive conversation. We suspect that students will process the material and the concepts discussed over several weeks, which is why we are holding this workshop in April rather than later in the year. We are excited to be able to provide this experience for our students. If you have any questions, please let me know. A link to the One Love Foundation website is below, as well as their resources and referral page. One Love Homepage One Love Resources and Referral Page |
Students & staff getting trained by Krista Giuntoli from OneLove.
Students watching thought-provoking movie prior to their OneLove training.
Krista Giuntoli from The OneLove Foundation discussing relationship violence with Medfield High seniors.
Student leaders facilitating discussion around warning signs of relationship violence at MHS.
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December 23, 2016 - Project Purple
Medfield students and Project Purple working to raise awareness and keep kids safe.
