Weathersfield School Guidance Page

Frank Treu, Guidance Counselor

The 2010-2011 School Year

Although I haven’t posted anything on this Guidance page for the previous school year, many things have happened that have caused me to think about what the 2010-2011 school year could/should look like.

Weathersfield School will have a new principal next year.  I want to say how truly sorry I am at the death of Mario Bevacqua, my boss and my roommate on so many wonderful trips.  Who would have guessed that I would go to San Antonio Texas and the National Middle School Principals Convention, and actually enjoy myself were it not for the encouragement and prodding of Mario?  I will always remember the various other trips, Baltimore, Washington DC, New York City, Montreal, San Juan Puerto Rico and all the adventures that those trips brought.  Thank you Mario, and thank you for your devotion and caring to Weathersfield and its’ children.

But with a new Principal, Ms. Jean-Marie Oakman, we are likely to see some changes in direction and emphasis, with the same goals as before; building successful and happy students who have the best chance of developing into successful, productive and happy adults.  It is my hope, and my intention, that programs are implemented that help us strive towards that goal.

As many of us know, the world has become a more dangerous and obstacle filled place for our children, especially in the field of communications.  The ease of access to the Internet and the content available to just about anyone, the ever-growing number of applications for our cell phones, and the ease with which we can send and receive information on those phones, and the huge variety of games and interactions we have via our computers is sometimes mind-boggling.  And, as many of you know, this communications boom has led to abuses that leave our children at great risk, from cyber-bullying, postings of hurtful comments, texting and sexting, and online stalking and trolling for illicit ends.  We all need to be better educated and up-to-date with information of what our children are doing and the risks they may be inviting.  With that in mind, I have scheduled a beginning workshop for our students, grades 4 through 8, entitled Technicool, sponsored and presented by Prevent Child Abuse Vermont, and funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice.  The program is presented to each grade classroom for about 45 minutes, with time for student interaction and questions for the presenter.  In addition there will be an afternoon or evening workshop for parents for about 90 minutes or longer if necessary.  Tentatively the school workshop is scheduled for Monday, September 13, 2010 but no dates have been decided for the evening workshop.  It is my hope to have that workshop coincide with an event like back-to-school night to assure maximum attendance.

Technicool is just an introduction however, and a continuation of such cyber-safety programs is something I would like to see continue.  There are many initiatives available and together with our school nurse Jennifer Christoffers, we will work on setting up a community led and school involved organization to continue the work, hopefully with a volunteer community coordinator.  As more information becomes available, I will keep you informed.

I am a strong proponent of Service Learning.  Service-Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.  If school students collect trash out of a streambed or along the roadside, they are providing a service to the community as volunteers; a service that is highly valued and important. On the other hand, when school students collect trash from that streambed or roadside, then analyze what they found and possible sources so they can share the results with residents of the neighborhood along with suggestions for reducing pollution, they are engaging in service-learning.  In addition, Service-Learning should be closely tied to the Vermont Standards and grade-level expectations for each grade class, standards such as Communication (Expression); Reasoning and Problem-Solving (Approach and Abstract and Creative Thinking); Personal Development (Worth and Competence and Relationship); Civic/Social Responsibility (Service) to give a few examples.  By integrating Service-Learning with the Vermont Standards we will expand it from one specific class to a wide range of disciplines.  It is my hope that we at Weathersfield School will gradually integrate Service-Leaning into our classrooms and various curricula, and thereby help our children see the value of helping others and of altruism, while at the same time learning vital skills.

And, to come full-circle for this posting regarding electronic communications, as you may know I have been posting homework for grades 4-8 for two years now on the Weathersfield School Web page.  I would very much like to see each teacher have their own page and post their own homework and other pertinent information for parents.  In this way, you, the parents will have a more direct line to what is happening in your child’s classroom, on a daily basis, and the lines of communication can expand for everyone’s benefit.

 Thanks! and stay tuned,

Frank Treu