Faculty and Staff Developments
“Jo Anna’s collegiality and professionalism will be missed, but even more so her positive approach to the boys and their families.” strategies that might be helpful in accommodating students with learning challenges. Those who worked with her say Jo Anna was always willing to stop what she was doing and give them her full attention if they had a question or needed feedback. “Every time I would walk away with a new perspective, idea, or suggestion,” says Learning Specialist Julie Siegal. “She has always put a student’s best interests first.” Dr. Charles Streff, Fenn’s consulting psychologist, recalls attending a meeting about a student that Jo Anna was chairing, the first time he had observed her doing so.
Charlie “was struck by the depth of her understanding of the testing that had been done for the boy, the clarity of explanation to those present, and the way she clearly facilitated the development of a plan that would enable all of us to support the student.” He adds that “in the many years I have worked with her, that same depth and clarity have been there.” Charlie speaks for his colleagues when he says that Jo Anna’s “collegiality and professionalism will be missed, but even more so her positive approach to the boys and their families, and her on-going support to faculty and staff.”
Living Meaningful Meaningful Lives: Lives: Resear Researcch Pr Project Includes Includes Fenn Fenn Boy Boys n 2009, Dr. Adam Cox came to Fenn as part of his project called “Locating Significance in the Lives of Boys” for the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. Dr. Cox visited twenty boys’ schools worldwide, stopping first at Fenn, and the results of his study were released this spring. Boonisar attended a Assistant Headmaster Derek Boonisar conference in New York City in April led by Dr. Cox, who shared his research. “I was intrigued,” Derek says, explaining why he attended. “Anything that focuses on the topic of best practices for educating boys grabs my attention.” Derek reports that Dr. Cox “invoked Fenn” in his presentation, referring to the “great job” the school does in fostering “oral literacy” by giving boys time to develop public speaking skills. “I plan to take ten items that jump out from the pages of his research,” Derek says, “and keep that list near me.” One, he notes, is that boys want to be able to communicate in a place where they are not judged. Dr. Cox will speak at Fenn in November.
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Derek Boonisar with (l to r) Andreas Sheikh, Jivan Purutyan, and Ben Stone, all class of 2012
Dr. S Str treff eff Pr Presents Researc Research on on Trauma onsulting School Psychologist Dr. Charles Streff attended the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in Charlotte, NC, during the March break. He continued to present his work regarding adult males who have experienced trauma. Dr. Streff was invited to submit a proposal for next year’s annual scientific meeting in Lexington, KY. The conference drew clinicians from across the country and from Canada, Mexico, France, and Jamaica.
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