O c t o b e r
2 0 2 1
|
S p e c i a l
F i r s t
E d i t i o n
TITAN CHRONICLE newmissionhigh.org | @newmissiontitans
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01 02
03 04 05 07 08
Welcome Message Seen Around New Mission School Parent Council COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Dear New Mission Community,
Teacher Spotlights
From our School Nurse Shann Baril Social Emotional Corner Student Support Team Athletic Updates
Summer Employment at NM Titan Motivation Corner
Seen Around New Mission H is p a
n
WELCOME MESSAGE
it a g e ic H e r
M on th
Welcome to our Titan Chronicle, the bi-weekly newsletter that will feature our accomplishments and activities happening all around New Mission. We look forward to sharing with you as we proceed through this next year. We are grateful to be back together, in person, at New Mission. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at any time and please take care. Sincerely, William Thomas | Head of School
Health Sciences Pathway
Ms. K's Selfie S tation
Each week, students in the Health Sciences pathway are visiting Harvard Medical School MEDscience program to gain hands on experience working in the medical field.
Editors: Lynette Blue-Skerritt ~ Director of Admissions | Anna Lane ~ Family Liaison
TITAN CHRONICLE newmissionhigh.org | @newmissiontitans
COMMUNITY EVENTS: SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL MEET & GREET
NEXT SCHOOL PARENT COUNCIL MEETING Share your voice! School Parent Council
Contact
Every 1st Tuesday of Month SPC Secretary 7 PM - 8:30 PM Becky Mokos Where: Zoom beckymokos@gmail.com Meeting ID: 315 535 5778 with any questions
COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS!
The School Parent Council (SPC) hosted an outdoor Meet & Greet at the school on August 28th to kick off the school year and connect with New Mission families, staff, and Councillor Ricardo Arroyo (see photo), who is the City Councillor over Hyde Park, part of Mattapan, and part of Roslindale. Over 25 parents/caregivers were in attendance and they were joined by several students, siblings and grandparents of the students, teachers, New Mission support staff, and Mr. Thomas. With great weather, good music, some light refreshments and a fun game of Jenga, connections were made for a strong start to the school year. SPC meetings are usually on the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm via Zoom. We hope to see more parents at the next one on November 2nd!
New Mission, in partnership with the Boston Medical Center, has held two successful COVID-19 vaccine clinics since the start of the school year. Through the efforts of our school community to get vaccinated, we are reducing our risk of exposure to COVID-19. Please reach out to Kareem Cutler (kcutler@bostonpublicschools.org) if you would like more information on getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Editors: Lynette Blue-Skerritt ~ Director of Admissions | Anna Lane ~ Family Liaison
TITAN CHRONICLE newmissionhigh.org | @newmissiontitans
TEACHER SPOTLIGHTS
Hello, my name is Elizabeth Gallagher and I teach freshmen and senior English Language Arts here at New Mission. This is my first year of teaching and I am excited to begin this adventure here at New Mission! Already I feel as if I’ve been welcomed into a new family; all the faculty and students have welcomed me into the school culture with wide open arms. I graduated from Lesley University in Cambridge with a BA in Secondary Education and English. Being a resident of Hyde Park, it feels good to teach in the same neighborhood I live in, sharing the same community as my students and their families. On weekends, one of my favorite activities is spending time around the Boston neighborhoods with my family and friends. We enjoying exploring different restaurants, new museums, and shopping. Go titans!
Thank you for welcoming me into this incredible community of educators. My name is Amelia Ali and I am a native of Boston, MA. I have a degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice and completed my study of Professional Music, Performance, Music Business and Songwriting with a principal instrument of Voice at Berklee College of Music here in Boston. I recently earned my Masters of Education at Boston College as a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar, a cohort of educators committed to teaching for social justice. My family are proud owners of a small business called Ali's Roti Restaurant in the heart of the city, Mattapan for 30 years. I grew up in the restaurant, which started in our home, and I have firsthand experience about the work ethic and experience of being the daughter of immigrant parents and the ideology that the customer is always right. My teaching philosophy is much the same and is the sum of these experiences. To me, the students are always right and if something is wrong it is because I haven’t innovated my way to reach that student. I will do what it takes to make sure I am reaching and teaching all students.
Editors: Lynette Blue-Skerritt ~ Director of Admissions | Anna Lane ~ Family Liaison
Welcome back!! I hope everyone had a happy and healthy first month back!! If your child has any Medical Conditions *Please let me know as soon as possible. If your child has medications that need to be given at school please send in a signed order from your physician along with the medication in original bottle. Medication Authorization form. *If your child has asthma please have your physician fill out the Asthma Action Plan and send the plan into school as well as the medication. Asthma Action Plan. *If your child has a seizure disorder please send in the seizure plan from your physician as well as the medication. Seizure Action Plans. *If your child has a Life Threatening Allergy that requires an EPI-Pen. Please send in physician order and medication as soon as possible *If your child needs over the counter medication at school please fill out this form and send in with student. Over The Counter Medication Authorization Form Thank you to the families who have completed and returned the medical forms. If you have not returned the forms please send in as soon as possible. Immunizations and Physicals *Immunizations - Boston Public Schools Please be reminded that ALL students need to have immunizations up to date. *Please send in recent physical and a copy of immunizations as soon as possible. **Student Athletes** All athletes require a physical examination completed within the last 13 months that does not expire before the end of the season, in order for the nurse to clear them to play.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. sbaril@bostonpublicschools.org 617-635-6437 617-635-6332 (fax) https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/new-mission-high-virtual-nurse/home
wearyourmaskwashyourhandssocialdistancing
Social Emotional Corner New Mission has been a Comprehensive Behavioral Health Model (CBHM) school since 2013. As a CBHM school, New Mission has worked to support a positive climate and student’s social and academic success for all students in a variety of ways. This year New Mission is investing more time and resources than ever before into supporting our student’s social emotional development. One major piece of this increased investment is the addition of two FULL TIME, amazing, social workers to join our clinical team. Ms. Maria DaSilva and Ms. Brooke Menard come to use with a wealth of experience and skills. Dr. Lisa van Luling, our school psychologist, continues to support our school community since 2012. Additionally, for the first time, New Mission has a full school Tier 1 social and emotional curriculum. Our students receive instruction on social and emotional skills on Thursdays during the class, “Strategies for Success.” Tier 1 interventions are received by ALL students. Just as we have Tier 1 math, reading and writing courses, we are now providing our students with a baseline of social and emotional skills. Excitedly, we have our returning partnerships with the Home for Little Wanderers, represented by the wonderful Ms. Esther Boussicot (Social Worker), and the Boston Health Commission which includes our incredible team of Betty Lindsey (Administrative Assistant), Maddy Andrade (Social Worker) Marita McPhail (Health Educator), Rachel Greene (Social Worker), Sandra McCurbin (Nurse Practitioner). Your School’s Clinical Team is: Ms. Maria DaSilva Ms. Brooke Menard Dr. Lisa van Luling
Meet Ms. Brooke: Hello, my name is Brooke Menard, but students call me Ms. Brooke! I am so excited to work with our 7th-9th grade students and families at New Mission this year as a social worker and advisor. Originally from the south shore of MA, I started my career as a counselor/social workers in Washington DC Public Schools. Most
recently I was a Social Emotional Learning and Behavior Coach for Framingham Public Schools where I worked closely with teachers and administrators to roll out district-wide SEL curriculum and navigate challenging student behavior. However, my love for working in schools began in BPS when I worked for the Boston Scholar Athlete Program, so I am SO excited to be back. I attended Boston College for both my Bachelor’s Degree and my Master’s Degree which makes me a “Double Eagle.” In my free time, I am a yoga instructor and the K-12 Education Evaluation Coordinator for the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) which focuses on anti-racist, anti-biased, anti-hate programming for students and teachers. I also binge watch Netflix, travel, bake, and spend lots of time with my friends and family!
TITAN CHRONICLE newmissionhigh.org | @newmissiontitans
ATHLETIC UPDATES Girls & Boys Soccer
Current season stats Football
Girls: 0-8 Boys: 1-7
Girls Volleyball
2-3 11-2
GO TITANS!
For further information regarding New Mission Athletics please contact Athletic Director Malcolm Smith (msmith8@bostonpublicschools.org; 617-635-6437 x31705) Editors: Lynette Blue-Skerritt ~ Director of Admissions | Anna Lane ~ Family Liaison
SUMMER AT NEW MISSION Working at New Mission this summer was an amazing experience. I had a chance to do many different tasks such as organizing the books, filing papers, decorating the boards and so much more. The supervisors were very nice and patient. If there was something I’m not too sure about I felt comfortable asking them questions.
TITAN MOTIVATION CORNER
CLASS OF 2021 VALEDICTORIAN SPEECH I have always dreamed of being a valedictorian and always pushed myself to be the best that I can. It is an honor. Standing up here looking at all of the students, staff, and family I am grateful that we are able to have this event in person.
Also this summer while I was working I realized that it’s okay to ask for help to clarify things and to work with other people and not work independently all the time. When I worked with other people it made the task we had to do easier. I improved on sharing my ideas more with my co-workers. I also improved my time management. The skills that I learned during this summer I will continue to use everyday because they were really helpful. Those skills were organization, time management, and communication. Overall I was really happy to have an opportunity like this.
These last four years have been one crazy rollercoaster that we all had to endure. From having a normal high school experience for 2 and a half years to a year and a half of remote and virtual learning. I can say I spent a lot of my time making tik toks or just sitting on my bed for hours watching tik toks and I know i am not the only one. I think that through the difficult time of being isolated and at home, it was good to see what others were doing around the world and getting my mind off being at home. It has been difficult, but we made it out together... ..Some of you have been here with me since day one and others joined not too long ago, but in that time, I learned one thing. A star shines bright in the dark of space, but it is not all alone because millions of stars around it shine with it and light up the universe. Like those stars, we are not alone and we will meet many stars that shine on their own and others that need a little bit of light to guide them to reach their full brightness. We all shine individually, but we are never alone. If we reach for the stars around us, we grow, expand, and brighten ourselves. All of us.
Editors: Lynette Blue-Skerritt ~ Director of Admissions | Anna Lane ~ Family Liaison