One measure of an effective, learning enterprise is the extent to which good ideas travel among and are embraced by the larger organization.  In this newsletter you will see various initiatives taking place to support students' physical and mental health.  What I like most is that our schools are learning from each other, that they feel comfortable incorporating the ideas of other district schools, and they consistently strive to adjust what they are doing to more effectively meet the needs of students.

I believe that each of our great schools has to be somewhat different - they have different staff, their students are somewhat different, and they have different histories that shape the school and form its culture.  That said, we are at our best when we are open to the effective practices our colleagues are implementing and work passionately to improve our service to students and their families. 

As you read this newsletter, I hope you are impressed with the work the groups of adults charged with educating your student and the efforts they are making.

Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.
Superintendent

BHS' Office Hours and Academic Center
The stress of getting behind in classes and the frustration of not understanding class material can build up quickly for students. At Burlingame High School, students have access to Office Hours on Wednesdays from 2:29-3:15 pm.  This is specific time built in during the school day for students to check in with teachers. Students find it valuable because they are able to tailor the help they need with assignments from teachers and arrange tutoring help with other students. Office Hours create a college-like experience where students are able to be proactive about seeking help. For students who are involved in athletics or activities outside of school, this dedicated time can be invaluable.

In addition to Office Hours, the BHS Academic Center is a place where students can relieve stress and get their homework done in a supportive environment. Peer and adult tutors are on hand to help in many subject areas. Some students come for help daily; others just drop in when they have a question or two. Many find that working with a tutor or in a study group helps them understand the material better and stay on top of their workload. Academic Center is held in the library at Burlingame High School, Monday through Friday after school until 5:30pm.

Capuchino's Freshmen Teams & FLEX Days
To help transition 8th graders to high school, Capuchino established Freshmen Teams to offer a personalized learning community where a team of teachers work specifically with a specific cohort of students in English, History, Health and Physics.  The teachers also implement common practices related to literacy strategies, academic habits and student conduct.  Due to the great success of the Freshmen Teams, the school recently implemented Sophomore Teams.  As a result, both academic achievement and connections to school have significantly improved over the last several years. 

To help model well balanced lives for students, Capuchino also instituted FLEX days -- minimum days that allow students to sign up for both academic and high interest activities.  Activities have ranged from Hour of Code, to International Baccalaureate (IB) essay workshops, to Ultimate Frisbee and Ukulele for beginners.  This day is a complete detour from students' normal day-to-day activities. The goal of Capuchino is to first connect with students, support them in academic areas and ultimately engage in stress-busting activities!  So far, staff is pleased with the innovation and excited to see so many students engaged.

San Mateo High's Block Schedules, Tutorials, and Homework Center
San Mateo High has a three pronged approach to addressing stress - Block Scheduling, Tutorials, and Homework Center.

The students at San Mateo High School feel that the block schedule lessens the stress they have.  Since classes often meet every other day, students have two days instead of one to do homework. It also allows for students to have class three days a week.  This enables them to seek assistance from their teachers before the next time class meets.  It is also helps students prepare for a college schedule.

Students also see benefits of tutorials.  Tutorial is a 50 minute period that meets twice a week.  Students are assigned a tutorial classroom, but can obtain passes to go to any teacher they need help from or to use the library or a computer lab.  Tutorials allow students to get some homework done at school and do make up work if they are an athlete and have an early dismissal time.  It also relieves some student stress by not having to get all their homework done when they get home from sports practices and performance rehearsals. 

Finally, San Mateo High also hosts an after school Homework (HW) Center.   HW Center is open one hour after school, twice a week.  Students feel they create bonds with the teachers in HW Center and receive lots of academic support.  Each year, the Center is staffed by a variety of teachers that span the content areas - Social Science, Math, Science, Health, and English.  Students have shared that they consider time at HW Center like another tutorial.  San Mateo High averages about 100 students a month in the HW Center.

Do Teens Need a Later Start Time for School?

Kids change over the generations. When I was a young person, a 10pm bed time sounded normal. Now, 10pm is when many teens are getting started with night-time routines - homework, report writing, and catching up with friends on social media. Scientific research strongly suggests that teens' circadian rhythms are such that a later start time makes great sense.

As you may know, we are working to install stadium lights at our schools next year in order to achieve parity with surrounding school districts.  Our hope is that being able to have lit fields will allow us to have a community conversation on the best time to start school - and consideration of a start time of 8:30 a.m. or later for the 2017-2018 school year.

Healthy Kids Survey Results

The California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) is a biennial statewide survey given to ninth and eleventh graders to learn about various health indicators in California's public schools.  The survey helps us learn about important topics such as the rate of anxiety and depression our students are experiencing, their encounters with cyberbullying, and risk factors such as alcohol, drug and cigarette use.  The results of SMUHSD students by school and the presentation materials from the March 10 board presentation can be found by clicking here and scrolling to "L.2. Presentation: California Healthy Kids Survey and the School Climate Survey." This survey provides valuable information and helps shape our efforts to improve student health along various dimensions.  School groups also use their individual school data for the same purpose.  In general, our ninth graders report higher health indicators, and healthier data than their counterparts two years ago, and eleventh grade data district-wide is broadly consistent, with drug and alcohol use down.

Teaching Students How to Get Their "Zen" On

Many of us are in a forever "tuned in" world, constantly looking at our "to do" lists, deadlines, and who is sharing their greatest accomplishments on social media. Our students are no different, but in health class, they learn skills for focusing on their inner self and tuning out the "always on" world. Our health teachers spend a lot of time helping students understand the importance of sleep, self-awareness through mediation, nutrition, exercise, and how all of these life concepts play a large roll in mental health.

For example, in health class, students may learn how to incorporate meditation into their lives as they learn the benefits of taking their brains "offline" for a few moments every day. Students also receive benefits from listening and learning from guest speakers from local health-related agencies including StarVista and Rape Trauma Services. Within the health curriculum, students will take a Mental Health unit which is approximately two weeks long.

Overall, the District has increased time, information, and the number of discussions revolving around mental health for our students. An important part of mental health is learning coping mechanisms for handling stress; during health class, students discuss and learn strategies for dealing with stress on a daily basis.

Members of our Health Council play a significant role in shaping health curriculum at our schools, and they make sure they are knowledgeable and aware of emerging trends and research. The SMUHSD Health Council has specialists/speakers provide training and curriculum on important health topics. Many health council members and school deans have also been through the training "Mental Health First Aid" offered at the San Mateo County Office of Education.

In the spring, Aragon High holds a Wellness Expo featuring more than 30 organizations from the wellness industry, from fitness to skin care. RISE Yoga teaches yoga to sophomore physical education classes. Generally, at Aragon, sophomore girls' physical education students can take yoga every Friday throughout the year, and yoga will be offered as a physical education elective starting next year. Feeling connected to others is a clear indicator of mental health. Under the direction of teacher Melissa Perino, the new Renaissance Leadership class is increasing contacts with students and staff on campus, creating a sense of community for all involved.

Mills helps students feel connected by having a peer helping group which hosts a multitude of activities to make students feel part of the larger school community. Also, in physical education, RISE Yoga, once a week for 10 weeks, comes to Mills to teach students yoga so students can focus on themselves as individuals.

Hillsdale has an anonymous question box which allows students to ask questions about mental health, relationships, addiction, etc. After reviewing the questions, Hillsdale's School Safety Advocate, leads students and staff in a restorative circle to answer all of the students' anonymous questions and introduce them to local and free resources on and off campus. Also, Hillsdale has a block day of "calm stations" where students:

• Walk in a meditative state -- silent walking being aware of breathing, heart rate, and objects around them
• Learn about foods that help decrease stress
• Rest their eyes
• Make flour stress balls/balloons
• Distract themselves by creating art
• Examine self and outer expectations
• Write a letter to someone who causes them distress
• Learn the importance of healthy relationships and how they can help decrease stress

Our health teachers also model stress-relieving techniques every day when interacting with students. When in health class, students practice mindful meditation with breathing exercises and may also incorporate a yoga stretch. The health teacher reports the students love doing the poses and the yoga gets their brain turned on and engaged in a healthy way.

Teaching young people how to stay connected to themselves in an ever changing world is vital. The SMUHSD is thankful that our health teachers, physical education teachers and Health Council members make sure students are healthy in mind, body, and soul through their work to help them become self-aware and spiritually connected adults.

Peninsula Parent Speaker Series (PPSS)

Being a parent and guardian is rewarding, but such hard work! Over the course of your child's life (even into adulthood!), you will question whether you are being the parent you want to be. You hear MANY opinions from well-meaning friends and family members of what you "should" be doing as a parent and the number of articles, blogs and media coverage on how to be a "good" parent is overwhelming.  It is easy to feel inadequate. 

The Peninsula Parent Speakers Series (PPSS) can help you sort out parenting questions. Led by a group of committed parent volunteers from throughout the district, the PPSS delivers low cost parent education events featuring experts that will impart valuable information to you on topics that you will benefit from for many years.

Thanks to the PPSS, thousands of our parents have heard experts share their wisdom on how technology affects young people and how it shapes their brain function, essential tips for raising successful tweens and teens, and how to break free of the over-parenting trap.  And all of these events are available in three languages - English, Spanish and Chinese.

The next event is coming up on April 27th at Capuchino High. We hope you can make it. For all of the details around April's event, visit http://www.smuhsd.org/peninsulaparentspeakerseries.

Creative Outlets for Free Expression - Good for the Soul

Now that my own children are out of the nest, I seem to have more time to attend concerts and plays.  I'm delighted that this development coincides with my coming to the SMUHSD because the quality of performance here is absolutely outstanding. For example, during the first week of March, I experienced the joy of In Concert -a district wide music showcase going into its 20th year of existence. This year, it lasted over the course of a full week with a Showcase of Bands one night, Choir Festival another, and then the Grand Finale -- a performance of our honors jazz and symphonic band musicians.  Each night students delivered incredibly good music, and most importantly, they were learning while doing something they clearly loved.

As with previous years, some of our art students displayed their work in the lobby of the Performing Arts Center for In Concert's Grand Finale. The art was beautiful, expressive and personal. You could see that every piece captured a piece of the student artists' spirit.

And how do I begin to explain the talents of our student actors who perform professional level plays for the community? If you have never been to one of our plays, you are missing out. It's remarkable to think that the performance is the product of high school students -- the sets are elaborate, the sounds from the orchestra are beautiful, and the crowd is always enthralled with the performances.

Bringing Stanford's "Young Athletes Academy" to Our Athletes

Our student athletes go hard. They are competitive and driven. Although our coaches, athletic directors and staff want our students to excel, they don't want them to drive themselves so hard that they injure themselves.  Helping athletes understand their limits, learn good body mechanics, and recognize warning signs of a worsening injury takes education and expertise. Our athletic directors and coaches now have supplemental expert help in providing the best care and direction for our staff, families and athletes. That help is from the Stanford Children Health and its Children's Young Athlete Academy.

The aim of the recently launched Young Athletes Academy is to help reduce the occurrence of sports injuries among young athletes. The Academy is part of a comprehensive care approach developed by the Children's Orthopedic Center and Sports Medicine Program at Stanford's Children's Health. Defined, the Young Athletes Academy means a full team of physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers who will visit area high schools and work directly with students and coaches.

Through its partnership with Stanford, the SMUHSD will have access to educational programs that include lectures such as "Injuries Specific to the Soccer Knee" and "Injuries Specific to the Throwing Shoulder." In addition, Stanford will provide "Concierge Service," which provides supplemental game coverage and comprehensive concussion management. Its Injury Prevention Program includes an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) Prevention Program, female athlete triad consultations, and screenings for overtraining and burnout.

I love playing sports, and I am particularly enjoying playing basketball with district students. Even more than our students, I sometimes forget my limits or play through an injury. But I didn't have Stanford's kind of athlete support or education as a youngster! Through the partnership with Stanford, I'm hoping that the good supplemental dose of expert information will educate our students on how they can protect themselves physically so they can keep on playing the sports they love.

BrightBytes - Assessing Technology and Learning in the SMUHSD

In order to help assess how well we as a district integrate technology to support student learning and inform the development of our new Technology Plan, the District has joined a three year partnership with BrightBytes, an educational research service. BrightBytes helps districts measure the impact of existing technology programs and services, and provides the research and analysis to advocate for resources, support decision-making, and prioritize learning initiatives to the diverse needs of students and teachers.

In January, more than 7500 students, parents and teachers participated in our first survey collection. The District survey results indicated that we performed above the national average in terms of student access to devices in our schools, foundational technology skills for students and teachers classroom and network infrastructure.  The survey data also indicated the need to continue our efforts in providing opportunities for students to use digital tools in the classroom to support their communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity. The data from our survey will be used to support the development and implementation of both our District and Site Technology plans to be created by May.  Thank you to all for your continued support and effort in building a culture of innovation that supports student learning.

When my kids were younger, one of the things I hated hearing from them was, "I'm bored." I felt an obligation to make sure they were busy and, even better, productive.  I searched for opportunities and activities with which to stuff their time.
 
Perhaps because of the "always on" interconnected world in which we live there seems to be a growing recognition of the value of boredom.  Leading thinkers are pushing its value.  They believe that being bored is good for creativity and brain development.
 
Writing about doing little or nothing is a lot easier than actually trying to be bored.  But I do think that there's great value, particularly for young people, in giving space for boredom.  As parents, we often feel that if we aren't entertaining our children, we should make sure something or somebody is.  But I wager we can all remember times in our own childhoods where boredom was the seed of discovery or unexpected enjoyment.  Consider this food for thought as we launch into spring break and think about summer a few months from now.
 
We welcome your input on this newsletter and anything else at [email protected].