Category Archives: Community Service

03.20.26
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It’s March Madness 2026 at TNCS!

At The New Century School, the month of March is always positively brimming with academic and social events—so many that Immersed typically needs two March Madness posts (this year will be no different). Is it because, just like in the natural world, students and staff alike are bursting to bloom? Or because, after months of coaching and practice, it’s time to go for some “slam dunks”? Or maybe it’s just all that fierce March energy that blows in and gets everyone fired up for what’s next. Whatever the reason, we love what March brings at TNCS!

Shower of Appreciation

Our first March 2026 highlight is the second-annual Appreciation Brunch Ms. Simonetti held on Friday, March 13th to show gratitude to all of the teachers, admin, and staff (including auxiliary members) who keep the marvel that is TNCS flourishing . . . literally, each and every one of them!

Building North was transformed into a beautiful bistro setting, and a buffet-style brunch was served. Ms. Simonetti created a slide show of the honorees through the years for all to enjoy while they ate. She then honored each and every one with a special, personalized gift and individual recognition of their particular contribution to the community.

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In case you’re asking yourself how on earth Ms. Simonetti finds the time and energy for these truly special gestures, it’s more of a why than a how:

As I’ve grown into leadership, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on what it means to truly serve a team. I believe we rise by lifting others, and I strive to lead in a way that centers care, gratitude, and community. When I first imagined this event last year, it began as a rare moment for our entire team to come together and quickly grew into a meaningful way to acknowledge that every role in our community matters.

I also believe that giving of one’s time and talent is a small but powerful way to show care in a tangible way. I am honored to host this annual event and to have the opportunity to be the one doing the serving. As Mother Teresa shared, “It’s not about how much you do, but how much love you put into what you do that counts.”

Stay tuned for more March Madness—make that March Loving Kindness—at TNCS!

Wait—what’s up with that special, personalized gift mentioned above? Profé J is here to “unbox” the excitement!

03.14.25
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It’s March Madness 2025 at TNCS!

At The New Century School, the month of March is always positively brimming with academic and social events—so many that Immersed typically needs two March Madness posts (this year will be no different). Is it because, just like in the natural world, students and staff alike are bursting to bloom? Or because, after months of coaching and practice, it’s time to go for some slam dunks? Or maybe it’s just all that fierce March energy that blows in and gets everyone fired up for what’s next. Whatever the reason, we love what March brings at TNCS!

Core Value Refresh!

Amid all the preparations for all of March’s exciting events, TNCS K–8 students took a moment to refresh on what it means to be just that—a student at TNCS!

TNCS Head of School Ann Marie Simonetti says:

The flag tradition began as part of a COVID-19 remembrance day, as Friday, March 13, 2020, was the last “normal” day of school before the pandemic hit the East Coast. Students made flags to express joy and hope in the future, remembrance as our community remembered the loved ones we have lost, the change in our lives, and the power of our reliance and adaptability.

Today, we continue holding this day to reflect on how we adapted to a new world need and think about how we can apply the same types of coordination and dedication to meet other global challenges. We also highlight our core values—Compassion, Courage, Respect, Service—knowing that we will call upon them throughout our lives and recognizing their role in helping us meet future challenges.

We are fortunate as a community (and as a society as a whole) to be 5 years past that moment, and thank you, TNCS students, for reminding us not only just how fortunate we truly are, but also about the values and traits we hone to get us through such challenges, whether big or small.

Shower of Appreciation

And that brings us to our next March highlight: the Appreciation Brunch Ms. Simonetti held the very next day on Friday, March 14th to show gratitude to all of the teachers, admin, and staff (including auxiliary members) who keep the marvel that is TNCS flourishing . . . literally, each and every one of them!

Building North was transformed into a beautiful bistro setting, and a buffet-style brunch was served. Ms. Simonetti created a slide show of the honorees through the years for all to enjoy while they ate. She then honored each and every one with a special, personalized gift and individual recognition of their particular contribution to the community.

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TNCS Preschool Coordinator Terriann Lane made sure Ms. Simonette was also recognized!

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The morning was a wonderful break from the day-to-day to relax, appreciate each other, and relive some terrific memories—but it didn’t end there! Built in to this already-special event was a surprise wedding shower for Mandarin Chinese teacher Jia Liu, who recently got engaged and married!

Liu Laoshi explained that, although the surprise party was on Friday, the surprises actually began Thursday morning!

I got a surprise bouquet—but not just any bouquet. Each “flower” was a drawing made by the kids over the weekend. On Monday, Andy secretly collected them all and gave them to Lumi’s mom, who turned them into a beautiful bouquet.

Later, I found out that the week before, the parents in my class and Andy had started a secret group chat just to plan this surprise for me—with the kids involved! How sweet is that? Andy told me he was so nervous I’d catch on while he was collecting their weekend work… and the funniest part is: I had no idea. Like, zero clue.

Meanwhile, I had actually planned a surprise for them too—I brought in a veil and pom-poms for us to decorate together. So on Thursday, we made a “wedding veil” as a class craft. The timing was perfect!

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“Then Friday morning,” she continued, “I brought in two big boxes of candy.”

In Chinese tradition, after you get married, you share sweets with family and friends to spread the happiness. I even printed out a little explanation and went around giving out candy. I was so sure I was the one bringing surprises that day… but turns out, everyone else was just acting cool and keeping their surprise totally under wraps!”

Honestly, I was so touched. Since this was just a courthouse ceremony and honeymoon (our families are all in China), I wasn’t expecting anything. When I saw what they did for me, I felt like crying—in the best way. It was such a warm, loving moment. I’m so lucky to be part of TNCS. Huge thanks to Ms. Sussman and Ms. Lane, and to all the parents who made it happen.

I shared everything with my friends and family in China, and they were all so happy that I work in such a sweet and supportive place.

Stay tuned for more March Madness at TNCS!

04.19.24
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TNCS Middle School Capstone Trip: Return to Costa Rica!

At The New Century School, Service is a Core Value, and, throughout the year, students take on various initiatives toward their service-learning goals, from intra-campus projects to broader, community service–oriented endeavors. To really bring home what service learning means, though, every other year, TNCS students get to experience how their efforts can have farther-reaching impacts.

Costa Rica, Here We Come!

On April 6th, TNCS Head of School Erika Johnson, along with Alexis Watson, TNCS Director of Student Support, accompanied nine 7th- and 8th-graders on their wonderful, amazing, long-awaited capstone trip to Costa Rica! This was the fourth such international service-learning trip, with the very first happening in Puerto Rico in 2019, followed by Costa Rica in 2020, and back to PR in 2022. Ms. Johnson is the first TNCS Head of School to chaperone the trip, but, recognizing the weighty responsibility of students traveling abroad, she felt it necessary to ensure their safety and guide them through the experience as well as to represent the school.

For many of the students, this trip marked significant firsts: first time out of the country, first time with passports, and the first time traveling without immediate family. It was a wonderful way to develop responsibility and independence. “At times, students were overwhelmed with the logistics of it all,” said Ms. Johnson, “like navigating immigration, where they had to stand in line and show their passports and other documents. Understanding how important all those documents are and being serious in the moment when asked questions by officers, all of those things became very real. That was a big revelation for them.”

Activities and Adventures

Their trip comprised 5 days in Costa Rica, bookended by a day of travel coming and going. The group arrived in San José and then drove to Arenal, a place bursting with natural beauty and adventure. Their visits also included Puntarenas on the Pacific Coast (there was a lot of criss-crossing the country by bus—a 4-hour ride!)

Their itinerary, planned by Explorica, was absolutely packed with exciting activities, including hiking up a volcano, horseback riding, ziplining, kayaking, and swimming in the ocean. They walked between 15,000 and 20,000 steps each day! The service-learning aspect came in the form of community service work at a local nature preserve (Manuel Antonio National Park), which meant clearing the brush from the road so it didn’t catch fire and then cause a threat to the resident animals.

Said Ms. Johnson: “I knew from experience that Explorica would provide that necessary level of care and professionalism. Our local guide, Raquel, was amazing. She took care of the logistics so I could focus on caring for students. She managed our busy schedule, which allowed me to make sure that students needs were met.” As Ms. Johnson described it, throughout the trip, every moment was maximized, from early morning wake-up calls to late-night reflections. “It rained the first 4 days,” she said, “but we did not miss a beat. It’s a tropical climate, and rainy weather is expected—‘la pura vida’!”

“Students were overjoyed with being in the tropical environment because it was just stunning. On a hike up the volcano we stopped in our tracks at the sounds of a howler monkey. Iguanas ran across our paths and snakes stared at us from the trees. They loved it all.”

Hablando Español

Beyond the thrill of adventure, one of the primary purposes of the middle school capstone trip is to use one of the languages students have been learning throughout their academic careers at TNCS in an authentic/immersive environment. Consider this box checked! Said Ms. Johnson:

It took a day or so for students to really jump in and use their Spanish continuously. But, as they exercised those muscles, their confidence grew. My Spanish improved, too, because I was trying to model using it. My Spanish is limited, so it was nice when they corrected me or explained something. That was helpful, especially when we were at local restaurants. One of my favorite aspects of this trip was seeing students realize that speaking Spanish is a skill and a talent. That really strengthened their confidence in their own personhood.

Reflections and Transformations

The trip fostered personal growth all around. Students not only learned to rely on each other for support, and discovered the fun and value of speaking Spanish in an authentic environment, but they also gained a deeper appreciation for shared experiences. This latter discovery is all down to Ms. Johnson, who, for the first time in a TNCS capstone trip, made journaling a part of the trip. She passed the journals out at the airport prior to departure and asked students to write about five things they each want to accomplish on the trip. (Final reflections on the trip in its entirety were due a week after returning to TNCS.) Once back at school, they can visit classrooms to share with younger students what they learned on the trip.

When we don’t incorporate those kinds of activities, it’s a missed opportunity for the bonding and even for their own appreciation for what has happened to them internally. I think those are some of the ingredients of that special sauce that make group dynamics work. It takes some intentionality to achieve what we’re trying to get out of the trip. So, each day students journaled about their experience, and I think the ability to reflect on what they did that day allows them to solidify memories and carry that information forward.

Journaling happened daily and was freestyle apart from the beginning and ending prompts from Ms. Johnson. This not only helped students gain insights into their experience, but it also infused the trip with deeper meaning. Ms. Johnson made sure that layer of meaning shone through in other ways as well: “On the last day, students had two activities: one was a recorded thank you message to their family and the second was that I made a little book from Ms. Watson, and each student wrote a thank you note to her.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Johnson herself participated in some reflection as well. She also had goals, both as an educator and as a traveler, all of which she accomplished:

My first goal was to learn something new about each student. Another was conquering the zip line—you can’t come this far not to do everything. Others were to see a sloth (I saw five, including a baby—they were so cute!); lay out in the sun, which I love; and last but least was to eat fresh mangoes.

As for her favorite parts of the trip, Ms. Johnson again approaches that wearing both her personal and her professional educator hats.

My favorite part when I’m in tropical places is always watching the sun go down. It was so lovely with the waves and the palm trees and the quiet. Seeing the students overcome challenges was also memorable. They might have started off saying, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ but to hear them say, ‘I did it’ by the end was really special.  Additionally, the trip was transformative for the students in that they have a different appreciation for each other. I don’t think it’s possible to have shared experiences and not see each other.

Ms. Watson also shared some reflections. “My favorite experience was ziplining!” she said. “To be amongst nature in that way was truly breathtaking. To be in the middle of the tropical forest flying is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.” As for goals, she says:

My goal was to support students in trying new things and following through with all the amazing adventures we went on. I believe they received a newfound piece of their independence along with a sense of cultural understanding of traditions and customs outside of their own. Our students were able to see how other people do some of the same tasks they do in a different way. I believe they were able to see that the world is so much bigger than what is in their backyard, and to me that is the joy of international traveling. In supporting students, I was able to explore new things myself and partake in new adventures as well.

Student Perspective

Immersed was able to convene briefly with the students to learn about the experience from their points of view. While some clear themes emerge, it’s also true that their experiences were unique—each student got something a little different out of it. It’s eminently clear that this trip was deeply meaningful to them. Their responses cover their favorite part of the experience, what most surprised them, and what they feel they took away from the experience overall.

I learned a lot of new skills like responsibility and how to be away from my mom. I also learned a lot more Spanish. We did a lot of really cool activities. My favorite was going to the beach.

I also learned how to be away from home for the first time. It was also just it was a nice country. I think my favorite part of the trip was being able to communicate in Spanish, to be able to practice it. I also liked going to the hot springs, which was really relaxing and calming.

My favorite part of the trip was the horseback riding. What I learned from this trip was to be more independent because I rely a lot on my mom. I practiced a lot of my Spanish over there. The most surprising thing for me was how much I missed my family. The most surprising thing was the weather, the constant change from rain to sun.

I liked going to a new country and experiencing things for the first time, especially with my school. I liked being more independent and speaking the language. My favorite part was definitely the food—the rice and beans. The food was also the most surprising because they stick to the same meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, unlike here.

The most surprising thing was how different the money was: 500 colónes (₡) equal 1 dollar. It was fun to figure it out. It was a really good opportunity for me to learn how to talk to people in a different language, and it was good to experience the culture. My favorite experience was going to the fruit markets because I got to try new fruits.

Most surprising to me is that there was a lot of wildlife and nature in Costa Rica. I could tell they really care about it a lot. My favorite experience was learning about the country with my friends. We got to go hiking up a volcano, which was really fun with friends. We also learned about the volcano and how it formed. What I got out of the trip was learning how to be independent; we weren’t there with our parents, we only had our friends and teachers, which was kind of different, but I liked how it taught me to be independent.

The most the most surprising thing to me was that there were sloths. We went to an animal sanctuary and there they were! Not only did I get to learn some Spanish words from just natural exposure, but I got to speak Spanish to other people and practice my pronunciation with someone who actually spoke the language. My favorite experience would probably have to be hiking, just because I like the opportunity to be active. Even though there was a lot of rain, the rain cleared, and when we reached the top, the view was just breathtaking.

On this important journey, goals were achieved, memories were made, and bonds were strengthened. From spotting sloths to conquering fears, each student left Costa Rica with a sense of accomplishment and a trove of unforgettable moments. Returning home, they carry with them not just memories, but a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them.

01.13.23
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Honoring a Visionary: TNCS Celebrates MLK, Jr. Day with Service … and Books!

“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Service is one of the four Core Values at The New Century School. Honoring the great man who famously said, “Everybody can be great…because anybody can serve” on the day set aside to serve in his name is an annual observance at TNCS.

On the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Day of Service, we step up to make communities more equitable, to fight for systemic change, and to take action to create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. Together, we can strengthen ties to our communities and one other while we address critical issues that divide us.

At TNCS, this type of service happens all year long, with the TNCS Community participating in food, clothing, and hygiene kit drives (scroll to the end for more service posts), for example, and by actively participating in antiracism. But on January 16th, that service becomes transcendent, merging with the service of others and, temporarily, at least, actualizing the Beloved Community.

Day of Service

Baltimore has a special connection with Dr. King, who visited in 1964. Events will take place all around Charm City leading up to and on January 16th, the day set aside to serve the community in his honor. And, YES! The parade is happening (Monday, beginning at noon)! Other wonderful events like the annual Dare to Dream day at American Visionary Art Museum (free museum admission!) as well as opportunities to volunteer and serve are included in these links:

Whether you are able to serve on January 16th or not, you can inspire your children to stand up for equality. Start with this biographical video on Dr. King made for kids.

Books are another extremely effective way to teach children about the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. So, with the help of Colours of Us and Encompass, here are reading lists for preschool, and elementary, and middle school children, grouped by age.

Preschool Reading List

  • I Am Martin Luther King, Jr., by Brad Meltzer
  • The Story of Martin Luther King Jr., by Johnny Ray Moore
  • My Uncle Martin’s Big Heart, by Angela Farris Watkins
  • My First Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr., by Marion Dane Bauer
  • A Sweet Smell of Roses, by Angela Johnson

Elementary Reading List

  • Be a King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You, by Carole Boston Weatherford
  • As Good as Anybody, by Richard Michelson
  • The Story of Martin Luther King Jr., by Christine Platt
  • Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Doreen Rappaport
  • National Geographic Readers: Martin Luther King, Jr., by Kitson Jazynka
  • I Have a Dream, by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation, by Barry Wittenstein
  • My Brother Martin, by Christine King Farris
  • Martin’s Dream, by Jane Kurtz
  • I Am #4: Martin Luther King Jr., by Grace Norwich
  • My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Martin Luther King III
  • My Dream of Martin Luther King, by Faith Ringgold
  • The March on Washington (American Girl: Real Stories From My Time), by Bonnie Bader

Middle School Reading List

  • Martin Rising: Requiem For a King, by Andrea Davis Pinkney
  • Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?, by Bonnie Bader
  • Free At Last: The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr., by Angela Bull
  • Martin & Anne: The Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank, by Nancy Churnin
  • Portraits of African-American Heroes, by Tonya Bolden
  • Martin Luther King Jr.: A Graphic History of America’s Great Civil Rights Leaders, by Rachel Ruiz
  • Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, by Alice Faye Duncan

However you choose to observe, Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, TNCS Community!

More service blogs from Immersed:

11.05.21
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Adriana DuPrau: TNCS’s Dean of Students on Service-Learning, Fundraising, Community-Building, and the All-New Advisory Board!

Adriana DuPrau has been an integral member of The New Century School since its inception. She was one of the original teachers, a role she held for several years, then became the Curriculum Director for a few years, and is now embracing her brand-new position as Dean of Students. When we say “embracing,” we really mean it. Mrs. DuPrau is shaking up the 2021–2022 school year in ways never before seen at TNCS!

In just the first couple of months of school, Mrs. DuPrau has initiated several service-learning, fundraising, and community-building projects, and she has also been an important member of the all-new Advisory Board (along with TNCS Head of School Tad Jacks, Student Counselor Daphnee Hope, and other faculty members). Here is an overview of what’s been happening!

Service-Learning Projects

Service-learning is annually a big deal at TNCS, but Mrs. DuPrau approached it a bit differently this time around. “I met with all the K–8 classes and found out what their interested in,” she explained. “Animals are definitely at the top of the list!

BARCS

I wanted to do something related to what their wishes are because I feel like when they get to make the choices, they are that much more involved.” They decided to go with BARCS (The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter), who compiled a wishlist of items so that our TNCS community can help support these wonderful animals in need.

This service-learning initiative will continue for the entire month of November, and items can be dropped off directly at TNCS. “We thought abut donating through Amazon, but then I thought, there’s something really special about like holding on to the item that you’re going to donate and walking into the school and putting it in a bin versus just ordering something and never really getting the actual item,” said Mrs. DuPrau. Students can drop off their items in bins placed by the front desk. The TNCS Student Council will help handle all the items, which will be delivered to BARCS on Tuesday, November 30th. (Wait, what TNCS Student Council? Keep reading!)

Puerto Rico

Although details are still being hashed out, the annual middle school capstone service-learning trip will be to Puerto Rico this February. COVID-19 continues to complicate and sometimes thwart big plans, but TNCS family the Waylands were instrumental in making this happen. Mrs. DuPrau and Mrs. Hope will chaperone, and everyone is excited about undertaking a service project in a tropical locale where they can also practice their Spanish-speaking skills and foster independence!

Other Service-Learning Projects

Smaller but no less important initiatives are happening all over TNCS. The Kindergarteners and 1st-graders are writing letters to veterans and walking them to the post office to mail them, which includes all kinds of incidental opportunities for learning, and Mrs. DuPrau also hopes to find a way to have TNCS students donate leftover Halloween candy to send to troops overseas. This aligns well with TNCS’s sugar-free mandate, and parents will appreciate the chance to get rid of some of it!

The TNCS Parent Council is also in the planning stages of some initiatives like the annual Adopt-A-Family for the holidays, the Coat and Warm Clothing Drive for Wolfe St. Academy that has taken place over the last few years, and hygiene boxes around MLK Day. We’ll dig deeper into all things Parent Council–related in a separate post.

Fundraising Initiatives

Related to at least one service-learning project—Puerto Rico—the TNCS student body needs to raise some funds!

TNCS School Store!

For the first time ever, TNCS students opened a pop-up school store happening on Fridays (weather permitting). See our Facebook event for more!

The grand opening last month was a huge success,
and you’ve got plenty more chances to shop ’til you drop on successive Fridays throughout the fall and winter.

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Breakfast with Blacksauce Kitchen!

TNCS dad and restauranteur Damian Mosely once again donated his valuable time and his delicious homemade Blacksauce Kitchen biscuits to help raise funds for the big trip. Mrs. DuPrau says this will really help bring down the cost of flying to Puerto Rico, and she also locked in a great group rate. So thank you, Blacksauce, and thank you Southwest!

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Community-Building Initiatives

The internal community building Mrs. DuPrau has engendered so far this year is off the charts.

Student Council

in yet another first at TNCS, this year saw the creation of an official Student Council. Students voted today for President and Vice President, after candidates built their campaigns throughout the month of October, culminating with presenting their speeches on Monday, November 1st and debating their opponents on Wednesday the 3rd. We are pleased to salute Indigo Mosely as President and Schonbeck Glazer as her trusty VP.

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Spirit Days

Mrs. DuPrau has held several Spirit Days this year, with good reason. She has sensed some lingering social and emotional issues from the recent pandemic and felt that injecting some extra fun into the school day would lift everyone’s “spirits”! “After our COVID year last year of hybrid learning, it seems like some students are still struggling with their social connections.” she said

Good Neighbor Day was the first Spirit Day of the school year. “It was so much fun to see everybody in their TNCS shirts outside smiling and laughing and taking pictures together,” said Mrs. DuPrau. The race was on to see who demonstrated the most school spirit both on campus and as a good neighbor!

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“I worked with all the homeroom teachers to get kids out of the classroom and off of campus with mini field trips, such as to go get a pretzel and lemonade for Kindergarten teacher Mrs. Longchamps birthday or buying plants at Fell’s Point Cultivated Creations for lessons in genetics for science class. I want students to get time together outside of the class so they can work on their relationships by doing fun things,” she said.

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TNCS students are also going to ethnic restaurants and ordering food in the language spoken there. They went to an El Salvadoran restaurant during Hispanic Heritage Month, and on Thursday, November 4th, TNCS middle school students went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered their lunch in Chinese. “The Chinese owner of the restaurant was so impressed by our students’ good manners and amazing Chinese,” said Li Laoshi. “Also, our students really enjoyed their yummy Chinese lunch and learned a lot from this field trip. You should feel so proud of your child!”

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Anti-Bullying Campaign

Hand in hand with building community, Mrs. DuPrau and Mrs. Hope held a Blue Out day to address bullying. Everyone, and we mean everyone, wore blue to school that day in solidarity. “I got a chance to kind of get into each class and do a fun restorative circle as well as a follow-up activity. Each student created a puzzle piece, which were then hung up in their classrooms to show that they are all part of the puzzle. We all fit,” explained Mrs. DuPrau.

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The class with the most blue—Ms. Weiskopf’s 2nd- and 3rd-graders—won bragging rights!

American Education Week

Finally, American Education Week happens the week of November 15th through 18th, and Mrs. DuPrau is working hard to get everyone excited about that. “We’re going to hold an assembly that gets us all together. I want the assembly to be super fun, and I want to jump into our core values, but I mainly want us to also work on building our school spirit—singing songs and fun things like that,” she said.

Creating a TNCS cookbook is planned for this week also. The cookbook will be full of international recipes to celebrate all of our diverse cultures and backgrounds and available for purchase online.

Let’s make school fun. We want to make school a place that children want to come to, that makes them feel special. Of course academics are important, but it’s also important that we feel like we’re a family, that we feel comfortable and not overly stressed, and we can let our hair down a little bit. So I’m hoping that spirit days and assemblies and off-campus field trips are helping build that community feel.

Advisory Program

And, finally, the new Advisory Program has been doing wonders for TNCS students. Mr. Jacks and Mrs. Hope work mostly with the 8th-graders, Lori Gorbey works with mostly 7th-graders, Ms. Sussman works with a group of 6th- and 7th-graders, Mrs. DuPrau works with a group of 5th- and 6th-grades, and Mrs. Sharma and Mr. Brosius work grades 4 and 5.

In an email, Mrs. Hope described what this program is all about. Advisory is a program in which students meet regularly with a caring faculty member during a scheduled period in the school day. The underlying goal of advisory programs is to provide each student with consistent support and guidance from a member of the school staff. This adult, called the advisor, advocates for their group of students and runs the day-to-day activities of the advisory program. These activities range from the implementation of a curriculum to facilitation of a discussion to the distribution of important school information.

Perhaps the most talked-about benefits of an advisory program are the positive relationships that are created. Advisories help to build a sense of community in schools, which is important for preventing alienation. Furthermore, studies have shown that students’ educational success is based on academic as well as social support.

“We all do different things with our groups since our groups are all so different,” explained Mrs. DuPrau. Mrs. Sharma’s advisory meeting, for example, focuses on wellness and social relationships through dialogue and game-playing.

Mr. Brosius’s meeting encourages role-playing to think more critically about character traits. They built an imaginary village where each student adopted a different role. They discuss why they chose the roles while trying to relate this to goals in their own lives. When things get a little too rambunctious, he leads the group in light yoga to re-center them.

Mrs. DuPrau has an all-female advisory group. She introduced journaling as a way for her students to understand their emotions and how to gain control of them.  They do restorative circles to get to know each another on a deeper level. They also decorated their lockers with inspirational pictures and quotes. They also spend time in the all-new Harmony Room in Building North to relieve stress.

Ms. Sussman’s group is building trust through conversation and art. They use a deck of affirmation cards throughout the week to share their more reflective sides. They will also work on creative activities that will allow them to better appreciate each other’s uniqueness.

Ms. Gorbey’s group spent the first couple of weeks of school participating in open-ended circle time and playing games like Uno or Get-To-Know-You Bingo. During “Mindful Mondays,” students discuss their goals for the week. On “Words of Affirmation Wednesday,” students learn to confront their weaknesses and share how they can turn them into strengths.

Mr. Jacks and Mrs. Hope guide the 8th-graders through their final year at TNCS and get them ready for the transition to high school. These students have attended school with each other for several years and, as a result, have created warm and trusting relationships. As teenagers, they often want to talk about their feelings regarding ongoing issues in the world.

Stay tuned for further updates on this truly wonderful and important program.

After an undeniably tumultuous period for the world, Mrs. DuPrau and everyone at TNCS are making sure TNCS students continue to thrive in all ways, including academically, socially, and emotionally. The TNCS community is beyond grateful for this very special care.