Holistic Approach | Support & Wellness | Middle School | Friends Select School Holistic Approach | Support & Wellness | Middle School | Friends Select School Alert Info Middle School Holistic Approach In This Section Middle School Holistic Approach At Friends Select, we work to support “the whole” of every student. As such, a broad program is offered incorporating academics, activities, athletics, service, and other areas. In addition, areas of student support are available covering students’ learning and social-emotional needs. Middle school is a time for many new experiences and expectations in a child’s life. Here a student transitions from being in a self-contained classroom to switching classes, maintaining materials and workload, all while navigating new social dynamics. With this transition and transformation, it is not uncommon for students to need and benefit from services that support their success in different areas. Learning Support Social-Emotional Support Wellness Program Learning Support Academic support is available in a variety of ways. Our advisory program allows for students to check in briefly with their advisors daily, as well as an extended weekly 45 minute block. Additionally, study help periods are available at least once a week where students can catch up on assignments, seek out support from teachers, and/or schedule time with the learning specialist. Our middle school/upper school learning specialist supports students in a variety of ways, such as pushing into the classroom, meeting with students during study help time, connecting students with upper school peer tutors, and providing support to students, families, and faculty in the area of learning differences. Consultation regarding student support is available on an ongoing basis with an effort to help students develop compensatory strategies and assist in implementing necessary accommodations for students with documented learning differences. Professionals from Cora Services provide additional reading and math support. Social-Emotional Support The developmental span of middle school, from 5th-8th grade, is a time of tremendous growth and change. During this time, students’ bodies, interests, interactions, and understanding shift from that of a child to that of an adolescent. With this, many questions, concerns, and worries may arise. Friends Select’s counseling team attends grade-team meetings to consult and advise about student issues that may arise and to provide details and consideration on supporting individual students in the classroom. Additionally, the guidance team, comprised of learning support, counseling support, and administrative staff, meets two times a week to review student progress and assess areas of need. The counseling support staff at Friends Select are available for conversation and consultation with families of students as well as professionals who may be providing students with outside-of-school support. Additionally, topical groups and discussions are offered to parents and caregivers. In school, Friends Select students receive and have access to a myriad of social-emotional support services, both planned and on an as-needed basis. These services include lessons that are implemented in students’ advisory groups, small group counseling sessions focusing on particular topics, conflict resolution meetings focused on resolving issues that arise between and among students, topical classes delivered during health class, and one-on-one counseling. Wellness Program The Friends Select Wellness Program, now in its eighth year, engages the school’s community and the general public about mental health and other wellness issues. It is spearheaded by Natan Gottesman, Ph.D., the school’s psychologist, and Chris Singler, upper school director. The program provides information, strategies, support, and resources to students, faculty, and families in the Friends Select community and beyond. Through speaking events, presentations, and participatory activities, the program increases awareness of issues that can affect student learning and well-being, such as mental health challenges, learning styles, peer relationships, social media and internet use, academic pressures, the college application process, and current events. During the 2023-24 school year, Friends Select offered access to a series of Child Development and Parenting Webinars, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS) and the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS). Friends Select’s Wellness support team followed these webinars with a series of companion conversations, each one customized to provide parents, caregivers, faculty, and staff an opportunity to gather, discuss, and process the learning from these lectures. Wellness Meetings As an ongoing foundational aspect of the program since its inception, Natan meets with small groups of upper school students throughout the school year for “Wellness Meetings.” Issues such as mental health, academic successes and struggles, stress and stress management, navigation of upper school expectations, and time management are discussed. Past Wellness Program Events 2017-18 During the 2017-18 school year, the Wellness Program brought Kenneth Ginsburg to speak about his book, Raising Kids to Thrive: Balancing Love with Expectations and Protection with Trust. The program continues to expand, with events intended to increase conversation about the connections between stress, overall mental health and well-being, and academic engagement. 2018-19 The Wellness Program hosted a screening and panel discussion for Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety, an IndieFlix documentary that explores the multilayered effects of anxiety on our society. This film was screened for Friends Select parents, caregivers, and the wider community, as well as for faculty and students in the upper and middle school. In addition, speakers were brought in from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), who presented information about mental illness to upper school students, with one speaker candidly sharing her own personal experiences with mental illness, treatment, and recovery. 2019-20 The Wellness Program presented adolescent mental health expert Anthony Rostain and family therapist B. Janet Hibbs, authors of The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years. They discussed their book, which is intended to help students and parents cope with the stress and anxiety associated with college. 2020-21 The Wellness Program hosted two virtual events: Youth Suicide Risk: What You Should Know with Dr. Terri Erbacher, and Helping Students Thrive During Pandemic Schooling with Denise Pope, Ph.D. 2021-22 The Wellness Program hosted an event in the fall titled Kids and the COVID-19 Vaccine: Addressing Your Questions and Concerns. This virtual event included a multi-disciplinary panel discussion featuring Dr. Susan Coffin, Dr. Paul Planet, Dr. Tina Scott, and Kathryn Snyder. In recognition of the designation of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, Friends Select psychologist Natan Gottesman and school counselor Gabby Kenny offered a virtual Wellness Program event titled Suicide Prevention and Education: What You Should Know, to inform caregivers and other community members about warning signs, coping skills, and action steps related to suicide prevention. 2022-23 The Wellness Program invited Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary to speak to the Friends Select community and the public about her book, The Anxiety Paradox: Why Helping Kids Feel Bad Can Help Them to Feel Good. As the Molly Patterson Wellness Speaker for the 2022-23 school year. Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary provided a new model for ways to think about and deal with anxiety and address how parents and guardians can best support their kids. The Wellness Program is made possible by the generous and thoughtful support of Jeff Abrams and Margaret Barry P ’15, ’16. They continue to support the Wellness Program for students, faculty/staff, families, and the community, in recognition of the creative and compassionate energy that Molly Patterson Ed.D. and Natan Gottesman, Ph.D. have brought to the program since its inception to help it grow and respond to the needs of the Friends Select community. Make a gift to the Wellness Program Where Next? Educational Journey Academics Arts