It's All About Relationships

Wildcats "Team Sport"

By: Daniel Trusty

Hadly Middle school is a big school with many students. Middle school students aren't the only ones at the school, but teachers and other staff are there as well! There are kids in the school who have been there previously, kids who haven't been to Hadly, and even others who haven't been to school at all! There are a huge variety of kids in this particular middle school. Here, there is a certain day of the week that the wildcats call, "team building day." Throughout this day, students are taught social and emotional skills, how to live and create a safe environment, self-esteem, and finally, building a strong and positive relationship between both students and the staff. This is the reason why most schools have a period in the beginning of the year where there is a time not for homework, not about schoolwork, but all about bonding with new people and starting relationships.

A common goal is set between teachers and parents as well to prepare kids as best as they can so that they can be ready for high school. There are also some characteristics that would be preferred for the kid: to be curious, want to try new things, good habits, attitude, skills, and applications. The teachers learn about the kids they teach. They make a worksheet asking about the student's connection with other kids and the staff, rated from 1-5. The students are given the worksheet and they fill it out according to their feelings and point of view. They have found that 40% of the kids surveyed said, "I say "hey" to my enemies," and "I deal with my problems reasonably." This is a great success for the teachers and parents, but above all, the kids.