One of the most significant changes in schools in the past ten years has been an increased awareness of student mental health and wellness needs. Harley has long endeavored to promote student wellness, and in the past several years, we have worked to have a more comprehensive approach.
by Lars Kuelling, academic dean
One of the most significant changes in schools in the past ten years has been an increased awareness of student mental health and wellness needs. Harley has long endeavored to promote student wellness, and in the past several years, we have worked to have a more comprehensive approach. As Larry Frye discussed in a blog post in November (click here), Harley’s efforts have recently focused on increased counseling resources, professional development, and programmatic efforts.
Two significant efforts are underway to strengthen our mental health and wellness plans. The first involves the formation of a Trauma, Illness, Grief (TIG) Team, a group of faculty and staff that receive five intensive days of training from the Monroe County Consortium for Trauma, Illness, and Grief and serve as a response team for students in crisis or when a traumatic event—such as a death—occurs in the school community. While the training highlights preventative measures, it is primarily focused on establishing a group of trained “first responders.”
The first group to be trained includes the three school counselors, the school nurse, and the academic dean; in the fall, an additional group of faculty and staff will receive training. Participation in the Consortium also includes training for a broader cross-section of faculty and staff in Mental Health First Aid, a national program of National Council for Behavioral Health. The program includes professional development for faculty and staff in how to best support students with mental health concerns and refer students to additional resources at school and in the community for ongoing support or during times of personal crisis.
Another item Larry referenced was the initial work being done through a combined effort of Parent Council and the faculty and administration to promote student mental health and wellness. In the spring of 2018, students in grades 7-12 were surveyed to get a snapshot of mental health concerns in several areas; stress and anxiety related to coursework was an area students identified as needing some attention. Concurrently, Kristen Jones (class of 2018) completed a capstone project studying the relationship between homework and student reported levels of stress and engagement. Both efforts were important in helping us kick-start conversations with students and parents about steps we could take to better support our students.
At the same time, those of us working on developing a structured approach to student mental health and wellness understand that our focus has initially been narrow in scope and not always driven by relevant data regarding symptoms, underlying risk factors, and perhaps most importantly, the positive protective factors present in the student body that we can build a program from. So, when an opportunity arose to participate in a High-Achieving Schools Study (HASS) pilot program for grades 9-12 offered by the National Association of Independent Schools to eight member schools nationwide, we quickly signed up.
The program builds off of the 30+ years of academic study conducted by Dr. Suniya Luther. Dr. Luthar’s research has focused on high-achieving schools in upper-middle-class communities. For her research, high achieving schools are marked by above-average standardized test scores, rich extracurricular and academic offerings, and graduates headed to selective colleges, markers shared by Harley and other NAIS schools nationwide.
The HASS is a comprehensive survey of symptoms, risk factors, and positive protective factors that is administered anonymously to students in grades 9-12 and from which aggregated data is pulled. Areas to be examined include:
Student levels of well-being
- Depression, anxiety, rule-breaking
- Drug and alcohol use
- Disordered eating, self-harm
- Altruism, and prosocial behavior
- Empathy, integrity, and humility
- Life satisfaction
- Envy of peers
- Perfectionistic self-presentation
Modifiable aspects of school climate
- School bullying
- Respect for diversity
- AP and IB courses
- Academic support
- Caring teachers and adults
- Alienation from adults
- Parent-school engagement
Modifiable aspects of parent-child relationships
- Perceptions of parents’ tolerance of substance abuse
- Emphasized parent values (importance of success vs. showing decency and integrity)
- Felt closeness to each parent
Those of us working to promote student wellness are excited by the information the HASS will provide for us. For instance, we know that our students often report a high level of stress from their workload. Unknowns, however, include:
- How does their reported level of stress compare to students at other high achieving schools?
- Is the level of stress a factor of the quantity of work assigned or perhaps related to other factors such as overscheduled students, parental pressure to succeed, or students’ own levels of perfectionism?
- What are the inputs (school schedule, required activities, parent education around college, etc.) and student protective factors – such as caring teachers and adults or positive parent-school engagement – that the school could marshal in effecting meaningful change in the area of student stress?
The results of the High Achieving Schools Study will be presented to us personally by Dr. Luthar upon completion of the research (about two months after administration of the survey to our Upper School students in mid-March). Her presentation will include Harley’s overall results in the three categories previously mentioned, comparisons with a bench-mark group of other high achieving schools, an analysis of our top risk and protective factors, and specific intervention recommendations based on the study’s findings. Upper School parents should keep an eye out for an invitation to a parent presentation led by Dr. Luthar in the late spring.
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College Counseling
Harley’s Approach to College Counseling is highly individualized and student-centered. Students have direct access to college counselors throughout their Upper School experience, but really, each student is part of a team including faculty, administration, and staff. It’s our job to support each student and we want nothing more than to send students on to the next step of their journey at a right fit school for them. The student centered and driven process is wrapped in care, expertise, and professionalism.
We host college reps during times students are available (no need to miss a class) so they can make connections and learn more about potential schools. We also arrange campus visits for classes as field trips, host an alumni college day (where recent Upper School graduates return to share advice and answer questions), and help connect students with our international alumni network. In fact, representatives from schools all over the world actively seek opportunities to come to Harley and meet with our students!
Our college counselors are accredited and are part of national/global conversations on admission trends. They also attend and present at conferences across the country.
Beginning with our Grade 11 parent night, we offer informational sessions for parents, including one devoted just to financial aid. Our partnership with families is critical, as the college admissions world changes very quickly and having an expert to guide students and families through the process is essential.
Clubs
“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.
A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).
Athletics
Each and every year, students at The Harley School participate in HAC Athletics, and their success continues to be impressive, both as students and athletes. Our athletic program is an integral part of Harley, teaching student-athletes invaluable lessons about teamwork, time management, persistence, and competition. Our program allows them to develop physically, mentally, socially, and emotionally as they represent their school on and off the field. They grow, mature, and work hard to be the best teammate they can, while creating lifelong memories with teammates who often remain friends for life.
Helping our athletes to reach their potential are some of HAC’s best assets: our coaches. More often than not, they are drawn from the ranks of our faculty and have a deep understanding of the personalities and abilities of the student-athletes on their teams.
We strive to find the right balance of academics, exercise, and personal growth for everyone. By offering a variety of sports at many different levels, all student-athletes find a sport they can be successful in. It is with great pride and pleasure that my team and I work to enrich the athletic lives of all our HAC student-athletes. Go Wolves!
To learn more check out our athletics page.
Student Leadership
Our Upper School is filled with formal and informal opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Whether following passions or learning new skills, student-driven opportunities take many shapes.
– Independent study: one trimester, full year, and multi-year projects have included automating our solar chimneys, coding handmade musical instruments, or developing a class on financial literacy for underserved high school students.
– Serving on student council
– STEM: Climate curriculum program, biomimicry program, NASA Hunch program
Clubs
“Club Rush” is an afternoon every fall in the Upper School when students have the chance to sign up for clubs for the year, and each year it is very different because new clubs are created based on student initiative and enthusiasm.
A few of this year’s choices: Sports Media, Social Action Club, Journalism Club, Feminism Club, Student of Color & Allies (SOCA), Gay-Straight Alliance, Tri M (music honor society), E-Sports Club, Euchre, Key Club (service), Animation Club, Dungeons & Dragons, Sustainability Club, Jewish Cultural Club, Astronomy Club, Biomimicry, and Beyond Soup (social justice/service).
Hospice
Unlike this class, death is not an elective. Although it is one of two universal human experiences, our culture often ignores, denies, or misconstrues the true nature of death and dying. What happens when we bear witness to this natural process in the cycle of life and develop our ability to be fully present with others when they need us more than ever? It has the potential to change us deeply and fundamentally while shining a brilliant light on the path of our own lives.
With the support of their classmates, teacher, and comfort care home communities, senior students are offered the chance to care for others who truly need their purposeful, non-judgmental attention. In the home-like setting of a comfort care home, opportunities for learning extend beyond a traditional classroom rubric and conventional methods of evaluation. In this course, students will certainly find tangible “learning outcomes” by studying the medical/physical processes associated with dying and the basic nursing assistant skills of comfort care. The ultimate goal, however, will always be rooted in true relationships and connection, which occurs only through empathy and compassion.
Learn more about the Hospice Program at Harley HERE.
Capstone/Independent Studies
This program utilizes environmentally-focused approaches to education and hands-on learning in order to foster the next generation of leaders through a lens of sustainability and problem-solving.
Food & Farm: These year-long and trimester-long classes are held outside as much as possible, allowing students to become leaders in our various growing spaces. They cover environmental justice issues as well as hands-on work such as planning and overseeing planting, harvesting, and preparation of the gardens.
Past year-long focus projects have included: Creating a native plant shade garden in the Wild Wood area, redesigning our hydroponic system, overhauling Harley’s high tunnel, and improving the irrigation system for the MicroFarm.
Culinary Arts: These classes have a two-fold purpose: to give students practical skills in cooking and the science behind different techniques in the kitchen, learning about food justice, food sourcing, labor topics, and sustainability.
Past topics have included: Examining a plant-based diet, looking at the carbon footprint of different meals and food preparation methods, proposing a low carbon footprint menu to the dining hall, links between food labeling and environmental issues of food production.
Beekeeping: This one trimester class provides hands-on training in beekeeping, how to be a beekeeper, and safety and other techniques for working with bees. Once trained students help with all aspects of Harley beekeeping such as hive inspections, honey collection and extraction, and teaching students in Lower School about our hives.
Students pick a research topic addressing honeybee health and the larger environmental picture.
Social Justice
At Harley, our students learn how to evaluate social systems in order to identify complex problems in society through a lens of social justice. They take a hands-on approach to working for a fair, equitable society by researching, exploring and evaluating different perspectives, and offering solutions—both theoretical and practical.
Our faculty integrate social justice into our broader curriculum to assist students in gaining a foundational knowledge about what makes a democracy function. By gaining skills in ideating supportive pathways they become more exposed and experienced to how communities can undergo healing and restorative actions.
Capstone/Independent Studies
Students may create independent studies with supervising teachers throughout their Upper School experience or, during Grade 12, they can design Capstone projects—intensive collaborations with Harley faculty and off-campus mentors—involving rigorous academic study and culminating in public presentations. They are empowered to create their own curriculum, set goals, and work on time management skills in order to accomplish their objectives.
Independent Studies run the gamut from The Psychology of Sports to Furniture Design to The Neuroimaging of Alzheimer’s Disease. Capstones, meanwhile, are as diverse as the students who pursue them: Fictional Rochester, Autobiographical Art, Biomimicry Education, Organic Fuel, and Rochester Refugees.
Indicative of Upper School curiosity and creativity, pursuits such as these distinguish our graduates in college. Through deep dives of this sort, Harley students master more than speaking, writing, and computing: they learn to communicate, advocate, collaborate, organize, listen, and empathize.
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