Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Regional Workshop November 2, 2023

New London High School STEM Lecture Hall

 

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students

8:00     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students

8:30     Arrive at New London High STEM Program Lecture Hall

 

8:45 Icebreakers:

  • Name games – Cold wind Blows, you, me, left, right 
  • Movement games – blog tag with three-people teams base, single person with three-people base

9:15 Beach ball tower construction Team building.

  • Assign kids to a group for the day
  • Sheets of newspaper and scotch tape 

9:45 Mission Review:

  • More Than Words is a group of student leaders from Fitch High School, Ledyard High School and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and New London High School Multi Magnet Campus High School.
  • The mission of More Than Words is to promote resect for diversity, facilitate communication and build trust among members of our community. Goals: develop a group able to respond to crises, work proactively to prevent problems and celebrate diversity. 

9:50 Camp Hazen trip review: 

  • Best aspects of trip?
  • Parts of experience we should skip next time?
  • Did the Camp Hazen trip support the goals of More Than Words?

10:00 Break


10:25 Leadership Discussion: 

  • “Victims are spectators in their own lives and leaders are players in the human drama around them.”
  • Definition of leader small group dialogue and write brief definition on newsprint.  

11:00 Ledyard and Fitch incident explanation Who were the leaders, allies, bystanders and how do we make sure leaders honors their safety? 

  • Small group discussion:
    • What part of the stories do you find most important?
    • What is the role of leader and the ally? 
    • Where do the bystanders fit in? 
    • Did the leaders face possible threats to their safety?

 11:45 Lunch


12:15 MLK Scholar Recognition 


12:30 Fitch High School student-developed Anti-Bigotry Policy.


  • Policy elements how developed
  • Why policy is important to school community
  • How do we ensure everyone knows about the policy and follows the guidelines?

1:00 Wrap up activities, social sharing


1:15     Bus departs New London High

1:45     Drop off Ledyard High students.

2:15     Drop off Fitch High students.

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Regional Workshop May 25, 2023

Mashantucket Tribal Community Center

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up New London High students

8:10     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students

8:30     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students 

8:45 Arrive at Mashantucket Tribal Community Center

 

8:50 Icebreakers

  • Movement games

  • All Aboard – with three groups (Set up three groups for this and scenario activity)

  • Name games

  • Close loop on New London middle school Arts Program transition

9:30  Pequot Massacre May 26, 1637 Recognition 

9:45 Mission statement and goals – hand out 

  • Read statement: 

  • Feedback from large group: what does the statement and goals mean to you? 

  • How does the statement focus our efforts to move forward?

10:15 Scenarios – how to respond to negative situations in various environments. Groups will respond to each scenario in three ways: (1) with buddies or allies, (2) in a mixed group and (30) in a potentially unsafe environment. 

  • You hear homophobic joke and someone you thought was an ally, laughs and walks away.

  • You are on bus and student displays swastika and gestures the Nazi salute.

  • Ledyard scenarios - ?

11:00 Lunch

11:30 Refocus activity: Fish Bowl : 

  • Can a student leadership group like More Than Words make a meaningful difference in the school community? Can student leaders really affect change? 

12:00 Councilor Crystal Whipple 

12:15 Senior recognition

  • Post-secondary plans

  • What would be hope or future of More Than Words…recommendations for the future.

12:45 School Groups Meetings:

  • With missions and goals in mind, what should be our focus for next year?

  • Camp Hazen in the fall?

  1:15 Free time


  1:30    Bus departs Tribal Community Center

  1:50    Drop off Ledyard High students

  2:15    Drop off Fitch High students

  2:45    Drop off New London High Students

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Regional Workshop April 20, 2023

April 20, 2023

New London High School STEM Lecture Hall

 

7:45     Groton STA bus picks up Fitch High students

8:00     Groton STA bus picks up Ledyard High students

8:30     Arrive at New London High STEM Program Lecture Hall

 

8:45 Icebreakers:

  • Name games – two groups and see who can memorize names the best.

  • Movement games – All Aboard game

  • Starfish story

  • Closure regarding Bennie Dover Jackson student workshop – Mike Graner

    • Strategy for addressing middle school transition problems: anti-bullying workshop 


9:15 Beach ball tower construction 🡪Team building.

  • Assign kids to a group for the day

  • Sheets of newspaper and scotch tape 


9:30 Clarify role of More Than Words in today’s schools: 

  • Small group breakout session 🡪 share with large group

  • As student leaders, how do we become change agents in our schools?

  • What do we hope to accomplish as a group of student leaders? 🡪 see fish bowl questions 

  • In what ways can we make a difference?

  • What is the difference between Snitching (Tattling) vs Telling 

  • What is the role of a More Than Words student leader; what is the mission of the group? 

  • What behaviors does someone show that make you trust them? 


10:00 Break


10:15 Anti-bullying workshop: Leadership and conflict resolution training

  • Read Manny McMoose and His Chubby Caboose by Kevin McMann

    • Orientation to bullying and reading the book


  • Small group response to discussion questions:

    • Bullying usually involves three components: bully, victim and bystander

    • Why do some people bully others?

    • Is silence supportive to the victim of bullying?

    • How does a student leader respond to bullying…physical, verbal or emotional? 

    • If a student reports an incident, is that getting someone in trouble or helping someone get out of trouble? Does your intention matter? 

    • Can we adopt structures in and out of school to prevent incidents? 

  • Share take-aways from discussion with large group.


 11:15 Lunch


11:45 Opinion continuum or Fishbowl   Student Voice

  • Small group brainstorm statements  🡪 select 1 or 2 best

  • Share with large group 🡪 do the continuum

OR


Fish Bowl

  • Small group brainstorm statements  🡪  where so we go from here?

  • Share with large group 🡪 proposed direction


12:30 Report from each school on club activities: 

  • Ledyard – fourth grade workshops

  • Fitch – joint meeting with Ledyard club

  • New London – mentorship planning for next year 

 


12:50 Wrap up activities, social sharing, plans for final workshop at Tribal Community Center


1:15     Bus departs New London High

1:45     Drop off Ledyard High students.

2:15     Drop off Fitch High students.