The Helen Keller Middle School community is getting ready to celebrate the school’s 60th anniversary this school year. Dr. Steven Clapp, principal, has been working with his staff to prepare for today, Aug. 28, when students arrive for the first day of school.
Keller opened in late August 1964 for grades 5-7. Grade 8 was added in October 1964 when the building was completed. Easton held a formal dedication in November 1964 with dignitaries from around the state, including Helen Keller herself. Clapp is planning a rededication sometime in the fall.
The school’s administration plans to focus on the 60th anniversary throughout the year. While nothing specific has been planned yet, Clapp expects to schedule assemblies and possibly some reenactments of photos and articles from the time. Clapp will be planning additional ways to celebrate further into the school year.
Teachers and staff are focusing on the school climate this year. Clapp is organizing a school climate committee with up to 10 students, eight or nine teachers, and eight or nine parents. Another focus this year is teaching students to use AI properly to supplement their work, rather than using it to replace their work.
The staff is also stressing the power of positive words. The theme is “The Power of Words.” Clapp is concerned about negative words students sometimes use when speaking to each other, particularly language that includes violent and vulgar words. Kids don’t understand how powerful their words are, he said. In addition, part of the plan is to bring back some Joel Barlow High School students to discuss the subject further.
The Keller administration, teachers, and staff are focused on a new cell phone policy. Students will be required to keep their cell phones in their locker. Clapp and the Easton Board of Education are concerned that cell phones cause a demise in student play during recess and also harm mental health. Clapp recommends that parents read “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” by Jonathan Haidt.
This year, students are required to keep their phones in their lockers. Previously, students could keep their phones with them, but many teachers required students to put them into a box during class.
Clapp said he enjoys working with middle schoolers because students who are 11-14 years old experience more growth than any other period besides 1 to 3 year olds. This is why the cell phone policy and the focus on positive words are so important.
Students at Keller also will have a new schedule this school year. Last year, first period was homeroom. Clapp discovered that students were skipping homeroom and arriving late to school. For the new school year, pupils will report to first period upon arrival. Homeroom has been moved to later in the day to ensure students arrive on time.
Keller will wielcome new teacher and new staff members. Pierre de St. Croix is a new grade 8 science teacher. Jamie Besnoff is a new school counselor who will act as an academic mentor to kids whose grades have deteriorated. Alex Ferrante is a new IT paraeducator. He is a graduate of Keller and Barlow.
All students will have Chromebooks this year. This allows teachers to provide 90% face-to-face instruction and 10% computer usage education.
School starts this week. Keller students probably had a great summer break but are arriving at Helen Keller to find numerous positive changes.
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