{"id":11377,"date":"2025-02-15T19:22:18","date_gmt":"2025-02-15T19:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/?p=11377"},"modified":"2025-02-17T12:08:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T12:08:15","slug":"fieldston-students-and-faculty-unite-for-bsi-community-day-and-the-socm-valentines-day-social","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/2025\/02\/fieldston-students-and-faculty-unite-for-bsi-community-day-and-the-socm-valentines-day-social\/","title":{"rendered":"Fieldston Students and Faculty Unite for BSI Community Day and the SOCM Valentine\u2019s Day Social"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editors’ Note: All photos are credited to Sarah Damon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to strengthen the school\u2019s sense of community, especially following the challenges faced by students and faculty last spring, Fieldston held a special programming day on February 13, 2025. Centered around the theme of \u201cBuilding Community,\u201d the day featured a range of sessions and guest speakers aimed at fostering connection, understanding and engagement within the school.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on the event, Upper School Principal Stacey Bobo shared, \u201cThe day was filled with excellent speakers and students walked away with beginning skills on how to have difficult conversations and assess media content.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The day began with a schoolwide (well, half of it) assembly organized by Shannon Matlovsky, Interim Executive Director of the Belonging and Social Impact (BSI) Department. Students were then grouped by Form to participate in three sessions. The event concluded with a Valentine\u2019s Day Social hosted by Students of Color Matter (SOCM). <\/p>\n\n\n

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Presentation at Opening Assembly<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Educator and Youth Development Professional Morris Ervin returned to Fieldston to lead a session on \u201cThe Power of Empathy.\u201d \u201cMy job is to hear people\u2019s hearts,\u201d he shared. He urged students and faculty to remain steadfast in their efforts to understand each other. \u201c You aren\u2019t on common ground now, but you will be if you stay persistent,\u201d he reminded them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encouraging community members to consider how they respond to themselves and others, Ervin noted that true connection begins with understanding oneself. \u201cI know who I am; now I have space to hear other people,\u201d he explained. Ervin also acknowledged that people may disappoint one another, but empathy allows for recognition and growth. \u201cHold on to your values, but let go of your expectations,\u201d he advised. He challenged students to be mindful of the content of their language, saying, \u201cI want you to be aware of the messages you give out and the messages you receive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Form V students Sarah Damon and Sarah Gallen with Ervin<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ervin recently published a book titled \u201cReflections of a Troubled Black Man: A Teacher’s Quest, Turning Fear Into Strength, and Pain Into Passion.\u201d His address to the Fieldston community, which included animal ears, tossing balls and essential oils, was an engaging and unexpectedly aromatic experience in the StuFac. He left the community with a powerful reminder, \u201cTogether we heal. More love, less fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ervin with Form VI student Lily Saal <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jason Craig Harris and Cara Raich, both experts in restorative justice, led a session titled \u201cDifficult Conversations.\u201d The workshop aimed to help students move beyond reactionary responses and engage in challenging discussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central to their approach were three core principles – empathy, curiosity and humility \u2013 which Raich described as \u201cthe ingredients for a transformative dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne message we would want to share with the Fieldston community is the idea that we can have courageous conversations about any topics \u2013 including hot-button issues \u2013 as long as we have the right skills and the right tools to have the conversation,\u201d said Harris. \u201cCara and I often tell people that we focus too much on the what of the conversation and not enough on the how of the conversation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harris and Raich used scenarios to guide students through practicing respectful dialogue in difficult conversations, hoping to better equip them with strategies for constructive discourse. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Guest Speakers Jason Craig Harris and Cara Raich<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In the Tate Library, students participated in a two-part session on media literacy. One section was an elective that examined the influence of either AI or social media on information consumption. The other section focused on media literacy in news outlets. Students completed a scavenger hunt using the Tate\u2019s \u201cNews Literacy Resources\u201d webpage<\/a>. The activities aimed to develop the ability to assess and verify information found within today\u2019s complex media landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The student body expressed a wide range of opinions on the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some students appreciated the sessions and their intended impact. Han Lane (Form V), acknowledged their value, \u201cA lot of people didn\u2019t really want to be here, but I do think it\u2019s beneficial for the junior grade particularly.\u201d Janelle Bilbao (Form V) pointed out, \u201cToday was important in helping us become more open to learning and understanding each other\u2019s values and perspectives.\u201d Daphne Dominguez (Form IV) added, \u201cI think the conversations we had today were important, and they really did help improve my conversation skills, especially when having difficult conversations.\u201d An anonymous Form IV student joked, \u201cMorris Ervin helped me get in touch with my inner giraffe.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others felt the sessions could have been more effective had more students participated. Ari Dubner (Form V) remarked, \u201cI thought the students who decided not to show up on Thursday were the same students who would\u2019ve benefited the most from the day.\u201d  Cristina Ellis (Form V) shared, \u201cI understand that it\u2019s supposed to be helpful for us, but at the same time, so few people showed up.\u201d She continued, \u201cI feel like the activities we did didn\u2019t help me gain insight in how to have difficult conversations. The only thing that came out of Mr. Morris\u2019 session was several people getting hit in the head with flying projectiles.\u201d Zena Imafdon (Form V) was similarly unimpressed, \u201cI\u2019d rather be in school, especially since half of our grade isn\u2019t even here today. It just feels like a big waste of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A few students enjoyed certain aspects of the programming but found others lacking. Bailey Blake (Form III) was disappointed with the media literacy session, saying, \u201cIt was just a Google Form we had to fill out. But I\u2019m glad they are trying to teach us about media literacy, especially in this day and age.\u201d Quincy Clark (Form III) revealed a similar view, \u201cThe Google Form was really basic. Filling it out was a waste of time. The \u2018Difficult Conversations\u2019 session was interesting, but the topics were really sensitive for some people. I personally wasn\u2019t affected but some of my friends could have been.\u201d He did, however, enjoy the \u201cPower of Empathy\u201d session with Ervin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nour Wells (Form III) found the empathy session to be the most efficacious as well, calling it \u201cproductive, informative, and engaging.\u201d She said the other sessions weren\u2019t as helpful as they seemed they should have been. AvaLee Carter (Form III) agreed, adding, \u201cI think the empathy discussion was a lot more powerful than the other discussions.\u201d She wished that the \u201cDifficult Conversations\u201d session had been more personal, explaining, \u201cIt was just the person telling us what the scenarios were instead of letting us share our own experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ela Garlin (Form V) questioned the overall impact of the day, \u201cI think the school has overestimated the importance of this day. It’s nice in theory, but their intentions don\u2019t actually carry out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faculty members weighed in with their perspectives as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Math teacher Clay Kaufman praised the event\u2019s content, saying, \u201cThe speakers that I heard were really good. They had some interesting content about AI and thinking about what to trust and what not to trust, which gave us all something important to think about.\u201d Kaufman spoke about how people may react strongly when something is said that puts them on the defensive, \u201cYou don\u2019t wind up having a conversation \u2013 you just have a fight.\u201d He continued, \u201cI think one of the things this country needs is a lot more love and a lot less fighting. Anything we can do to help figure out how to listen to each other and how to have more empathy is a great thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leslie Spalding, a Spanish teacher and strong advocate for love and empathy, stated, \u201cThe activities on Difficult Conversations and Empathy are not only essential for our school but are a top priority for the chaos of today’s world.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Form V Dean Vincent Drybala compared the necessity of these discussions to routine self-care, \u201cBias builds up. Prejudice builds up. You don\u2019t brush your teeth once and say \u2018Cool, I\u2019m done.\u2019 You have to do it consistently because stuff builds up.\u201d He also talked about how social media tends to reinforce opinions, observing, \u201cWe exist in a culture where it’s easy to find ourselves in echo chambers that reinforce what we want to hear. We exist with social media that always shows us what we want to see. I think today helps us as individuals and as a community to recognize the importance of preventative care in understanding the value of community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dean Drybala at the Valentine\u2019s Day Social pointing to his \u201c<3 Class of 2026\u201d message<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

SOCM\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day Social was a lively and joyful way to end the day and brought students together through music, dancing, delicious food and plenty of bright pink sweatshirts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOCM leaders expressed their excitement about the event’s success. \u201cDuring the planning process, I was really excited for all to come together. I\u2019m just so happy that we got to see everyone having fun and dancing together,\u201d said leader Zoe Ventura (Form VI).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fellow leader Jay Brooks (Form VI) remarked, \u201cSOCM has been working all year to have an event for everybody, not just SOCM members. It\u2019s good that we got together and even better that people actually showed up. People don\u2019t have to be here, so we really appreciate those that did actually come out.\u201d He also commented on the day as a whole, \u201cThe day was great, too. I think the people that showed up definitely put their heart in it even if they didn\u2019t want to be here. Not a lot of seniors showed up but the ones that did were very willing to participate.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Other leaders like Alex Bello (Form V) emphasized the broader significance of SOCM\u2019s work, saying, \u201cThis is a great opportunity for the school to see some of the work SOCM does. SOCM is a really integral part of Fieldston and we\u2019re glad more and more people are getting to see that and truly understand the work we do.\u201d He echoed earlier sentiments about how the event was meant for all students, not just students of color, and served as a powerful way to strengthen the community. \u201cEvents like these are going to become yearly, if not multiple times a year. We\u2019re really glad to everyone who came out; we had a great turnout. We\u2019re happy this event was such a success,\u201d Bello said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negasi Shakes (Form V) had a similar perspective, adding, \u201cIt just brings the community together so much more for us to invite everybody here and enjoy themselves \u2013 especially before Valentine’s Day, which is the Day of Love.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upper School film teacher Shaun Senviratne enthusiastically shared his thoughts on the Social, exclaiming, \u201cValentine\u2019s Day Social was lit. We got \u2018litting\u2019. Everyone that didn\u2019t come was a joker. Peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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Upper School Film Teacher at the Social<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Attendees of the SOCM Social had a fantastic time. Marcus Frank (Form VI) found the event \u201cvery fun.\u201d Hazel Christensen (Form VI) particularly enjoyed the dancing and said, \u201cWe all came together today.\u201d A Form IV student simply cheered, \u201cI loved the Valentine\u2019s Day Social.\u201d Esme Egan commented, \u201cI like the pink sweaters, and the food is really good.\u201d Alex Taube (Form V) praised, \u201cIt was really fun, and everyone that organized it put a lot of work into it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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Students dancing at the Social<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Janet Pugh, the Social Impact Lead and a faculty advisor to SOCM, said with a smile, \u201cWe thought that this would be a wonderful way to end the day after a lot of hard work and leaning into hard discussions. What a high note!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While reactions to the special programming day were mixed, the underlying message of the event is important for the school to remember: have empathy, give grace and critically consume and assess information. The challenge moving forward is to ensure that these lessons extend beyond a single day. If the school can embed these conversations into everyday interactions and possibly its broader culture, Fieldston has the potential to cultivate a community that is not only aware of its differences but actively works towards understanding and unity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Editors’ Note: All photos are credited to Sarah Damon In an effort to strengthen the school\u2019s sense of community, especially following the challenges faced by students and faculty last spring, Fieldston held a special programming day on February 13, 2025. Centered around the theme of \u201cBuilding Community,\u201d the day featured a range of sessions and guest speakers aimed at fostering connection, understanding and engagement within the school.\u00a0 Reflecting on the event, Upper School Principal Stacey<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":358,"featured_media":11389,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[347,318],"tags":[],"coauthors":[630],"class_list":["post-11377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-news"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Screenshot-2025-02-15-at-2.19.36-PM-e1739647203534.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11377"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11407,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11377\/revisions\/11407"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11389"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11377"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fieldstonnews.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=11377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}