North Kingstown High School Weekly Focus: Week Ending 1/13 and MLK Birthday

Happy Birthday Mr. King

A day of reflection. I hope you had the opportunity to do just that.

Health and Wellness

From Karen D’Abrosca:

Happy New Beginnings !

Many of us “resolve” to change with the New Year.

Fact is, only 8% of people actually achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. Most Fitness resolutions last, on average, 8 days. If this sounds like you, you are not alone!

Try these Mindful ways of changing habits for the New Year:

Replace the word “Resolution” with “Intention”
Have Patience – focus less on effort and focus more on the process…doing the best we can in each moment

Upcoming Events/Important Dates

January

16 No School MLK

17 PTSO Meeting, scheduling conversation and parent feedback, 7 pm, Media Center

18 Democracy Night, 6:30 pm, NKHS Cafeteria

19 District Technology Meeting, 4-5 pm

19 Jamestown School Committee Meeting, 7 pm, Melrose School – 76 Melrose Ave.

24 Period 1 exams

25 Period 3 exams

26 Period 4 exams

27 Period 5 and make up exam

The Screenagers Documentary viewing this past Thursday was a hit; a great jumping off point for

family conversation in the digital age. Thank you to our panel, Paula Calitri, Matt Hughes, Steven Clarke, Cindy Zito and Winston Nelson, Graduate Studies in Cyber Security Forensics at the University of New Haven. His second time at NK. Winston was part of the Cyber Panel last year Additionally, we had two of our own students, Ben Coleman and Jessica Antaya join the panel conversation. There were some great conversation starters and I am sure families went home to additional discussions. Click here for resources provided by the producer of the film.

The NK Prevention Coalition provided a table and passed out samples of granola bars, a recipe taken from their Healthy Family series of Recipe cards. It was a great evening.

The series will continue on February 2, 6:30- 8:30 pm with the screening of Chasing the Dragon, at NKHS Auditorium through the RI US Attorney General’s Office. There will be a local panel of experts to discuss relevant questions regarding addiction and how the issue of the opioid crisis impacts us locally, in RI, and across the country.

Student Services

The Skipper Award for Excellence has begun again. For those new to our building, this is one award that seems to mean the most because you are nominated by a colleague for a job well done. That colleague presents the Skipper Award to you and a handwritten or typed note why they chose you.

From last year’s final recipient, Christine Lyons:

My nominee is Karen D'Abrosca.

There is no teacher more deserving of the first Skipper Award for Excellence for 2017 than our beloved Karen D'Abrosca. To say that Karen teaches by example is an understatement. Her passion is health and wellness and she imparts enormous wisdom and compassion when she interacts with others in any setting. Her love of teaching goes far beyond her formal teaching assignments. She works with students, teachers and community members alike in her quest to bring enlightenment to others. She is a profoundly curious learner herself and constantly seeks inspiration from a plethora of sources to bring to her teaching practice. Karen seems to focus on the big questions, but she has a wonderful way of breaking things down into manageable pieces. Whether it is physical fitness, yoga, mindfulness, art, exploring different cultures around the world, goal setting or embracing her own personal challenges, she personifies joy, gratitude and humility. In her quiet, accepting way, she helps people to realize positive change in their lives. She has changed me in the time I have spent in her early morning fitness sessions or her after school mindfulness gatherings. She is one of the "chosen few": a select group of people who help everyone to realize their highest potential. For Karen, it seems, teaching is a whole lot like breathing.

Good News!

On Wednesday, thirty-two students participated in the thirteenth annual Shakespeare Monologue Competition. This year's first-place winner is Sokeara Sanford, grade 10 (center), for her monologue from Julius Caesar in the role of Portia. Runners-up are Tate Kent (right), grade 9, and Conor Kennedy (left), grade 12.

Performing her monologue as well as one of Shakespeare's sonnets, Sokeara will represent NKHS at the state competition on February 26 at the Providence Athenaeum. Supporters are welcome to attend this event. Congratulations and best wishes to her.