Happy March!

It is absolutely shocking to me that it is already March! February flew by and we're already nine weeks into the Spring semester.

In the last month we have continued to discuss the importance of healthy relationships and the necessity of empathy as we attempt to better understand our world. This last month has been full of chaos and uncertainty. The access that students have to the news and current events is a double edged sword. They are both better informed and more anxious as they have immediate acccess to world events. In class we have been discussing this through two lenses. One, let's talk and have open honest conversations about issues like covid restrictions and Ukraine, and two, how can we read the news better. Using resources from both Common Sense Media and the Pulitzer Center we have been working to build up our media literacy and research skills and will continue to do so moving forward.

One critical factor we have been working to drive home is the importance of self awareness and self reflection. Students this month were able to practice this skills as we discussed emo trolls and our own hot and cool buttons. As part of this self reflection students came up with their own emo troll characters that they felt best represented their own approaches to anger and discomfort. Please take a look at some of these below.

As we come to the end of February, we close out Black History Month with the knowledge that the learning and work associated with it will continue throughout the year. As part of this month's celebration we focused in specifically on the rich history right here in Denver. Students did mini-research projects on Black history here at home and we were able to display these projects at Kennedy. Please see the display below:

Last, and certainly not least, I want to shout out Jacky (11th grade) and Ryan (9th grade) for being amazing leaders in the classroom. These two always are willing to work with others and help bring out the best. They embody Kennedy's PRIDE values and we are so grateful to have them with us at YESS.