Our journey to improve well-being, belonging, and engagement at RNS.
By Ms. Kayla Blackmore-Simonds, RNS Challenge Success Team Lead
As part of our ongoing commitment to improving student well-being, engagement, and belonging, we were thrilled to announce our partnership with Challenge Success last spring. This year-long collaborative program is designed to transform educational systems by valuing each student for their unique identities, strengths, and personal definitions of success. Challenge Success believes that students should not have to choose between doing well and being well, and we share that vision. By leveraging student-voice data, the program supports schools in making thoughtful, research-supported changes that create a healthier, more engaging learning environment. These improvements span key areas such as school climate, student schedules, homework and assessment practices, curricular design, and community education, all aimed at fostering an atmosphere where students can thrive both academically and personally.
Through this proactive approach, we are not simply reacting to challenges but taking intentional steps to build a school community where all students feel seen, heard, and valued. By addressing policies and practices with a focus on well-being and belonging, we can create an educational environment that supports the whole student. With the guidance, support, and tools provided by Challenge Success and its Research Team, we are aligning our efforts to build a stronger, more resilient school community—one where every student has the opportunity to succeed in a way that is meaningful to them.
Whatdoesitmeantobe successfulatRNS?
During our first meeting of the year, our Challenge Success Coach challenged our team to think about what it means to be successful at RNS. Is it about getting the highest grades or IB scores? Being widely involved in a variety of programs? Earning a formal leadership position? Getting a big scholarship offer? Having the most service hours? Or can it simply be having the courage to try something new?
We quickly came to realize that success looks very different for each student in our community.
What does being successful look like to YOU?
By Mrs. Stephanie Taylor '06, School Nurse
Last fall, I had the privilege of attending the Challenge Success Fall Conference in Waltham, Massachusetts, alongside Mrs. Sarah Reade, Mr. Jamie Gray, Mr. Craig Jollymore, and Mr. Jonathan Campbell. The conference was an excellent opportunity for our team to collaborate and deepen our understanding of the Challenge Success mission. Exploring how we can use their strategies to amplify student voice and improve well-being, belonging, and engagement at RNS was invaluable.
The event also allowed us to network with other partnering schools and share challenges, successes, and lessons learned collaboratively. These discussions helped us assess our own practices and identify strengths and areas for growth. One notable strength that emerged from these conversations was our Advisor Program. While many schools implement weekly check-ins, our program stands out by offering daily check-ins between students and a staff member. The program's effectiveness is reflected in the results of the student survey, where 84% of students reported having a trusted adult within the school to turn to, with more than half naming their Advisor as that person.
Another key takeaway from the conference was the importance of continuously evaluating the workload and the demands our students are experiencing. The increasing stress faced by students, particularly in balancing homework, extracurricular activities, and sufficient downtime, is a growing concern. The conference highlighted the importance of working closely with students to identify and address these challenges, noting that their voice is imperative in this process.
Attending the Fall Conference and partnering with Challenge Success more broadly has provided us with valuable insights that guide our ongoing efforts to create a supportive, balanced, and enriching environment for our students.
Jon Kleiman, M.A.
Jon is the School Partnership Manager for Challenge Success.
Jon’s mission is helping organizations and individuals challenge the status quo.
As a School Partnership Manager with Challenge Success, Jon has worked with dozens of schools over the past several years to reimagine how schools can better support their students' needs and growth.
Jon lives in Portland, Maine with his wife and three kids.
In early April, Jon will visit the RNS campus. During his visit, he will facilitate workshops for employees, parents, and guardians and work on our change proposal with the RNS Challenge Success team.
By Keeley M.
One of the most impactful activities we participated in this year as the RNS Challenge Success Team was the "Stress Tree." This exercise invited us to reflect on life at RNS and the stressors we experience as students. The challenge was to identify the ‘roots’—the underlying causes of our stress —and the ‘branches’, which represented how that stress manifests itself in our daily lives.
It was an eye-opening experience to visualize how stress infiltrates various aspects of our lives, from academic and athletic pressures to social expectations. By mapping it out in this way, we could see not only how interconnected the sources and impacts of stress are but also how deeply it affects our well-being.
This activity was a powerful reminder of the importance of addressing stress at its root and the need for ongoing efforts to provide strategies for coping with stress and for creating a supportive environment for students.
By Isis N.
1. What is Shadow Day?
Shadow Day is a unique initiative where teachers follow a student for an entire day to better understand their experiences at RNS. This includes everything from academic classes and meals to co-curricular activities and even attempting the homework assigned that day. The purpose is to gain insight into students' workload, stress, expectations, and commitments. After the day, both the teacher and student reflect on their experiences and document it, allowing us to collect valuable data. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between teachers and students, foster a deeper mutual understanding, and improve the overall educational experience.
2. Where did the idea for Shadow Day come from?
Shadow Day was introduced to us as a means to build a bridge between the students’ needs and how the teachers could better understand those needs. The initiative was proposed by Jon Kleiman, our Challenge Success Coach, during one of our monthly meetings. He told us a story that highlighted the importance of perspective and acknowledging other people’s views. Shadow Day is an opportunity for teachers to gain a different perspective.
3.Who can participate?
Both students and teachers at RNS can participate in Shadow Day. Both individuals fill out the sign-up form; once all the forms are collected, we make appropriate pairings. In this, we ensure a meaningful experienceforallpartiesinvolved.
“HaveyouheardofTakeYourKidtoWorkDay? Well,thisissimilaronlyitisTakeyourTeacherto SchoolDay!”–IsisN.
4.What would Shadow Day look like for a participating teacher?
For a participating teacher, Shadow Day would involve following a student through their entire school day. This means attending classes, joining them for meals, and participating in co-curricular activities. The teacher would also experience the student’s commitments, including Advisor meetings and any homework assigned that day. It’s a hands-on opportunity to truly understand the challenges and experiences students face, providing valuable insights intotheirdailylivesatRNS.
5.What impact do you hope this experience has on those who participate?
Ihopethisexperiencefostersempathyand understanding between teachers and students.Itcanultimatelyleadtoimproved support and communication. For students, having their experiences recognized and validatedcanbeempowering.Ibelievethis initiative will strengthen the school community and encourage collaboration in addressingstudentneeds.
By Zeppelin C.
So we dive into our data, right? We’ve done the survey, the Challenge Success Research Team has seen the data, and they are presenting it to us in infographics. Now, we have to dig into it and see what the data actually says - and it says a lot. It says we’re working too hard, and we’re all stressed out. Nearly 30% of the student body says the words they would use to describe RNS are “Stressful or Difficult.”
Then we broke into smaller groups to look more closely at specific subsections of the data. What do all these titles, numbers, and percentages tell us all about the RNS student experience?
It tells us that 90% of students have a peer they would go to in a time of need, and 84% have a go-to adult. It tell us that many students are simply ‘doing school’ rather than being ‘fully engaged’. We also had the chance to break down each question by age, race, and gender. These numbers and side-byside comparisons give us insights, but they also leave us with many questions.
Based on the results of the student survey, our team has decided that the most important aspect to address is workload from homework and extra-curricular activities. We will now actively examine our policies: Do we have a homework policy? If so, does it need to be updated? How does it break down into eight classes? Are teachers dividing it fairly? As you can tell, we have many questions. Now, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and bring these questions to students and staff to better understand the challenges students are facing.
“Being
partoftheRNSChallengeSuccessTeam hasbeenagreatopportunitytoaddressaspects oftheRNSexperiencethatrequirechange.I’m excitedtohelptheschoolimproveforthe better.”
–CameronT.
ChangingtheWayWeLearnatRNS
By Mr. Craig Jollymore, RNS Assistant Head of School
At RNS, academic success goes beyond grades—it’s about fostering a transformative experience where students thrive. True growth happens when students feel a strong sense of well-being, belonging, and engagement. This year’s Challenge Success survey confirms that RNS students excel at “doing school,” with over 90% behaviorally engaged—completing assignments, paying attention, doing homework, and staying on task. However, we want more than compliant learners; we seek deeply engaged thinkers driven by curiosity and passion. Armed with these survey results, we will make changes to enhance student cognitive and affective engagement in our programming.
Encouragingly, 84% of students report having a trusted adult at RNS whom they can turn to for support— proof of our commitment to meaningful connections. This is a strong indicator of the positive relationships we work hard to cultivate. Still, we aim to do better, and we will.
Challenge Success also reinforces the importance of partnership between schools and families. Together, we can nurture student resilience, healthy habits, and stress management, fostering joyful engagement and growth every day on campus.
I’m excited about our continued collaboration with Challenge Success to ensure each student has a transformative experience in a safe, supportive, and inclusive community here on the Hill.
NextSteps
By Ms. Kayla Blackmore-Simonds, RNS Challenge Success Team Lead
After reviewing the valuable insights from our recent survey, our Team is energized and motivated to take action. The data has painted a clear and detailed picture of the student experience at RNS, and we are encouraged by the strengths highlighted, especially the strong relationships that exist between students and staff. These connections are at the heart of our school community, and we willcontinuetonurtureandbuildonthem.
As is always the case in our commitment to continuous improvement, we recognize areas where improvement is needed. One key takeaway from the survey was that students perceive their workload as "difficult or stressful", whereas we would like for it to be challenging yet supportive. Additionally,ensuringthatstudentsremainfullyengagedandactiveintheiracademicworkemerged asanimportantareaforgrowth.
In response to these findings, we recently debriefed both our internal team and the Challenge Success Research Team. Together, we identified workload, specifically homework and extracurricular activities, as the primary focus for the remainder of the year. We acknowledge that managing workload is a balancing act, and we are committed to exploring ways to make academic demandsmoremanageablewhilemaintainingthehighstandardsofrigourthatRNSisknownfor.
So, the question remains: how do we achieve our goals? To collect more specific information about student workload, we will be hosting focus group discussions. Through these initiatives, we hope to better understand the stress students are experiencing and develop solutions that will streamline homework expectations, offer flexibility where needed, and ensure that co-curricular activities remain enriching without overwhelming students.
We are excited about the road ahead and look forward to involving students, parents, and staff in shaping the solutions. With these next steps, we are confident that RNS will continue to improve, making the student experience not just strong but exceptional.
By Mr. Jamie Gray, RNS Faculty Member
Challenge Success was introduced to employees in the spring of 2024. We were excited about reconnecting with the needs of the modern student, and that excitement still persists. Challenge Success offered a tremendous Fall Conference, where team members learned from experts in the fields of education, psychology, and counselling. Every session was designed with a student-centric approach.OneofthehighlightswaslisteningtoDr.ChristopherWillardofHarvardMedicalSchoolas hepresentedvariouscounsellingtechniquestohelpteachstudentswaystofindasenseofcalmin theirchaoticlives.
Challenge Success is a great opportunity for our students as well. The transparency of Challenge Success surveys is one key example. Students on our team helped filter through the recent survey resultsandareusingthatinformationtohelpdrivechangethatwillmakeRNSabetterplacetolive, learn, and grow. Student committee members sit alongside employees during meetings and share their opinions and ideas readily, without fear of judgement or dismissal. This has fostered a connectionbetweenallcommitteemembers,helpingouremployeesbetterunderstandtheneedsof ourstudents.
Thisisaprocess;thereisnomagicwandthatwecanwavetofeelanimmediateimpact.Likeanything inlife,wemustnotsolelyfocusonthedesiredoutcomebutonthestepsthatcangetusthere.Thisis part of the reason we have students involved in the process: so they can help us take those steps together.Iamproudandexcitedtobuildastrongerschoolcommunityforgenerationstocome.
As part of our ongoing partnership with Challenge Success, the Team is focused on strengthening our connections with students, employees, parents, and guardians. A key initiative in this effort is the creation of the Challenge Success Community Resource Board, which will provide valuable information on various topics that support student well-being, belonging, and engagement. These resources will cover areas like sleep, nutrition, time management, stress management, and available student supports, helping to foster a healthier and more balanced school experience.
To access the Challenge Success Community Resource Board, log in to your MyRNS Portal account, click on [Groups], and locate [Challenge Success Community]. We will also share resources weekly through This Week @ RNS
If there are specific resources you are interested in, please reach out to Kayla.Blackmore@rns.cc.
Well-Being|Belonging|Engagement
