IT TAKES A VILLAGE Learning

Specialists are Committed to Student Success

BY CATENYA MCHENRY

Aria Minns-Fink ’24 describes her 9th grade start at St. Stephen’s in one word, “rocky.” A number of issues triggered intense stress, making it difficult for MinnsFink to devote her full focus and attention to school and school work.

“It was a huge adjustment, especially because I was going in not only to a new school and a new environment, but also in COVID, so I was learning how to learn online, virtually, and also going to a new school and not knowing anyone,” said Minns-Fink.

Today Aria is different. She seems happier and well-adjusted. The smile she wears is brighter and one can sense a feeling of relief and weightlessness as she talks about the swift and positive engagement she had with Learning Specialist Kristina Green.

“Right away, Ms. Green was emailing me and reaching out to me, and this was during COVID, too. That was really helpful. Honestly, I don't know if I would have passed 9th grade without her help,” said Minns-Fink.

Aria’s experience of receiving help is not unusual at St. Stephen’s. There are concentrated strategies and intentional energy directed toward the idea of help — both offering and receiving. It’s also not unusual to see any of the learning specialists meeting one-on-one or in large groups with students, talking through projects, papers, test preparation or even just having honest conversations about how they’re doing with friends. The specialists work to meet a wide array of needs from students who require academic accommodations to students struggling with test anxiety, organization or time-management.

“Our team of learning support specialists have had a profound impact on our community since we created these positions and hired three experts in this field over the last seven years,” says Head of School Chris Gunnin. “As an Episcopal school, we are committed to the belief that every student is a unique and beloved child of God, and as a leading independent school, we are committed to knowing and loving each student individually.”

According to John Dugan, co-director of Health Services, Counseling, the specialists have not only improved students’ access to learning but have also improved the St. Stephen’s culture around normalizing asking for help.

Learning Services works hand in hand with the Counseling Services department. The integrated support helps students to build both academic and social-emotional strategies, which results in greater confidence in their classwork and in themselves. Dugan says when students do better, they feel better.

“They [Specialists] create a sense that the process of learning is something that is both worth learning and diverse,” says Dugan. “It elevates the notion that students learn differently and that increases a sense of belonging and opportunities for welcoming. There are many ways to see, experience, understand and express a subject. Weaving that into the fabric of our community makes us a richer place.”

In 2016, Eileen Wilson, who later became dean of the Middle School, was the first learning specialist hired. The St. Stephen’s leadership recognized it was too much work for one person and moved to onboard three learning specialists: Kristina Green, who replaced Eileen; Hen Kennedy in the Upper School; and Terry Chapman in the Middle School. The learning specialists are listed under the more broad Learning Services initiative. Together, their objective is to help all students succeed in all areas including academics, study skills, project management and much more. The specialists, however, are aware that oftentimes students may experience nervousness when navigating a few tricky first steps; their own vulnerabilities, selfconfidence and being comfortable with asking for and receiving help. It’s why the specialists each believe it’s important to begin with relationship-building.

“Starting at the ninth grade year and having that Studies Skills class that we have all throughout the fall term builds that relationship. And then, the students that we know are coming in from day one that we need to serve that have accommodations, we start to build those relationships early as well,” says Green, Upper School learning specialist and grade 9 class sponsor.

The spirit of learning support at St. Stephen's is one of balancing individual learning needs with academic mastery. The school’s mission is to foster in each classroom and in each student the ability to grow as a learner. For students to be able to develop and practice study skills while at St. Stephen's and to take those skills into college and/or their vocation involves general study skills support, as well as more specialized academic accommodations.

“That's kind of the goal, right? I mean, for all students we want them to be able to self-advocate their needs whether they do have a special accommodation that they need access to or if it's just they're struggling within the classroom,” says Green.

Middle School Learning Specialist Terry Chapman has dedicated his life to not only helping students but also making sure his students avoid the same experience he did in school. Terry recalls difficulty with Algebra I. He says it never clicked. Additionally, Terry says as a visual learner, he didn’t have a teacher who could adjust their teaching style to accommodate for that. And he recalls his dad forcing him to memorize math facts.

“I just remember staring at those for an hour and my dad coming in, and we had battles, and then I'd start fourth grade crying. I do not want that — a student to feel like that,” says Chapman. “I want a student to feel like there is help and for them to feel validated.”

The learning specialists have expanded their work to also include faculty assistance. “We do coach teachers on how to support kids and making sure teachers have the strategies to do that, [to] figure out how to best help the kids thrive in their academic environment,” says Hen Kennedy, director of Learning Services. “I'm starting to plan a series of different professional development experiences around that. There's a lot of that collaborative work too, which is really fun. A lot of times I'll sit down with the teacher and we'll do a conference with the student together.”

The Learning Services department works closely with Middle School Counselor Tania Gil and Upper School Counselor Jennie Kim in the Counseling Services department. Together with St. Stephen’s leadership, both departments want to make sure that every single student is adequately prepared for life on campus now and their life in the future.

“It shows another way that help works,” said Dugan. “Students and teachers do better work because of student support services. Good learning strategies help all students and teachers; they aren't just for kids who are struggling. That also goes for social, emotional and mental health strategies.”

“As the world changes, as students’ expectations change, as curriculum changes, research shows learning changes,” said Chapman. “I definitely think each school needs some kind of academic support.”

Minns-Fink agrees, “I think it’s absolutely necessary.”

Chapman says continued student success starts with those light bulb or ‘aha’ moments.

“After countless attempts, resources, effort, study and partnering with the students, teachers and parents, the moment when my students say ‘oh yeah I get it,’ that's why I'm here, for that moment. So, when it clicks, that's my validation,” said Chapman.