"I have peace with all that I cannot control. I have peace with my journey. I have peace with my authentic self." This quote was read aloud by Ms. Cassie Browne, the 10th grade (Class of 2029) Social Worker. The team begins each day with an inspirational quote. It's part of their internal process. "It's just for us," she explained. Ms. Browne's role is to offer dedicated counseling to students in need, as well as at risk students who need mental health support. 

How do you approach wellness with hundreds of kids and make sure they get what they need? 

Ms. Marie Ameh explained her role as Attendance Teacher. "It is my goal to reach out and follow up with both students and families, making sure they are coming to school and to ensure they know we are here and paying attention."

Ms. Angelina De Leon and Mr. Tafari Powis, School Counselors, split the 10th grade alphabetically by last name. With Ms. De Leon responsible for A-L and Mr. Powis, M-Z, the two focus on academic intervention, referrals and the College Now program. Ms. De Leon has also been leading the Yoga Club for several years.

Mr. Powis shared some of the activities planned for the year. "We do classroom push ins, which are classroom visits. We teach lessons to help with student success in areas such as time management and financial literacy."

There are also planned trips, a family night in the fall and virtually in the spring, newsletters, and end of semester celebrations  highlighting individual student successes based on Principal Blank's criteria. Today they are doing a presentation in the auditorium for the entire 10th grade.