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Principal and students highlight Spirit Week and social-emotional learning at Contoocook Valley meeting
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Summary
South Middle School principal Tim Conway and students described Spirit Week activities and how advisory programs and athletics support school culture. The board also heard a district-wide update on social-emotional learning and related community partnerships.
Principal Tim Conway opened the presentation by describing the ‘‘spirit of SMS’’ as centered on relationships, advisory programming and extracurriculars that connect students to school life, and introduced teachers and students who spoke about the program.
Students and staff gave examples of Spirit Week activities — daily dress-up themes, gym-based Spirit Games, tug-of-war and relay tournaments — and linked the events to improvements in school culture and student engagement. ‘‘Spirit Week is a time where our community gets closer together,’’ student council president Ying Yi Tan said. Teacher Doreen Decebus described how student council plans rallies and competitions that ‘‘bring our students together for this friendly competition and pride for their advisory.’’
Board members praised the presentation and said student demonstrations help them better understand in-school programs. The district’s use of live rankings and in-school displays during Spirit Week was noted as a key engagement tool. Several students answered audience questions about logistics, games and student council elections.
The presentation followed an education-committee report emphasizing social-emotional learning (SEL) across the district. Committee members told the board the district integrates SEL using the CASEL framework and highlighted programs such as Hope Squad, a peer-nominated program to identify and support students in distress. The committee credited community partners including the River Center, the Grapevine and Monadnock Family Services for supporting SEL work.
The board agreed the presentations improved their understanding of student supports and encouraged continued collaboration between staff and student leaders. No formal action was taken on the Spirit Week presentation; it was received as information.
