November 15, 2024
Dear Families,
Two weeks ago a busload of wide-eyed Cohasset students ventured into Boston on a field trip to the Massachusetts Historical Society to explore artifacts from the American Revolutionary period. But while stopped in traffic along Melnea Cass Blvd., some students witnessed illicit drug use as shelters had just emptied out and folks occupied some of the remaining encampments.
It was a jarring sight on an otherwise pleasant Thursday morning. Parents were notified and students were given the option of debriefing upon their return. I led the debrief, along with the teachers, members of our counseling staff, and Nicole Balaschi, the Program Director for the Safe Harbor Coalition. I'm always impressed by the reflectiveness of our students, and after checking in on how they were feeling, I shared the following story.
In around the 5th century BCE, in the ancient Indian kingdom of Kapilavastu, a prince named Siddhartha Gautama, ventured outside the castle walls for the first time. He was in his 20s, and by all accounts had lived a very sheltered life. On that trip he encountered three things:
- An elderly man,
- A man ravaged by illness, and
- A solemn funeral procession
These three things deeply troubled the prince, who was now confronted with the fundamental realities of the human condition -- the inevitability of old age, the anguish of human sickness, and the finality of death. He was so moved by what he had witnessed that he sought to find a solution to the problem of human suffering, and along his spiritual journey he developed what are known as the Four Noble Truths: that all life is permeated by the reality of suffering in a variety of forms; that our suffering is caused by our attachment to impermanent things; that the end of suffering can be found in the uprooting of material attachments; and that a path grounded in ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom (a prescription known as the eightfold path) can lead all human beings towards enlightenment.
Siddhartha Gautama went on to become the Buddha.
I asked the students to compare themselves to the prince. Now that they have witnessed the reality of suffering, what -- if any -- obligation do they have towards it? And I asked them not to answer but to just consider the question in their own minds and over the weekend. As a group we discussed how that situation even came to be. What the role of the police was. What mental health resources were available to folks. How the housing crisis played into it. Despite some discomfort, the students engaged in an incredibly thoughtful discussion that ended without any clear answers.
Part of our job is to prepare students to engage in such discussions, and as I walked through classrooms over the last two weeks, I see students wrestling with the same issues in classes. English classes discuss the layers of identity, the relationship of the individual to the whole, and the intersections of contemporary and historical issues in American, British, ancient and World Literature, even going back to Plato's Apology; social studies classes have students articulate the dangers of World War II propaganda and the power of media images; science guides students through claim, evidence and reasoning strategies; a variety of arts explore capturing the transcendence of nature and sound and tempt students to wonder at their place in the vastness; world languages challenge students to dissect cultural norms and challenge perhaps our own assumptions of normalcy; health and wellness classes discuss both personal and public facets of mental health; and math classes . . . well, math classes were doing derivatives and calculating slope, which I'm sure are useful but not the focus of this newsletter.
These are the skills that we need to cultivate as we prepare to send students into a world we might not recognize in ten years. And, as is the nature of adolescence, as students navigate the larger umbrella issues they are also deeply invested in figuring out who they are -- what attachments do they have that might cloud the discovery of their true selves? Are they attached to a particular college? A role on a sports team? A title in a club? A group of friends? How they appear to others?
Our health, our money, our looks, our friendships -- these are all transient. When we miss NHS by a few GPA points, lose out to another student in the admissions process, don't play as much as we thought we would, or shift friend groups, will our suffering be exacerbated by our attachments or will our true self underneath and our connections to things bigger than ourselves buttress us through the change? All of our experiences -- planned and unplanned -- are opportunities to reflect on who we are, how we are changing, and what our purpose is. And I find it's no more intensely felt than in our students.
As students know, our network is designed to flag "suspicious keywords", the vast majority of which are related to school projects. But as with all technology, sometimes it picks up things that aren't suspicious at all. Here was one recent search.
"Reflect on how your own talents and strengths make you valuable to a team, and how you can use those skills to help build a stronger school community."
Whether it's written down or lingering within a mental montage of other obligations, it's a query born from the hearts of each of our students.
Sincerely,
Brian T. Scott
Principal
Q1 Grades are Posted
Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Wednesday, November 20th and Thursday, November 21st from 1:00 - 3:00. Sign ups for conferences will be available at https://app.ptcwizard.com/cohassetk12. The window for scheduling conferences will open at 3:00PM on Friday November 8th and close on Tuesday, November 19th at 3:00PM.
Important Milliken Parking Change
On Tuesday, November 19th and Tuesday, November 26th, parking at Milliken Field will be unavailable in order to accommodate concrete pouring for the new tennis courts. For these two days only, students who park at Milliken should park in the Central Office lot along the spaces that abut the sidewalk. These spaces are labeled "Business Office Parking". Alternatively, students can seek alternate transportation to school. Please be mindful to stay in the drop-off line (not the student parking line) upon entering the driveway.
Everyone's all-American
Congratulations to senior Tess Barrett, who was named one of two Massachusetts All-Americans in soccer. Tess will continue playing next year at Boston College.
Boys and Girls' Soccer Into the Final Four
Congratulations to the Boys' and Girls' Soccer teams, who march into the Final Four next week in the MIAA State Tournament.
Winter Coat Drive
Charlotte Reilly and Stephanie Williams are organizing a winter coat drive from December 2nd to December 20th. Coats can vary from size to color, just make sure it is not overused (ex: broken zipper). This donation would be a huge help to families that are cold over the winter. Remember: Recycle, Reuse, and Keep Someone Warm This Winter!!!!
‘Addicting’ Art Exhibit & Reception
Safe Harbor invites you to join the coalition and the community for the Reception of ‘Addicting’: a teen's look at the addictions impacting today's society and themselves. In partnership with South Shore Arts Center and organized by Gabriella Madden and Annemarie Whilton, students at Cohasset High School were asked to depict what addiction means to them through art, and many were brutally honest about their own personal dependencies. The exhibit will be on display in the Meeting Room at the Paul Pratt Memorial Library through November 24th. We hope you will join us as we shine light on this impactful exhibit with a reception of remarks, community, and treats on Thursday, November 21st, from 2-3 pm, in the Meeting Room at the Paul Pratt Memorial Library
Junior Parent Coffee
Mark your Calendars!
Parents/Guardians of 11th graders:
The School Counseling Office invites you to our upcoming Junior Parent Coffee to learn more about the college application process and ask any questions you may have.
Parent Coffee Event
Date: Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Time: 8:30AM
Location: Learning Commons
(Note: Coffee pictured does not represent actual coffee served)
From the Desk of Nurse Collins
We have a very high number of students with mono this fall. As numerous illnesses are spread through the respiratory tract, please remind your student:
- Stay home if you are sick
- Do NOT share food or drinks!!!!
- Cough/sneeze into your elbow.
- Keep their hands away from their face.
- Wash your hands frequently.
Federal Student Aid ID Reminder:
As high school seniors and their families wait for the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be available on December 1, they should apply now for their Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) so that they will be ready when the application opens.
Other resources available to help students afford a college degree include:
Cohasset High School
Website: www.cohassetk12.org
Location: 143 Pond Street, Cohasset, MA, USA
Phone: 781-383-6100
Twitter: @CoHSPrincipal