Sept. 18 Update

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope you are well. I have been asked by parents and caregivers why McCall teachers and staff are openly sharing their pronouns when they are introducing themselves to a group of people including their students, and why McCall staff include their pronouns in their email signatures and Zoom names. I would like to take this opportunity to explain why we are engaging in these practices.

As you may know already, the School Committee adopted the Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity policy in 2019. The policy states that staff and students have the right to choose pronouns and names that are appropriate to their gender identities regardless of the genders or names that were assigned to them at birth. In my opinion, this is an important step to take so that McCall and all of Winchester Public Schools can be a safe and inclusive place for all staff and students. Sharing pronouns is part of what all of us can do to align our practices with this policy.

In our culture one often assumes people’s gender identities based on how they express themselves such as the way they dress and through their mannerisms. When we share our pronouns and ask others to share their pronouns we are not making assumptions about other people’s gender identities based on their appearances. Teachers and staff also share their pronouns and invite others to share their pronouns in all situations – not just LGBTQ-specific circumstances – because we want to make sure we are not singling out certain people or communities by asking only those students and colleagues to share their gender identities.

It is important to point out that sharing pronouns is not just for the purpose of supporting our LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning) staff and students even though that is a big part of why we are engaging in this practice. Surveys and studies consistently show LGBTQ students in WPS and across the Commonwealth and country disproportionally struggle with their mental health which ultimately impacts their school performances. Our work to create a safer school for students of all gender identities – including the engaging in the practice of sharing pronouns – is to benefit all students. Creating a school culture where we normalize gender identity expression signals to all staff and students that people do not have to hide or be ashamed of their gender identities whether they are consistent with the ones they were assigned at birth or not. These efforts also communicate to everyone that no one gender identity is superior to another and that no one identity is “more normal” than another. Ultimately, we want all staff and students to understand that there is a place for everybody, and McCall is truly a place for ALL.

I would like to make sure everybody knows we do not require anyone to share their pronouns if people do not feel comfortable doing so. We only invite staff and students to take this step. Some folks may choose not to share their pronouns because they have not decided what is the appropriate pronoun for themselves or for a variety of other reasons. I understand some of our students are confused by why this practice is taking place at McCall. This is particularly the case for our sixth graders given that many of them have not been exposed to this practice at their elementary schools. I will continue to work with my staff to make sure students understand the rationale behind sharing pronouns, and that they all have the option to not share pronouns if they are not comfortable doing so.

I understand some students may feel conflicted about the practice of sharing pronouns even though they have been informed they have the option to either do or not to do so. I know some students feel the conflict because they see other students and their teachers are sharing their pronouns and they do not want to be left out. I encourage you and your students to reach out to the staff or me if your students are feeling this way. We will be happy to work with you to resolve these concerns.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

 

September 2 Update

 Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,

 

I hope everyone is doing well as we head into another start to the school year.  My backyard is adjacent to a field that serves as a summer camp for livestock.  That is, the property owner rents it out to livestock owners during the summer for the animals to graze on the grass that they grow on that land.  This is what we have been seeing from our backyard since May.  Three weeks ago, there was a knock on our door in the middle of a hot Sunday afternoon.  It was the owner of the cows that have been attending “cow summer camp”, and she informed us of this news.  The animal was quickly located and returned to where it was supposed to be, so there was no need for Missing Cow posters to be plastered all over town.

 

I share this with you because this was a notable event in an otherwise low-key summer for me.  I also share this news with you because corralling a wayward cow seems strangely similar to the work ahead of us this year.  I would like our focus for the 22-23 school year to be on getting back to those important things that have gotten away from us during these past two incredibly difficult school years.  I am hopeful that with the pandemic behind us, we can get back to the place where we enjoy learning, teaching, and being with each other in-person.  I can see looking out past my backyard that the four cows are back enjoying their last few weeks of their summer camp.  I am grateful that they have returned to the place they belong, and all of the students are back where they belong enjoying what McCall has to offer.

Thank you,

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

June 20 Update

 Dear McCall Families,

 

I hope this message finds you well.  I entered this school year with cautious optimism about returning to normalcy, but this year has been more challenging for me in a lot of ways than previous years.  The negative impact of the pandemic on the students’ academic progress and all our physical and mental health cannot be understated.   Although our conversations about the pandemic have often been about what it has taken from us, I think it is also necessary for us to think about what it has given us.  I am reminded of the commencement address Chief Justice Roberts delivered to the Cardigan Mountain School graduates in 2017.  During that speech he talked about the relationships between fairness and justice, pain and compassion, loneliness and friendship, and bad luck and chance. I think it is fitting to extrapolate what he said during that speech and apply it to our circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The impact of the pandemic has caused us pain.  However, it is in pain that we gain a better understanding of what it means to receive and give compassion.

 

The pandemic treated us unfairly - some more so than others.  However, it is when we receive unfair treatment that we understand the value of justice.

 

The isolation during the pandemic forced us to experience loneliness.  However, it is when we are lonely, we learn the value of friendship.

 

All of us experienced bad luck during the pandemic.  However, having experienced bad luck means we better understand our successes may not be completely deserved, while other people's failures and suffering may also not be completely deserved.  

 

This past school year has been a hard year for many of our students, families, and staff members.  We cannot change what the pandemic has done to us, but we all can take this experience, learn from it, and help ourselves and each other grow.

 

Lastly, I would like to congratulate Mr. Tom Awiszus, Technology and Engineering Teacher, Ms. Pat DeVries, Digital Literacy Teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist, and Ms. Anna Kerkorian, Digital Literacy Teacher, for concluding their careers.  All three colleagues decided to retire at the end of the current school year, and I wish all of them well as they head off on their new adventures.  

 

Thank you, and I hope everyone’s summer is one that includes a lot of fun, rest, and reflection.

I am looking forward to a great 22-23 school year with all of you!

 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

June 5 Update

Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,

 

This weekend was a celebratory one for my family.  My daughter and first child joined many seniors across the country to from high school.  We are proud of her and all her classmates who overcame so many obstacles during the last three years to get to this point.  The graduation ceremony was particularly special for my wife.  She was a special education teacher in the junior high that my daughter attended and taught some of the beaming young adults who walked across the stage Friday evening.  It was almost like having my personal color commentator during the presentation of the diplomas as my wife whispered in my year comments like the following:

 

“That kid couldn’t even write a paragraph when I had him and now look at him heading off to UMass-Amherst.”

 

“She was so good at asking for help when she could not get her work done so she could help mom take care of her younger sisters – she so deserves the full scholarship to Gettysburg College”

 

“That kid is so awesome with the way he handled his dad’s death in 7^th grade”

 

Although we did not have to manage the craziness of hybrid, remote, and the full return like last year, this year in many ways was much more challenging than 20-21.  I know many of you came into this school year with the hope of having a normal year.   I also know many of your dreams were dashed when this past winter showed us just how unrelenting this pandemic can be.  Listening to my wife talk about some of these graduating seniors who struggled during their middle school years reminded me that the trajectory of a person’s development is never linear.  It is made up of ebbs and flows and progressions and regressions.  Those of us who had a difficult year should remember we all can bounce back if we are wise enough and courageous enough to self-reflect and make the necessary changes so we can do better.  Just as Maya Angelou taught us when she wrote, “when you know better, do better”.

 

It is my hope that everyone - including students and McCall staff members - will take some time to reflect upon our school year during the summer.  Whether your experience was positive or negative, you will find ways to learn from it and use that learning to make 22-23 a better year.

 

I wish you a great week!

 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

 

May 8 Update

 

Dear McCall Families,

 

I hope everyone is well.  Happy Mother’s Day to everyone.  For those of you who know me, you know my childhood is an atypical one.  My family traveled a lot due to my father’s work, and there have been times when all three members of my family were living in three different countries.  Although my mother is not always by me physically, I am always connected to her in many other ways.  I am also fortunate to have other adults like my aunt and uncle who served as maternal figures for me.

 

We live in a society that is increasingly diverse, so the words “family” and “mother” have different meanings for different folks.  Therefore, I would like to wish everyone who are mothers in the most conventional sense and everyone who serves as caregivers for our students a Happy Mother’s Day.  The pandemic has made mothering, parenting, and care-giving more complex and challenging than ever.  I hope everyone will take a moment today to congratulate yourselves for the hard work you have done to raise and care for a middle school student.

 

I wish you all the best!

 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

 

 

 

 

March 27 Update

 Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,

 

I hope this message finds you well.  As you know, the student body submitted a petition advocating to amend the Locker Policy to allow for students to choose between using their lockers or their backpacks to me this week.  I am impressed with the fact that the students are taking the initiative to advocate for themselves and to do so with well thought out arguments.  I do not agree with everything that the students brought forth, but I do see this as an opportunity to make sure their voices are heard and to teach them about how to advocate for their needs in manners that are consistent with our processes, policies, and values

 

My thoughts about the petition are as follows:

 

Most of the concerns that the students raised in the petition are those many past students have experienced when they first transitioned to using lockers.  Those concerns include figuring out how to go to and from lockers to retrieve belongings in a time efficient manner, accidentally dropping belongings in the hallways, fitting large amounts of belongings into their lockers, and securing valuables in the lockers.  It is important for all of us to remember that lockers are new to our 6^th and 7^th graders.  Even our 8^th graders who learned how to use lockers two years ago are now out of practice with those skills.  They will need time to adjust, and they will need the teachers and staff to help them negotiate these challenges.  McCall teachers and staff are experienced with these matters, and I am confident they will assist the students now just like they have done prior to the pandemic.

 

Our Handbook currently includes a policy that requires students to store their belongings in their lockers.  Changes to any Handbook policies require the approval of the School Committee.  The process we follow is to first bring any policy change proposal to the School Council.  The Council determines whether to bring the proposal to the School Committee.  The School Committee will determine whether to bring the question up for discussion and then whether to vote to determine if the policy will be changed. 

 

My plan is to meet with the students who initiated the petition right before April Break.  This will give students enough time to adjust to using lockers and for our teachers and staff to help them overcome the challenges they are currently facing with this transition.  If the students inform me at that time that using lockers remains to be a major problem despite the support adults have provided them during these upcoming weeks, I will invite them to attend the April School Council meeting.  The Council can discuss at that time whether to bring this matter to the School Committee. 

 

The students did bring up some good points that we all should consider.  For example, how do we uphold the dignity of students who are biologically female and help them carry around menstruation products during the school day in a discreet manner if they do not have access to backpacks.  My hope is we can all work together to figure out how to better implement the policies that are currently in place instead of reverting back to the ways we always do things without considering students’ concerns or throwing away the policies only to have to endure the problems that they were designed to address such as hallway and classroom congestion.

 

I have written a response to the student’s petition.  It has been emailed to the students, and you can find it here.

 

I know several students who had trouble adjusting to using lockers had figured out how to use them effectively by the end of last week after a few days of practicing.  I am also certain there will be students who will need more time to sort all of this out.  I recommend you reach out to the teachers or the counselors if your student continue to struggle with managing their belongings with the lockers.  I am sure our staff will help your students as I mentioned earlier in this message.

 

Thank you,

 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School

March 6 Update

Dear McCall Parents and Caregivers,

 

I hope this message finds you well.  As Superintendent Hackett noted in his update sent out this weekend, the District is currently negotiating with the WEA, the teacher union, on the issue of making masks optional.  The day to make that transition has not come yet, so it is important to remind all students that although masking is no longer required in other schools or in other public indoor settings, it is still required when they are in McCall Middle School.

 

Although the decision about the transition to a mask optional learning environment is yet to be made, it appears the move toward that direction will be coming.  Therefore, I would like to share with you this Boston Globe article that I believe does a great job of outlining the complications about this transition for students and their families that you may or may not have considered (please click here). 

 

As the author of the article noted, many students may have little trouble adjusting to a mask optional environment.  However, some students will struggle adapting to yet another change.  I think it is important for adults to check in with their own students to probe their thinking and feeling about this this matter and not assume every child is feeling okay with this transition.  When the time does come for us to move to a mask optional environment, the message my staff and I will emphasize to the students are the following:

 

·      We all have different needs, and we may not completely know or understand what are driving people’s masking decisions.  Therefore, we should all remind our students to refrain from making judgments about other people’s decisions and pressuring them to take steps they do not feel comfortable taking. 

 

·      Our goal is to create an environment where everyone is free to make their own masking decisions.  Our goal is not to make everyone agree with or even fully understand other people’s decisions.

 

·      I also encourage everyone to remind students about the idea of intent versus impact.  For example, I can foresee situations where behaviors such as asking others about their masking decisions were intended to fulfill feelings of curiosity.  However, the way that the questions are asked and the persistent way those questions are being asked may create a negative impact on those who are receiving the questions.

 

Thank you, and I hope I can count on everyone’s support as we transition to yet another “new normal”.

 

James Lin

Principal

McCall Middle School