REMEMBERING JOHN LEWIS

On July 17 we lost a great American icon, Representative John Lewis. 

As a child, John Lewis was denied a library card because he was black, an incident that would spark a flame for justice that would never go out. As a teenager, he helped to found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, organizing sit-ins at lunch counters and voter registration drives. At 23 he was the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. And at 25 he was nearly killed in a march across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama, when a peaceful protest for voting rights was met with violence. He was bloodied and beaten, but he was not broken.

In 1986 John Lewis was elected to the House of Representatives, and represented his constituents in  Atlanta, Georgia, for 34 years. He would become "the Conscience of the Congress," and in 2011 received the Congressional Medal of Freedom, our country's highest civilian honor. In 2016, he led a sit-in on the floor of the U.S. House to protest gun violence. He was 76 years old. Think about it. He was 76 and he was still fighting for what he thought was right.

These may just sound like dates and numbers to you, but to me they make it clear - you can never be too young, or too old, to stand up for what you believe. To use whatever gifts and talents you have to make a difference in the world. John Lewis's gifts were courage, perseverance, and the ability to inspire others toward a more just world.

In 2014, Congressman Lewis was the commencement speaker at Emory University. Here is just a portion of his remarks:

If you see something that’s not right, not fair, not just, do something about it. Say something. Do something. Have the courage. Have the backbone to get in the way. Walk with the wind. It’s all gonna work out.

I was beaten, yes, several times, left bloodied, but I didn’t give up. I didn’t become bitter. The way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence is a much better way. And it doesn’t matter whether we’re black or white, Latino, Asian American, or Native American. It doesn’t matter whether we’re straight or gay, bisexual, transgender. We are one people, we are one family, we are one house. We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters.

If you go out and do what you must do, you have the power, you have the ability, not just to change America, but you have to change the world and create a world community at peace with itself. Go out and redeem the soul of America, the soul of the world, help create the Beloved Community. So I say to you today, walk with the wind. And let the spirit of peace, justice and love be your guide.

At ATYP we teach English, math, and computer science, but there is so much to learn outside of the classroom. Learn from John Lewis. You can read more about his life in his two autobiographies, Walking with the Wind and Across that Bridge, or in the graphic novels March One, Two, and Three. You can also watch the movie Selma. Although Selma is not a documentary, it details those days around the march on the Edmund Pettis Bridge. You can also see and hear all of the commencement speech on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvD6Zfvih3g.

Much of what we can learn from Congressman Lewis is how to respect one another, and how to be kind to one another. We can live out his legacy by remembering that every day, and especially right now. People are stressed and on edge, but we all need grace. Let that be the lesson we learn and set as an example for the rest of the world.

Til next time,

Ms. Nan

FUN SUMMER READS!

This summer reading recommendation is all about FUN! Although these books may have important messages in them (because a lot of great books do), they are also just great reads! Since 2020 has been a stressful year, we hope you will take some time this summer to read a book just because you love it and want to escape from reality for a few hours.

Again, all of these books were recommended by past or current students. We hope you’ll check them out!

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

A gifted girl with cerebral palsy who refuses to be defined by her disability. Many of you can probably relate to figuring out how to best communicate your talents to the world.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

A mystery involving a French orphan who lives in a train station. This Caldecott Award-winner may skew young, but several students recommended it. The movie is also supposed to be great!

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

A West African-inspired fantasy that conjures a world of magic and danger. There’s also a second book in this series, Children of Virtue and Vengeance. 

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Amazon calls this a “brilliant novel of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship.” It’s also an unflinching look at obsessive-compulsive disorder and how it can impact the life of a teenager. You should check out all of John Green’s books. If you’re reading The Fault in Our Stars, keep tissues handy!

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This book is hard to describe – mystery? thriller? fantasy? AND photographs? My daughter loves scary movies and loved this book! Also recommended by John Green. It’s a series, so plenty to dig into.

If you have a great book to recommend, we hope you’ll add it in the comments below!


Until next time,

Ms. Nan

READING TO FIND MEANING THIS SUMMER

I don’t know about you, but I find one of my favorite summer pastimes is reading. I can read in a big comfy chair when it’s rainy, I can read on the beach or by the pool when it’s sunny and warm, I can read on the porch in the evening…I confess, I probably am reading when I should be doing other things.

This summer, because so many of the “other things” have been canceled, I am reading perhaps more than ever. Usually summer reading has a reputation for fun and escapism that may or may not qualify as “literature,” but this summer there is a LOT going on in the world, so I am thinking about books that talk about the human condition and the particular moment of time in which we find ourselves.

Below are a number of books recommended by past and current ATYP students that you may find meaningful. Some may be younger than you normally read, and some may be more mature…and one may surprise you. But all provide a new way to consider what others live through, offer an opportunity to develop empathy, and allow the reader to grow as a human being.

 Refugee by Alan Gratz – Multiple stories show how the experiences of refugees from three different time periods are interconnected and how history sometimes repeats itself.

Writings on the Wall by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. “Discusses political and social issues in current day America from a refreshing and open perspective” (Julia). Another student called it “eye-opening” and called the solutions offered “achievable” (Alex).

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. A classic, recommended by multiple students. A story of survival during the Holocaust.

Esperanza Rising by  Pam Muñoz Ryan – A girl from Mexico and her family immigrate to the United States after the death of her father. Takes what you think you know about immigrants and turns it on its head.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Another World War II story recommended by numerous students. Heads up: several remarked that this
 story is really emotional and moved them to tears.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas – A powerful look at racism, oppression, and protest told from the perspective of a teenage girl who witnesses the police shooting of a good friend and is caught up in the aftermath. My daughter describes it as “the best book I’ve ever read.”

Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson – Recommended by a student and by yours truly. Calvin is  one of the world’s greatest unidentified gifted kids, and Hobbes one of the world’s great philosophers. If you want to read about the world from the point of view of a kid who may think like you, Calvin’s your guy. And if you want to feel better or think about humanity, Hobbes is a good go-to. A great way to spend a drizzly afternoon.

Do you have books you'd like to recommend? We'd love to hear about what you're reading that helps to make some sense of the world. Give us your ideas in the comments below!

Til next time,

Ms. Nan

FOR UNWAVERING GRIT AND DETERMINATION...500 HOUSE POINTS TO THE ATYP STUDENTS!

It is nearly the end of the school year. Whew – what a ride!

We know that when you signed up for ATYP you thought you were signing up for challenging courses, extra homework, and maybe the chance to make new friends. You weren’t signing up for, well, whatever this turned out to be.

There are all sorts of lessons in life that you simply did not know you were going to have to learn. Parents (or at least, me as parent) spend a lot of time talking to their kids about being organized, keeping up with work so you are in control of your schedule, thinking about what might happen so you can be prepared. And then things like COVID-19 happen and it becomes very clear, very quickly, that we all only have so much control over the world and sometimes we just have to roll with whatever comes our way.

We did a LOT of rolling this year.

All of us here at ATYP, staff and teachers, want all of you, our students and their families, to understand just how truly grateful we are to you for sticking with us this these last few months. We know it hasn’t been easy. A lot of your friends went into quarantine with almost nothing to do for the first few weeks, and we kept asking you to turn in your homework and show up to online class every week. And you did.

We asked you to keep your brains engaged and to stay committed, and you did.

We asked you to think creatively and to be there for your classmates when they needed you, and you did that, too.

In other words, you all have been amazing!

It has been so much fun for us to watch – and post! – your pictures and videos, to celebrate your achievements, and to marvel at your capacity to learn and grow. We hope, no matter what you do from here on out, you will continue to develop those abilities, because continuing to learn and grow throughout your lifetime is what it is really all about. In the middle of stay-at-home, learning what you were capable of as students and as human beings are the lessons that will be most important to you.

We know you have another week left – YOU CAN DO IT! WE KNOW YOU CAN! – but we just wanted you to know, before classes are over and you all run off for the summer and forget us for a while, that we are so proud of you.

Yes, I sort of feel like Professor Dumbledore, standing at the head of the dining hall at Hogwarts handing out house points…all the cheers for you, friends, on this remarkable achievement!

Until next time,

Ms. Nan

APPRECIATING OUR ATYP TEACHERS IN TOUGH TIMES

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week; you should not take the fact that Dr. Kelly and I failed to talk about it much to mean that we don’t appreciate our teachers. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Nothing makes ATYP successful more than the hard work and dedication of its instructors. That was true before quarantine, and it is even more true today.

Teaching is more than just a skill set. There is an art to exemplary teaching, and being a gifted instructor for gifted students is a whole other thing. It takes a full grasp of content (because no one is less understanding of a teacher who doesn’t have the answers than a gifted kid),but it also takes understanding, patience, a sense of humor, and humility. You have to check your ego at the door. You have to be willing to grow and learn every day.

The last two months have shown us just how gifted ATYP teachers truly are.

With almost no notice, they adjusted their teaching styles and curriculum to begin holding virtual classrooms. And although teaching for ATYP can be a fairly solitary existence, our staff were particularly impressive in the amount of collaboration they brought to this effort. Perhaps more than ever before in the program’s history, teachers relied on teamwork to guide them in the decision-making process. Pulling together made moving forward possible, and we could not be more grateful for everything they did to make it happen.

Just as importantly, even though ATYP is primarily known as a rigorous academic program, from the beginning, these same teachers took stock of their students and understood the social and emotional issues at play during these tough times. As one, they grasped the need to put kid’s mental health at the center of what they were trying to accomplish. We still need students to learn content, but more than anything teachers know that wellness is the key. They always have the best interests of their students at heart; to us this makes the difference between a good teacher and an amazing teacher.

Parents and students know that ATYP teachers expect a lot, and they have to. We can’t get through the curriculum we do – at the pace and depth that we do – without having high expectations. Our teachers know what students are capable of and understand the standards we are setting. But they also love you, their students, and so much of what they have done in these last weeks demonstrates just how much they care. We knew that before – but now we REALLY know it. And appreciate it beyond words.

If your instructor has made quarantine more tolerable, shown kindness and grace, pushed you to meet goals, lent a helping hand, or just been there to listen, please show them some love back. Let them know that in 2020 we are not just having Teacher Appreciation Week, we are having Teacher Appreciation Year.

Until next time,

Ms. Nan

P.S. If you would like to show appreciation to your instructor in a meaningful way, please consider donating to ATYP in their name! They feel the love, and ATYP receives much needed financial support, which helps support those same teachers. You can donate now by clicking here.

BEING OKAY WITH 75%...OR LESS

Do you know all those sports movies where the coach gives this rousing speech and asks his players to give 110% every day? The implication is that in order to be successful we have to give it our all EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

It’s motivational. It’s inspiring. It’s…baloney.

Movies and books are make-believe, as is the idea that everyone has to run flat out, giving everything we have 24/7, 365 days a year in order to reach our goals and get where we want to be. But that’s not human. That’s not real.

Gifted kids especially seem to feel this way. Many of you are driven internally, you have big dreams and the capability to achieve them, and that compels you forward, which is great. Many are externally driven by families and a society who see your abilities and demand a lot. Wherever your drive comes from, expectations still need to be based in reality. And the reality is that everyone has off days. Kids. Grown-ups. Parents. Teachers. They just do. You have a headache, you didn’t get enough sleep last night, your best friend said something snarky to you in biology class. It happens to everyone.

This is true at the very best of times. Dr. Schultz and I expend a lot of effort talking to parents about being honest with their kids about days they couldn’t give 100%. When they make mistakes. When they failed at things. No one’s expectation should ever be that they are firing on all cylinders all of the time.

And now? Now we are all just muddling through, giving it what we can, when we can. Ms. Carr heard from a speaker “we should all be operating at 75% right now to allow reserves for emergencies.” And that sounds about right. We are all going to struggle right now. This week in our office we missed an important deadline, are grappling with the budget, and are completely scrambling to accomplish tasks that should have been finished last week.

You know what else is not helping grown-ups or kids? The people with the social media posts claiming they cleaned out the garage, knitted a scarf, and wrote 50 pages of their new novel today. That’s great for them, but we know that most everyone is binging Netflix and eating brownies and living in their pajamas, and that’s okay. Don’t compare yourself to others; it’s just fine if you are saving your energy for what’s important, which is getting through each and every day.

Yes, we still want you to try and do your homework. Yes, we still want you to do what you can to get along with your brothers and sisters. Yes, it’s nice if you can help your families out once in a while when they need you to contribute. But we also want you to show yourself grace. Acknowledge that some days are just 75, or 60 or 50% kind of days. Ask for help if you need to. Be kind to yourself.

If you have found a way to let go of expectations, an affirmation to lift your spirits, or want to confess a way you are wasting your time (I am reading tons of completely non-literary fluffy books right now), please let us know in the comments below.

Remember, even though what we’re living through right now feels like a dystopian novel, it’s the idea of giving 110% every day that’s fiction. Reality is what we’ve got, and we’re going to have to be okay with it.

Until next time,

Ms. Nan

WHY THE QUARANTINE IS SO HARD ON TEENS

A shout out to Ms. Carr, who shared with me this great article from wired.com, "The Reality of Covid-19 Is Hitting Teens Especially Hard," by Christopher Null.

I loved many things about this piece. First, it confirms what we already know: this pandemic is hard on our middle and high school students. The author is particularly focused on high school seniors, but being distanced from your friends and your routine, and feeling bored is difficult for most teens and preteens. Seniors are missing out on all of the rituals and not getting closure, but everyone is feeling the strain.

Second, I greatly appreciate that he offers practical advice for parents trying to help their kids work through the stress and upheaval. Specifically:

1. Listen when they talk to you about the stress, anxiety, and frustration they are feeling, and ask them what you can do to help. "It’s important to validate their feelings during this time, even if they are disappointed and sad. Ask your child how you can support them through this time. It is important to not try and solve their problems when they are upset. Just show compassion, validate, and be present.”
2. Maintain calm around your kids, and be a role model for how you would like them to react. If you need to have a freak out, do it privately. Parents are certainly experiencing their own anxieties about work, finances, the possibility of becoming ill, and being stuck at home, but remember - your kids watch what you say and do. 
3. Keep structure in the days and weeks where you can. I've talked about this in the blog before: structure is important for kids, and for now parents and teachers are going to have to do what they can to provide it. His suggestions: "family meals, workouts, and reasonable 'virtual learning time.'"
4. Celebrate the milestones where you can. If prom and graduation are canceled, if you can't have that great last-day-of-class party, come up with another way to honor the occasion. Zoom parties, restaurant take-out, and drive-by parades are just a few ways to creatively highlight those big days. 

I hope you will read this article and think about what the pandemic means for the children in your home - mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically. It's tough. Some of them will be okay, but some kids will have a rough time. They are all going to need our help. 

You can read the entire piece at: 

https://www.wired.com/story/covid-19-is-hitting-teens-especially-hard/?fbclid=IwAR3L2lH6TKArIyM4VhSNkkxe2JNc0Rp7xEyteXvMSUT3PlC5_EW4o_WmGA8

Until next time,

Ms. Nan