School Life

Preventing Teen Suicide

Teen suicide is preventable. Boarding school communities have both the opportunity and responsibility to create an environment in which students feel supported, understood, and empowered to seek help. Recent research shows that school-based prevention programs are making a measurable difference - students at schools with comprehensive prevention programs are 25% less likely to attempt suicide, 13% less likely to make a suicide plan, and 10% less likely to have suicidal thoughts

Understanding the Current Landscape

Every year, there are reports of high school students taking their own lives.

• Suicide casts a terrible pall over any school community. It just seems so pointless, so senseless.
• I fonlymembers of the community acted on the signals the young person was most likely sending, that suicide could have been prevented.
• The academic work in boarding school is heavy.
• The pressures to succeed, get into the best college, and not let parents and others down, combined with the reality of adolescent uncertainties, can create a climate for depression.
• Depression can lead to suicide.

However, suicide is preventable.

Warning Signs and Risk Factors

Suicide is the 3rd largest killer of young adults between the ages of 15-24. But teen suicide is preventable. Know the warning signs.

The following information from Kids Health tells you what to look for.

"Suicide among teens often happens after a stressful life event, such as problems at school, a breakup

Ideally, a private school education is a partnership. The school, parents, and student comprise this partnership. What makes this partnership unique is that all partners must work together for the best interests of a young person. In addition, each partner has a specific role to play and items to take care of. So, let's examine the three partners and their roles and obligations implicit in this arrangement, which makes a private school education a good value.

This video discusses effective parent-teacher communication.

School

Motivation Obviously, the school wants the partnership to work for several reasons. First, successes enhance the school's reputation. The academic marketplace is always competitive unless, of course, the school happens to be located ten miles from the James Bay. Word of mouth within a community spreads word of both successes and failures. I realize that some will interpret word of mouth as gossip, but most parents do their own diligence. They can distinguish between those with an ax to grind and the truth. Furthermore, parents visit schools and see for themselves and ask questions.

Contractual The contractual agreement the school signs with parents spells out its obligations. Private schools are unique. So, the contract you signed at another school will be very different from the one your child's current school requires you to sign. Review it carefully, and, if warranted, have your legal advisor review it.

Academic Academics, the curriculum, and how

Academics: Advanced Placement

At some point in your evaluation of boarding schools, you will examine the academics.

• That bucket covers a lot of ground.
• Academics broadly include teaching style and philosophy, the number and depth of subjects offered, and curriculum.
• Let's discuss curriculum and specifically one of the most commonly used, Advanced Placement (AP), as it is known colloquially.

The Advanced Placement logo is a trademark of the College Board and it's in the Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

What is AP?

AP or Advanced Placement Program is a three-year sequence of high school coursework offered by the College Board in over 34 subject areas.

AP courses provide college-bound high school seniors with a level academic playing field. It doesn't matter whether you are a high school student in Dubuque, Iowa, or Darien, Connecticut, because AP courses and their end-of-course examinations are the same regardless of where they are offered.

• The course content is the same.
• The teaching objectives are the same.
• The preparation for the final examinations is the same.

College admissions professionals can compare student academic achievements with confidence because the standard is the same everywhere, and the final examinations are proctored and graded by the College Board.

• They know precisely what AP means when they see it on your transcript.
• They know exactly what your AP scores represent.

That is the intrinsic value

The pandemic has forced many students to reconsider their plans for going off to college. That's because of concerns about safety and COVID protocols on college campuses. The other factor is whether learning will be in person or online. After all, a college education is costly. So, spending a fortune on online classes does not sit well with most parents who usually pay those hefty college fees.

But I am already at a residential school. Isn't it the same as being at college? Since you are attending a boarding school, you understand the need for strict safety protocols. Vaccinations, temperature taking, hand washing, masking, and social distancing are norms you have become accustomed to while at school. Furthermore, everybody in the school community abides by those protocols or risks being asked to leave. However, your school is tiny compared with most colleges. Now, that's only one factor that makes attending college riskier than being at your small boarding school.

The other consideration is that most college campuses tend to be open and insecure. Anybody can gain access whether or not they are authorized. Contrast that with your school's campus with limited entry points secured by gated access and security officers.

The final consideration is the teaching. What will happen if there is a COVID outbreak on the college campus? Will all classes be taught online? Will the college close? Will the dormitories close?

Against this backdrop of uncertainties, if you are in your last year of

2020-2021 have been unusual, depressing years as we all coped with the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, notwithstanding all the gloom and doom, there was some good news in 2021. Several announcements of major gifts to private schools have lifted our spirits and given us, and the recipients, hope.

In October 2021, Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, announced that an alumnus had left a bequest to endow three faculty chairs. Also in October, the Frederick Gunn School in Washington, Connecticut, reported that a current trustee and his wife had endowed a faculty chair. The munificence of these donors supports the stated mission of these schools.

The Berkshire School's mission statement notes:

"Rooted in an inspiring natural setting, Berkshire School instills the highest standards of character and citizenship and a commitment to academic, artistic, and athletic excellence. Our community fosters diversity, a dedication to environmental stewardship, and an enduring love for learning."

This video offers an overview of Berkshire School.

In its mission statement, The Frederick Gunn School states:

"In 1850 Frederick Gunn established a school based on the belief that strength of character was the goal of education. Today, The Frederick Gunn School rests on the four cornerstones of character: scholarship, integrity, respect and responsibility. Character is forged in a cohesive, diverse community informed by a challenging college preparatory curriculum, a