Innovation at Dalat #13 Awards Program

The pins and plaques that students receive in our awards program are to recognize achievement, inspire students to try something different, and to serve as a memento of a student’s activities during their time at Dalat. This is a one-of-a-kind program that we designed from the ground up ten years ago, modeled after a “letter-jacket” concept that is traditional in North America. We have worked to improve every year since by recognizing more activities with pins. Dalat custom designs each pin (thank you, Mrs. Roberts) and crafts them for only our students.

When a student graduates, in addition to a diploma, they are handed their plaque and pins as a keepsake to remind them of their activities at Dalat. I have shared the unique program that Dalat is using at several conferences and have consistently received positive feedback from other schools or have heard from them that they intend to emulate what we are doing.

Most of the pins are awarded during our year-end High School Awards Ceremony at 9:30 am on Friday, June 7. This ceremony is for all of our HS students in grades 9-12. Parents are encouraged to attend and help us celebrate. This will be our first year in the Harbor Hall for Baccalaureate, Commencement, Senior Tea, and the Awards Ceremony; and I am excited to have a beautiful space for these celebration events. I hope you will make plans to join us for this special event.

If you would like more details on the program guidelines, please refer to this link. Student Award Program Description

Innovation at Dalat #12 Student Absences

Sometimes too much of a good thing is actually not a good thing…like when you have just a little too much frosting on your piece of cake!  Perhaps that is not the best example since I have never had too much frosting! How about too much exercise? How about too much innovation at school?

As Dalat has grown, so have the number of great opportunities for students to learn outside of the classroom.  Between sports trips, Impact trips, band/choir trips, class trips, Forensics & History Bowl trips, and academic field trips, there are a lot of great reasons for kids to travel the world and miss classes. In spite of our best efforts to schedule things carefully and do what we can to minimize the negative impacts of these outings they do add up to have an impact on the other primary thing that we do at Dalat…teaching classes.

Dalat has reached a sort of “tipping point” where the drawbacks of all the time out of the classrooms have begun to outweigh some of the positives of all of these great opportunities. Teachers have rightly expressed concern that you cannot teach students who are not present, and it is difficult to move forward with the curriculum when many students are away for extended times. Add to this the fatigue factor for students who are constantly trying to catch up from their last outing, and the cost to parents who are trying to pay for all of the enrichment activities and you arrive at the need to make some adjustments.

This is where we found ourselves this semester. Long discussions ensued. These are not easy decisions because sometimes it means “saying no” to great opportunities. But in the end, several policies to try and help will be implemented for next year:

Adjustments

• The biggest change that students must be aware of and plan for is that they will be allowed a maximum of three major trips (two or more nights) in a school year. Students who are involved in multiple sports or other activities may need to make some decisions about what their priorities are and if they are adding an Impact trip, what will they be giving up. The only exception that will not be tallied toward the three trips is the senior sneak in which all students are strongly encouraged to attend.
• Each varsity sports team will be allowed a maximum of two trips per year. One can be the longer ACSC trips, but the other will be limited to a single overnight.
• The administration will work to schedule events so that multiple trips happen at the same time so that everyone is gone at once. This means that everyone is back in the classroom together.
• There are several other scheduling and organizing internal adjustments from multiple departments that will also be implemented.  We will evaluate next year if further changes will be needed.

Here are other notes to continue to be aware.

·    

Our final exam time in high school is important enough that we do not allow a students to be absent from exams or reschedule. We end sports and most activities early to give students study time. Students are not given permission to leave early or reschedule exams in any way except in extraordinary extenuating circumstances.
      
 Our absence policy does allow parents to decide to miss up to eight days of class in a semester without penalty. While we don’t encourage this, we also know that life happens outside of school and there are good reasons why a family may need to miss a few days throughout the semester. However, unless there are serious medical or personal emergencies that fall outside of the control of the family, we have held to the standard that grades are dropped by 10% if a student misses more than eight of a particular class in a semester. School-sponsored absences for trips do not count towards this policy. There is more information about this in our parent and student handbook.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Let me know if you have any questions.

Innovation at Dalat #11 Technology Contract

It is no secret that there is a significant downside to using technology in the classrooms. It means that our students spend more time looking at computer screens and there are more distractions when work needs to be done. Computers open up a world of new opportunities good and bad and I have heard compelling arguments for both schools that adopt 1 to 1 programs and those that eschew technology altogether.  

What tips the scales in favor of keeping them at Dalat is the opportunity we now have to teach students to use the technology well, to use their time wisely, and to make good decisions about what they access online.  Once they graduate and leave our care, we lose the opportunity to mentor them as they navigate a digital world. No matter where they go and what they do, they will use technology. So I believe we should be investing in teaching them wisdom rather than sheltering them. Our role as a school is to partner with families in this education process, not to replace the family.  We want to empower parents to engage in the process of guiding young minds to learn how to make good decisions regarding the use of technology.

Our 9^th-grade students piloted a trial program this school year working with their parents to develop their own “Family Technology Contract.”  Students spent time talking with their parents about expectations for technology use and care of devices. The questions on the plan help families think through important questions and establish expectations up front so that the kids and parents know the family guidelines.

Next year we will require the plan of all students and their parents in high school. Filling it out each year as the student progresses will allow families the opportunity to talk about what is working or not, and reevaluate the rules and expectations as the student matures.

As summertime approaches with extra free time, the challenges families face to establish healthy boundaries may increase. I am offering the questions from the technology plan below for families that want to get a head start. You are encouraged to take some time and work with all of your kids to talk through the questions below.

Innovation at Dalat #10 Small Groups

“We’re connected but alone.” This is how MIT professor Sherry Turkle describes the state of most people and their relationships in our world today.  In her well-known TED Talk, Turkle describes the alarming shift in human relationships that has come through the growth of technology.  She describes how more and more young people, as well as adults, no longer feel comfortable talking in person with others.  People relate to each other more and more through virtual platforms, which can create a feeling of connection but in reality, does not substitute for humans’ innate need for meaningful human connection.  The result is that the number of people reporting loneliness and isolation continues to increase, along with resulting maladies like depression and anxiety. 

In a world that is slowly becoming devoid of face to face relationships, Dalat has chosen to innovate by reintroducing the lost art of having face to face conversations.  As part of our high school Bible program, students in high school Bible classes spend one day a week with a small group led by a mentor-adult.  After a snack and some light conversation about how the week is going, small groups discuss their thoughts about some of life’s deeper questions.  Small groups also spent the service day together and were able to work as a team to impact our community. 

So why take class time to invest in a small group program?  Learning to talk and listen are skills that have to be developed; they do not come naturally for everyone and require a safe space for growth.  Though this simple skill of learning to work in groups and relate to others might have been a normal part of the world a few decades ago, this is not a skill that people are developing as much anymore.  Beyond learning conversation skills, being part of a small group is an opportunity for our students to experience community and deeper relationships, as well as give them a safe place to talk about whatever they are facing.  As a significant part of Dalat’s Christian tradition, these are values that we hold dear.  Small groups are one way we prioritize these things in a world that is increasingly connected but alone.

Innovation at Dalat #9 Student Leadership

Student Council, the Junior class experience, and the Senior class experience are instrumental in developing strong leaders. But they don’t provide a lot of opportunity for our grade 9 and 10 students to practice their leadership skills.  

“How can we do this better?”

This was the question that led to a significant change, to the structure of our leadership program, which was announced to the Student Council earlier this week. Our goal is to expand the leadership development experience for our younger students and have a more consistent and thoughtful  approach to all of our student leadership.

Next year our Ninth and tenth-grade students will each be led by two sponsors and will elect officers to lead Executive Committees (Ex-Coms) of 8-10 students. Every Monday during X-block, either the Ex-Com or volunteers from the entire class will meet to work and plan activities and events.

Ninth grade students will have a number of opportunities to plan and participate in, like class parties and hosting an event for the entire high school. Tenth-grade students will work with their sponsors to run a lunchtime store (what is currently the StuCo store) and to organize events such as our Christmas Banquet. Throughout the year, both grade levels will have opportunities to learn leadership lessons and come into the Jr. year more prepared. Overall, more students will be able to get involved and find out what they enjoy/where they are gifted.

Out of all the student Ex-Coms, a group will also be given the opportunity to serve on the Principal’s Advisory League (PAL). PAL students will meet regularly with the principal to advise, support, and communicate with the administration about student issues.

All of the leadership groups—each class Ex-Com, PALs, Dorm Council, and Spiritual Leadership—will make up what is called Student Government. 

Innovation at Dalat #8 Agendas

Sometimes being innovative means “going old school”. In the past few years, Dalat HS students used digital day planners (also known as a daily agenda) to keep track of their assignments and activities. For some, it worked well to keep this information on a computer. But for others, the digital version was a challenge. Last semester we asked for some feedback and many students told us that an old-fashioned paper daily agenda notebook would be more useful. So we designed and printed copies of a Dalat branded book and are offering them to any HS student who wants to use one.

Using a daily planner to keep track of daily assignments is a critical life skill needed for success in nearly any occupation. As an educator, I think the simplest way to predict a students success as a student is to see if they regularly use an agenda. Our 9th-grade teachers recognize its importance and even make it an assignment and occasionally will mark our students on how well they are using an agenda.

If a student loses their agenda and needs a replacement, for a small cost, all they need to do is come and see one of the friendly ladies at the front desk. If your student is having trouble staying organized, perhaps a first step to help them is to encourage them to stop by and pick one up.

Innovation at Dalat #7 CLEP

Did you know that Dalat is the only The College Level Examination Program (CLEP) testing center in South East Asia? Many of you have heard of Advanced Placement (AP) courses and the related exams, but you may be less familiar with the CLEP program. Both programs are run by the College Board.

However, unlike the AP classes, a CLEP test can be taken without taking a class and students may sign up at any time of the year. CLEP allows students to show proficiency in 33 different subject areas and many US universities will give credit to students who pass a subject test. If you are headed to the US for University this is definitely worth looking into, but keep in mind CLEP is not well recognized at other systems around the world.

Dalat HS students in some of our Science, Math, English, and Social Studies classes may have the opportunity to take a CLEP exam instead of a final exam at the year-end. Our students have traditionally done well on these exams and earn credits that may save the family money by not needing to pay for introductory courses in university.

If you are interested in finding out what tests are available, take a look at the CLEP website. https://clep.collegeboard.org/. If you would like to know more about scheduling an exam, you are invited to talk with our test coordinator Marsha Yost myost@dalat.org.

Innovation at Dalat #6  - Next Level Fitness Challenge

I am going to switch gears from academics to athletics in this email and talk about an innovative challenge that we have given to all of our student-athletes. As our sports program has developed, the Athletic Director has worked to find ways for our students to both get in shape during the offseason and to identify areas of fitness to work on. Out of that initiative comes the NextLevel fitness challenge which measures a broad range of fitness attributes including cardio, strength, agility, speed, flexibility, endurance,  and balance.

The exercises can be done in the Dalat gym/weight room.  Here is a list of the 7 events…

•          Rowing
•          Paper Challenge
•          Agility Sprint
•          Beep Test
•          Deadlift
•          Handstand hold
•          GHD sit-ups

All the details of the 7 events of the fitness challenges and the rules of the competition are in this document.  Fitness Challenge Instructions

To make in interesting and fun, they can submit scores through links on the school intranet. Anyone can try the challenge as often as they like. Who knows, even parents may want to give it a try or to do it with your kids. This is a great way to work to get ready for the next sports season or just to help you get back in shape.

Innovation at Dalat #5 Service Learning

While service learning is not new at Dalat, I am including it in this series of innovation updates because it is such a unique and valuable part of our education process.  For nearly 15 years, Dalat has required all HS students to engage in a minimum of ten hours of community service each year as part of the student graduation requirements. This first exposure to service is often the spark that leads students to commit to many more hours of service than are required, and eventually, we hope, a life of service to others. Dalat recognizes those students who go above the minimum service hours with student “Service Awards” that are handed out by our service learning coordinator, Mrs. Pagee.   

What is new this year is “Track it Forward”. This software platform gives simple and accurate recording of all of the hours students have served. Track it Forward gives simple verification from a community organizer of the quality of work done and helps the students record and communicate their hours in a way that is simple and fun. We have introduced it this semester for students in grades 9-11.

Several teachers are connectors in our community who know where needs are and how our students can reach out and help meet those needs. They regularly organize trips to an orphanage, the old folks home, SKTT school near Tesco, and a host of other outings to provide outreach opportunities for our students. It is a joy to see students learning to use the gifts that they have in service to others.

Dalat’s new “Impact” trip program is taking the concept of service learning a step further. It creates opportunities for students to engage in another culture at a deeper level for a full week of service, often in remote locations around SE Asia. Students commit to many weeks of training before they leave to prepare them to be able to serve well. This year four teams of students will care for young prisoners, work to develop seed storage techniques, care for young girls who have become pregnant, and run programs for children who have been abandoned.  

If you know a place where our students can serve or want to engage in any of these programs, communicate with our service learning coordinator Mrs. Pagee or the Impact coordinator Mr. McClary. We would love to hear from you.

Innovation at Dalat #4 Independent Study

Last time in this “Innovation newsletter” I talked about our e-learning program that offers online classes from teachers and schools around the world. It gives HS students opportunities to take classes that otherwise are not offered here at Dalat. But even with that option, sometimes students have a different idea for a course of study that they may want to pursue.

A good example is the students who approached me two years ago with the desire to learn how to 3-D print. The school owned a 3-D printer, but we didn’t have a course that taught students how to use it.  The students wrote a proposal of study using our “Independent Study” guidelines. They received approval to print a 3-D model of the Dalat campus development. At the time Dalat had only finished the Castle building. The Lighthouse and Harbor building were just a dream but the independent study students gave us the first vision of what the campus would look like when the development was completed. 

The printing project was full of challenges and difficulties that forced students to come up with creative solutions. One of these challenges was that when the school printer print did not have the fine resolution needed to complete the model, the students solved this by printing and fabricating, from the first printer,  a second printer that was then used to print the campus model. The completed campus model, printed with the second printer, now sits in the entryway to the library.

The independent study program gave these students the opportunity to engage with learning in a way that satisfied their curiosity. Their work earned them school credit towards graduation and gave them something very interesting to share on their college applications.

Students, what area of study would you like to propose? If you have a project that you would like to pursue, take a look at the “Independent Study” guidelines or talk with Mr. Dobson in the guidance office for more details. This is the time to get serious about submitting a proposal as we will soon be enrolling for next year’s courses and finalizing your schedules.

Innovation at Dalat #3  e-learning

“What if Dalat does not offer a class about a concept that I really want to study?”

If a student has a passion or area of interest that they would like to engage in at a deeper level, occasionally the answer is to take one of the many online courses through outside providers. Our e-learning coordinator is available to help parents and students find just the right course. We will then support families by helping with the enrollment process and even giving financial support to help pay for the course. Then during the school year, we will give space in a student schedule each day to work on the class, provide academic support to the student in the class, and even include the final work on a student transcript. These courses count toward graduation requirements. In fact, online learning is becoming so important for all students Dalat is moving one-quarter of one of our 11^th grade English classes completely online (even though the teacher is on campus) just so that students have some exposure to online learning before they leave high school.

Over the years the number of online courses available and the quality of the courses has continued to improve. Some of the courses even give students the option of “dual enrollment”. This means that they can earn University credits at the same time they are earning high school credit.

No matter what the interest, (maybe not “underwater basket weaving J) we are likely to be able to find something that works. If you have questions please talk with our e-learning coordinator  Mr. Yost (dyost@dalat.org).

Innovation at Dalat #2 Portfolios

Portfolios are simple in concept. They give students a digital platform to record, save, and organize important information about themselves. They are an important “digital locker” to use for sharing when applying to universities that can help students record all of their achievements. This includes information such as service hours, awards, leadership experience, and extracurricular involvement. Students will use their portfolios to record growth in our Student Outcome Statements in the areas of Leadership, Scholarship, Discipleship and Citizenship. And they will be challenged to record important academic classroom work that demonstrates growth.

The Dalat Student Portfolio is actually a notebook in the Microsoft program “OneNote”. The framework for the notebook and all of the sections and pages has been organized by a team of HS teacher leaders with the key pieces that will continue to be optimized and developed. Over the next few semesters, both students and teachers will be learning how to use their portfolios to capture information. We will be sharing the value of this tool through our guidance department and teaching students ways to make the most of this space.

Below is a snapshot of the front page of a student Portfolio. If you would like more information talk with Mr. Dobson in the guidance office as he will be giving students leadership in this area. So far these only have been shared with students in the current freshman class. The rest of the HS will gain access to their portfolios over the semester with guidance on best practices to use them. Ask your student to show you around their portfolio and imagine the ways it could be useful.

Innovation at Dalat #1  Venture Program

The genesis of this Blog was a series of emails to parents about innovative ideas that Dalat is using to give our high school students opportunities to flourish. In each letter I highlighted one idea with a brief explanation to spark interest and better inform our community of the opportunities to engage in learning in innovative ways. The emails needed a shelf to store them for reference, thus the decision to put them on this blog. The material will seem dated soon but may be useful as a reference.

Encouraging student entrepreneurship skills, the brand new Venture Program at Dalat is designed to give students the opportunity to start and run a business of their own. After some training students can write a business plan and submit it for review. If approved, the student(s) are granted a “Dalat Business License”. This gives them the opportunity to sell to our community and on our campus. They will then have access to our supportive community who can help their small business get off the ground. Already we have had three students working through the program with dreams of starting and running their own small business for the Dalat community.

This article “Five Reasons for Teaching Entrepreneurship” is one of many such articles that highlight a new understanding of the value of entrepreneurial skills to the future economy. There is a need for schools to develop curriculum and create space for students to learn how to identify needs, creatively address them, take risks, and develop businesses around them. The Junior Class Store, the Student Council Store, and our Christmas Craft Fair have all given opportunities for our students to get a taste of running a business. The Venture Program is another step in that direction for Dalat Students.

To further assist students, Dalat has also set aside “seed money” for motivated individuals with a business idea to help get things off the ground. We are working to develop a mentor network to pair students with adults who can help them develop their business acumen.

Students who are interested in finding out more should talk with Mrs. Davis (in the learning lab next to the guidance office). She will be working as a point person for students that are interested in getting started. If you would like to be involved as a mentor, let her know as well (sdavis@dalat.org).

We are excited to see what kinds of ideas our students come up with to provide fun and valuable services for our Dalat community while developing their business skills. And when you see an email from a student with an attached business license, or see a student selling their product or services on campus, you are encouraged to support their venture.