T&G Middle School Success can be summed up by the lunch at its first ever district-wide Field Day held at the Rafters in South Londonderry. The students created the menu and prepared the meal: Walking Tacos. You start by crunching a small bag of Doritos before you open the top. Next add the ingredients of your choice: ground beef, turkey, onions, lettuce, cheese and/or tomato. Mix with a plastic fork, or just use your hand, and you’re ready to walk, talk, and mingle with your friends as you dine.
When seconds were followed by thirds, the student DJ dialed up Parry Gripp’s “It’s Raining Tacos” for the lunch soundtrack. The music continued as all the middle schoolers cleaned up before starting the afternoon program. It’s all there: accountability, acceptance, respect, and teamwork … and maybe a dash of humor to help get through the day.
T&G Middle School Success has come a long way over the last five years. What started in the summer of 2019 with 20 rising 7th graders, has turned into a juggernaut of 120 students in their last two years of T&G middle school at The Dorset School, Flood Brook, and Manchester Elementary Middle School.
In the beginning, the Stratton Community Foundation (SCF) served as the catalyst for T&G Middle School Success when they witnessed the work of Burr & Burton’s (BBA) High School Success Program. SCF brought together a group of interested parties to explore the idea of building a complementary program for local middle school students. In addition to SCF, other participants at the table included BBA, the O’Neill Family Foundation for added funding, and the Taconic and Green Regional School District (T&G).
The T&G audience would be the same: the cornerstone would be kids who experience difficulty dealing with traditional school. While BBA’s Success Program focused on academics, T&G’s Middle School Program would be geared toward the social/emotional needs of kids transitioning from elementary through middle school.
“BBA Success gave high school students an extra boost that helped them thrive in the classroom,” says Tammy Mosher, Executive Director of the Stratton Community Foundation. “Some kids became the first from their family to go off to college. Others developed skills for a career in the professional trades. Our dream was to move the magic of Success into middle school.”
The task of delivering on that promise fell into the lap of T&G, or more specifically, Sarena Barausky, who has served as the program’s coordinator from day one. “There wasn’t a playbook we could take down from the shelf,” says Barausky. “We explored available research that directed us towards creating a program that was student-driven. We felt that would be the best route for getting the buy-in from the kids that would be essential for our work.”
Following the proven model of BBA, T&G Success started with a two-week summer orientation for rising 7th graders. The goal was to build a welcoming community on the foundation of the aforementioned four basic values: accountability, acceptance, respect and teamwork. The tactics ranged from setting clear expectations, participation in games, group projects, and open direct conversations. At every point student involvement and choice empowered the path of T&G Success.
During the school year the Success students stay in touch with regular meetings over lunch and family outings, such as hikes or ice-skating at Riley Rink. Through a program with BBA, high school mentors meet with middle school students and serve as role models that demonstrate the possibilities of school. As the program finishes its fifth year, many of the BBA mentors are former T&G Success students.
Perhaps the biggest threat to T&G Success took place during its first year of operation. Just six months after the first summer orientation camp all the T&G schools were shut down by the pandemic. What could have dealt a death blow to the program, turned into an opportunity. Barausky and T&G staff worked to get all the Success students access to the internet. A series of regular group and individual zoom meetings were held to keep the kids connected and homework up-to-date. The small T&G Success community only got stronger.
In the ensuing years the program has continued to evolve. At each step, the Stratton Community Foundation stayed engaged and connected to the program, as well as providing more than $100,000 to the program.
With the support of the Stratton Community Foundation, for example, T&G Success was able to add a second summer camp for students prior to the 8th grade year. This extra time together maintains the momentum of T&G Success throughout the middle school years.
“In the first camp we focus on building individual self confidence and trust in each other,” says Barausky. “In the second, our orientation shifts to underscore what we can do as a larger community.”
Barausky continues to solicit feedback for how the program can get better. This past year she reached out to former Success students at BBA to find out what would have made them better prepared for high school. Many pointed out the challenge of manipulating all the tasks of schoolwork and outside activities … work or play.
In response, Barausky created a role playing “High School Challenge.” Students and volunteer middle school teachers were given a hypothetical situation involving a conflict between school and a development outside the classroom. Something that might involve juggling a job, school sports activity, and a homework assignment. The students were then tasked with sending an email to a teacher to resolve the issue. A lesson in using basic communication skills to deal directly with a problem before it gets out-of-hand.
One indicator of T&G Success is what the kids are doing outside the program. “In the past, many of these students would have struggled in middle school,,” says BRSU Superintendent Randi Lowe. “Today they are on student council, participating on sports teams, playing in the band at state competitions, and volunteering for community projects.”
But the most obvious sign of success is the growth of Success from 20 to 120 students. “Our staff makes a point of not recruiting kids to Success,” says Barausky. “The increase is student driven. They’re the ones who built this program.”
That sentiment was confirmed at the “Walking Taco” lunch at the Success Field Day. The dream envisioned by the Stratton Community Foundation over five years ago was on full display. When asked why they joined Success, one student spoke for everyone when she waved her arm around and stated, “Just look at this joyful, supportive community. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this?”
(Photo above: T&G Success Students oversee the lunch buffet offerings for "Walking Tacos." )
Flood Brook middle school instructor Cliff DeMarais defines parameters for the afternoon program at the T&G Success Field Day.
T&G students sign the "Success Banner" as a show of community at the Field Day.
Painting rocks - just one of many activities at the T&G Success Field Day.
Painting rocks - just one of many activities at the T&G Success Field Day.