For Immediate Release

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway Public Schools Hosts Wellness Day, Strategic Plan Update for Faculty and Staff

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to announce that the Medway Public School District hosted a professional development day this week where faculty and staff were given a special update on the district’s strategic plan through our students’ voices and were provided a number of wellness activities to participate in.

The strategic plan, which includes four goals, the identification of core values and core competencies for the district and a dashboard to measure progress, was recently approved by the Medway School Committee and will be distributed widely in the coming months.

Rather than district leaders showing a slideshow presentation to the faculty members about the updated strategic plan, on Tuesday, Jan. 22, a group of students were identified to share with those in attendance how being a student in Medway has impacted their lives, using the core elements of the new strategic plan as their theme.

Eight high school students stood in front of over 300 MPS faculty and staff members and read aloud their reflections about how Medway Schools have impacted their lives. Each student began and ended their presentation with the line “I am Medway.”

Some students spoke to their struggles with anxiety and depression and the teachers who helped them get through tough times. Others spoke about how they have learned to stand up for themselves in the face of adversity. Another student spoke about the pride and pressure of wanting to become the first student in her family to attend college.

“We wanted to provide our staff with insight into the hearts and minds of our students and show them who our new strategic plan is meant for,” Superintendent Pires said. “The students spoke from the heart about their experiences, good and bad, and earnestly reflected upon how their time at MPS has impacted their lives. Some teachers in the audience were struck with sincere emotion because of how raw and powerful these students’ messages were. I think it really resonated with them much more than a slideshow presentation ever could.”

Following the presentations, attendees were offered the opportunity to take part in several wellness activities provided by district administration.

Activities included a 5k walk/run, a yoga session, a meditation session, a healthy eating course, a cooking class, a finance class, and a course on self-care and stress reduction.

Staff members were able to choose which activity they thought would most benefit them.

“One of the core values in the strategic plan is comprehensive wellness for all – and that includes our faculty and staff,” Assistant Superintendent Gabrielle Abrams said. “It was really nice to be able to give them all an hour to focus on themselves and their own wellness in one way or another. As a leadership team we often discuss how our actions are a reflection of our values. The opportunity to truly hear how our work has both benefited and challenged students and the opportunity to support our faculty and staff in their own wellness pursuits are both deeply held values of this team. Structuring our day to include these two elements was essential.”

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