About Mission: SOS - MSJHS team promotes Health and Wellness

Since our original Stanford SOS Conference in 2007, the first SOS team of then VP Sandy Prairie, counselor Merri Blum, teacher Mr. Masatsugu, 2 parents and 3 sophomore students has grown to include a dedicated leadership core of a dozen students and an equal number of administrators, parents, and teachers. In 2008 the team changed its name to Mission: SOS.

2010/ 2011 Elected Officers:

Trisha Sen (President) | trisha.m.sen@gmail.com
Susie Chang (Vice President) | susie_n14@yahoo.com
Gurleen Chadha (Secretary) | gurleen123@hotmail.com
Meghana Shah (Treasurer) | tivubirdkiwi@hotmail.com
Charlotte Miller (PR Officer) | char.e.miller@gmail.com

Additional Board Members:

(Administration, Teachers & Parents)

Zack Larsen (Administrator, Vice Principal) | zlarsen@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us
Nathania Chaney-Aiello (Science, Faculty) | nchaney-aiello@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us

Katherine Geers (English, Teacher) | kgeers@fremont.k12.ca.us
Amy Pham (Math, Teacher) | apham@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us
Martha Kreeger (Parent, Outreach) | kreegers@yahoo.com

Tomasa Macapinlac (Parent) | jsjhealer@comcast.net

Mission Statement

Our mission is to support a school environment that nurtures integrity, academic engagement, connectedness and well being.

Process: The Mission: SOS leadership team gathers research from the Mission community of students, faculty, staff, and parents to identify the root causes of student distress within the community and target 1 or 2 areas of improvement.The team then researches comprehensive educational research on stress, achievement, child development, health and wellness, and examines actions taken in similar high performing schools across the country to help in those same targeted areas.If an action looks promising and it has the approval of representatives of all 4 stake holder groups, then the team may make a recommendation for change to school leaders.

Community Outreach: Mission: SOS also offers outreach topics in the same targeted areas to help reduce stress within the Mission community without lowering achievement. Their speakers and topics are based on research and data gathered from our student and adult populations, and from a network including Stanford University and other Challenge Success schools across the country. Outreach events are free and open to the public and must be approved by the Mission: SOS leadership board.

3 Years of Change yet Mission retains its national reputation as one of the best high schools in America:

• A 20% increase in students who have a trusted adult on campus they can go to if they need help. 2010 Stanford/ Mission: SOS data,this vital connection reduces cheating and increases health and well being
• MSJHS no longer includes class rank on the transcript.Encourages colleges to look at the whole transcript, 25 of the 2009 valedictorians supported this change
• Homework Policy revised by FUSD and approved by the school board, fewer teachers give homework over breaks and on weekends.Reduces stress, raising achievement and it gives kids time to reflect and be with family and friends
• Changing school start times voted in by the school board. Mission: SOS provided support and research on sleep and circadian rhythms
• Advisory Pilot Program with a health and wellness focus.Teachers connect with students on topics from health and wellness to time management
• 4 Outreach Events per year targeting root causes of our student stress:College Admissions, Health and Wellness Issues, and Expectations.Outreach and Information

Stakeholder Groups

Student leadership: Because students feel the most stress but traditionally have less power at home and on campus, empowering change and starting dialogue needs to originate within the student population.Mission: SOS students are involved in research and data gathering, planning campus outreach, and working with their adult leadership to change policy and support adults on campus.They offer 4 6 public Outreach Events per year addressing root causes of distress ranging from health and wellness issues to de-stressing college admissions.

Student presence at events ranges from 50 400 (Capacity of the room)

Interested in joining SOS as a student team member or officer?

Contact a teacher, administrator or send an email to msjsos@gmail.com

Administrators, Teachers and Counselors: Teachers and administrators wrote the grant to join the program, have actively taken leadership in the team and have incorporated Mission: SOS goals through existing faculty organizations on campus.

Teachers at Mission have increased their on-campus presence despite dwindling resources and larger class sizes.Some teachers are choosing to alter homework policies, becoming aware of assessment demands from other classes, and encouraging students to communicate more often.Groups of teachers and faculty members have had opportunities to attend conferences that include the SOS principles adopted by the school. A group of teachers developed and piloted a program during the read period which enriches the student experience by teaching time management and awareness, stress management and strengthening connections between adults and students on campus.There has been a 20% increase in the number of students who feel connected to a trusted adult on campus giving them someone they can go to if they need help.

Administrators continue to form the heart of the Mission: SOS Team developing and incorporating recommendations from the team into the WASC plan, allowing Mission: SOS to offer surveys to the educational community to evaluate and assess how well this program and others are working at MSJHS and facilitating access to appropriate programs for the Mission community.

Parents: Mission: SOS is supported by private funding, Mission Possible and will be applying for specific grants in 2009-2010. Parents help plan evening events, visit and network with other area Challenge Success schools, mentor student leaders and team members, attend conferences, do research and develop a strong campus presence, and keep the Mission Community informed of how students experience MSJHS and opportunities and information available to parents in the Bay Area.

• Parent interested in volunteering for this team should contact:

Zack Larsen zlarsen@mail.fremont.k12.ca.us or Martha Kreeger Kreegers@yahoo.com

To learn more, visit the Mission: SOS website at www.missionsos.net