From the Directors
Welcome to the Thames at Mitchell Blog for Students and Parents / Guardians!
Historically, we have communicated about our program through email. This year we decided to write a blog so that you will always have information in one place instead of searching through emails. We hope this assists you with understanding our policies, procedures, and timelines. As you can see by reading below, students have been busy! We will also post occasional program articles so you can see some of the transformative elements of our program. Keep checking back for new posts. Students and parents/guardians, we appreciate you working in partnership with us! ~Beverly and Ron
Email and Voice Mail Communications from Parents / Guardians / Advocates:
All communications will be focused through the director's office. Emails will be answered as quickly as possible. Advisors, instructors, and other support professionals are told to forward emails to the directors. If they respond to parents/guardian/advocates, it is under the direction of the directors. It is not typical to ask instructors, advisors, and other college professionals basic questions about a student’s academic, social, or daily living schedule. Ask your student first! In addition, the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) process is followed.
The students are always at the center of all conversations, so it is important to keep them involved with the work we do as a learning community. If parents/guardian/advocates and other family members have any questions, they should start with their student. It is an important mission of the Thames at Mitchell College program to teach the students a series of complex and individualized skills that will help them gain and maintain a sense of independence and self-advocacy. We will continue to include students in conversations about their academics; social connections and attendance at events; and the ongoing work they have been doing. We value the students' hard work in this program. Thames is where we see students begin their formative change into college students. It is our vision to always have the students at the center of conversations. Often, conversations may be difficult but leaving students out of the equation leads to confusion and miscommunication.
What is the timeline for communication with directors?
We will implement the following procedure:
- The directors will acknowledge receipt of your email within 24 hours.
- After that, we have a lot of work to do to gather information to respond to your question, and depending upon your question we need to:
- Contact the student;
- Speak to all the instructors;
- Speak to the residential life staff; and
- Contact additional Thames and Mitchell staff members (e.g., tutors).
- Then we schedule a time to call you (on the student’s cell phone) as a team. Calling on the student’s cell phone models for the student how important it is to communicate with parents/guardians while at college.
Helpful Hints for Parents/Guardians:
Ask your student the same questions you have asked us. More than not, your student will be able to answer the question! Encourage students to check their emails and voice messages twice a day. We write emails and leave voice messages for the students to see us, and sometimes it takes a while for them to stop by our offices.
From the Academic Team
Students received mid-term grades. Some instructors write comments for all grades, and the expectation is that comments are written to the students if they are receiving a “C” or below. Mid-term grades are always a revelation for students, and some may have even failed a class. If a student fails a class, they are put on Thames Academic Probation and develop a Success Plan with their academic advisor. To encourage students, we explain that the mid-term grades are erased and are replaced with the final grades, so hard work is paramount, and they can do it! Students are doing an excellent job learning the fast pace of college courses.
What do students do during their academic advisory meetings?
- Create a balance of social activities and homework completion. All students developed a study schedule as an Executive Functioning assignment. Are they using it?
- Check on assignment due dates (Are they using their planner? Are their notes organized? Are they checking on the college course platform (Moodle) for class notes and assignments?).
- Schedule an appointment to work with an instructor for extra help.
- Schedule a tutoring appointment (Our tutors work M-Th.).
- Discuss accommodations.
- Develop a Student Success Plan, if necessary.
- Develop a final exam schedule.
- Create Spring Schedules.
Helpful Hints for Parents/Guardians:
Ask your student about the study schedule, if your student is attending classes, attending academic advisory appointments, and completing homework. Ask if your student sees a tutor to help with assignments? Ask if your student is attending weekly extra help workshops for writing and math? If a student has developed a Success Plan, ask to see it (students are told to share it with their parents/guardians) and ask if your student completing the plan?
From the Social Emotional Team
This Fall at Thames, we have been encouraging students to join in with activities advertised on campus, and to partake in activities here at Matteson Hall. This is a thoughtful endeavor. Consideration is given to individual strengths, and we are doing our best to implement creative strategies to address each student’s challenges. We have surveyed students as to their interests and created clubs and events in response. Our SEL (Social Emotional Learning) instructors have hosted cooking nights and game nights, where students, some willingly, some cajoled, have had the opportunity to meet up, interact, and otherwise grow their social circles. We work hard getting our students to participate! We post flyers, send reminder emails, have classmates bring classmates, knock on room doors, and serve food (that usually works – pizza and candy are favorites!).
In SEL advising sessions, students have created measurable goals that reflect their purpose in attending the Thames program. Students identified specific steps to meet their objectives and are supported in doing so in their weekly individual SEL sessions. Sustained, meaningful change takes effort, time, and patience. We recognize the discomfort experienced in this growth and applaud our students' courage.
Helpful Hints for Parents/Guardians:
Encourage your student to participate in the activities available even though it might not necessarily be within their wheelhouse. There is a Mitchell weekly calendar of events and a Thames monthly calendar; ask your student what appeals.
From the Residential Life Team
The Thames residential team (RHD and RAs) work closely with the students to create a positive learning environment. They do this by holding floor meetings, delivering social events (e.g., Spa Night, Karaoke, Reverse Trick or Treating, and Battle of the Floors), running health and safety inspections, and guiding students to maintain a clean building (common areas, laundry area and student kitchen). The residential staff will also mediate social situations that students may have while living together. The RHD and RAs rotate through evening duty and are accessible through the duty phone. They also enjoy interacting with the students through conversations and events.
Thanksgiving Break Information: Thanksgiving Break is from Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at 12:00 PM to Sunday, November 27, 2022, at 12:00 PM.
Housing closes completely for
this break, meaning after
12:00 PM on November
23, 2022 you will not have access to the building, or your room
until housing opens again. If you have to retrieve something from your
room over break, you must contact Campus Safety.
Helpful Hints for Parents/Guardians:
Ask your student what days laundry, shower, and tidying up the room is completed? Ask your student what RA social events were attended?
Food for Thought - Upcoming Item to Think About
Moving Beyond Mitchell - What Are the Next Steps (Additional information will be provided in future blogs.)?
Next step conversations will begin in December and continue through April. Students do not reapply to Mitchell College. When the conversations occur depends upon on how the student is doing in the program. Some students are ready for a conversation in December and some may need more time. We want to send students to Mitchell when they are college ready so that they experience success. We will always include parents/guardians in the conversations.
The staff at Thames takes the following into consideration when guiding students toward next steps:
- proven success in college academics by maintaining a grade point average of 2.0 or better at the end of the Thames at Mitchell Program;
- independent demonstration of an appropriate understanding and application of the following competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, responsible decision making, executive functioning, and academics;
- be free on conduct issues; and
- consistent display of the habits of an upstanding college community member by way of involvement in at least one club or leadership opportunity and participation in community service.
Helpful Hints for Parents/Guardians:
During the holiday breaks have a conversation with your student about next steps.
Continue to check this Blog for additional information!