Our Middle and Upper School divisions kicked off November with a wellness and belonging initiative, featuring special guest Ed Williams, Director of Programming at ForStudents.org, a non-profit dedicated to the holistic wellbeing and preparedness of high school students.

Ed captivated students with his talk on “The Thing, The Lie, and What We Can Do,” which focuses on the impact we can have on those around us. “The Thing” is the sense of belonging or acceptance that everyone at every age longs for. However, it is not something that we can give ourselves—it comes from others. “The Lie” is the idea that “if you win, I lose” or “if I win, you lose.” This untruth perpetuates the notion of a zero-sum game and impacts our ability to belong, because this type of competition impedes connection and acceptance. 

So, what do we do? Ed told students that they need to “Spam Compliments,” referencing research that points to positivity increasing productivity and connection among teams. He encouraged this action by giving students time to compliment the person sitting next to them. 

“[My son] came home and said that he and all of his friends agreed the speaker today was the best community assembly they had ever had,” one parent shared. “Coming from a bunch of boys, that is a huge compliment.” Teachers say they heard this sentiment expressed widely across the student body.

Lifting up others creates a culture where everyone finds acceptance and belonging.