MILTON — Principal Suzanne Banach is pleased to share that St. Mary of the Hills School is offering a new program for students for the 2024-2025 school year.
This year, an Executive Functioning program has been implemented and is being offered to middle school students in grades 6-8.
Executive functioning skills are the series of cognitive processes that help people manage everyday tasks, solve problems, stay focused and adapt to new situations.
The course, taught by educator Maryellen McNally, is offered once a week and serves as a chance for students to learn positive habits. During the hour-long session, students discover study techniques and organizational methods best suited to fit their needs.
McNally, who also teaches middle school Spanish and is the school’s Special Education Liaison, observed that students need to dedicate time to task management and organization after seeing them struggle with staying on top of assignments.
“I noticed that some children were having difficulties with positive habit forming such as organizational skills and struggled with follow-through,” McNally said. “The ability to manage tasks is not only a vital skill for the middle school years but essential for beyond the classroom. If we can get ahead of the curve to better prepare students for managing multiple expectations simultaneously, we’re setting them up for success.”
Developing school supply lists, setting up weekly school planners to track assignments, and setting aside time to clean out desks and lockers during the weekly Executive Functioning class period incentivizes students to get a head start on staying organized throughout the year.
“Ms. McNally identified a need that a lot of our students shared and took the initiative to develop a program that addresses these areas of improvement,” Principal Banach said. “I’ve seen the success of this program firsthand with our middle schoolers learning tips to stay on track. I thank her for making sure our students receive the best support they can get.”
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