Last Day of School Generates Abundance of Joy, Downtown Energy

Soon after midday dismissal on this last day of school, it didn’t take long for the sea of Medfield students to excitedly converge into the downtown area to kick off summer vacation.

The students who flock to Medfield Center on bikes and foot after school are typically in grades 4 to 8, since the high school kids usually gather elsewhere thanks to greater access to cars. With favorite destinations in mind, the children form a parade of peers with seemingly no one excluded or left behind during the short, 10-minute walk to the nearest lunch stop.

During impromptu conversations with a number of middle school students, they talked about treasuring their half days of school, the free time with friends, and their overall independence.

The students noted that it was typically 4th or 5th grade when their parents first granted permission to head “up town” and for some students, today was their first excursion. The mention of Dale Street School possibly moving to Elm Street was met with universal disbelief and sadness by the students.

In addition to the social-emotional benefits that students gained from having the freedom to be downtown with friends after school, on this day it was obvious the businesses also benefited. Throughout the lunch-time surge, long lines formed in local stores, and plenty of shopping bags, pizza boxes and beverage cups were spotted around town. No doubt, the additional downtown business revenue was a welcome boon after a challenging year.

And despite the closing of school doors for the year, the lessons continued throughout this particular afternoon. A University of Cambridge study shows that “personal economic experiences” during which children have control over small amounts of spending money helps to establish financial literacy and budgeting skills.

Social-emotional learning a priority in coming years

According to Christine Power, Ph.D., Director of Instruction and Innovation, social-emotional learning suffered greatly during the pandemic in the form of lost social connections, and the inability to learn collaboration skills and build peer relationships. She gleaned this information through interviews with 50 Medfield educators.

During her June 17 School Committee presentation, Power emphatically stated that social interaction is “fundamental to the student experience” and that supporting the social-emotional needs of children will need to be a focus in the coming years. She added that “silver linings” of the pandemic included an increase in student resiliency and flexibility, and the ability to demonstrate understanding in a variety of ways, and with more creativity.

According to Peter Gray, Ph.D., an eminent psychologist who has spent his life studying the crucial role of unstructured, free play in developing children’s well-being, the decline of play among children and adolescents has become a “national crisis.” (Beyond his role as a researcher, professor and author, Gray is co-founder of Let Grow, a non-profit organization that promotes childhood independence and resiliency.)

At a recent public forum hosted by Dale@Dale Coalition, Gray stressed that "play” is synonymous with “freedom,” i.e., "the things that children choose to do on their own without adult supervision." He added that students who are trusted to try something new on their own build self-confidence, become more resilient, and develop problem-solving skills.

Gray explained, “The rate of serious mental disorders such as depression and anxiety have been gradually increasing in childhood, and the overall increase is huge – around 10 times what it was in the 1950s. Conversely, the amount of time children spend playing has been on a similar decline." He believes the two are connected.

"An increase in mental disorders can be attributed to children not being allowed to be children -- to have the freedom that they need," said Gray. "Without freedom and independence, kids develop an increasing sense that they cannot control their own lives, and cannot solve their own problems."

Gray noted that conversely, "When children are allowed to solve their own problems, it builds their sense of self confidence, their ability to deal with failure, and the overall ups and downs of life."

Medfield voters who care about supporting the social-emotional and educational needs of future Dale Street School students, while retaining downtown vitality, preserving sensitive open space and town character, and protecting water resources, are encouraged to join the Dale@Dale Coalition.