Educating New Bedford's Future Leaders At: Our Sisters' School

Educating New Bedfords Future Leaders at
Our Sisters School

By Gabrielle G. LaFavre
I
NEW BEDFORD, Mass.
t is impossible to leave Our Sisters School
(OSS) in New Bedford, without a smile on
your face. OSS is the kind of school educators
and parents dream of: it is a school where girls
learn not only to empower themselves, but also
to improve the lives of all around them. OSS is an
independently-run middle school for economically
disadvantaged girls. OSS is not religiously affiliat-
ed, and the school is ineligible for state aid because
Massachusetts does not fund same-sex schools.
Therefore, OSS relies heavily upon community
partnerships, donations, and volunteers. Without
community support, OSS would not be as robust
and successful as it is today.
The origin of the name Our Sisters School comes

from the brave, ground-breaking, bold young academics with community-building, leadership,
women who followed their hearts and went to sea and classroom enrichment excursions in and
on whaling ships, even when that was not consid- around New Bedford. OSS is more hands-on than
ered a womans world, says Sarah Herman, Head any other school. Students get to experience way
of School. Building upon the citys rich history, more than theory. Because we have longer class
OSS strives to cultivate the next generation of New periods than public school, we have time to go on a
Bedford women. walk in the surrounding woods, or use local re-
sources like community sailing.
Science Department Head Jocelyn Mitchell ex-
plains how OSS philosophy creates ties to the Sixth grade student Taileigh loves learning at OSS.
world beyond the school walls. In science class, We get better learning opportunities and one-on-
we apply our studies to local and marine scienc- one attention, says Taileigh. I think one of the
es, says Mitchell. We learn about ecosystems and coolest things we have done is go downtown and
adaptation, and then go out on the water or to the learn about history of New Bedford and City Hall.
Buttonwood Park Zoo to see these concepts in We met with councillors and went to local shops
action. Students at OSS take an additional com- and restaurants.
munity-based science course once a week, which
brings them all over New Bedford, including sail- The atmosphere students and staff create with-
ing during the warmer months, and spending the in the school is as important as the links to the
winter learning at the Zoo. outside world. The thing that really sets OSS
apart, says Mitchell, is our sense of community,
Mitchell, who first began her career teaching in beyond academics. Yes, academics are important,
public school, soon realized that OSS is unique. but the girls need emotional support first, before
Our curriculum at OSS seamlessly blends they can understand and engage with academics.
This image shows OSS students during morning meeting
At OSS, we are community-core based, says Ava, Students at OSS are bright, confident, and they
another eighth grader. This means we learn how to appreciate the opportunities that they have been
act and how to treat a person, not just academics. given. Eighth grade student Kailani says that at
Ava maintains that OSS is a really positive envi- OSS, we all have the same goal, to get a good edu-
ronment. Everyone is nice to each other, which is cation. The students feel challenged here, unlike at
not always the case in public school. some of their former schools, where they were not
expected to go above and beyond the curriculum.
OSS gives students a place to ask questions and
discuss issues safely. Students learn to articulate Today, OSS celebrates our graduates, 100% of
high-level concepts like social justice and food whom are not only in school, but thriving, says
security, concepts which many students will not Herman. Our school maintains a 100% high
discuss until college. OSS Students engage in open school graduation rate, which is much higher than
discussions about their behavior and generate the current 60% at local public schools. Our high
their own self-assessments. Classrooms at OSS are school graduates are earning acceptances and
structured to emphasize respect, self-reflection, scholarships to colleges ranging from Amherst
and maturity. College and University of Southern California
(USC), to UMass Dartmouth.
At OSS, students take a wide range of classes. In
addition to traditional core subjects such as math At a time when girls at home and around the world
and science, the school offers a maker studio, ca- still face numerous obstacles because of their gen-
reer planning, music lessons, and Habits of Mind, der, OSS makes the future of education seem hope-
where students learn five successful habits to suc- ful. Mariah, a student at OSS, expresses just how
ceed in their academic and extra-curricular lives, important Our Sisters School is for the students:
ultimately creating and presenting a portfolio at Now that I am in eighth grade, I realize I wouldnt
the end of the year to assess their progress through want to be in any other school. Here at OSS weve
this framework. OSS is special; students dont just grown up together and we are more than friends,
receive answers to problems. Instead, they must we are sisters.
explore the problem, often blending seemingly op-
posite subjects like science and art, in order to look
at an issue in a new way.
Published in the Standard Times and NewBedfordGuide.com, February 2016.

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Educating New Bedfords Future Leaders at

Our Sisters School

The origin of the name Our Sisters School comes

Published in the Standard Times and NewBedfordGuide.com, February 2016.

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