As the school year winds down, we recognize students can feel a myriad of emotions. Final exams, late assignments, friends moving, and change in all of its forms can lead to heightened emotional responses. Dr. Missy Johnson, our US Counselor, took a moment in assembly this week to offer some suggestions for managing these closing weeks of the school year. We think you’ll find Dr. Johnson’s Tips for a Safe Landing to be both timely and applicable for you and your children.
SPEECH GIVEN BY DR. MISSY JOHNSON, US COUNSELOR
Hi Everyone. I鈥檓 excited to have a minute to talk with you all today and want to just share some thoughts on how we can finish out the end of the year on a strong and successful note. I鈥檓 going to talk a little bit about aviation. Now as a caveat, I am not a pilot but I asked someone close to me who is!
One of the first things you learn when you are becoming a pilot is that the two hardest parts of a flight are take-off and landing. These are the times when you are in something those in the aviation industry call 鈥渉igh areas of vulnerability.鈥� Now why would these be the highest areas of vulnerability? Some of you may know that once you are in the air, many of the aspects of flying are taken over by autopilot and automation. There鈥檚 not a lot to do as you fly through the air, heading to your destination. Takeoff and landing however require hand flying and not simple automation. You have to be aware of the potential risks that are around you, in tune with your surroundings, and it requires a higher workload, more concentration and skill in order to navigate. But there is also something immensely incredible about successfully landing a 220 ton plane on the ground with all your passengers safe and sound.
Now I want to take a minute and think about what we are all experiencing at the end of the school year. This is an area for us that is an area of high vulnerability and a time which requires more work, more concentration, and skill to successfully finish out the school year. The end of the year is both exciting and stressful. There are many things to look forward to – for seniors graduation and moving onto new paths in life, for juniors the excitement of becoming seniors and finishing off your busy and challenging year, for freshmen and sophomores, the excitement of summer plans and no more school, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks as the common saying goes. There is much to look forward to. However, there are also many areas in which we can feel vulnerable and like we are lacking. This is a time of year where you might be frantically trying to catch up on homework assignments that you are just slightly behind on. The time of year where many of you have completed or will soon complete difficult and stressful AP exams. The time of year where you are starting to prepare for finals and feeling the stress and overwhelm. The time of year where our motivation starts to lag because we can see the end in sight and it鈥檚 so close, but yet feels so far away.
So back again to planes and high vulnerability landings鈥攁nother thing that pilots are taught is if you don鈥檛 like how the landing is feeling鈥攊f you are feeling unstable, the weather is bad, or something is just not feeling right, you back off, take a breath, go around and try again. We can apply that same advice for getting through the end of the year! If something is feeling stressful, overwhelming, or just not right. Back off, take a breath, go around and try again.
Here are some concrete things for you to try if if it feels like you are needing that extra support and staying motivated at the end of the school year:
Good luck with the end of the year!
Michal 鈥淢issy鈥� Johnson is a graduate of Teachers College, Columbia University and has a M.A. in Arts, Master of Education, and her Ph.D. in School Psychology. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Brigham Young University, before moving to Boston, Massachusetts for two years where she worked for Wediko Children鈥檚 Services. There she worked in the Boston Public School system and Wediko鈥檚 short term residential treatment programs working with youth with severe behavioral and emotional disorders. Following this delightful time in Beantown, she moved to New York City to pursue her doctorate degree.
During her time in graduate school she had extensive experience working in clinical, school, and foster care settings. Some highlights include working for Montefiore Medical center helping children with learning disabilities, working in Westchester school districts with children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and ADHD, and working for NYU Child Study Center focusing on work with children with anxiety and depression. She developed a love for working with children of all ages, but has always been partial to middle and high school age children. She is passionate about supporting children in the school setting both academically and emotionally. She feels strongly about the importance of a well-rounded education including emotional health and development which is critical for future success in her eyes. She has had additional research experience and training in diagnostic testing for autism, treatment of Tourette鈥檚, and wrote her dissertation on parental self-care for mothers of children with autism.
Dr. Johnson loves supporting and getting to know others and figuring out how to better serve the needs of all students. She is passionate about many things in her life, although two primary ones include Broadway shows and travel. When she was living in New York City she saw over 100 Broadway shows and has continued to love supporting theater and the arts. She also loves to travel and explore new countries, places and people.
October 27, 2025
January 26, 2023
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Celebrate 5 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2021. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 10 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2016. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 15 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2011. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 20 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2006. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Celebrate 25 years since graduation with your classmates. Reconnect, reminisce, and enjoy an evening of conversation, shared memories, and celebration with fellow members of the Class of 2001. Hearty appetizers and a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.
Come together with 绿帽社 alumni from across the entire 1990s for an evening of reconnecting and reminiscing! This combined reunion is a chance to celebrate the friendships, memories, and moments that made your 绿帽社 years so special. Enjoy hearty appetizers and a variety of drinks, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, while catching up with old friends and sharing laughs about your school days.
Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 – 11:30 AM | Murray Science Center
We’re bringing back birding! Who remembers the Class IX Bird Project? Don’t miss your chance to join this fun, family-friendly event with Mark Bromley, James Harris, Mike Johnson 鈥�88, and Bekka Joslin. We will meet at 绿帽社 and take a bus together. Don鈥檛 forget to bring your binoculars (we will have extras on hand if you don鈥檛 have your own).
Friday, May 15 | 6:30 鈥� 7:30 PM | East Field
We’re excited to see 绿帽社 Alumni at our annual Alumni Soccer Game! This 绿帽社 tradition gives former players the chance to return to the field, reconnect with old teammates, and showcase their skills in a friendly atmosphere. Whether you played with us just a few years ago or several decades ago, we look forward to seeing you back on the field. Make sure to bring friends and family to cheer you on!
Friday, May 15 | 5:00 鈥� 7:00 PM | Main Quad | No Registration Required
Join us for a fun BBQ bash at 绿帽社 with current families and 绿帽社 staff and faculty. It鈥檚 a great way to connect with your 绿帽社 classmates and enjoy delicious food before the Alumni Soccer Game!
No registration is needed for the Spring BBQ. Please join us!
Friday, May 15 | 4:00 鈥� 5:00 PM | Haught Visual Arts Gallery at 绿帽社 | No Registration Required
绿帽社 has always been a place where creativity thrives. Join us for the first-ever Alumni Art Show in the Haught Visual Arts Gallery and reconnect with the creative spirit that shaped your time here. This exhibition features work by 16 绿帽社 Alumni artists, reflecting a range of disciplines, perspectives, and practices.
Brief Remarks at 4:00 pm will be offered by Gallery Manager and Curator Charlie Tadlock, followed by remarks from some of the Alumni Artists.
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Friday, May 15 | 2:15 – 3:30 PM | Miller Student Commons | Registration Highly Recommended
Ever wish you could go back and sit in your favorite class one more time? This Alumni Weekend, you can. We’re bringing you back “Back to Class” where you’ll have the chance to slip into a real, live Upper School classroom and experience 绿帽社 exactly as it exists today. Same teachers, same energy, same magic. Come relive the feeling.
Friday, May 15 | 12:45鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Don’t leave lunch just yet. Immediately following the Kick-Off, Head of School Andrew Menke will take a few minutes to share what’s been happening at 绿帽社; the changes, the milestones, and the exciting things on the horizon. It’s a chance to hear straight from the source about the school you helped shape and where it’s headed next. No sign-up needed, just pull up a seat.
Friday, May 15 | 11:00 AM 鈥� 1:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
Kick off Alumni Weekend the right way 鈥� with good food and even better company. Join us in the new Miller Student Commons for 绿帽社’s all-inclusive dining experience, and spend the lunch hour reconnecting with the faculty who made your time here unforgettable. Pull up a chair, catch up with old favorites, and let the weekend begin. No registration is required for this event.
Friday, May 15 | 1:00 鈥� 2:00 PM | Miller Student Commons | No Registration Required
For many of you, Assistant Head of School, Todd Winters, was the first person who ever showed you and your parents around our 41 acre campus. Now he’s back to do it again! Todd will lead you through 绿帽社’s beautiful newest additions and recent transformations, giving you a firsthand look at what your years here helped build. Whether it’s your first tour with Todd or your second, you won’t want to miss this one.