In a time where rigorous academics, and time-consuming after school activities give students a complex and demanding schedule at a young age, school counselor (grades 6^th through 9^th) Justin Larson has introduced a course to the Academy that focuses on giving all sixth graders the tools to be successful socially and emotionally.

R.E.A.C.H.  (Relationships, Emotions, Academics, Character, Health) is a course started by Larson in the fall of 2017. It is an introductory course focused on social-emotional learning and it strives to help our sixth graders acclimate to Saint Thomas Academy and the rigors that come with it. Through R.E.A.C.H., young cadets learn to set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and adjust to the rigorous academic standards of the Academy.

As a varsity football and tenth grade basketball coach, as well as the Moderator of the Peer Mentor program, Larson values and understands the importance of positive relationships with students. To Larson, these relationships have the power to set a young man on a trajectory of success. As the school counselor, having the ability to build a personal relationship with each of the incoming sixth graders through this course has been tremendously positive.

One of the main reasons Larson teaches the class is to "connect with sixth graders right away at the start of the school year and build authentic relationships so they feel like they have an advocate in the building. I hope that the early connection helps build familiarity with the counseling department so that they can continue to break down the stigma of talking with a counselor and promote a positive approach to discussing mental health concerns."

Having developed the class, Mr. Larson has been able to be flexible with the curriculum and tailor the lessons to each specific year. In each of his three year’s teaching the course, Mr. Larson has personalized his lessons plans to fit the needs of each class.

In the first two years of the program, Larson spent time developing unique and attention-grabbing lessons that fit the individual needs of each group. Lessons vary from practical knowledge on note taking and organization to lessons on grit and the importance of process focused goals. In each of the first two years, Larson taught the lesson of the relationship bank account, a method that helps students identify the values that make up a good friendship, and help students practice the skills that build strong relationships.

This year’s group of sixth graders had the opportunity to learn valuable lessons from the Joshua Medcalf book “Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great”.

The decision to use Chop Wood Carry Water this year stemmed from Mr. Larson's attendance at the “Train 2B Clutch Experience” in Chicago last June. Joshua Medcalf, the book's author, hosted the event and talked with the small group of attendees about the importance of focusing on your process, being a transformational leader, and acting on principles instead of feelings. Larson was energized and immediately took action by training his newly selected Peer Mentors on what he had learned in Chicago.

Mr. Larson adds "My favorite lessons from Chop Wood Carry Water are about the carpenter who built his own house, the growth patterns of bamboo, and that the grass is greener where you water it." While it may not be evident by the quick account of Mr. Larson's favorite stories, the sixth grade class learns  that you don't want to cut corners when you are building your own house, they know that it takes bamboo five years to grow 90 feet tall with the majority of growth happening in the last six weeks, and that when you invest in yourself you will see growth rather than wishing your circumstances were different. 

The rewarding part of this course for Larson comes on the final day of the semester. " After reading the final chapters and answering a few reflection questions, each student shared their takeaways from the book and activities. I really felt like every student learned something valuable and how it can impact their time here, they displayed an understanding of what we had discussed, and each had a favorite chapter they could relate to."

As Medcalf writes ,“The grass is greener where you water it”, and we are confident that Larson’s commitment to teaching our youngest Cadets these valuable lessons will have a profound impact on their time at the Academy and beyond.