Flynn studies conflict resolution
Eight local high school students from Beverly, Andover, and Marblehead, including Isabella Flynn of Andover, stepped away from the beach, the campground and the recreation center to spend a week at the end of August participating in a summer program learning and practicing conflict resolution and mediation skills to prepare for school. The program, sponsored by North Shore Community Mediation Center in Beverly, provided the students with the same skills of mediation used by experts around the world, according to the center. Included were lessons on active listening, overcoming biases, trust building, problem-solving, and the formal mediation process found in courts and schools across the country.
“Through numerous role-plays, group discussions, and activities, the students came to understand their role as neutral listeners who don’t determine the outcome or decide who is right or wrong. They explored the impact of conflict in their own lives, identifying different conflict styles and gaining constructive communication skills,” said a release from the center. “These students can now join a growing movement of young people advocating peace and the eradication of violence and bullying in their schools and communities.”
Andover resident nominated as James Otis Scholar
John Chahraban of Andover, a senior at St. John’s Prep, was nominated as a James Otis Scholar and invited to Faneuil Hall for the James Otis Lecture series. Each year, the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocate asks educators across the state to nominate students as James Otis Scholars.
Two named NMSC semifinalists
Two Andover High students were named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s 58th annual National Merit Scholarship Program: Evan Doyle and Stan Huang. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout highschool, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
