Education 4.12 - Flipbook - Page 21
| Sunday, April 12, 2026 21
A Complete Care Journey,
continued from page 6
infant or a child is that it can slow down
the growth of the upper jaw, and some
kids end up with a little bit of an underbite
that may need jaw repositioning surgery.
We leave that all up to the families and
the children. We just are there in a supportive role when they need us.”
He says that at different times throughout the patient’s journey with the team,
certain specialists have a more prominent
role in terms of their input. The pediatric dentist is involved throughout, as is
the speech pathologist due to potential
speech problems related to their palate.
“We get to know these kids and their
families really well.”
One advantage for patients at the
University of Maryland is convenience
– the whole team is in one place, eliminating the need for parents to drive to
several different locations across multiple
visits. “This is especially good for families
who are traveling from Cumberland or
Crisfield, Md., for example, as they can
see 10 different specialists in one visit.
The team sees the patient and comes
up with a plan to share with the family
and their other healthcare providers. Our
goal is to have the cleft issue live in the
background of their lives as much as
possible so that these kids can just have
a normal life.”
To learn more about Dr. Caccamese
and the services provided at the University
of Maryland, visit dental.umaryland.edu/
CleftLip.
MEET THE EXPERT:
John Caccamese Jr.,
D.M.D., M.D., FACS
Pediatric Maxillofacial Surgeon,
Professor, Vice Chair and Medical
Director within the Department of OralMaxillofacial Surgery at the University
of Maryland School of Dentistry.
Developing Leadership Skills,
continued from page 18
assist with activities held around campus.
Vivie Labellarte applied to be part
of the Rollins-Luetkemeyer Leadership
Program after boarding for one semester
and being inspired by a friend who was an
“RL” and her role model.
“She made living in a dorm such a
better experience for me, whether it was
calling me out of my room for community
events, hanging out with me or letting
me have an ear to say anything I needed
to say,” Labellarte says. “That was really
helpful for me, and so I really wanted to
do that for other people and help make
the dorm experience as good as I had it
made for me.”
Labellarte also serves as a leader on
her swimming team, not as captain but
in a supportive role for younger swimmers, and as the leader for the school’s
mock trial team, which advanced further
in competition than previous McDonogh
teams.
Serving in a leadership capacity has
helped her build confidence, she says.
“Since I’m wanting to go into communication and how words affect people,
having to deal with issues like account-
ability, having to deal with issues even
in the dorms – like a little roommate
disagreement – that’s really helped me
understand how people deal with conflict,” she says. “Having to be really clear
and mean what I say, and in the same
way, say what I mean, has really helped
me to make myself clearer and make it so
that other people understand me. And I
also think that’s really going to help me in
college and life.”
Xavier Lester, a boarder for all four
years of his McDonogh School career,
also serves as an RL in the dorms and is
also the lead of the Gentleman Songsters,
the school’s male acapella group. He was
also cast as Seymour in Little Shop of
Horrors and serves as a leader to younger
thespians.
Being a leader has boosted his
self-confidence and prepared him for similar roles in college.
“Everyone, I think, at that stage, is
going to be knowledgeable,” he says.
“They’re going to be smart, and you have
to learn how to work with the people
around you and also lead the people
around you. Being part of groups and
being a leader while you’re younger, I
think, helps prepare you to know how to
approach those situations.”
Helping Ambitious Students,
continued from page 15
essary stress.
The school also focuses on teaching
students how to manage the academic
demands of high school as early as
possible.
All freshmen participate in a first-semester course designed to help them
transition successfully into high school.
The class focuses on study habits,
time management and academic organization – skills many students have not
yet needed to fully develop in middle
school.
“Most students haven’t had to study
for a final exam before,” Tenney says.
“So, we teach them the skills they’ll
need to succeed in high school right
from the start.”
Teachers also collaborate to monitor students’ academic and emotional
well-being. Freshman teachers meet
regularly to discuss student progress
and identify students who may need
additional support.
“Because we’re a smaller school,
teachers meet regularly to talk about
how students are doing – both academ-
St. Vincent Pallotti students benefit from teacher guidance and peer tutoring.
ically and personally,” Tenney says.
For students themselves, the combination of challenging coursework and
strong support systems can make a
meaningful difference.
Pallotti senior Emily Carter says
having access to teachers and peer
tutoring during the school’s protected time has helped her stay on track
while balancing a demanding schedule
of Advanced Placement classes and
extracurricular activities.
“It definitely helps knowing there’s
time built into the day where you can
ask questions or get help if you need
it,” Carter says. “Sometimes it’s just
having that extra time to go over something before practice that makes a big
difference.”
Educators say that while high-achieving students are often motivated and
driven, they still benefit from guidance
and balance.
Encouraging students to pursue
interests outside the classroom, maintain healthy schedules and recognize
when to step back from overwhelming
workloads can help prevent burnout.
“High-achieving students often want
to do everything,” Tenney says. “Our
role is helping them figure out how to
pursue their passions while still maintaining a healthy balance.”
For schools and families alike, the
goal is not simply pushing students
toward academic excellence – but helping them build the skills and support
systems they need to sustain success
beyond high school.
