Following this winter’s EC assembly, a student shared that he or she came down to breakfast in a bit of a mood. A younger sibling looked up and asked, “Are you feeding the good wolf?” Students, faculty, and parents alike may have heard EC students referencing the good wolf recently. Even morning announcements and yearbook fliers in the hallways have featured the good wolf.
This year’s winter assembly was presented by EC school counselor Mrs. Christina Krogh on the neurobiology of negative thinking. Her presentation covered what happens to the person’s brain, body, and mood when he or she thinks negatively. She went on to share tips for both recognizing negative thinking as well as steps for overcoming negative thoughts. The presentation concluded with references to Scripture that address negative thinking.
The student response to the assembly was positive. Junior Jack Lasceski was appreciative, “Everest is showing us to try new things.” His classmate Allison Brzezinski understood that, “what we think now affects our future.” Senior Blythe Brooks appreciated the focus on mental health and how “it helps us view the world in a positive or a negative way.” Sophomore Diego Ramirez enjoyed learning “that negative and positive thoughts affect size of the brain.”
The students were generally appreciative not only of the information provided but also for Mrs. Krogh’s presentation style and humor which included more than one reference to TV shows and slides featuring Baby Yoda. Junior Madden Owczarzak joked that the assembly was, “false advertisement for Season 4 of Stranger Things.” One freshman said it more directly, “It wasn’t boring like most assemblies,” and another liked, “the games and the amount of crowd interaction.” Mrs. Krogh included interactive moments that students appreciated. “I like how she did quick games so we could understand more of what she was saying,” shared another freshman.
Mrs. Krogh used the example of feeding the good wolf and starving the bad wolf in the way students both have the capacity and need to decide which thought patterns they foster. “Ultimately it’s our decision to be positive or negative thinkers,” junior Lauren Marshall summed it up.
