EDUCATION MATTERS—SANFORD SCHOOL'S PRIVATE SCHOOL BLOG

There’s no denying that reading is an essential skill for academic success, but the best part of my role as the librarian is showing students how much fun it is to immerse themselves in a good book. My strategies vary based on the age, reading level, and individual style of each student, but below are four of my favorite ways to get kids excited when they visit the library.

On a typical school day, students are required to interact with peers and adults, assess situations, and decide upon action steps. A clear frame of mind allows students to effectively manage and reason through stressors in a positive, healthy way.

Sometimes, a child’s frame of mind is unclear or even completely clouded. What’s clouding their thinking and what can we do about it? Below are some examples of common mental filters that, despite being invisible to onlookers, color a student’s world in a way that significantly impacts their school day. Understanding what these filters are and how to combat them is imperative in knowing how to help and support children through their anxiety.

Whether your holiday gift giving includes preschoolers or high schoolers, consider looking for these ten gifts that will help ignite the joy of learning in the children who receive them. This list, developed by Sanford School faculty members, includes a diverse group of items to fit a broad array of budgets, ages, and interests .

If you love the advantages a private school offers but you’re afraid of the high price tag, Sanford School can help allay your fear. During the past decade, there has been a national shift in the income ranges of families applying for help with tuition costs. At Sanford School, a preschool through grade 12 private school, more than 50% of students receive some form of tuition assistance. The two most common types are need-based financial assistance and merit scholarships.

Think back to when you were a child. What kind of music did your parents listen to? Do you remember your parents singing you a lullaby? Perhaps you remember singing songs with your family, friends, or community as part of a celebration. Music is part of being human. Singing with your child is an incredibly important part of developing a well-rounded, creative, and expressive child. An article in the Chicago Tribune notes that singing has a variety of health benefits, from increased antibodies to lower stress levels. In addition, singing has been shown to strengthen mental alertness, build social connections, and improve lung function. From forming key memories with your child to engaging the mind and lowering stress levels, you might consider adding singing to your family life .

When students come to art they may think they’re going to learn to draw or paint, but by the end of each class they have done so much more than skill-building. While we certainly do teach children about the different tools and techniques that they can use to express themselves artistically, we also encourage risk-taking, develop problem-solving skills, and build their self-confidence.  And there is no better time to see students displaying all of these traits than during an Open Studio session.

Have you ever wondered what teachers look for when considering a school for their own children?

Consistently, teachers agree it is important to visit a school on a typical school day when students are present. No surprise...these teachers also feel you should do your homework. Start with a list of questions that are relevant to your child’s development. After all, you know your child best. Here are some of the questions they suggest: 

"Students are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors and succeed academically when they feel connected to school," according to the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.  Having a home and school connection brings positive benefits concerning both academic success and healthy decision-making. Below are a few activities that can be used to strengthen the support network for children in the classroom to create a caring community.

knowledge is power: Learn about your students

• Collection Museum: During the first week of school we ask students to bring in something they love or collect, like shells, rocks, or Legos. They present to the whole group about their collection and then we display all of the items in a Classroom Museum and give students time to explore all of the exhibits.
  
• Star Student Program: Each week we choose a Star Student, and that child shares things about themselves with the whole group, such as bringing in their favorite book for a classroom read aloud. The rest of the students show how much they value the Star Student by writing kind notes to the child. At the end of the week, the Star Student is presented with a bound book that includes all of the notes from students and teachers talking about the things that make that Star Student an important part of the community.

When you hear the word “literacy” you probably think reading and writing, but did you know that there’s also physical literacy? Project Play gives this definition: "Physical literacy is the ability, confidence, and desire to be physically active for life.”

The transition from kindergarten to first grade can make parents and students feel excited and a little nervous about leaving “early childhood” and becoming a “big kid.”  At Sanford School, teachers think about helping students do three things to ensure that students all transition smoothly: seeing a familiar face, feeling comfortable in the space, and getting used to the pace.

Seeing a Familiar Face

Students often feel less anxious about going to a new classroom when they know a little bit about the new teacher that they’ll have. To help with this, kindergartners have recess along with the first and second grades so that teachers can start to connect with the students they’ll have in a year or two. In addition, faculty members who teach “specials” like art, music, and technology constantly remind students that even though the homeroom teachers change, the specials teachers will remain the same, so they can plan to see many familiar faces the following year. To help drive home this point, the specials teachers always participate in greeting during morning drop off the first week of school so that students going into a new grade can see teachers that they had the previous year .