EDUCATION MATTERS—SANFORD SCHOOL'S PRIVATE SCHOOL BLOG

Learn more about current school issues and trends from Sanford School’s educational experts.  Sanford’s blog is sure to help you navigate your child’s educational journey.

The importance of outdoor learning and play

Posted by Mark Anderson on May 31, 2019 at 5:38 PM
 
Why do we care about outdoor spaces? Numerous studies have shown that recess and play time are important for academic learning. In a document titled, The Importance of Outdoor Play and Its Impact on Brain Development In Children, faculty members and nursing students at the University of Missouri shared that outdoor play allows school-aged children to improve their ability to learn. The authors also noted that outdoor play helps to:
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Topics: Education, Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

Move It!: A Beginner’s Guide to Physical Literacy

Posted by Shannon Helmecki on September 21, 2018 at 12:30 PM

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.”

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Topics: Education, Athletics, Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

5 Healthy Eating Habits for Kids

Posted by Olivia Civiletti on August 10, 2018 at 10:31 AM

As children get older, it’s important to help them healthy eating habits. Whether packing lunch, grabbing a snack after school, or ordering dinner in a restaurant, there are many opportunities for kids to control what goes into their bodies. Here are five tips to help you teach your child how to make nutritious choices.

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Topics: Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

How To Prevent Student-Athlete Injuries During Sports

Posted by Authored collaboratively by Troby Roosevelt & Staci Krape on March 23, 2018 at 4:47 PM

Schools provide opportunities for all students to participate in interscholastic, competitive athletics throughout the school year. The start of a new sports season is an exciting time, as our player's transition from one sport to another. With all of this excitement and the abrupt downtime of a break, early season injuries can be very common. However, by pacing one’s self and properly preparing the body, any athlete can take the initiative to ensure that they will start their season on the right foot.

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Topics: Athletics, Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

Healthy Minds, Happy Kids

Beat the winter blues by getting high…naturally!

Sanford is looking forward to welcoming Dr. Matt Bellace to campus February 28th. Dr. Bellace is a psychologist, comedian, and passionate public speaker who has been involved in youth drug and alcohol prevention for many years. In his book, A Better High, he shares the acronym L.E.A.D., which lists four ways to focus on achieving a natural high. Today, we’re taking his LEAD to share our thoughts on natural highs.

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Topics: Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

The Benefits of Student Participation in Community Service

Posted by Olivia Civiletti on January 26, 2018 at 12:30 PM

The benefits that come from supporting one's community are ageless. Community service fosters empathy for people with different needs and encourages good deeds in every aspect of life. No matter the age, students should have the opportunity to experience the sense of fulfillment gained through community service.

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Topics: Education, Health & Wellness, Community

Tips for a Healthy Holiday Routine for Children

The holiday break is finally here, giving our students time off from school to enjoy being home with family and friends. While breaks are intended to be a time for rest, they are also often a time of get-togethers that extend past bedtime, long car rides to visit relatives, and second (maybe third) helpings of holiday treats. As we interrupt our normal school and work schedules for a few weeks, it is important to pay attention to healthy routines for our bodies and our minds.

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Topics: Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips, Elementary Education

The Hidden Benefits of Chores

Posted by Libbie Zimmer on December 1, 2017 at 12:15 PM
This past weekend, I raked the never-ending supply of leaves and prepared the yard for cooler weather. While working, I remembered a similarly warm autumn weekend when my son, William, was 10. I was dirty, sweaty, thirsty, and tired from the outdoor chores, and found William cozily engrossed in a book. (One he'd read so many times, the spine was no longer intact.)

With irritation in my voice, "Rather than reading that book again, please come help me with the chores!" William earnestly responded, "But mommy, you   like  working in the yard and I don't."  William's right. I do enjoy working in the yard and much of that joy blossomed at an early age when I "had to" do chores. Now, I fondly remember planting tulip bulbs with my dad in the fall, harvesting and "snapping" beans with my grandmother in the summer, and hauling firewood in the winter.
 
William's reply is important to me for three reasons:  
  • From a young age, he noticed his parents doing chores without complaint but with purpose.
  • As an adult, I connect even laborious childhood chores with some of my most vivid and positive childhood memories.
  • Chores at home fall into two categories:   want  tos  and   have  tos
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Topics: Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips

Advice for Students Beginning their Freshman Year in High School

Posted by Olivia Civiletti on September 8, 2017 at 11:30 AM

While exciting and hopeful, beginnings can also be frightening and uncertain. A student’s freshman year of high school is one of those hopeful, yet undetermined beginnings. You can be anything and do anything which is as much daunting as it is exhilarating. The next four years will help prepare a student for whatever the future holds, so it is very important that it go as smoothly as possible. With awareness and foresight, all of the stress of beginning school can be replaced by the excitement and joy it deserves. To ease the transition from middle to upper school, incoming freshmen should try:

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Topics: Health & Wellness, High School Experience

List of Back-to-School Essentials

Posted by Olivia Civiletti on August 25, 2017 at 11:30 AM

It’s that time of year! Though I am not talking about the holidays, the beginning of a school year also means a lot of shopping for parents. With the impressive amount of tasks that need to be accomplished, coming up with a comprehensive list of all that needs to be purchased for the upcoming academic year is something that most parents just don’t have time for. Here is a basic list to help guide any parent and child in their search for school supplies.

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Topics: Academics, Health & Wellness, Parenting Tips