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Ways to Get Your Tween or Teen to Talk with You

Ways to Get Your Tween or Teen to Talk with You

Ask your tween or teen any question these days, and they are likely to reply with a vague grunt or the nonchalant shoulder shrug. Dare to start a dialogue with them, and you’ll be met with the notorious eye roll, am I right? As difficult as it may seem, children in the tween and teen stage still need positive connections with their parents. Parents need to keep in mind that it may take a few inventive and creative tactics to get that connection started. Don’t give up! Here are a few strategies that have worked for me: [Read more…]

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What Will We Do With Children This Summer?

What Will We Do with Children This Summer?

It is spring and our children are getting excited about summer camps and activities. Many communities are now scheduling children for summer camps with an alternative plan of online activities if communities are forced to reenter lockdowns due to new COVID outbreaks. Activities that remain flexible include:

  1. Sports camps that reinforce independent skill development drills in sports like soccer and karate
  2. Snow skiing and outdoor sports camps while social distancing with others
  3. Park play, nature hiking, and beachcombing
  4. Swim lessons in a private pool without other students and masked instructors
  5. Cultural camps offered remotely
  6. Outdoors camping and backpacking trips
  7. Computer literacy camps
  8. Entrepreneur online camps
  9. Sewing camps with individualized learning options
  10. Music camps with individualized learning options

[Read more…]

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Helping Our High School Students Prepare for College

Helping Our High School Students Prepare for College

As we complete another year of primarily remote learning, our high school students continue to thrive. Many of our graduating seniors have been accepted to four-year colleges with a full year of early learning college credits. These students showcase their talents by participating in college and career events at the school as they interview with board members for future careers and college goals.

Celebrate Achievement

This celebration of achievements prepares our students for the essential skills and educational requirements they will need to complete their college and career goals. As we consider next steps with all of our middle and high school students, we are striving to fully engage them in student led parent-teacher conferences throughout their school years. [Read more…]

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Building Resilliency Skills for Kids

Building Resiliency Skills for Kids

This past year our students have been learning remotely in Goggle classrooms. Each morning, our second graders spend an hour focusing on their social-emotional needs. Our school has adopted the FranklinCovey’s K-12 Leader in Me (see www.TheLeaderInMe.org) curriculum so support students’ personal growth based on Stephen R. Covey’s The Leader in Me book. The seven habits that we focus on with a variety of reflective activities include:

  1. Be proactive by taking responsibility for personal choices and behaviors.
  2. Begin with the end in mind by setting goals.
  3. Put first things first by achieving the most important things first.
  4. Think win-win so that everyone can win.
  5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood by learning to listen first and talk second.
  6. Synergize by having folks work together to achieve a better solution.
  7. Sharpen the saw to achieve balance in life.

[Read more…]

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Teaching Our Children About Their Cultures

Teaching Our Children About Their Cultures

My family celebrates Saint Patrick’s Day because we are primarily Irish. We wear green, enjoy a corned beef and cabbage dinner, and decorate the house with shamrocks, Leprechauns, and pots of god. We may listen to some Irish music and read Irish folklore. We also talk about what we value most about our family heritage.

Culturally Sensitive School Celebrations

During the winter months our students celebrate a variety of culturally sensitive holidays at school. These include Martin Luther King Junior Day, presidents’ holidays, and the Cesar Chavez holiday. Several also celebrate Chinese New Year, the Tet Festival, or Saint Patrick’s Day with their families. We write stories about favorite holidays and share details about how our families celebrate a specific holiday. Most students describe a special meal that was part of the celebration with culturally relevant foods and traditions. Many families typically invite relatives to these special meals and celebrations. [Read more…]

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