Happy new school year to everyone! I hope the start of school has been positive for kids and adults alike, and transitions are becoming smoother and easier. In this first blog post of the year, I wanted to touch on something Vicki Ball referenced in her letter last week- going slow to go fast. This is a mantra we use quite a bit at Annie Wright, and evidence of it is apparent in all three divisions. In the middle and upper schools, the first days include an orientation in and out of school for students to get to know each other and the routines of school at Annie Wright. Lower school teachers feel like they spend days orienting their students to life in a new grade. In all divisions, a great deal of time and attention is spent on learning expectations and routines so that students are clear from the start. Teachers even surprise themselves, recognizing a need to slow down more than expected as they ready a new group of students for the new year. The class they said goodbye to in June were very different than the one they welcomed earlier in the year in August. A new group each fall reminds us of the amazing growth each group makes in the course of a year. A Responsive Classroom teacher calls what can feel like a snails pace to the "Tai Chi phase of second grade... [the goal] to build a sense of independence and ownership of our classroom."Responsive Classroom Taking the time to learn the routines in a really methodical way makes the rest of the year much easier and the scale of what students can accomplish much greater.
Great news- you can also make life easier at home by going slow to go fast! Being intentional as you set up expectations and routines as they relate to homework, bedtime, meal time, family time, chores, screen time and extracurricular activities is critical in finding success (and more importantly not battling endlessly) at home in this new school year. Many of you have some tried and true strategies that work for your child, while others find that with each new developmental stage, a new strategy is needed. For tips and ideas, no matter the age or stage:
Sleep:
Screen time:
Homework:
- Getting your child organized
- Being a balanced authoritarian dolphin parent (say what?!) when it comes to homework
Chores:
In preparation for our visit from Michael Gurian next month (mark your calendars- Thursday, Oct. 20th), some of you may want to check out a film being screened in Tacoma next Friday, Sept. 16th. The Mask You Live In follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity. The Mask You Live In
Until next time, take care!
