We Nurture Growth
Independent schools educate the whole child, supporting students as they grow intellectually and become physically and emotionally fit.
Independent schools educate the whole child, supporting students as they grow intellectually and become physically and emotionally fit.
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Crafting Unique Lessons at Mead
What makes a lesson at Mead different from those at other schools? At Mead, educators work together to create meaningful work that expands beyond their individual classrooms. See how teachers Alessandra Larson and Jenet Dibble combine Language Arts, Movement, Social Studies, and Fine Art curriculums around a common theme to activate students’ minds on multiple […]
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Mindfulness practice in partnership with parents
How to weave mindfulness practice into the daily fabric of school life? At Aspen Country Day School, a partnership with enthusiastic parent volunteers has successfully brought the MindUP curriculum to each classroom .
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Literature, Theatre, and Performance
Technical Theatre teacher, Robert Kallos, developed a toy theatre project to teach the skills and principles of technical theatre. This project integrated literature (through script writing), set design and craft (which taught visual, hand, and eye coordination), and performance (which encouraged skills in speech, movement, and confidence.) Student groups were asked to adapt a fairy […]
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Going Ga Ga
Ga-ga is a game popular in Israel, and while it’s similar to dodge ball (getting hit by the ball puts you out of the game) all the action takes place below the knees, so even the youngest children on the Clear Spring School campus can play. Often games involve students from first grade as well […]
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i-Term Inspires Joyful Learning at MPA
One hundred fifty eight middle school students, twelve hands-on courses, one week and no grades – it was all about joyful learning at Mounds Park Academy, January 5-9, 2015! The first middle school innovation-Term (i-Term) was a unique opportunity for students in grades 5-8 to participate in weeklong, project-based courses that allowed them to dive […]
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New Twists in Physical Education
On the final day of our fourth grade basketball unit, I wanted to try something different. We had done the “standard” skills and drills, played the shooting, passing and lead-up games, and even had some heated competitive matches. Many days went very well and the students worked at their skill level and strived to work […]
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Reimagined Classrooms Invite Collaborative Learning
Hillbrook School’s classrooms are changing and everyone has something to say about it. Eighth graders, believing their art studio was “too adult and too organized,” submitted a petition for its “re-messification.” Last year, over a dozen teachers agreed to begin substantially altering their classrooms and then asked questions about how the changes—which included physical redesigns […]
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Settlers in the Woods
Inspired by the work of John Hunter, 5th grade Valley School teacher, Tracy Courtney, undertook a new application for teaching U.S. colonization: the woods. Students deeply explored the academic side of this period of history, but core to the curriculum was the opportunity for students to experience the successes, failures and challenges that the colonists […]
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At Rosemont School, the Arts are Essential
At Rosemont School of the Holy Child, arts are not options, electives, or subjects to fit in around so-called core studies such as math and science. Here, arts are essential. Rosemont School infuses creative and performing arts across the entire educational spectrum, from 3 Years through 8th grade. “The blending of the arts in the core […]
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Students Experience, Enjoy “Green Cuisine”
Sidwell Friends has been committed to cleaner and greener food since 2004; its “Green Cuisine” program now incorporates, wherever possible, ingredients and practices that are truly sustainable. Teaching “food intelligence” is an important factor. The menu planning, preparation methods, ingredients, and dishes make everyone on campus more mindful. “Meatless Menus” emphasize that eating less meat […]
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Mindfulness Brings Healthier, Happier Lives for Students and Teachers
Greenhill School began offering Inner Light: Traditions and Paths of Meditation to juniors and seniors in 2009. The elective class was aimed at honing personal awareness and mindfulness, skills that help manage stress and encourage healthier choices. Soon after, recurring student feedback—“I wish I’d had this earlier”—caught the attention of Upper School administrators. “We realized […]
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New Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Takes to the Streets…and Hallways, and Lunchrooms…
The 2014-2015 school year has started out in a very mindful way at Katherine Delmar Burke School, with the statement “What are your hopes and intentions?” appearing in chalk and paint in various areas across campus. It’s part of a theme, “Hopes & Intentions,” that was introduced during the first Lower School assembly through music, […]