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Opening Day In-Person Countdown!
It’s one week before we open our doors (literally) for the new school year at The Sycamore School! It’s been a wild ride since we had to switch to a...
Capstone Project
The Sycamore School was founded on the fundamental belief that learning can be engaging, enjoyable and personal. We encourage students to be active participants in their education through our student-driven...
COVID-19 Update
TSS plans to resume in-person learning 5 days a week this fall. As part of our return to school plan, no visitors (to include parents) will be allowed into the...
Fall School Planning
Public schools in our area are asking parents to make a choice for fall: keep your child/ren home for 100% virtual, or choose a hybrid model where they are in...
Field Studies During a Pandemic
Every Friday, students at The Sycamore School go into the community for Field Study Fridays. Outings include field trips related to their coursework, community service activities, and some fun team...
Remote Learning – Tips and Lessons Learned
Shifting to distance learning has been an adjustment for students, staff, and parents. At The Sycamore School, we offer individualized instruction, so our unique challenge was determining how to offer...
First Week of Remote Learning at TSS
The week of March 9th felt like a month. At the beginning of the week, the coronavirus still seemed at arms length. By Wednesday evening it became clear to me that...
Virtual Schooling Resources: Movement and Mindfulness for Kids
Tips and Resources to Keep Kids and Families Active and Calm During the Coronavirus Outbreak (and always!) Are your kids going crazy in the house? At the Sycamore School, our...
Don’t Panic! How parents and families can respond to the COVID-19 outbreak
Parents, help mitigate panic and communicate realistic expectations to your children. It feels as if individuals are falling into two camps in response to the Coronavirus outbreak: panicking or dismissive....
Coronavirus Response and Updates
The Sycamore School Announces Changes In Response To Coronavirus After much deliberation, we have decided to move to distance learning and instructional support starting Monday, March 16th. The TSS facility will...
Are Gifted and Talented Programs Dumbing Down Our Students?
More and more frequently, parents of young students are pushing for their child to be identified as “gifted and talented”. Parents might think they are benefitting their children by advocating...
Does Nagging Work for You?
At some point, every parent has nagged their child. It is just in our nature as parents. We nag because we are frustrated and don’t know what else to do....
Uncovering and Addressing Executive Functioning Struggles In Students
Late, Lost or Missing Homework? Uncovering and Addressing Executive Functioning Struggles In Students Another week and another missing assignment in the grade book for your student. It seems like all...
Culture of Kindness
We have all heard the term “Mean Girl.” According to a recent school study, nearly 1 in 4 girls reported being bullied during the year. This is in sharp contrast...
Steps to a successful Middle School experience
Recently, the Washington Post featured an article Seven ways parents and educators can improve kids’ middle school experience. This article does a great job describing both actions we as parents...
Back to School Jitters? Or a Bigger Issue?
On the first day of school it’s hard to tell who is more nervous, parents or students. You all want the school year to be a success, but there is...
Summer Reading Picks
One of the things I love about summer is that I’m able to read a lot. I lean toward mysteries and modern fiction. This summer, I branched out a little...
How to stop over-parenting and let your kids tough it out
Instead of being a snowplow parent, give your kid a shovel and show them how to use it. Helicopter parent, snowplow, lawn mower, bull dozing, blackhawk, tiger mom…there are an...
Average isn’t a four letter word
A recent Washington Post article, by Jacque Gorelick, There is no room for average students these days. Here’s why that worries me.” highlights many of the reasons that I started The...
We switched schools mid-year. Maybe you should too.
Guest Post by Current TSS Parent If your 5-10th grade student isn’t thriving at their current school and you are considering other options, I highly recommend The Sycamore School (TSS)....
“Finding a Love of Learning”
A Conversation with Karyn Ewart, Ph.D. on Radio Hotline with Dennis Price Why can't school be fun and engaging? When did school become all about worksheets? Why does learning stop...
Rising Anxiety in Youth
Educators and clinicians across northern Virginia are seeing a significant increase in the number of youth who are experiencing some level of anxiety. We’re also seeing the onset of anxiety...
5 Signs Your Kid’s School Isn’t A Good Fit
Summer is a good time to reflect on your child’s school and think about whether it’s a good fit. Did your child seem happy at school? Have friends? Enjoy learning?...
Get Off Your Screens, There’s So Much Summer To Do!
My Wish for Students this Summer Over the summer, I'd like our students to explore, inquire and enjoy. Many parents are already struggling with managing their child’s screen time, and...
In Defense of Failure
We don’t want perfectionists, we want risk-takers who will fail and learn from their mistakes. I want our students to make mistakes and [gasp, shudder,] even fail. Making mistakes is...
You are not SOL at The Sycamore School, Reprise
Last year, when our school was being developed, we blogged about the SOLs. Now that we are are open and our students are thriving, and we have practical experience in...
Spring Fever Leadership
What to do when a fun activity turns into a gripe fest? Turn to leadership. I’m not sure if it was due to spring fever, or typical adolescent waxing and...
Creating a Culture of Kindness
Hearts are breaking in communities all over our nation in the aftermath of yet another devastating school shooting. How do we keep our children safe? How do we change our...
To Love Learning
by Karyn Ewart, PhD. “He used to love school,” is a common refrain I hear from parents. Too many students are falling out of love with school after elementary school,...
Problem-Based Learning Summer Camp
Problem-based learning is exemplified at our Rube Goldberg Machine Summer Camp. A Rube Goldberg machine is a simple machine comprised of common items that perform a simple task in a deliberately...
You’re not SOL at The Sycamore School
It’s SOL testing season, a time where teachers are stressed out and kids are wishing school was done for the year. What are SOLs? SOLs are the Virginia Standards of...
Even the open house is hands-on!
"I learned more in two hours than I do all day at school!"* *Incoming TSS student Students and their families are invited to participate in our hands-on open house on...
Even the open house is hands-on!
"I learned more in two hours than I do all day at school!"* *Incoming TSS student Students and their families are invited to participate in our hands-on open house on...
Q&A: Founder of new Arlington secondary school lays out priorities
This article first appeared in early March 2017 in the Arlington Sun Gazette and InsideNOVA. The 2017-18 school year will bring the arrival of a new option in local education with...
Stress and Teenage Suicide
We’ve lost another Northern Virginia teenager to suicide. We shouldn’t be surprised. Northern Virginia high schools have turned into the Bermuda Triangle of stress: high achieving students + high achieving...
How to create an island of calm in a sea of chaos
The world of a parent can feel unrelentingly fast paced, chaotic and stressful, with no indication that it will ever slow down…at least not until all our kids are grown....
The Flip-Side Of Academic Acceleration: Why I Started The Sycamore School
Stressed out, overwhelmed, anxious. Sound familiar? I’m not talking about you, I’m talking about your kids! As families prepare to take a much needed spring break next week, now is a...
Is The Sycamore School a Montessori School?
Parents and other professionals often ask if The Sycamore School is a Montessori School. The short answer is no. The more complete answer is that TSS shares many commonalities with Montessori programs...
For kids to thrive, school should be a good fit
Is your school a good fit? As a parent, one of our biggest concerns can be making sure our children are thriving in their current school setting. When our children...
Becoming A Founding Family at The Sycamore School
What does it mean to be a Founding Family? The Sycamore School is currently recruiting Founding Families to join our school for the 2017/18 school year. While we understand that...
Behind the Scenes of Starting A New School
T- 292 days until the first day of classes! Whew, it’s been a whirlwind week at The Sycamore School! For this Founder/Head of School, I am thankful for coffee, supportive...
The Sycamore School Will Open in the Fall, 2017
Check back soon for updates!
