Parenting
How to stay grounded and seek balance—at home, at school and in our community by Dr. Karyn Ewart We were featured on Arlington Magazine! Since the new administration took office, there’s been a noticeable surge of anxiety in our community and across the DMV. Many of us are grappling with a sense of unease, unsure how to navigate the wave of political shifts without being consumed by them. Fundamental rights that once felt secure now feel uncertain, and the question that keeps rising to the surface is: how best to protect ourselves and our children? As parents and caregivers, we’re caught between the need to stay informed and not wanting to get caught up in the chaos. What truly deserves our attention and what’s just noise? My concern grew when I saw that 17 Attorney Generals were suing the Federal Government, asking a judge to declare Section 504 of the…
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A new school year is always full of excitement and possibility, but it can also bring with it some fear and anxiety. Whether you are a student, parent, or teacher, the beginning of a new school year brings a unique sense of anticipation. This can be especially true for students starting in a new school or a new grade. What are the teachers going to be like? Will the other kids be friends with me? These are questions students might be asking themselves. As parents, we know you want your child to be happy and successful. Let’s explore six tips to start the new school year strong for parents and students. 1. Embrace Change Every new school year is a chance to start over. You can think of a new school year as a fresh start, a time to embrace the “what-ifs” and potential for growth. Though new beginnings can be…
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I’ve always thought of time in the context of school: that the beginning of the year starts in September and ends in August. I’m often puzzled when people speak about the end of the year in December, celebrating New Year’s Eve, and making resolutions reserved only for the new calendar year. For me, that time of reflection is in the summer. Summer is the treat we get after a long school year. It’s a time to reset. We can (hopefully) relax, connect with old friends, get around to reading that book that’s been sitting on our nightstand, and refinish that shelf that’s been in the garage for a while. Summer gives us a time to reflect and think about what we want to focus on and how we want the upcoming fall to go. Rosslyn Expansion This summer has been less about relaxing and more about prepping for the…
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I was a backpack stuffer. All the papers I received during the day were crumpled and stuffed at the bottom of my backpack, crushed by the weight of objects I didn’t need. I couldn’t find anything. Homework assignments were turned in late or not at all. Permission slips never made it to my parents. And I would rather not discuss what happened to my lunch. I failed every binder test. I didn’t know how to put papers in my binder or manage my time. I couldn’t break down long-term projects into manageable chunks. I struggled. All of this conspired to tank my self-esteem. I wanted to do well in school but didn’t know how. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Looking back, I now know I needed help with executive functioning. Executive functioning is managing time, focusing attention, remembering instructions, prioritizing, and completing multiple tasks. This applies to school, home,…
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This blog is a part of a series where parents of The Sycamore School’s students share their experiences on what it’s like to be a part of the TSS community and the impact TSS has made on their children. Through these blogs, we hope you’ll gain inside knowledge and understanding of what to expect when you enroll your student in our small, independent school using the mastery-based learning approach. See the previous blog: How The Sycamore School Changed My Life (and My Daughter’s) At The Sycamore School, I trust each and every staff member who interacts with my child: faculty, administrative staff, and counselors. As a parent of two TSS students, with a combined six years at TSS, I have consistently been able to trust The Sycamore School to teach my children the skills they need to master the content and thrive in and out of the classroom. Due to…
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This blog is a part of a series where parents of The Sycamore School’s students share their experiences on what it’s like to be a part of the TSS community and the impact TSS has made on their children. Through these blogs, we hope you’ll gain inside knowledge and understanding of what to expect when you enroll your student in our small, independent school using the mastery-based learning approach. See the previous blog: How The Sycamore School Helped to Transform My Daughter It may sound overly dramatic to say that finding The Sycamore School changed my life, but I’m sure some parents will understand. Whether their kid is bored by the pace at a public school, feels overwhelmed by tests and homework, or is anxious about going to school each day — it all comes down to the fact that their child is not thriving in their current environment. For…
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This blog is a part of a series where parents of The Sycamore School’s students share their experiences on what it’s like to be a part of the TSS community and the impact TSS has made on their children. Through these blogs, we hope you’ll gain inside knowledge and understanding of what to expect when you enroll your student in our small, independent school using the mastery-based learning approach. See the previous blog: How The Sycamore School is Helping us Navigate the Middle School Years I’m the proud mother of a 14-year-old first year in the High School cohort of The Sycamore School (TSS). My daughter loves school, takes accountability for her work and actions, is a firm and responsible babysitter for her younger sister, a talented artist, skipped a grade, and even took up Japanese in her spare time that the early days of the pandemic presented. But before…
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This blog is a part of a series where parents of The Sycamore School’s students share their experiences on what it’s like to be a part of the TSS community and the impact TSS has made on their children. Through these blogs, we hope you’ll gain inside knowledge and understanding of what to expect when you enroll your student in our small, independent school using the mastery-based learning approach. The early childhood years are filled with physical, social, and emotional milestones. Endless parenting books, articles, and playground conversations are devoted to analyzing each phase. Then comes a big one: the first day of Kindergarten. We grow as our children grow – we accumulate cupcake caddies, they get bigger backpacks; we chit-chat with other elementary parents at pick-up, at the bus stop, and as we facilitate playdates. Then…Middle School. Cupcake caddies gather dust; parents don’t get out of the car…
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Educators across the country are noticing that students have lost many of the skills they acquired before the pandemic. In some cases, our younger students never developed the skills we expected them to have. For example, lower elementary school teachers are encountering students who have accidents at school because they are not used to asking to go to the bathroom — they have been at home for the past two years, and it was never an issue. Some students are presenting with speech and language issues that have gone unnoticed during the challenges of the pandemic. Still, other students are not used to waiting their turn, raising their hand, or other simple behaviors that they learn at school. For our older students, we’re seeing crippling cases of anxiety. There has been a significant loss of learning for many students, yet they are expected to move forward as if they have…
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*This is an updated version of 5 Signs Your Kid’s School Isn’t A Good Fit, originally published in August 2018. As we continue to navigate education in the wake of a pandemic, many parents are assessing whether their child is thriving in their current school setting. For some families, the mix of asynchronous, hybrid, or full in-person learning has illuminated issues that were hidden prior to the pandemic. During the pandemic, parents were closer to their child’s day-to-day education, sharing Wi-Fi signals and perhaps a workspace. As you assess whether your child’s current school is a good fit, ask yourself these questions: Have I observed my child being held back, finishing their work ahead of their peers, or being bored? Have I observed my child struggling and not having enough time to understand a topic during their normal school day? Did my child thrive when they were engaging in virtual…
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We are in a mental health crisis. The pandemic is once again disrupting our daily lives, and we have a significant number of children, tweens, and teens who are not going to school. The isolation that COVID necessitated has caused a myriad of mental health issues. The “rates of depression and suicidal behaviors have increased dramatically during the past decade, and especially during the past two years” (Our National Mental Health Crisis – Psychology Today Dec. 14, 2021). Clinicians noticed a spike in anxiety before the pandemic; since then, it’s skyrocketed out of control. Some younger children have never gone to school and don’t know how to follow a routine. Others have significant social anxiety. We’re seeing a lot of regression in terms of skills that students had previously acquired. We’re also seeing an increase in eating disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), depression, and generalized anxiety disorder. With these mental health…
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What do parents want their children to learn in school? In an article What Do Parents Want from School? (Edutopia), they polled parents and found that a common theme was that parents want their kids to be prepared for life after high school. When I interview parents, I ask them what they are looking for in a school. Parents typically say, “I want the teachers to really get my kid and understand how they learn best.” They are usually looking for small classes and individualized instruction. Many speak about how their child used to love school and now they feel like their child’s interest is fading. They want to see that spark again — that love of learning return. I also ask them what they want their child’s school experience to be like. Most parents agree that they want their children to be happy, to have friends, to enjoy school, and…
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