Social-Emotional

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 some doubt and worry that it mightnot go as well as hoped. First day excitement and nervousness is very normal. Some students get excited by a new school year full of old friends and new experiences. Other students worry about new teachers, keeping up with the demand of a new grade, and just the overall unknown, which is also completely normal. Over the course of the first few days to weeks of the school year, most students will start to settle into the rhythm and routine of the new school year. Some students may even take a month or longer to fully settle into the new school year, which can also be completely normal. How do you know your student…

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). Our daughter transferred in November, and it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made. She went from having terrible school anxiety and refusal, to happily skipping inside the building and being incredibly proud of her school. She had horrible math anxiety, and now signs up for extra math classes to try to improve her math. She tells me that she now likes math! What makes TSS different is the small, personalized, engaging, and experiential learning. There is a lot of choice, and with that comes personal accountability and responsibility. TSS recognizes all students don’t learn the same way. They accommodate a variety of learning styles by offering a choice-based learning model with personalized instruction. In their words: “TSS is for students who would…

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 start at a younger age and many children are significantly compromised by its affects. There is an increased prevalence of school avoidance, school refusal and somatic complaints. Anxiety can take many forms and some students are very good at masking it. Some students wear their emotions on their face. For those students, the anxiety is quite apparent. A student might have a look, their cheeks get red, their speech quickens or their expression changes. Other students hide their anxiety quite well, but parents report that when their child comes home, he or she falls apart. Some students start to exhibit physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomach aches. Other students start having difficulty sleeping. The question weighing on our minds…

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? With back-to-school upon us, is your child upset about going back? Here are five signs your child’s school is not a good fit: School avoidance: Does your child not want to go to school? Does he/she struggle to get to school on time? School avoidance is a good indicator that something is not right at school. It could be academic, social or both. Unhappy: Does your child come home unhappy? Many parents report that their child is able to hold it together at school but when they come home, they fall apart. This is a signal that they feel anxious or stressed and are using a lot of energy trying to keep it together at school. Other children complain about…