Empowering Lifelong Learners: The Self-Directed Approach at The Sycamore School

TSS Teacher with Student

The Sycamore School’s vision is to cultivate curious, independent, lifelong learners. Supporting self-directed learning is foundational to this goal.   Traditional learning often involves a teacher lecturing the class and students receiving instruction. It can feel passive with an overfocus on compliance. At TSS, we want students to actively engage in their learning, asking questions, and ultimately driving their own learning.  In middle school, this starts by helping students build self-awareness, goal-setting, and problem-solving skills.  We often begin by teaching students how to be ready to learn. Ready to learn means you are present, focused, and attending to the present task. We make learning purposeful. At the beginning of a class, teachers will work with students to create a specific goal they want to achieve during that class. This helps them focus their efforts, knowing they will return to that goal at the end of class.  At TSS, students are actively engaged…

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Field Trip to the National Museum of the American Indian

One of the world’s great museum centers is minutes away from The Sycamore School in the Smithsonian network that sprawls across a dozen blocks on the Mall and offers students a window into great history, science, and art from our past. The MS2 and MS3 cohorts brought their “Pre-Columbian Americas” unit on Native American cultures to life with a field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian. It also gave them insight into how the growing USA relentlessly pushed aside Native Americans. NMAI has changed over the years, shifting from tribe-based exhibitions to thematic displays such as the history of treaties between the states or the US government and various tribes. Students were assigned one treaty to research in detail, spanning the late 1600s until 1854. They looked at each side’s expectations and goals, what the parties agreed to, and how that treaty was honored or not in…

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Six Tips to Start the New School Year Strong

School Counselors discuss how to start the new school year strong

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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Social Media as Creative Writing Curriculum

The Sycamore School’s Journalism & Yearbook Class is a daily elective where students actively contribute to our school’s social media. This class empowers them to contribute to the narrative and culture of TSS while developing their capacity to make ideas visible with words, pictures, and videos. Social Media as Collaboration The student social media unit began with the selection of a holiday/ day of celebration. Students went through guided practice with immediate feedback on their post copy and graphic.  As their skills developed, students worked collaboratively to research holidays and celebrations, adding them to a planning calendar and claiming which posts they would like to create. When students claim a holiday, they create the graphic, write the copy, and choose a minimum of three hashtags. Upon completion, the post is approved by a teacher and scheduled on the school’s social media platforms. Students have total control over the posts and…

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A Parent Guide for Helping Your Child Beat the Winter Blues

Sad girl

The short days and less favorable weather of winter often have an adverse impact on our general mood. It is not uncommon for individuals — including children — to find it difficult to stay active and optimistic during the winter months.  What is “Winter Blues” vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (“SAD”) The “winter blues” describe the sadness and fatigue that many people experience during the winter. It may cause symptoms such as sluggishness, low interest in activities, changes in appetite, and difficulty concentrating.  Is your child has more serious symptoms, such as feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of suicide. This could be SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, a condition that affects around 4% to 6% of people. This can cause depression in both men and women, especially during the winter months. It’s important to note the difference between SAD and the winter blues; SAD is a rare diagnosed condition, and more…

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The Sycamore School is Moving to Rosslyn

High School in Rosslyn

The Sycamore School is moving to Rosslyn! After six years in Ballston, TSS has decided that we are ready to take the next step in our journey and move into a space that accommodates our growth over the years. From how far we’ve come, to how far we hope to go, we know this move will be beneficial to our students, staff, and community. Where We’ve Been: Ballston When TSS was founded, it was designed as an urban model school. Being based in Arlington may seem like a limitation, since there are not acres of land available to house a large campus. However, we take this as an opportunity to explore the countless museums, nature centers, and historical sites that are only a metro ride away.  We utilize community resources to augment our on-site resources. For our version of PE, which we call Movement & Mindfulness, we regularly visit local…

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Parent Blog: How Being Able to Trust The Sycamore School Is The Best Thing

Parent Blog: How Being Able to Trust The Sycamore School Is The Best Thing

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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Parent Blog: How The Sycamore School is Helping us Navigate the Middle School Years

Parents of middle school students

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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Return to In-Person Learning: How You Can Help Your Child

This fall, parents around the country took a deep breath and cautiously, worriedly, and maybe even gleefully sent their children back to school for a return to in-person learning. As our students return to school, parents may still be filled with anxiety asking themselves questions, such as:  Will my child be safe at school?  Will my child like being back at school?  Do they remember how to be a student?  Will they remember how to interact with others?  Will their anxiety lesson once they get used to in-person learning again?  Will my anxiety ever decrease? So, what can we do? How can we support our children and reassure ourselves? Tips to Help Manage the Return to In-Person Learning Most of us are trying to navigate our own anxiety as we try to smile bravely and encourage our children to return to school and trust that it will all go well. …

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TSS Earns Cognia Accreditation

TSS students in class

“Is your school accredited?” Since opening The Sycamore School, that has been one of the most common questions. Answering that seemingly simple question was not easy and required some explanation. Schools can only apply for accreditation after they have been open for at least three years; some accreditation organizations require five years. As soon as we could, we started the accreditation process. We had a successful pre-accreditation visit in August of 2019 and had our accreditation visit scheduled for spring of 2020 when COVID hit. Our visit was re-scheduled for the fall of 2020 and then pushed back to April of 2021. It has been a long two years of hurry up and wait, but I can now proudly say, “Yes, The Sycamore School is fully accredited!” What does Accreditation Mean? Accreditation agencies ensure that educational institutions are providing quality education to students and a positive experience for their families.…

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Summer Break Update

Summer Break Update at The Sycamore School - featured image

Summer: a time for barbecues, swimming pools, and some much-needed R&R. The weather outside may be slowing everyone down, but here at The Sycamore School (TSS), we’ve hit the ground running. The staff has been hard at work to get set up for the 2021-2022 school year, planning experiences and electives, re-organizing the school, and taking on those projects we didn’t have time for during the school year. Students can expect to see re-organized cabinets, spotless classrooms, and refreshed teachers come August.  Teachers have been working with their cohort partners and in content teams to create the trans-disciplinary curriculum that TSS is known for. Starting with the essential question and the final project, teachers reverse engineer an experience that’s designed to be as entertaining as it is instructive. We don’t want to spoil anything just yet, but this year’s showcases are looking to be a lively and entertaining return to…

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