Posts Tagged ‘The Sycamore School’
From Academic Burnout to Belonging: A Student’s Journey at TSS
I took the hardest classes because I loved learning, but instead of facilitating my learning, it felt like I was caught up in a cycle of overwhelming busywork that burned me out. I lost my love of learning.
Read MoreRaising and Educating Our Children During Uncertain Times
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. How do we provide guidance and support when our fundamental rights and values seem to be called into question? Learn how to stay grounded and seek balance—at home, at school, and in our community.
Read MoreRaising and Educating Our Children During Uncertain Times
Many of us are grappling with a sense of unease. The question that keeps rising to the surface is: how best to protect ourselves and our children?
Read MoreThe Search for an Integrated Curriculum
As adults, we recognize that subjects taught in school are interdisciplinary and not truly isolated from one another.
Read MoreJourney to Belize: A Spring Break Adventure and Personal Reflection
By Owen Blumenthal When I first arrived in Belize I was surprised. I hadn’t been entirely sure what I was expecting, I had done some surface-level research into the nation but knew very little about it overall. After we piled into a van and embarked on a drive to the zoo, I was blown away by the scenery around me, the jungles were beautiful and far removed from any ecosystem I was familiar with. The zoo itself was very interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the Belizian wildlife. From there we drove to Gales Point where I was surprised to see the level of poverty present. This was my first exposure to extreme poverty and it was eye-opening to see the conditions. The work we completed painting houses and building porches felt rewarding though I have wondered if it was the best use of resources, I will defer to Dr.Rimkus…
Read MoreEmpowering Lifelong Learners: The Self-Directed Approach at The Sycamore School
The Sycamore School’s vision is to cultivate curious, independent, lifelong learners. Supporting self-directed learning is foundational to this goal.
Read MoreSocial 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…
Read MoreThe Sycamore School is Moving to 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…
Read MoreParent 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…
Read MoreParent Blog: How TSS Changed My Life (and My Daughter’s)
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…
Read MoreA Love Letter to Teachers
Teachers and healthcare workers are the unsung heroes of this pandemic. We keep dumping more and more on them and then expect them to keep going, undaunted. Perhaps it’s time to flip the script. How can we recognize our teachers as experts in their fields and give them the support and resources they need to be successful? Our teachers recognize that many of their students are stressed and not always available for learning. They know that learning has been lost. They are doing the best that they can. I’ve witnessed firsthand the flexibility and compassion they give their students. Parents are stressed. Many have children who aren’t doing well. Many teachers are parents too. How do we support one another versus pointing fingers? It’s time for some systemic change. Why don’t we take a step back and ask teachers what they need? Why don’t we set them up for success…
Read MoreHigh School Psych Experience
At The Sycamore School, each cohort has a different experience class. This transdisciplinary class weaves together language arts, science, history, and math under a common theme. This year, our high school cohort’s experience theme is Psychology. They will read fiction and nonfiction books, participate in book talks, conduct psychology experiments, and learn about historical events, all that weave in psychology. Unit themes include lifespan development, learning, memory, cognition, motivation, social interactions, ethics of experimentations, psychological disorders and treatment, as well as research methods, measurement, and statistics. Since I’m a clinical psychologist, I launched the psych experience class and facilitated their first unit, which focused on personal learning and intelligence. We discussed different theories of intelligence, had the students take the Myers-Briggs personality assessment, and discussed different learning preferences. Students developed their own learning profiles, which included their strengths, personality traits, and some learning strategies. Going forward, students will study research…
Read More