Author Archives: Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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About Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

an educator in Independent Schools for over 38 years

The school that works together and plays together saws trees and gets us up and running together…

Dealing with the aftermath of Sandy on campus!

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a new film about dyslexia…on HBO

I had the honor to attend the opening of an HBO documentary about dyslexia. A very powerful story and lots of fodder for those of us in schools…watch it as it premieres on Monday, October 29, 2012. http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-big-picture-rethinking-dyslexia/index.html

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What makes the difference in the classroom?

Interesting piece on environments that are conducive to learning… http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/07/opinion/sunday/intelligence-and-the-stereotype-threat.html?emc=eta1

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“Be Kind. Be Fair, Be Responsible.” On kindness…

On kindness… In our busy world and our busy lives, we need to remember the simple acts of kindness that allow us to connect as human beings. We need to model this kindness for children. When they see us lose … Continue reading

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Financial Literacy? Start ’em young…

Thinking about what our children need to understand the role of money in their lives, here are two great resources for parents… http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/04/deciding-what-an-allowance-is-for/?emc=eta1 http://www.sharesavespend.com/ForParents.aspx

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Parenting books

At last week’s Back to School Night for Primary School, I discussed the author Wendy Mogul and her book, The Blessings of a Skinned Knee. As parents look for guideposts of parenting advice, this is one of my top ten. … Continue reading

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Let the games begin…

The faculty are ready, the classrooms have been prepared, the paint has dried and we are ready, ready for 243 students in grades pre-K through 9th grade to come through the doors and open the 2012-13 school year. Last week … Continue reading

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What I am learning from Madeline Levine…

I had just heard about Madeline Levine’s new book, Teach Your Children Well, and had just started to read it this weekend, when I stumbled upon her article in today’s Sunday Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/opinion/sunday/raising-successful-children.html?hp As a parent engaged in the minefield … Continue reading

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talking to children about tragedy…

The horrific events of the Colorado shootings and the results of the Freeh report and sanctions against Penn State (and the continuous 24-hour news cycle surrounding both) mean that parents are now grappling with how much information to give children, … Continue reading

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how we explain the unexplainable?

How we as a nation and a community of adults invested in educating children think about, process and address unexplainable tragedies. Between the movie theater shooting and all the reaction to the NCAA sanctions of Penn State announced this morning, … Continue reading

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