Category Archives: Uncategorized

Always make time for a read aloud at home…

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I recently had the chance to share some of Mo Willem’s Elephant & Piggy Books with one of our kindergarten classes. Most of them knew the books and squealed wildly with delight in anticipation of what would come next. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, literacy, parenting, Seven Hills School, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Parent Behavior in the College Athletic Recruiting Process

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I have seen this play out up close and personally with many college athletes in the extended family. The fact that parent behavior is becoming an issue is very concerning. The positive coaching alliance has great resources here. Positive Coaching … Continue reading →

Posted in academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, athletics, College Admissions, college athletic recruitment, parenting, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, social emotional learning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Parent Guide: Common Sense Media

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

When there is too much information out there, parents can rely on Common Sense Media to help sort out how to look at everything from media consumption to  screen time to important issues in brain development. I have found this … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, Common Sense Media, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Washington Post on Play!

Posted on February 13, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

There is mounting evidence that allowing children to play and sort out their mini squabbles is great training for problem solving in the short and long terms. The more adults intervene, the more the message implied becomes “You can’t seem … Continue reading →

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Gratitude:the right recipe? Is there such a thing as too much gratitude?

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I think there is no down side in cultivating gratitude in ourselves and in our students. Making them aware of the fact that their families all sacrifice in some way to send them to our school; looking at models of … Continue reading →

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Teaching Traditional Ethics in Japanese Schools?

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

 I have recently become a student of all things Japanese, largely thanks to our Seven Hills Japanese Exchange Program. This is an interesting article in the Wall Street Journal about culture clashes (between the generations) in Japan. As we prepare … Continue reading →

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Tomorrow marks the release of a new report…

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

New Report on College Admissions about to be released by Harvard’s GSE and Rick Weissbourd! Because the Bay Area Heads had the chance to meet with Denise Pope last week, and she will be speaking at Seven Hills in April, … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, Challenge Success, childhood development, College Admissions, Denise Pope, Harvard's Caring Schools Initiative, Making Caring Common at Harvard, Rick Weissbourd, Seven Hills School, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Serendipity and its role in Innovation

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I am in the middle of visiting a few other schools to see what they are doing with innovation and how they are BUILDING IT into their curriculum. Making room for opportunity and then embracing it when it arrives, we … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, education, leadership, new york times, NY Times, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

KQED Mind Shift on avoiding or recovering from the Overparenting Trap.

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

5 Steps for Parents to Recover from Overparenting… KQED I am enjoying learning more about the reaction folks are having to this book. This piece is spot on. If we do not avoid overparenting, our children will revolt!

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Are we sending the right messages about what’s important?

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

After all, college admissions is a beginning, not an ending. This is a serious and honest piece about the damage we unwittingly inflict on children when we focus on the immediate outcome, rather than the long term journey… I think … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, childhood development, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment