Why we ned to value kindness over achievement… The Atlantic Monthly

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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This article by Adam Grant and Allison Sweet Grant reinforces so much of what we mean when we say “Whole Child” at Seven Hills School. Enjoy!

Stop Trying to Raise Successful Kids

 

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HuffPost: Why I dropped out of the Ivy League

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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I read this with great interest as I think about so many students working themselves sick for the “college admissions prize” and then wondering, “no what?” A very compelling read.

HuffPost: One student’s perspective on the college arms race, and dropping out after “winning”

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Posted on September 6, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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This is a great article which reminds me of the advice of Madeleine Levine a few years ago. These come right out of Teach Your Children Well.

-Don’t do for your children what they can do for themselves.

-Don’t do for your children what they can ALMOST do for themselves.

-Don’t confuse your needs with your children’s needs.

Washington Post: Parent Perspective on Helping Students Reset

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EDUTOPIA: What happens when we rush children through childhood…

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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Some great reminders about the role of wonder in childhood and resisting the “adultification” of childhood. This is something our early childhood educators in Rainbow and RedBarn know so well!

EDUTOPIA: Let’s Not Rush Children through Childhood

 

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NY Times Parenting tips at home for schoolwork…

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Some easily implementable ideas here. And similar to what I am hearing teachers discuss in faculty meetings about what works best in school, it’s also true at home:

 

Happy Opening!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adolescent development, childhood development, ECE Early Childhood Education, education, global skills, new york times, NY Times, parenting, parenting middle school aged children, resilience, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, social emotional learning | Tagged , | Comments Off on NY Times Parenting tips at home for schoolwork…

Parenting in a time of chaos in the news…

Posted on August 7, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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Parenting is fraught with issues as 24 hour news cycles plague us with the most recent stories of violence, hate speech and hateful rhetoric. The following NY Times parenting piece reminded me of when I held my 11 month old son in my arms and watched the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995 and the senseless death of so many including children at a day care center in the federal building that morning. It was horrific, and the senselessness of it all was debilitating.

Here are some resources for parents and teachers:

New York Times Parenting: How to help manage after violence in the news

Common Sense Media: Impact of violence in news on children

Suggested by Ms. Woods from Seven Hills:

“From Mourning to Action”
“What Is the Alt-Right?”
“When Bad Things Happen”
To be continued…
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Common Sense Media New Report on Screens

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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Check out the latest from Common Sense Media about screens and sleep for children and parents. There is something for everyone as we think about how much we let  screens rule our lives!

Adults, Teens, Sleep and Devices around the world.

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Washington Post Opinion on “Just Right” parenting

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

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This opinion piece in the Washington Post speaks to cultivating trusting, dependable relationships with children as the best possible foundation. It’s seems simple, and yet, I have seen so many examples of this strategy resulting in confident, competent young adults. Enjoy!

How Parents Can Help Their Children

 

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The College Admissions Game!

Posted on March 13, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

“No word yet on what it means for long-term happiness to find out your parents lied to get you into college in the first place.” Alyssa Nadworny, Anya Kamenetz, NPRharvardpublicopinionpoll_slide-d3ed78f4d5be590079e11892dfab66b07c154adf-s800-c85.jpg

This latest news about the College Admissions Scandal sends the worst possible message to unwitting children who had no idea what their parents were doing: You might not be enough, so we are making it happen for you. We cannot prepare the path for the child; we truly must prepare each child for the path!

Here are two interesting viewpoints from today’s headlines from NPR Report and  The Atlantic.

 

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, Admissions, College Admissions, college athletic recruitment, education, global skills, parenting, Rick Weissbourd | Tagged | Comments Off on The College Admissions Game!

Simon Sinek at NAIS

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

“We have to learn to lead for the game we are in.”

How do you lead in the infinite game? you advance within the infinite game, you do not win.

Simon Sinek’s message: What does it mean to live an infinite life?

Why is an infinite mindset the right one for schools?

  1. just cause: reason to come to work; the reason your school exists; mission so compelling.
  2. trusting teams: the people who work there love what they are doing; being honest about one what needs; circle of safety; lying, hiding, faking vs, asking for help, saying there is a stress at home and I need help; talking
  3. worthy rival: as good or better than you at what you do; they make you better; who you admire so you can be better and better; rivalry is good; competition is not,
  4. capacity for existential flexibility: infinite mindset vs. finite mindset; a surprise is an opportunity
  5. courage to lead: communicate constantly what you believe; attract people who believe what you believe and turn away those that do not;

This is HARD; it’s uncertain; this work is a process, not an event; becoming an infinite-minded leader means agreeing to be on a journey of constant improvement; it’s not finite; it’s a lifestyle.

 

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