Head's Up, Kathleen McNamara

Sometimes, a good parenting article enters my orbit…

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

This would have been helpful to me as my own children were navigating not only their elementary and middle school years, but my own expectations of what those experiences should look like…

Parenting from Boston Globe Magazine

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, Harvard's Caring Schools Initiative, parenting | Tagged children, community, education, family, Japan, middle school, parents, relationships, students, teachers | Comments Off

Which skills really matter? Forbes 2018

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Amity Millhiser was our keynote speaker last week for our Career Pathways event in San Francisco. She’s a great resource for us at Seven Hills.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitymillhiser/2018/12/06/tech-skills-are-in-demand-but-companies-cant-lose-sight-of-soft-skills/#73e772211c2b

Posted in 21st Century Skills, education, global skills, parenting | Comments Off

Should the goal be Straight-As? Adam Grant says no…

Posted on December 9, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I have been an Adam Grant fan for a while. The faculty and staff read one of his books last summer, Give and Take, after I heard him speak at NAIS last year. I agree wholeheartedly with this piece. It ties right in with so many messages we have heard from our Seven Hills Career Pathways speakers over the last two years!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adult development, childhood development, education, global skills, Harvard's Caring Schools Initiative, leadership, new york times, NY Times, parenting | Tagged @7HillsSchoolWC, @@AdamMGRant, @MsMcNamara7H, school | Comments Off

Being Grateful CAN prolong your life…

Posted on November 24, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

At Seven Hills, one of our core values is Be Grateful. We teach students to be aware of how lucky they are to be able to attend Seven Hills and to recognize that not everyone is as fortunate. We teach them that our differences make us stronger and that our common humanity makes us responsible for our world.

Prevention: The Benefits of Gratitude

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, education, empathy, global skills, gratitude, leadership in children, parenting, parenting middle school aged children, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, social emotional learning | Tagged gratitude in children | Comments Off

Before we know the election results…

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I have a clear recollection after the 2016 election that I wished I had anticipated where the hot spots would be in our community, regardless of outcome. As we try and help our students make sense of an increasingly polarized political climate, this article feels like it asks some important questions to use at guideposts.

Washington Post: Post election civility!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, adolescent development, education, empathy, fear, global skills, parenting, washington post | Tagged citizenship, voting | Comments Off

Independent School Magazine: Why Inclusion is the thing!

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

What I love here is the ways schools, specifically Athenian, can measure for inclusion.

Why Diversity without Inclusion is a half-baked solution…

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, diversity, education, global skills, inclusion, leadership, Making Caring Common at Harvard | Comments Off

The Atlantic: How to address loneliness

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

As loneliness remains a troubling and pervasive problem in America and around the world, teaching preventive skills to students could help create future generations that are healthier and more socially connected.

One could feel despair in reading this quote, but because we spend time naming emotions and working through how to be empathic and ask for help, I feel optimistic that Seven Hills students are learning important skills, through kimochis, conflict resolution and open session.

The Atlantic: Social-Emotional Curriculum: Teaching children about loneliness