Tag Archives: education

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 →

Posted in childhood development, gratitude, Uncategorized | Tagged education, educational leadership, gratitude, parenting | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, leadership in children, Uncategorized | Tagged education, parenting | Leave a comment

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 Challenge Success, Denise Pope, education, educational leadership, Harvard GSE, Making Caring Common, parenting, Rick Weissbourd, seven hills school walnut creek | 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 21st Century Education, 21st Century Skills, education, educational leadership | 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!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, adult development, childhood development, Uncategorized | Tagged education, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

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 education, high stakes testing, parenting, Seven Hills School | Leave a comment

Boston Globe on Parenting

Posted on December 4, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

The proliferation of articles and blog posts on parenting and fears of parents lead me to the obvious and inevitable conclusion that we, as parents, are too consumed with our children as our bumper stickers. Life is messy, and our … Continue reading →

Posted in adult development, childhood development, fear, parenting in 2015, social emotional learning | Tagged CAIS, CAIS Seven Hills Walnut Creek CA, contra costa county ca, education, independent schools, NAIS, NAIS Seven Hills Walnut Creek CA, parenting, private school, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

The New York Times: Reading

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

“Kids who read more get better at reading, and because they are better at reading, it’s easier and more pleasurable so they read still more,” he said. “And kids who read well don’t just do better in English class — … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, new york times, NY Times, parenting in 2015, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek | Tagged education, literacy, NY Times, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

The Atlantic: parental pressure…

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

I am forever pushing back against the demonization of parents. Many of us are doing the best we can, or at least the best we think we should be doing. There are some sobering facts here, and again, I am … Continue reading →

Posted in academic excellence in elementary schools, body image, childhood development, education, fear, grit, leadership in children, The Atlantic Monthly | Tagged Atalantic Monthly, character education, childhood development, education, parenting, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment

Wanda Holland Greene on Hamlin’s new “no Rescue” Policy

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Wanda Holland Greene is a colleague in San Francisco. I admire the goal of this post and the fact that Hamlin, under Wanda’s leadership, has created a new, badly needed conversation in the world of parenting. I have said in … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, childhood development, Uncategorized, Wanda Holland Greene | Tagged education, independent School ideas, parenting, Seven Hills School, seven hills school walnut creek | Leave a comment