Back to School Night, Michaelmas, and More!
Back to School Night and Presentation with Kim John Payne
Please join us on Monday, September 28 for our Back to School Night and Zoom Presentation with Kim John Payne. We will gather starting at 4:45 p.m. with refreshments and will start the program at 5:15 p.m. Kim John Payne will join us at 5:30 p.m. for his presentation on Social Inclusion. Please RSVP (see previous post) by the end of today! Thank you!
Important Dates
Monday, September 28: Back to School Night and Kim John Payne Event 4:45 to 7 p.m.
Friday, October 2: Michaelmas Festival 9 a.m. to noon
Wednesday, October 21: Board of Trustees Meeting at 3:30 p.m.
Friday, October 30: No school for the Halloween Journey
Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day - No School
Michaelmas Festival - Important Information!
Please read the below reminders about our Michaelmas Festival. Thank you!
* The Michaelmas Festival will be held at Leadbetter Beach from 9 a.m.- 12 p.m. Drop off and pick up will be at the beach (not school).
*You can pull into the parking lot to drop off or to park. The parking is self-pay. We will be on the sand just beyond the end of the parking lot on the right.
* All family members are welcome to join! If you have a student in the Grades, he/she may be dropped off and picked up at the beach. Please note there is no aftercare. Some families choose to stay after the festivities have concluded and picnic together.
* Please make sure your child is dismissed by his/her class teacher at pick up time.
* Please make sure to read the messages from your child's teacher about Michaelmas and any costuming or grade specific needs.
* Following the play, the students will participate in Michaelmas challenges so school/beach-appropriate clothing should be worn or brought.
*Please be sure your child has a water bottle and a healthy, hearty snack.
* Please bring a blanket or beach chair to sit on during the day. Also, this beach is a shared space so please be mindful of your things and make sure trash is disposed of before you leave.
* And lastly, please note, this is a dog free event.
We look forward to celebrating Michaelmas as a community!
Halloween Journey Save the Date!
Save the date for our annual Halloween Journey on Friday, October 30! This event is an alternative way to celebrate Halloween with your children. Our entire campus is transformed into a magical realm with fairy tale vignettes meant to inspire magic and wonder for all!
Look for opportunities coming soon to support this incredible community event!
Kim John Payne: Easing Tension Around Homework and Music Practice
In this episode, Kim John Payne addresses the daily challenge of getting children to do difficult but regular tasks like music practice and homework. He introduces the "grit sandwich" principle: soft on both ends with firmness in the middle. The approach begins with connection before direction, moving close to a child's world for a few minutes through quiet play, watching their project, or simply sitting beside them. This connection doesn't need to be wildly exuberant or time consuming since you'll soon be transitioning to the harder task.
The middle layer is the practice or homework itself, which Kim strongly recommends making time-based rather than content based. For younger children, 10 to 15 minutes is plenty. For tweens and teens, 45 minutes to an hour maximum, followed by a real break. This prevents both defeat from overwhelm and obsessive late-night homework sessions. During instrument practice, parents can accompany children by doing their own quiet work nearby: journaling, mending, craft projects. Kim cautions against phones or laptops, which cause parents to "excarnate" from a child's awareness. For teenagers doing longer homework, parents can touch in and touch out periodically, picking up a project for a minute before moving on. The final layer is another connection point: an "I remember when" story, reading from a chapter book together, baking, playing catch, or simply hanging out with a pet. Done ritualistically, this three-part structure helps shift hard things into opportunities to draw closer together.
