Category Archives: Child Matters

One Little Word, (OLW) 2020

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

Something keeps showing up again and again in my life across the past several months. It’s out of place with my status quo. Why? It takes place outside even in the heat and in the cold. It’s active, but it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in blogging, Child Matters, Learning, One Little Word, Principal, thoughts, Truths | Tagged , | 2 Comments

How Can I Help My Child Improve in Reading?

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

Photo courtesy of Dads Read, Public Library Services How can I, as a parent, affect my child’s reading life? If you look on the internet you might come away with the idea that you need to heavily scaffold the reading … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Child Matters, close reading, Family, Home, libraries, reading | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Courageous Kids

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

Image courtesy of melinda365 photography   We welcomed a new student to school today, on the eleventh day of school. A kindergartener, who walked straight down the big front steps, into the two story building toward his classroom.  How he … Continue reading →

Posted in celebration, Child Matters, Small Moment | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

THAT child

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

I read this blog post a couple of years ago  when it was first written.  I understood it then from a teachers’ point of view. Today it was shared with me again and I realized I have a whole new … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, Learning, parenting, Passion for teaching, perceptions, Principal, Teaching, thoughts, Truths | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Learning in Public

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

I got to have a long-breakfast-lunch-time with a treasured colleague who’s become a heart friend last week. Thanks to a once in a blue moon Wednesday holiday from school, he – from the East Coast – Brooklyn – and me from … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, Learning, Step up, lean in, lead., Teaching, thoughts | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Culmination 2016

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

It has been nearly an entire year since I first walked through the gates of the Sweetest Little School by the Sea to serve as the Principal. It has been a year filled with so much wonderful my heart can hardly … Continue reading →

Posted in celebration, Child Matters, culmination, Principal | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

It’s What’s Up

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

The school site is a hive abuzz. We have reached the apex of our year together. Students sit, heads bowed low over texts and computers. Pencils scritch-scritch-scritch with thoughts and responses, working to show all they know on high-stakes standardised … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, Passion for teaching, Principal, Step up, lean in, lead., Students First, thoughts, Truths | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Pinch of Green

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

Today was free dress day at the Sweetest Little School by the Sea. Children spilled off buses and piled out of cars wearing flouncy skirts, poofy sleeves, suit coats and neckties. A couple boys and a girl or two donned bowties. … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, Holidays, Learning, Small Moment, SOL2016, Truths | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Reading Non-Fiction with Power

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

I’ve spent some time thinking about how to help students read informational text.  If you’re an educator, you have too.  I’ve gathered a lot of strategies across years to further this effort. This is difficult work because often children want … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, close reading, Learning, Passion for teaching, SOL2016, Students First, Teaching, thoughts, Truths | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

No More Sound it Out

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be You

We’re working as a school on improving our ability to grow students as readers. One of the ways we are doing this is by pulling students into small groups each day and reading with them. We use books that are … Continue reading →

Posted in Child Matters, Learning, reading, SOL2016, Students First, Teaching | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments