August 17, 2012
Dear Lower School Families,
I would imagine that your dinner conversations have been monopolized with tales of the first days of school – new friendships that are forming, new backpacks that are making their debut and new expectations to be met. If your son or daughter is not forthright about sharing his or her day with you, restructure the way you phrase your question. Instead of asking, “What did you do today?” or “What did you learn today?” try something more specific, something that cannot be answered with the infamous “nothing.” You can use teacher newsletters and electronic pictures as resources when looking for specifics to evoke deeper conversations.
Here are a few examples:
“I heard that you read, The Kissing Hand, in class. What does the hand remind you of?”
“I saw pictures of your class making pattern caterpillars. What pattern did you make?”
“Your teacher mentioned that you were going on a scavenger hunt for Team Day. What was the hardest clue?”
I would also suggest that you change the time when you initiate the conversation. Some students open up in the solitude of the car on the ride home, others need time to process their day or have a snack before they share. Still others prefer to engage in reflective conversation at bedtime. Find a time when your son or daughter is most comfortable sharing their day to produce the most rewarding conversations.
For your calendars:
- Wednesday, August 22: Lower School Picture Day
- Wednesday, August 27-31: Speech and Language Screenings for JK-2nd grade students (permission slip required)
- Monday, September 3: No classes for Labor Day
- Wednesday, September 5: 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Lower School Parent Night
- Wednesday, September 19: 8:30 a.m. Lower School September Assembly featuring our Mandarin students
- Thursday, September 27: 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Friday, September 28: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Parent-Teacher Conferences
Samantha Kemmish
Head of Lower School
