Growing Together: How Mentorship Matters
By Heather Woodcock,
Programmatic Advisor and Instructional Coach | April 06, 2023
While on a recent walk in the woods, a friend told me that a tree planted in a small clearing of an old forest has a much better chance of growing successfully than a tree planted in an open field. I was skeptical at first since the tree in the field gets all the sun, […]
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When Our Small Acts Count Most
By Connie Yepez,
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging | March 31, 2023
I recently met with other school leaders when this question was posed, “How do we engage with our school values when we’re tired, overwhelmed, and generally not at our best?” I’ve been thinking about this question for several days now. I wonder, with all the things happening in the world that might make us feel […]
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The Questions of Early Spring Are Blooming Again
By Brendan Largay,
Head of School | March 24, 2023
At this time of year, two questions inevitably spring into my world: What are you reading right now? Why Pre-K to Grade 8? The first is a question that comes often from within the BDS community of parents and faculty. Folks who, in all likelihood, are starting to cobble together their summer reading lists. The […]
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Early Literacy Instruction at BDS
By Heather Smith,
Learning Specialist, Reading | March 17, 2023
Every day I am inspired by how classroom teachers demonstrate excellence by incorporating a structured literacy approach into a very rich, dynamic, meaning-based literacy program that fosters strategic, flexible, joyful readers. Let’s begin by taking a tour, and a stroll around the block of early elementary classrooms. The first stop is pre-kindergarten. On one side […]
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Where ‘Only Human’ Matters Most: Teaching Digital Wellness
By Annie Fuerst,
Director of Innovation | March 10, 2023
I had planned to use this space to share my top guidelines for healthy digital habits. But the truth is, as I started writing, I decided to use ChatGPT to compile a list for me in another tab. Me: Hello! Can you give me some tips to share with students who are starting to use […]
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Helping Students Resist Polarization
By Liz Gray,
Middle School Head; Grade 7 Social Studies Teacher | March 03, 2023
Last week, with the support of Belmont Day and the National Association of Independent School (NAIS) Aspiring Heads Fellowship, I was fortunate to attend the NAIS annual conference in Las Vegas. This year’s theme was Cultivating Community, and one thing became very clear—there are a lot of brilliant and powerful people working very hard today […]
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