Category: Life Skills

“Kids Need Social Practice”: An Interview with Phyllis Fagell

Posted by: admin on April 24th, 2022

As we near the end of another COVID-impacted school year, I sat down with Phyllis Fagell, school counselor and author of Middle School Matters. I wanted to know what she is seeing in the halls of her school and in her work with parents, students, and teachers, as we all search for ways to recover […]

5 Things for Waiting Seniors (& Other Teens) To Do Around Washington, DC

Posted by: admin on February 10th, 2022

The state of suspense that comes after hitting the submit button on your college applications is not an enviable position, to say the least. You’re likely playing out every possible scenario in your head – admitted, denied, wait-listed – trying to formulate a plan for every outcome. Every waking (and sleeping) hour is consumed by […]

Freshman Year: Spring 2022 Remix

Posted by: admin on February 8th, 2022

Freshmen year, spring 2022. Ah, it must feel great to spend your freshman year in your high school’s classrooms and hallways, at club meetings and chorus practice, and on the basketball courts and soccer fields instead of on Zoom in your bedroom or closet. The safety practices of masking and distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic […]

In-Person School: A Return to Normalcy?

Posted by: admin on February 3rd, 2022

Students, families, and teachers alike were looking forward to returning to the school building this year, hoping to regain semblances of their normal routines. After last year’s virtual school and hybrid schedules, many students were eager to return to the building full-time, longing for the opportunity to socialize in person and engage in extracurricular activities […]

“What Are You Doing for Others?”

Posted by: admin on January 13th, 2022

Community service has been on my mind a lot lately. When January rolls around, we have two huge opportunities to think about the role that service can play in our lives. On the third Monday in January, we celebrate the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A few weeks later, on the third […]

5 Tips for Hitting Refresh on Extracurriculars

Posted by: admin on September 28th, 2021

This fall, you’ll be heading into your school building to spend your classes, lunch, and extracurricular time with your classmates and friends. Although many of us will be masked and social distancing, it is an exciting time to get moving in all the ways that make high school a fun social experience. So, good luck […]

Try It! Stepping Out of the Routine

Posted by: admin on June 8th, 2021

We know that sticking to a routine — a steady rhythm of study, play, sleep, repeat — can be really productive and leave you feeling great! It can help you get your homework done and finish long-term projects, all while also giving you the time bond with your friends, teammates, and other peers. A reliable […]

The Jump to High School Research: Active Learning

Posted by: admin on June 8th, 2021

I recently asked my daughter, who is nearing the end of her freshman year of high school, what she would have wanted to know at the beginning of this year that she knows now. Her answer? “I needed help learning how to research. That really helped my learning in all classes click.” This was not […]

Class Participation is a Team Sport

Posted by: admin on April 27th, 2021

For many of you, the last few weeks have brought a welcome return to the classroom for in-person learning. One of the silver linings of the pandemic has been a deeper appreciation of things we’ve all grown accustomed to taking for granted, and going to school definitely falls into that category. I can’t tell you […]

How to Adult, Part II

Posted by: admin on April 15th, 2021

When does adulthood start? Right on your 18th birthday? A little before, or maybe even years after? Where is the line? And why does that line have to be so dreadful? Other generations, Gen Z especially, have taken to making fun of millennials and our seemingly incessant need to “kidify” things. Even the term “adulting” […]