Sandburg: The Surprising Reasons Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine (part 2)

4 days ago In the last issue of Sandburg Sayings newsletter, I shared the first portion of an article  written by Michelle Borba, an educational psychologist, entitled: The Surprising Reasons Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine     That first portion of the article addressed self-confidence and empathy as traits that we as parents need to teach our children to help them thrive in today’s world. READ MORE

Sandburg: Being Rude. Being Mean. Being Bullied. What's the Difference?

Apr 19, 2022 As parents, we are concerned about bullying, protecting our kids from it, and making sure their kids aren’t engaging in it. But with so much talk about bullying, sometimes we call behavior “bullying” that is actually not. So how can you tell the difference? Being rude is inadvertently saying or doing something that hurts someone else. READ MORE

Sandburg: The Surprising Reasons Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine

Apr 19, 2022 As an elementary school principal, one of the things I do “after hours” is read — a LOT.  I’m always on the lookout for things that can help me as a principal; help our teachers; help our students; or help you as parents.  When reading over this past weekend, I found something that I hope will be very useful to you as parents.  Due to the length of the article, I’ll be splitting it into several issues of the newsletter. READ MORE

Sandburg: Tips on Raising Caring Kids

Apr 5, 2022 What does it take to raise a compassionate child?  Here are some suggestions for parents and teachers that are based on psychological research: • Praise is more effective than rewards. If we want to reinforce caring, rewards run the risk of leading children to be kind only when a carrot is offered, whereas praise communicates that sharing is intrinsically worthwhile for its own sake. • With children around 8 years old, praise character, not actions. READ MORE

Sandburg: Why Read Aloud with Your Child?

Apr 5, 2022 Parents read to children for all the same reasons we talk to them: to inform, to inspire, to caution, to entertain, and to connect.  But beyond those reasons, there are still other reasons parents should read aloud to their children clear through the end of elementary school. It makes a pleasure connection between child and print. No one is born wanting to either play basketball or to read. That desire must be planted by someone outside the child. READ MORE

Sandburg's Home/School Agreement: The Student's Role

Mar 25, 2022 As the weather warms up, it’s often tempting to put less emphasis on school.  Although this is a natural temptation, it’s not in the best interest of our children.  With a quarter of the school year left, it’s important for boys and girls to “give it all they’ve got. READ MORE

Sandburg: Helping Your Child Be a Better Reader

Mar 25, 2022 One thing that sets good readers apart is the questions they ask themselves while they are reading.  To the eye, reading might look like a sedentary task.  However, good readers’ minds are anything but sedentary.  Research shows that good readers ask themselves questions as they are reading. READ MORE

Sandburg: Learning and Things from Home Don't Mix

Mar 25, 2022 Here’s a riddle for you: Q: What do lip gloss, a pocketful of money, jewelry, and toys have in common? A: These things have shown up at Sandburg School lately and have taken learning time away from your child. Please be vigilant in helping us keep distractions from learning out of your child’s school day. The items listed above have shown up at Sandburg. Often, they get passed to another student as a token of friendship. READ MORE