Friday, June 27, 2014

Praying on there Past Year

I must confess, I breathed a sigh of relief as the school year came to an end. There were definitely some challenges along the way; many obstacles to overcome. At the same time I began to remember some of the wonderful highlights that brought joy and my praise and thanks to God. I was looking for a prayer that would represent my mixture of feelings and came across this article  by the Rev. Daniel R. Heischman, D.D., Executive Director of NAES.  Praying-on-the past-year He refers to a book by Anne Lamott Help-Thanks-Wow-Three Essential Prayers

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Case for Arts Education


Southwest School of Art and San Antonio Symphony leaders say explosing children to arts leads to smarter, happier and more successful adults. Read more in the San Antonio Magazine July 2014 edition.


Elementary students from St. Paul's Episcopal Montessori School work on the back drop for their musical presentation " The Lost Boy". Students participated in the SAS Young People's concert series. Art and music are the backdrop 
                                                                                    to the curriculum!

Sunday, June 22, 2014

How Children Succeed


Why do some children succeed while others fail? The story we usually tell about childhood and success is the one about intelligence: success comes to those who score highest on tests, from preschool admissions to SATs. 
But in How Children Succeed Paul Tough argues that the qualities that matter more have to do with character: skills like perseverance, curiosity, optimism, and self-control.
“Drop the flashcards—grit, character, and curiosity matter even more than cognitive skills. A persuasive wake-up call.”—People

Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Whole-Brain Child


Dr, Tina Bryson, co-author (with Dan Siegel) of the best selling
The Whole-Brain Child will be a keynote speaker at the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools in Fort Worth in June.
Bryson is a pediatric and adolescent psychotherapist and the School Counselor at St. Mark's School in Altadena, CA.
In the book The Whole Brain Child, Bryson and Dan Siegel introduce parents and other caregivers to practical strategies based on cutting-edge brain science. A central principle of the book is that the strategies can help parents not only survive difficult moments with their children, but  these moments can actually be used to help their children thrive.