Consider the Independent School Option

From the founding of the first independent school in America, the Collegiate School in Manhattan, in 1628 to the establishment of The Laboratory School in Chicago by the famous educational philosopher John Dewey, to the introduction of the Harkness method at Exeter Academy in 1931, independent schools have a long tradition of success in teaching and student development. 

A Tradition of Success and Innovation
The common characteristics of these schools have always been superior academics, exceptional opportunities, high levels of family and community involvement, and engaging and supportive learning environments.

Research Shows the Value
In 2011, the National Association of Independent Schools, in partnership with the Higher Education Research Institute, conducted a study entitled "Independent School Graduates: Well-Prepared, Open-Minded, and Eager to Learn" about the attitudes and attributes of independent school graduates.

The findings suggest that graduates of independent schools demonstrate a number of advantages including:

● Enhanced development of 21st century skills, such as evaluating and synthesizing multiple sources of information, problem solving, as well as the ability to support opinions with logical arguments.

● An eagerness to engage in intellectual, athletic, and social experiences that recognizes the importance of life outside the classroom.

In addition, children who attend independent schools perform better on national assessments such as the ACT, Advanced Placement, and Education Record Bureau (ERB) than national norms for their public school counterparts.

Prepared to Succeed
Ensuring all students are equipped with the skills necessary to make an impact is the hallmark of schools such as University School of Milwaukee. Beyond the data of student performance are the countless qualitative experiences that are unique to independent schools. These graduates enter society with a sense of purpose and drive that lasts throughout their lives. In fact, graduates of independent schools include political, public service, and business leaders who credit their experiences at these schools as the catalyst for success later in life.

Independent schools will continue to promote and advance innovation in the classroom — this is the “tradition” of independent education. As you consider the best educational environment for your child, consider the independent school option.

About the Author:
Sylvester Cutler is a teacher, coach, and administrator at University School of Milwaukee. He has an undergraduate degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. He is the Director of USM’s Grants and Scholarships Program, teaches a history elective course in sociology, and is a coach in the Boys Basketball Program.

Managing Technology at Home

It's no secret that the line between using technology at school and at home is becoming increasingly blurry. With students using personal computing devices during the school day, it is important to have guidelines for technology use at home. 

Based on the rules they implement at USM, Tom Mussoline, Middle School Academic Technology Coordinator, and Steve Villeneuve, Lower School Academic Technology Coordinator, compiled some helpful tips to help parents handle the use of devices at home. Although these tips were written with Lower and Middle School students in mind, they can be adapted for older students as well. (These tips have been excerpted from Tom and Steve's blog with their permission.)

Practical Tips:

• Permission. Asking permission to use the device should be mandatory, even if it is for homework.

• Location of device. A good rule of thumb is to always have the device in sight when children are using it. They should not be taking it into their bedroom, bathroom, or any other unsupervised area. 

• Establish good habits early. Children need guidelines and rules about what is an acceptable amount of time to spend on a device. Allocating time in 15- or 30-minute increments gives you a chance to check in and suggest that it’s time for a break. 

• Think about ownership. Deciding who the device “belongs” to can help head off problems, foster a sense of responsibility, and provide a basis for accountability. Is it mom’s and/or dad’s device that the children have permission to use? Is it owned by the family collectively but managed by the parents? Does it belong to a specific child? 

• Stress homework before computer work. Make sure your kids know that homework must be finished before they use the device for recreational use. 

• Limit multitasking. Media multitasking happens when kids are watching television, playing a game or other online activity, or listening to music – all while trying to do homework at the same time. It is not known exactly what effect this has on how kids learn, but experts do know that it takes longer to do tasks like homework when other activities are going on at the same time.

How to Make the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences

By Rebecca Neuwirth,

Sixth-grade mathematics teacher and MS Mathematics Dept. Chair/MS Academic Dean

When I was in school, I often found myself anxiously awaiting the return of my parents from parent-teacher conferences.   It was quite often that I had a feeling of dread as I saw our car pull into the garage, mostly because I was an imaginative child who tended to worry and who liked to express my opinions.  Would Mrs. Fetter really mention that I corrected her pronunciation of the most recent science vocabulary word and then giggled?  Would Miss Blank (seriously, that was her name) report that I had “potential” to excel, but that I “didn’t seem to like her class?” 

Fortunately, times have changed.  Not just because I’m on “the other side” now, but through the years, I have come to enjoy the opportunity to learn more about the children I teach through dialogue with their parents.  Although students in Middle School are usually forthcoming with more information than one would ever think to ask, parent-teacher conferences provide an important link to the success of any student.

 As I reflect on the conferences I have had with parents over the last three decades, there are a number of commonalities about “successful” conferences that stand out in my mind:

1.     All conferences should be approached with the best interest of the child in mind.  Both as parents and teachers, we must remember our goal is to provide the best all-around education for each student that we can possibly provide.  It is important to come to the conference with an open mind and a big heart!

2.     It is important for parents to inform the teacher about their child’s perceptions, feelings, and attitudes.  The intent should always be to relay facts accurately with the goal of arriving at a remedy or solution.  Both teachers and parents want to see happy, engaged children. By sharing information we can easily achieve this goal. 

3.     Both the parent and the teacher must be good listeners.  Allowing each person to voice what they see, hear, and think is extremely important.  We must remember that oftentimes children behave differently, depending on the audience and the environment.  As a mother of three daughters who have been through middle school, I know that what occurs at home is often quite different from what teachers see at school and vice versa.  Share anecdotes and stories that reveal your child in a different light.  I’m sure the teacher will, too! The personal touch is something to be nurtured and developed throughout the school year.  The more comfortable you are with your child’s teacher, the more comfortable your child will be in the classroom.

4.     The role of the teacher goes far beyond teaching subject content.  If “all is not right with the world,” your child may have some ups and downs academically.  Keeping a balance is essential. Ask your child what went well instead of asking what went badly.  What does he/she enjoy about a class or subject?  What is difficult for him/her?  If your child is struggling in some areas, come to conferences prepared to set things right. Believe that your child’s teachers are here to help in any way that they can.   I firmly believe that parent-teacher conferences provide the opportunity for “two (or three) heads to be definitely better than one!” Remember that we are in this, as parents and teachers, together.

5.     If you know ahead of time that there are specific concerns or topics to discuss about your child that will take longer than the allotted conference time, please make sure to email, call, or schedule an additional time to meet with your child’s teacher. It is in the best interest of all to take the needed time to talk things over and develop plans for your child’s future success. This is best done in a non-rushed, thoughtful way —not when there are many other parents waiting to speak to the teacher.

As adults, we need to keep in mind no one is perfect and, although we might want our children to strive to always do their best, there will be times when they fall short of their (and our) goals.  The most important lessons  are to instill in children a desire and love of learning, to give them the tools that they need to be resilient when they fall short of a goal, and to provide them with a safe environment in which they are free to take risks and have fun while testing new territories.  Learning (with all of its emotional, academic, and social components) should be viewed as an ongoing lifelong journey, not just something you do in school to earn a grade.

Report Cards Provide Opportunity for Positive Experience

By Paul Salerno,

Lower School Counselor and Parent Education Coordinator

Here are some suggestions for parents on how to make report card time a positive learning experience from Paul Salerno:

1.     Read the whole report card before reacting.

2.     Identify the specific strengths that are listed on the report card and write these down on a sheet of paper.

3.     Identify any challenges that are listed and write these down on a sheet of paper.

4.     Talk with your child calmly about the strengths and the challenges.

·       Be sure to start by praising your child for his/her strengths.

·       Focus then on any areas that need improvement. Let your child know that you and his/her teacher want your child to be successful in school.

·       Ask your child if there is anything that he/she thinks could be done differently at school during the next marking period to help improve the challenges.  Discuss these ideas.  Write these down and bring them with you to parent teacher conferences.

5.     Remember that a report card is just one measure of your child.  All children have plenty of strengths and their learning is ongoing.

6.     During conferences, look at examples of your child's work and discuss with her/his teacher suggestions for improvement.  Develop a plan to carry out these suggestions.

7.     Follow through on the plan developed at conferences.