The Second Grade Assembly

Second graders were the first to host an assembly for the Lower School this year. After an introduction to our new Lower School chef, Mr. Ricardo, each second grade, dressed in costume, introduced themselves as a character in a favorite book as the book cover was projected on the large screen.

Fifth Graders Go to Frost Valley

Dwight-Englewood fifth graders have been going to Frost Valley each year since well before the merger with the Bede School in 1993. Frost Valley is an exceptionally well run YMCA facility in Claryville, New York that provides programs for families and school groups throughout the year. The three-day trip is scheduled early in the school year so that by the time everyone returns, it is difficult to tell new from returning students. Activities like the low ropes course in the photo build community, emphasizing teamwork and mutual support. In addition, students love pond studies and canoeing on the lake, along with evening programs that introduce them to live birds and reptiles. What they remember most is that it was fun, with many reporting that it is in the big three of what they liked most about the fifth grade: Frost Valley, their preschool and kindergarten buddies and the Opera.

These overnight/away experiences develop a sense of independence for our students. It begins in fourth grade with a single overnight trip to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. All grades fourth and above have overnight experiences, some built into the curriculum for up to a week. In grades where they are many new students, as is the case for the fifth grade, the focus is on integration. In other grades the focus is on a shared curricular topic.

Check Out Mr. Ostrer, our fifth grade math teacher, in the NYT!

First and fourth grade buddies reading together

Sleep – Brain Rule #7

Sleep is one of the of the 12 brain rules, (#7) outlined by Dr. John Medina, developmental molecular biologist and brain researcher, in his book “Brain Rules.” He argues powerfully that getting enough sleep is essential for proper brain function. Three years ago, all faculty were asked to read “Brain Rules” as preparation for a year-long professional development effort to investigate how recent brain research informs how we all teach your children. Rule # 7 relates to an article (below) that I wrote for Lower School Notes several years ago. What I now know is that adequate sleep is also essential for proper learning, for it is during sleep that the brain rapidly repeats, and replays what happened during the day and is essential in the formation of memories, which are based on the formation of neural connections .

Ezzzzzzzzzzential

In a recent conversation with a teacher, she told me how she had spoken with a parent whose child who was coming to school grumpy and not ready to work. Her advice was to establish a regular bedtime that would assure more sleep. Two days later, the difference in the child was as if between night and day. It was so clear that the advice had been taken that the teacher did not even have to confirm it with the parent. As I have gotten older, I know that I need more sleep. If I push the limit, I will pay the price the next day and maybe beyond. At different stages in our lives, our need for sleep changes.

A quick check on the National Sleep Foundation’s website (www.sleepfoundation.org) confirmed that elementary school-aged students have a significantly greater need for sleep than older children and young adults. Their recommendation for ages 3-5 are from 11 to 13 total hours of sleep (including nap times, which children usually grow out of before they are 5). That means if a 4 year-old child has a one hour nap in the afternoon and wakes at 7:00 a.m., he or she needs to go to sleep at 8:00 p.m. to get a total of 12 hours of sleep! Children aged 5 to 12 need between 10 and 11 hours. To assure a third grader 10 hours of sleep with a 7:00 a.m. wake-up time, bedtime should be by 9:00 p.m.

Many families have one or both parents arrive home late from work. There are sports leagues, music lesson and homework, all of which make it difficult to squeeze in that important regular family time and get enough sleep. Add to this the complications of the different needs and bedtimes of older siblings, distractions like TV and the allure of computer games….. , and it becomes clear that parents need to be skilled and energetic traffic cops, proficient in juggling and capable of chiding and nurturing simultaneously. Whew!

Here are some recommendations from the National Sleep Foundation on how to help assure that children will get the sleep necessary for them to be receptive learners and able to engage fully and positively with their school experiences:

Sleep Tips For Preschoolers:

• Maintain a daily sleep schedule and consistent bedtime routine.
• Make the bedroom environment the same every night and throughout the night.
• Set limits that are consistent, communicated and enforced. Encourage use of a security object such as a blanket or stuffed animal.

Sleep Tips for School-aged Children

• Teach school-aged children about healthy sleep habits.
• Continue to emphasize need for regular and consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine.
• Make child's bedroom conducive to sleep – dark, cool and quiet.
• Keep TV and computers out of the bedroom.
• Avoid caffeine that is most often found in chocolate and soft drinks.

Our four grown children love to tease us by reminding us how we “tortured” them when we invested in thick, room-darkening shades so we could put them to bed in the summer before it got dark! As they eventually have their own families, they will realize the benefits from having some guaranteed adult time for parents too.

A good night’s sleep, followed by a real breakfast, will make sure your child is ready to get the best out of every day.