Who’s ready? It’s unavoidable. A new and exciting school year is upon us! It is normal to feel a balance of emotions at this time, whether you are a parent, a student, or even a teacher! Now is the time to start valuable routines that will make the transition from summer to school a smooth and enjoyable one. 

Entitlement is a phenomenon that has become increasingly prevalent in today's society. So much of our children’s lives are fast-paced with a “here and now” mentality. Children who grow up feeling entitled often believe that they are owed things without having to work for them. This can lead to problems in their adult lives, as entitlement can hinder the ability to develop healthy relationships, succeed in the workplace, and be self-sufficient. Read more for key steps parents can take to avoid raising entitled children. 

Bleary-eyed and sleepy, your middle schooler awakens at 6:30 AM. After stumbling through their morning routine, they arrive at school about an hour later. The rest of the day is a cacophony of activity that includes classes, tests, projects, socializing with friends, in-school sports, and often extracurricular activities. With any luck, they are back in bed around 9:30 that night. So how can a busy middle schooler fit studying into this schedule?  

While much about education should and does change over time, one thing is certain: Deep learning comes not only from practice, but also from conceptualization, discussion, trial and error, collaboration, and review. Rather than rely on traditional teacher-led math instruction only, a math curriculum that incorporates all of these learning strategies can be much more effective. Read more to learn how to make math lessons stick. 

I cautiously took a sip of the warm homemade concoction I had been handed in a dixie cup. The solution had been whipped up before my eyes only minutes before by an ambitious 14-year-old student named Chad. I prepared to wince. Surprisingly, it wasn’t terrible. It wasn’t even bad. What is the Capstone experience at Independence? Read more to find out.

Besides the obvious family bonding experience and the noteworthy combat for fighting off boredom during those long summer days and nights, board games have a notable underlying superpower.  Did you know that playing board games contributes to the development of literally all of the Executive Functioning Skills your child needs throughout their lifetime?