“Sawa Bona” in the Yellow Room

Uncategorized

by Guest Blogger, Lisa Solar

Have you ever breezed past an acquaintance or colleague, offered a snap smile and a quick “Hi, How are you?” without listening for the answer?  Probably.  Most of us have.  It’s common habit in American and many other cultures to offer this rote greeting and inquiry, and then move on.  It’s the friendly thing to do, right?

But what if we could pause for a moment right then, and make a concerted effort to look at someone and truly acknowledge them, even for just a few seconds?  Could it make a tiny difference in that person’s day?  Could altering our greeting rituals just a little, and learning to move through the world with a little more intention, a little more connection, begin a chain reaction of kindness and caring that might effect an even more profound change?  I think so. (more…)

Individual Differences, Part V: Birth Order

Uncategorized

this post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

Each year, our school community is made up a little differently and our classrooms take on a collective “personality”.  In getting to know each class as a group, among other things, we gather information about the birth order of the children.  (more…)

Individual Differences, Part III: All Corners of Our Community

Uncategorized

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

At SLC, 87% of our school population is made up of Evanston residents, while 13% live in Skokie, Wilmette, Chicago and Glencoe.  We would not consider ourselves a neighborhood school in that our families live all over the Evanston area.  In fact, last year, SLC children fanned out to 26 different kindergartens!   (more…)

Individual Differences, Part II: Gender

Uncategorized

This post is part of a five post series on Individual Differences.

As a school community, SLC is split between 96 boys and 87 girls.  Most preschools in Evanston are reporting this year as a “boy heavy” year, so a margin of 9 is quite balanced!   (more…)