Category Archives: Uncategorized

Authored by Dean Julius Now that we’re at the end of this series of gratitude blogs, I think it would be nice to take a moment to reflect. The thing that I’ve loved most about this Attitudes of Gratitude blog series is that it has been a constant, monthly, reminder to me to find joyContinue reading “8th Grade Attitudes of Gratitude”

Authored by Rachel Scott I am sure you are thinking, “No way! No how!” but just hear me out. I am not talking about real social media such as instagram, facebook, snapchat, etc. (I truly am not that crazy.), but a safe, secure environment for students to share ideas and work, collaborate with their peers,Continue reading “Social Media for Elementary Students? Well… Sort of, but not really.”

Authored by Marty Kelly Though my colleague and friend now, Ray McFarland was once my high school advisor who let my graduating class of seniors have a lock-in at the then brand new CPA. Talk about cool. He was also the actor that my family and I loved to watch at New Stage Theatre inContinue reading “Bravo Ad Infinitum: Spotlight on Ray McFarland”

Last month I blogged about the theme of this spring’s set of podcasts: bridging the faculty/admin divide. It’s a topic near and dear to my heart, and it’s one that has produced a host of complex topics of conversational focus, thanks to the faculty planning and hosting. In this inaugural episode of our fourth season,Continue reading “(Season 4) Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide Presents Episode 1: Unpacking Graduation Requirements with Colin Dunnigan”

Authored by Julie Rust “I’m also trying to remember to just be kind. To each other. To our students. To our administrators. Side point: there’s a toxic sentiment in schools that places teachers and administrators squarely against each other. I don’t like that. Our administrators are dealing with *stuff* too, and sometimes it’s hard toContinue reading “No Villains Here: Bridging the Faculty/Admin Divide”

Authored by Marty Kelly So I’ve got some great news. I finished that book I told y’all about that was giving me fits of guilt. That David Gemmell book about Aeneas before Aeneas was really Aeneas. It was okay. Bad news: I noticed a number of typos. Sigh.  Other bad news I didn’t talk aboutContinue reading “The Corner of “Practically Perfect in Every Way” and Practically Prepared to Binge Watch All Day”

Authored by Mary B. Sellers We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. George Bernard Shaw In the World of School, recess is spoken of in reverential tones, not only by students but also by teachers. The reasons range from the physiologically concrete to nostalgic to the abstract,Continue reading “Swinging into Childhood”

Authored by Dean Julius – from Roadside Lights by Eiji Ohashi There is roughly one vending machine for every 25 people in Japan, the highest number of vending machines per capita in the world. It’s an often popularized factoid about the island nation, especially for Westerners. Just take a moment to think about what moreContinue reading “Breaking the Education Vending Machine”

Authored by Rachel Scott 4th graders in Señora Buford’s Spanish class have spent the last several weeks focusing on creating content to share all about St. Andrew’s Lower School with students in Perú. Maya Buford, the Lower School Spanish teacher, began communicating in the fall with teachers from Lord Byron School in Arequipa, Perú. TheContinue reading “4th Graders Share St. Andrew’s with Students in Perú”

Authored by Rachel Scott Let me set the stage: A few years back, in the pre-pandemic world of education, I was a classroom teacher in a Mississippi Title 1 public school and a mom of four. I was never able to leave school until early evening and was mentally and physically exhausted by the endContinue reading “If You Ask a Teacher Out to Mexican”

Authored by Maggie Secrest What makes February so special? Every February, the U.S. honors the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped shape the nation. Black History Month celebrates the rich cultural heritage, triumphs, and adversities that are an indelible part of our country’s history. Below are some projects and posters you canContinue reading “February is a Time for Celebrating”

Authored by Marty Kelly (and Upper School colleagues) Have you ever had something that you never knew you really needed until you had it? Like something you lived your whole life without and now absolutely cannot live without? Like dry shampoo. Or a straightener. Or wine. Seriously, how did I ever live without them? TheyContinue reading “Simply the Best: Hollie Marjanovic”

Authored by Dean Julius (and various 7th graders) If the past two years have taught me anything, it’s that teaching was never easy, and a global pandemic only served to make the challenges of this career even more daunting. Trying to make deep, meaningful connections with twelve & thirteen-year-olds behind the veil of a ZoomContinue reading “7th Grade Attitudes of Gratitude”

Authored by Julie Rust When I was a fresh-faced 21-year-old middle school ELA teacher with big ideas and way too much confidence, I knew I was going to crush my admin’s class observation and evaluation. I loved these kids. They loved me. We were whirling through novels and grammar concepts and writing projects like nobody’sContinue reading “Presenting Val Prado’s “$450,000 Inheritance Project”: The Perfect Antidote to the School/Real World Divide”

There are so many reasons to celebrate this time of year. The holidays, of course, but in our school world we are celebrating the end of the 1st semester and all of the accomplishments, big and small, of our teachers and students. Join me as we take a short visual journey through recent pictures ofContinue reading “Tis the season at the lower school… to CELEBRATE!”

Students in David Bramlett’s statistics class put their learning on display this week through collaborative poster sessions this week. The project was a powerful way to put their semester’s learning to use, and presenting to small groups (rather than a formal speech to an entire class) was hugely preferred by the students. Of course, asContinue reading “Statistics Meets Academic Conference”

Since I began working at St. Andrew’s, I have kept a string of cards running across the windows of my classroom. Something over twenty feet of cards. Each card is from a student or colleague, and is a catalogue of gratitude over the course of the four years that I’ve been a teacher here. ItContinue reading “6th Grade Attitudes of Gratitude”

This post was contributed by Hollie Marjanovic. What better person to present on the topic of stress in a “high stakes” situation than Russell Marsalis, who coached in (and won) his first basketball state championship last March?!  Coach Marsalis did a fantastic job of explaining that every game you play is just a game–whether it isContinue reading “The Athletics-Academics Connection, and Why Preparing for Finals is a Lot Like Practicing for the Big Game”

I have a theory that we as humans need tribes.  As much as we all subscribe to the great unifying collectivity of our species, the notion of “we’re all in this together” can simply be too big for our small selves to contain.  We need groups the size of “I can hold you in myContinue reading “Why Teaching Two Year Olds is a Whole Lot Like Teaching Anyone: A Foundations Highlight”

(*Please, at least one person, tell me you get this reference.) Authored by Marty Kelly In my last post I confessed to not reading any books this semester. Well, technically I think I confessed to not finishing any books this semester. Which honestly is weirder than my saying I haven’t started any books. You see,Continue reading “Looky, Looky, I got Book(s)y*”