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Advocating for our Students

Advocating for our Students ABOUT A 2 MINUTE READ –  Until this fall, the oft-asked question “what do you do” was easy for me to answer. “I’m a teacher,” or “I teach second grade.” Once, after a particularly mind-expanding week of teaching, I responded, “I teach kids to question extraterrestrial life!” (But that’s a different story.)  Now, after 20 years, I am struggling to answer that fundamental question. What does it mean to be a Dean of Admission? How do I describe “what I do” to others? During a visit to one of Leelanau’s Learning Skills classrooms, I found an answer I’m trying on for size.  Leelanau’s Learning Skills program helps students organize, advocate, plan, and succeed. I am proud to highlight the cornerstone of our curriculum on school tours and interviews. During a walkthrough, I interacted with sophomores finishing up an assessment of their Myers-Briggs personality tests. “Do you know what you are, Kate?” a student asked.  I had not taken that particular test in years, so I logged on to find an answer for them. It turns out I’m...

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Creating an Attitude for Learning

Creating an Attitude for Learning ABOUT A  2  MINUTE READ –  Real learning is an active, engaging and personally rewarding process. School should not be defined as a “place” to go. It is instead a journey of exploration, creation, challenge, and fulfillment. Growth and learning demands us to do things we have never done before. That definition can be either intimidating or exciting. Our attitude determines which it will be.  To create an attitude for learning, each day has to foster a frame of mind that encourages effort, perseverance, and celebration. As educators, it becomes our obligation to build an environment that allows for this intrinsic construction of the value of learning. A boarding school, with influence over both academic and residential aspects of life, can help to establish the habits that sustain a healthy attitude. Learning requires we start each day right. Starting the day right is essential. Teaching and learning requires good rest and readiness.  It starts with establishing an evening routine that allows you to feel...

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leelanau school distance learning

How We Are Continuing To Educate and Inspire During Distance Learning

About a 5 Minute Read – Distance Education During Covid-19 During this unexpected time of distance learning due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, schools have had to pivot nearly overnight to change the way they are educating students. This has been an immense challenge for all schools – teachers, students, and families alike. At The Leelanau School, this unprecedented situation has allowed us to reflect and reconfirm the importance of why being an intentionally small, supportive community, focused on the individual student is so valuable. “The very nature of education is to help people discover the ability to do things they have never done before and such faith in the capacity of each person to rise to the challenge is the very essence of teaching.” – Rob Hansen, Head of School  

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How To Afford an Independent School

About a 5 minute read –  We know, we know independent school tuition is expensive. However, for many, an independent school education is seen as an investment, especially when a family finds a school that really matches up with what makes their child tick.  Unfortunately, not all schools are created equal and many students get lost in the crowd, don’t have access to opportunities, or are relegated to fitting into a box they weren’t meant to fit into. While we all want great schools for all students, options in independent schooling exist to provide the education a child needs… when they need it. 10+ Ways to Afford Independent School Tuition 1 | Apply for Financial Aid Don’t let initial sticker shock scare you away. Financial aid is available on some level at most independent schools. The truth is, one of the ways that independent schools are indeed independent, is that they do not receive public funding. That being said, many have financial aid funds and endowments that help provide financial aid to qualifying families. These grants offer proof to the...

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Join Us For A Special Presentation

We hope you will join us for an informational session Helping Your Student Navigate a Digital World of Tablets, Phones and Video Games Presented by Dr. Rachel Flynn, Associate Director for the Institute for Innovations in Developmental Science at Northwestern University. Saturday, November 17, 11 am Grand Traverse Regional Arts Campus (formerly Norris Elementary School) 10781 E Cherry Bend Rd, Traverse City, MI 49684 The information session will last approximately one hour. There is no cost to attend. RSVP is helpful but not necessary. Contact mbacon@leelanau.org or 231-334-5800. Please share this invite, and bring a friend! Dr. Flynn’s presentation will highlight the impact of media on children’s learning and cognition. She will focus on how to consider child factors, environmental factors and type of media content when selecting developmentally appropriate media. In addition, she will discuss several of her research studies that used active video games to promote executive functioning skills.    

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