Family

By Megan Seckman Director Kristina Davis Christensen, who has worked as a special needs coordinator and parent volunteer over her 15 years at Friends School, sat down to tell me about her students’ skills. At the core of the school’s mission are these values, which are cultivated in every child they serve and carry over into the home and community.Treat them as capable. “At Friends, we instill personal responsibility even in our youngest students in preschool. The little guys are expected to unpack their own bags and open their own containers at lunch. If you [...]

By Megan Seckman Here are five skills from West End School you can apply to your own kids at home.Table Manners. Each boy is required to put a napkin on his lap, properly use a knife and fork, keep elbows off the table, and sit up straight. If a woman enters, all boys stand and they jockey over who gets to pull out the chair for her.Respect for authority. West End School teaches students that there will always be an authority figure who will hold you accountable, so you need to learn to respect that [...]