How to Have Difficult Conversations
It is an understatement to say that we at St. Francis are big on conversations. From exchanges between four-year-old friends over a toy to lower school conflicts to middle school…
Facilitating Courageous Conversations
While traditionally schools focus on the “Three Rs” with academics as their main point of emphasis, at St. Francis, we are just as concerned with kids’ emotional intelligence. To that…
Building Social-Emotional Skills
Preschool-aged children often react with big emotions when faced with peer conflicts. As adults, our first reaction is to jump in and resolve the conflict for them and move on,…
Lunch, the Sign-Out System, and Safety
What do our high schoolers do for lunch? What does a sign-out system mean? How does it work? Do they just wander around downtown? Is it safe? These are all…
The Future of Progressive Education
Last week I was fortunate to attend the biennial PEN Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. PEN stands for Progressive Education Network—a consortium of schools specifically dedicated to the tenets of Progressive…
Nature Is Imperfectly Perfect
Recently, we have seen local excitement regarding the emergence of nature preschools, outdoor learning labs, and adding items from nature into early childhood classrooms. We are delighted to see other…
A Progressive Viewpoint on Standardized Testing
One of the most common ways that people judge the strength of any school is by looking at their standardized test scores. Because St. Francis is a Progressive school, we…
Fall Brings Change
It’s that time of year when change is visible all around us. We notice the trees as they begin to show us their color before losing their leaves. The mornings…
How We Do Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training
On Friday, October 11th, our Middle School students undertook three hours of diversity, equity, and inclusion training via a presentation orchestrated by DEI Coordinator Lindsy Serrano. Our facilitators were Jaison…
Enriching the Compassion and Understanding of Our Community
The High School has welcomed a few interesting speakers in recent weeks. Last week, students heard from Richard Field, a native Australian who works in Africa as a safari guide.…