Fun Valentine's Day Activities for Children

Posted by Julie M. Esanu, Lower School Librarian & JK -5 Literacy Coordinator on Feb 7, 2022 10:32:00 AM

Nothing brings hearts and minds together like a good book shared!

The month of February is all about love, inclusion and friendship here at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes. And nothing brings hearts and minds together like a good book shared.

With Valentine's Day around the corner, the theme is Love and Kisses. I've also included some quick fun activities and a video to accompany a great story written by Scott Campbell, Hug Machine. You may find these and many more books in Sinclair Library at the Lower School or visit your local library or bookshop. Enjoy!

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Topics: Insider, become ready, Kindergarten, PreK, junior kindergarten, Recreational Activities, jk

Resources and Activities to Help Children Learn Math

Posted by Ann Bremner, Director of Lower School Math on Jan 31, 2022 8:15:00 AM

Great math games and resources that promote number sense, perseverance, and problem solving.

Looking for activities to keep young minds active and engaged? This list of math-related games, websites, and resources are really worthwhile apps that help build mathematic skills in a variety of ways. These are not the run-of-the-mill drill activities that many of us grew up performing. Rather, these promote number sense, perseverance, and problem solving - the skills our children need to be successful in math and in life.

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Topics: Insider, Teachers as experts, become ready, Kindergarten, PreK, junior kindergarten, Lower School, student learning

Are you going to hold them back or send them to Kindergarten?

Posted by Katherine Carbo on Jan 4, 2022 10:30:00 AM

Kindergarten student writing a story about what she discovered while exploring her environment.

What do I do about Kindergarten next year?

If your child has a late spring, summer, fall or winter birthday you might have been asked this question.

“Are you going to hold them back or send them to Kindergarten?”

It is a controversial topic with no easy answer and it seems everyone has an opinion!

Part of what I love about admissions work, particularly Lower School admissions, is helping parents sort through this very question. Here are some tips.

Determine the age cutoffs at the schools you are interested in your child attending. In Alexandria and many Northern Virginia cities, your child

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Topics: Kindergarten, PreK, choosing a school, junior kindergarten, jk

What Parents Need to Know About the WPPSI Test

Posted by Katherine Carbo on Sep 17, 2019 4:29:13 PM

Student image showing spatial and motor coordination

Why do most independent primary schools require an aptitude test for admission?

As an admission director, I want the children who join our community to thrive in our environment and this assessment can be useful in determining a child's readiness. I hope to get a sense of how your son or daughter solves problems. Your child's development in the areas of verbal reasoning, visual-spatial problem solving, fluid reasoning, memory and visual-motor speed of processing will be measured and compared with the development of same-aged peers. Tests are just one part of the admission process to understanding how we may best teach your child.

What is the difference between the WPPSI-IV and WISC? What is the right test for my child?

If your child is younger than six years old and entering either Junior Kindergarten or Kindergarten they will take the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence for Children - Fourth Edition. You will hear it referred to as the WPPSI-IV (whip-see-four).
The test for children between ages 6 and 16 is the WISC. This stands for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.
The objective of the exams is to understand the student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses.

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Topics: School search, become ready, Kindergarten, Looking at private schools, junior kindergarten, jk