Author: The Saklan School Friday Blog

Another Great Saklan Concert

Once again, Saklan put together another fantastic whole school concert at the Lesher Theater. There were so many pieces that made the evening memorable, it is hard to know where to start. The theme of Lionhearts and courage, syncing nicely with our mission. The individual performances by so many students who dared for the first time to be center stage in front of hundreds of people. The energy that our students drew from the audience to pull the show together. All of these things and more made the evening a bright success.

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I want to thank so many people for their efforts. It starts with Grace and the hours of time and love she has put into the show. The many students that stepped up to take on parts that took them outside their comfort zones and gave them new experiences. The Owlets and Hoot Owls for just being themselves. The teachers and staff who across the board pitched in, volunteering time and talent and adjusting their schedules to accommodate rehearsals. Javier for technical assistance in making it all come together. Parents for all the support and transportation of instruments and students. The PA for organizing the dinner at Skipolini’s. And lastly, Emoke and Kim Anderson for photographing and videotaping the event ( photos and video will be available next week).

Thank you to all,

David

#SaklanWellRounded

Who Cares?

This past week, I have been thinking about the college admissions scandal and what it says about the disconnect between what we say our values are and the messages we send through our actions. If I assume the best about the parents involved, I would like to think that on some level they purport to, and most likely believe in, the values of integrity, fairness, and honesty. But they also struggle with what they consider the real world of college admissions and what makes for a meaningful life of the child they love. It’s complicated, right?

In thinking about this internal struggle, I came across an article written by Richard Weissbourd (who also happens to be the author of The Parents We Mean To Be).  In the piece, Weissbourd addresses the gap between what parents and teachers say we value, and the messages children are receiving. Research suggests that most parents and teachers value caring over achievement. The problem is, that is not the message students are hearing.

80 percent of students reported that their parents prioritized achievement (57%) or happiness (27%) over everything else. Only 19 percent of students reported that being a caring individual was highly important to their parents. Teachers did not fare much better. While promoting caring is a top priority of a majority of teachers, students believe academic achievement is by far the main thing teachers are concerned about.

The research shows that parents and teachers want caring to be a top priority (above achievement)  for their children but our messaging is not in sync with that desire. A majority of teacher conversations with students is around academics and parents often want to know how their child did on a project before they ask about how they cared for a classmate. It is not that students don’t think we value caring, they do, just significantly less than achievement.

Our fears are that the real world of high schools and universities care more about the transcript than the person. But our inner selves know that a caring individual leads a rich life beyond measure. It’s complicated, right?

It is not as if there is a right or wrong answer here. Academics are important, caring is important and striking the balance between the two is an ongoing conversation.  If you would like to be part of that conversation, please join us in reading The Parents We Mean To Be.

Warm regards,

David

#SaklanCompassionate