What do Blair, George School, Germantown Academy, Hun, La Salle College High School, Lawrenceville, Pennington, Solebury – and Central Bucks, Council Rock, and New Hope-Solebury – and other secondary schools all have in common? They all want students from Buckingham Friends School to enroll and contribute to the quality of their educational environment and community […]
Is it normal to feel irritated, angry, hurt, or hopeless at times in response to the behavior of children?
I’ve shared the following from time to time over the years. The ideas that are expressed have been on my mind during recent weeks, and I believe it is worthy of posting again. So, the answer to the question is yes, at times, it is quite normal to experience these feelings in response to the […]
When Fighting Over Foursquare Isn’t a Bad Thing
by Emily Cherkin, MEd. “The Screentime Consultant” (Shared with permission) Emily empowers parents to understand and balance family screentime by inspiring a movement around becoming tech-intentional. Emily will be speaking with the faculty, and then interested parents, at BFS in April. Stay tuned! If interested, you can pre-order her book here. “Play is the work […]
Unplugged and Happy: Why Kids Thrive at Camp School (Home too!!) Without Technology
“A recent study found that in 2021, tweens (ages 8-12) spent about five and a half hours a day on screens, while teens (ages 13 to 18) spent about eight and a half hours a day on screens (Moyer, 2022). Recent data released by the National Survey of Children’s Health found that in 2020 only […]
Trustee Reflections after Board Visit Day – 2023
This past Wednesday, many of our Buckingham Friends School Trustees attended “Board Visit Day.” This was an opportunity for them to tour the campus, to visit classes in action, to witness first-hand the outstanding education that is provided each day here at BFS, and to enjoy lunch and conversation with a member of the Sixth Grade […]
“Empathy is core to everything that makes society civilized, but above all, it makes our children better people”
“Empathy is core to everything that makes society civilized, but above all, it makes our children better people, and that’s why I’m concerned. In the past decades, our kids’ capacity to care has plummeted while self-absorption has skyrocketed, and puts their humanity at stake. Today’s culture values “me” more than “we.” Empathetic children use nine […]
(re)introducing my blog and opportunities to see more pictures!
I am excited to relaunch my Head of School’s blog again this year. From time to time, posts will be created and published and an email will be sent to you with a link so that you can access and read it if you choose. My intention is to use this communications tool as an […]
What Social Media Really Does to Kids’ Brains
BY Lizzie O’Leary APRIL 20, 2023 Lots of adults are worried about teenagers, social media, and mental health. Utah recently passed a law that will bar anyone under 18 from social media unless they have parental permission, and other states are enacting or discussing similar laws. But like a lot of internet debates, the conversation […]
I am excited to share two of the latest videos produced by BFS alum Ben Weiner ’03
I am excited to share two of the latest videos produced by BFS alum Ben Weiner ’03. Legendary BFS Kindergarten teacher Olwen Jarvis (1985-2000) sent the following to me with links to these videos this week. “Ben and his brother Aaron were BFS students who were in my Kindergarten classes…years ago it seems! Ben has […]
A Third Grader’s query: “How can our Earth take care of us if we don’t take care of it?”
Before the March Break, Lila, a Third Grader, asked if she could share something she had written with the school community after Meeting for Worship. Her “speech” (as she called it) follows – more evidence that the children are watching and paying attention to today’s issues, that they care about the future and seek to […]