Heads’ Space Parent/Guardian Enrichment: Collaborative Problem Solving

At the heart of this adaptation is a simple but powerful shift in how we understand differentiation,  academically and social-emotionally,  that kids will reach their fullest potential not if they want to, but if they can - and if we help them develop the skills in order to do that. Where we see gaps in potential-meeting, we are called to be curious–to explore missing skills–like flexibility, frustration tolerance, or problem-solving–needed to not only meet, but exceed expectations. This reframe matters because it helps all of our adults see our students, your children, most fully by identifying and deepening our focus on skills development, collaborative problem solving with students, and building trust for risk-taking, independency, and advocacy at the same time.

This year, to ground our staff learning, we read Changeable: How Collaborative Problem Solving Changes Lives at Home, at School, and at Work by Dr. J. Stuart Ablon, co-founder of Think:Kids, as the foundational text for our professional development this year. Staff across all grade levels will engage with the book together through grade-level and cross-grade coaching sessions, intending to develop shared language and strategies for supporting students and communicating with families. At our first Heads’ Space, we will introduce this text and encourage families to join us in exploring this text.

This process will help us build shared language, across our school-home partnership, asking "What's making this hard for you?" instead of "Why did you do that?", naming specific skills, like flexibility or frustration tolerance, and framing accountability and consequence from a collaborative, solution-oriented approach. We're deeply excited about this work and the difference we believe it will make in how we support every student's growth. 

The parent enrichment opportunities with the Head of School and Associate Head of School are intended to build trust and transparency by giving families direct access to school leadership’s vision in leading school priorities and maintaining a pulse on how families are experiencing school life. They reinforce the partnership between home and school by affirming that parents and guardians are active stakeholders in their child’s education, help align expectations around academic, social, and community goals so parents and guardians understand school decisions and leadership understands family needs, and ultimately strengthen the school community by keeping leadership visible, approachable, and responsive throughout the year.

Thank you, as always, for partnering with us.

Tanya