take a peek inside st. anne's school
What makes a St. Anne’s School education unique? Take a Peek inside our classrooms each week to learn more about our extraordinary program and educators.
hopes and dreams
We all have hopes and dreams for our children, but what are our children’s hopes and dreams? At St. Anne’s School, our students begin the school year writing down their Hopes and Dreams. It can be an academic goal, a personal goal, a sports goal; as with everything we do here, Hopes and Dreams are specific to each child, as we ask our students What is important to you? Valuing the dignity of every human being, begins with valuing and honoring our students’ Hopes and Dreams. This is also the beginning process of helping even our youngest learners start to think about setting goals.
Along with a reflection on their Hopes and Dreams, students in all grades begin the school year creating a self-portrait, a reflection of themselves, who they are, and how they see themselves. It’s a fascinating exercise in self-exploration that begins to build self awareness and understanding of what makes us the same, and what makes us unique.
morning meeting: a time for Community
Each day at St. Anne’s School, from Annapolis Twos through Eighth Grade, begins with Morning Meeting. This is a time for the class to gather as a community, greet one another, discuss the schedule for the day, and practice key skills such as active listening and sharing. What is “active listening?” It’s listening not just with your ears, but with your eyes and your body language. As students share an object of meaning from home, perhaps a favorite toy or book, they learn how to speak in front of a group, as well as field questions from their friends. This leads to future academic sharing and a student’s ability to articulate what they have learned.
One of the highlights of Morning Meeting is the greeting-of-the-day, which is often silly and always fun. Teachers will model this greeting (it can be an elbow bump or a toe tap) before each student greets one another around the circle.
How many times have you heard your child ask, “when are we leaving?” Or, “what’s next?” At St. Anne’s School, we know that children feel most comfortable when they know what to expect. Morning Meeting provides an opportunity for students to read/listen to the message-of-the-day, which includes the day’s schedule of activities.
Morning Meeting is a familiar and comfortable way for St. Anne’s School students to begin their day, year after year.
starting the day off right
At St. Anne’s School we know it’s important for children to feel a sense of belonging, and this begins from the moment they exit the car. During morning car line, students are greeted by a staff member. Students are again welcomed, usually by name, as they enter the School, and again when they enter their classroom (and often times by teachers who give hugs along the way.) Within the first moments of the school day, students hear and feel the sentiment, “we’re glad you’re here!”
We also know how important it is for all students, even our youngest learners, to know how valued their presence is at school. In Lower School and our Program for Young Children, this is demonstrated by children taking their own attendance; moving their name stick to “present,” or finding their picture as they learn the words “in” and “out.”
These small moments make a big difference in starting the day off right.
