The Power of Authentic Assessment in PreK-12 Education
In traditional education, assessment often involves standardized tests or grades. At Bennett, we believe in a more holistic and individualized approach to assessing student progress.
Redefining Success: Navigating Academic Pressure in Middle & High School
As parents, caregivers, and educators, we need to ask ourselves what we truly want for our children. Is “getting into a good college” the sole definition of success? Are we willing to sacrifice their physical and mental health, happiness, and love for learning for a vague future payoff?
Bennett Day Upper School Students Win Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition
Pictured above is the final drawn design of the proposed community garden. Two tenth graders at Bennett Day, Alex H. and Jasmin H., recently won the overall grand prize of the 39th Annual Newhouse Architecture + Design Competition. Congratulations on this amazing recognition, Alex & Jasmin!
Bennett Day Upper School Student Awarded the Ewing-Jones Scholarship
Abby, a 9th grader at Bennett Day School in Chicago, was recently awarded the Ewing-Jones Scholarship which will support her in attending the Leadership Academy at the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute this summer (hosted at Princeton University).
Failing Grades: How to Motivate Students to Learn Without Keeping Score
Students need to learn by doing — through problem-solving, project-based learning and being creative. Parents, myself included, need to let go of a system we grew up with and recognize how we experienced school will not prepare students for now, or much less 2040, when two thirds of the jobs that will exist then do…
Competency-Based Learning During a Pandemic
Martin Moran, Director of Upper School at Bennett Day School, explains how our competency-based system allowed for a seamless transition to distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article was originally published on Martin Moran’s LinkedIn on March 31, 2020.
At Bennett Day, High School Starts at 9:00am. Here’s Why.
Inspired by one of Character Lab’s weekly emails, CEO Cameron Smith reflects on grit, growth-mindset, and the power of a good night’s sleep.
For Students Highly-Committed to Extracurriculars, Bennett Day Upper School Provides an Ideal Experience
Most high schools expect their students to sit through regimented class periods beginning strictly at 8am (or even earlier), participate in their after-school activities that can sometimes go well into the late evening hours, and then somehow manage to thoughtfully complete hours of homework and get a good night’s rest—all to do it again the…
CEO Cameron Smith: “The Schoolhouse Gate” and the Changing Face of American Education
In November, I had the privilege of engaging in a discussion at the offices of education law firm,Franczek Radelet, with University of Chicago Constitutional Law Professor, Justin Driver. His new book,The Schoolhouse Gate:Public Education, the Supreme Court, and the Battle for the American Mind,inspired me to think more deeply about how our schools are addressing…
