Demo Night: How Project-Based Learning Comes to Life at Bennett Day Upper School
At our Trimester 2 Demo Night, attendees explored and asked questions about 5 unique small group projects that dug deeply into migration in an effort to determine how we, as citizens, can make lives better for people around the world who either choose to or are forced to migrate from their home.
What is Growth Mindset?
Research shows that our ability to achieve our goals has much more to do with the mindset with which we approach them than the actual goals themselves. That’s why students and faculty at Bennett Day School subscribe to the “growth mindset,” which eschews “all or nothing”/”I succeeded/I failed” modes of thinking in favor of growth (however incremental) and resiliency. What is a growth mindset? Stanford…
Moments of Educator Joy at Bennett Day School
“I loved the amount of freedom the students have to create their projects”, “I loved how natural everything feels” and there are “… so many opportunities for open play and authentic learning.” These were just some of the moments of joy shared by educators, innovators, and school leaders who visited Bennett Day School last week….
Junior Kindergarteners Channel NPR with Podcast on the Human Body
Inspired by the children’s doctor-themed dramatic play and the Bennett Day “Get Wellthy” Challenge, Mr. Nearpass and Ms. Simmons’ kindergarten classroom spent three months researching the body and medical professions to better understand how to keep themselves healthy.
What in the World is Executive Functioning? Why Should Parents and Teachers Care?
Here’s one for the messy kid who can never find two matching socks. The kid who says “nothing” when asked what they have to do tonight; who forgets what you asked them to do five seconds ago. The kid whose backpack is stuffed to the gills with wadded up pieces of paper and the remnants…
Tips for Choosing a Best-Fit Summer Camp
Studies show that camps of all kinds help kids build a solid sense of identity and community, while also contributing to mental and physical well-being. But with so many options out there, how can families make the best choice possible for their children?
Student Innovation Through Bennett Labs: Creating Apps, Books, and 21st Century Learning at Bennett Day School
By Frances Judd, Special Projects Coordinator & Early Childhood Tinkering and Engineering Sciences Lab Teacher I love sharing these photos of enthusiastic and engaged learners at Bennett Day School as they participate in Bennett Labs projects:
Building Bennett Day School: An Interview with CEO Cameron Smith
After the birth of his first son in 2010, Bennett Day School Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Cameron Smith, came face-to-face with the shortage of options for progressive, independent schooling in Chicago. Though his heartfelt reasons as to “why” he founded the school are well-documented, we sat down with Cameron to discuss the “how” behind his motivational journey in creating…
Decision Time: Our Top 3 Tips for Choosing a Best-Fit School
No parent takes school-fit decisions lightly, and Chicago families are reporting more and more that the dizzying array of PK-12 options in the city can feel stressful.
