Rohan Woods School

🛌 Back to School Routines: Helping Your Child Re-establish Bedtime Habits As summer winds down and the start of school approaches, it's important to help your child transition back to a regular bedtime routine. Establishing consistent sleep habits can set the tone for a successful school year, promoting better focus, behavior, and overall well-being. Here are some tips for re-establishing bedtime routines: 1. Start Early: Begin adjusting your child's bedtime a few weeks before school starts—THAT’S NOW! Many school start in mid-August. Gradually move their bedtime earlier by 15 minutes every few days. 2. Create a Calming Environment: Make the bedroom a quiet, cozy space. Dim the lights, reduce noise, and ensure the room is comfortable. 3. Consistent Bedtime Routine: Establish a predictable routine, such as a warm bath—or just a warm wash cloth for their face and neck, brushing teeth, and reading a bedtime story. Consistency helps signal to your child that it's time to wind down—especially for younger children who don’t tell time, but connect with routines and patterns. ( https://lnkd.in/e4v_exqq ) 4. Limit Screen Time: Turn off all screens at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light from devices can interfere with your child’s natural sleep cycle. 5. Encourage Relaxing Activities: Engage in calm activities before bed, such as drawing, puzzles, or listening to soft music—here are a few suggestions for music: Pandora: 1. Calm Kids Radio - This station offers a soothing mix of instrumental and soft vocal music designed specifically for children. 2. Peaceful Piano - A selection of gentle piano music to create a calming atmosphere before sleep. 3. Lullaby Radio - Features a variety of instrumental lullabies and gentle tunes that are perfect for bedtime. Spotify: 1. Calm Kids - A curated playlist featuring instrumental tracks that are soothing and perfect for helping kids relax before bed. 2. Peaceful Piano - A collection of soft piano music that provides a tranquil background for winding down. 3. Bedtime Stories for Kids - Although this playlist includes some spoken word, it also features calming instrumental music that can help create a peaceful bedtime routine. 6. Be Patient: Adjusting to a new routine can take time. Be patient and offer plenty of encouragement and support. To learn more about how much sleep your child needs, check out this article from the American Academy of Pediatrics https://lnkd.in/enST-Y8 Let's make this school year the best one yet! 🌙✨ #RohanWoodsSchool #BackToSchool #HealthySleepHabits #ParentingTips #BedtimeRoutine #ChildrensHealth #SchoolPrep

RWS IAC Competitors Cal W, Ammu S, Jack B, Adora K, Nik C, Henry N, and recent RWS alum, Louis B Rohan Woods hosted the IAC St. Louis Regional Finals academic competition in early April. With 25 entries in the History Bee, 40 for the Geography Bee, and 23 in the Science Bee, the building was abuzz with activity all day long. Students from near and far joined us; we had players and families from schools in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Arkansas on campus. Congratulations are in order for Jack B, Nik C, Adora K, Henry N, and recent RWS alum and current John Burroughs 7th grader, Louis B--ALL placed high enough to qualify to compete Nationally and some for International Competitions! In History, Louis was third place in his division, and Jack narrowly missed playing in the finals after a tiebreaker. Both earned qualification to the National History Bee. In Geography, Louis earned second place and Henry was a finalist. Both qualified for the National Geography Bee as well as the International Geography Championships in Vienna, Austria. In Science, Louis completed a trifecta with a first place medal, Nik earned a third place medal, Henry was a finalist, and Adora also earned a first place medal. All qualified for both the National Science Bee and the International Environmental Science Olympiad. #IAC #InternationalAcademicCompetitions #MiddleSchoolScholars #JohnBurroughsSchool #RohanWoodsSchool #ProjectBasedLearning

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 1 in 5 people are living with a mental health issue. Your child is likely to encounter several such people in their life or in the community, and they may have questions and want to know more about how they can help. Here is an article with some tips on how to have these conversations with your child. https://lnkd.in/g5CrZtU5 The upcoming NAMIWalks St. Louis event can be a great opportunity to get active and spend time outdoors with your family while supporting research and treatment for mental health issues. Join NAMI in Creve Coeur Park on May 11 for a one- or two-mile walk to raise funds for mental health. https://lnkd.in/gnh3PVkc

Secondary School Announcement In the fall of each year, we begin preparing our Rohan Woods Sixth Grade families for the secondary school admissions process. We are extremely fortunate in St. Louis to have so many independent school options, but this can also be overwhelming for parents. Part of our service here at Rohan Woods is to provide guidance for our families to determine the best paths for their soon-to-be graduate. While some independent elementary schools may identify as “a feeder” to a particular secondary school, our landscape looks a little different. Over the past 18 years, we have had students attend every secondary school in St. Louis. We take pride in our secondary school placement record, because due to our personalized support, we help families find a school that is a good fit for their child socially and academically, and where their entire family will feel a part of the new community. Since 2007, 95% of Rohan Woods graduates have chosen independent schools over our public counterparts. The top six independent secondary schools chosen by our families are: Whitfield – 25%, John Burroughs – 16%, MICDS – 13%, Visitation – 12%, Chaminade – 9%, and Priory – 6%; with our graduates in 2024 accepting offers from John Burroughs, Visitation Academy, MICDS and Thomas Jefferson School. Our children are prepared for their next school experience, which is evidenced by 98% of our graduates receiving admissions offers from their first-choice school. Academic readiness, respect, responsibility, and leadership are the hallmarks of our students’ success. Congratulations to our amazing 6th grade class, Sam Sam Templin-Page, Head of School #MICDS #JohnBurroughsSchool #ThomasJefferson #VisitationAcademy

Easing back into the routines of school can be tough after Spring Break. The weather is warmer, and the kiddos have spent the last two weeks around friends and family. These make returning to school a little hard for younger children. Here are several strategies that could help with that process: —Re-establish Routines: Start tonight and adjust ⏰ bedtimes and wake-up times to match the RWS school schedule. This makes waking up on Monday morning a little easier. —Set a new academic or personal goal. Helping your child set a realistic academic or personal goal for the remainder of the school year creates a new focus for the last few months of school. Goal setting helps in fostering a sense of direction and purpose. Engaging in meaningful goal setting, with checkpoints, can be a motivational tool for children to focus on improvement and achievements. —Spring Cleaning. Pull out the backpack and team up with your child to organize it and get ready for Monday morning. Be sure to wash the water bottle, too. —Encourage Healthy Habits: Starting the day with a nutritious breakfast. This contributes to better concentration, memory, and overall physical well-being, which are essential for learning. —Some of our younger students might have an easier transition if you visit the school before Monday morning drop off. Take a few minutes to drive to the campus and walk around the area. The trees and spring flowers are blooming. Sometimes a photo in front of the entrance is a reminder of what to expect on Monday morning. We hope these strategies make your Monday morning a little easier. Enjoy your weekend, and we are excited to see you on Monday! #rohanwoodsrocks #projectbasedlearning

SAM'S PAGE The recent blog from RWS Head of School, Mrs. Sam Templin-Page 🌷 Spring Break is more than just a Break ⛱ As we approach a much-anticipated spring break, I want to underscore the significance of this time for our children. Spring break isn’t just a pause on the school calendar, but a perfect time to focus on the overall wellbeing of our children by balancing activities with time to relax. Spring break offers our students (and faculty and staff) a chance to recharge and rejuvenate. The demands of school, including homework, can take a toll. Breaks allow everyone to step away from routines to relax and return to school with renewed energy and excitement. Spring break also fosters valuable opportunities for family connection in this fast-paced world. Whether you are planning to stay in St. Louis or visiting a much-anticipated destination, spending leisurely days creating memories to last a lifetime will strengthen your family. No matter your plans, give your children the chance for physical activities and outdoor play, coupled with down time for them to be creative and restorative. Spring break is far more than just a hiatus from school. It’s time for our children to unwind and spend time with family. I encourage you to make the most of this spring break by balancing your child’s time in order to enrich their growth, development, and well-being. Wishing you all a safe, enjoyable, and rejuvenating spring break! 🔗 Here's a great article from Parents.com https://lnkd.in/eGZm9UzW

In 5…4…3…2…1 BLAST-OFF! It was Space Day at Rohan Woods School, and students displayed the Rockets and Space Stations they created in the Science Lab. rohanwoods.org #stemeducation #projectbasedlearning #spaceexploration

Tuition Assistance is available for full-time students, and the Emerging Leader Scholarship is still taking applications for incoming third and fourth grade students for the 2024-2025 school year. https://www.rohanwoods.org

What a week for our Global Studies program! Students and families enjoyed many international and cultural learning events. On Tuesday, February 6, our First Grade class held a dragon parade for the whole school in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Also on Tuesday morning, we hosted a visit from Gaetano and Jannes, two local foreign exchange students who are part of the Youth for Understanding program. On Thursday we held our third Global Gathering, where volunteers shared food representing their culture, background, or family experience with attendees. With 12 dishes to try, everyone left with a full belly and a better understanding of the diversity of our school community. On Friday we had three guest presenters! Washington University’s Buder Center for American Indian Studies connected us with Maria Hussman, who told Native American stories from her Odawa and Anishinaabe heritage. The West African Dance Troupe Afriky Lolo (https://lnkd.in/guHXHUm8) visited to teach students about some dance movements and the language used in the region. And, our very own Mrs. Eilleen Carrión brought the rhythms of Puerto Rican salsa and merengue right here to St. Louis. After dancing students enjoyed a traditional Puerto Rican snack of plantain chips and mayoketchup.

GUARDIANS OF THE SCHOOL MISSION The Rohan Woods School Board of Trustees According to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Board of Trustees is the guardian of the school’s mission. It is the Board’s responsibility to ensure that the mission is relevant and vital to the community it serves and to monitor the success of the school in fulfilling its mission. Trustees have the tall task of setting school policy to ensure compliance with laws and regulations. The Board accepts accountability for the financial stability and the future of the institution. Trustee members engage in strategic planning, oversee the operating budget and assets, and actively participate in fundraising. In addition to those responsibilities, board members must possess a love for the school. The current Board is comprised of nine members; some of whom are current parents, alumni, alumni parents, and others who have no previous affiliation with the school. Board members must work collaboratively, creating an atmosphere of trust and camaraderie, making hard decisions that are in the best interest of the school. They spend their time working independently to tackle initiatives, interfacing as a group for discussion and decision making, and serving as a sounding board for the Head of School. We had a nice group of parents who joined the board members at the coffee yesterday, connecting faces with names of this very important leadership group. It was a perfect opportunity to ask questions and get to know them as people. We are most fortunate to have the Board of Trustees that we do. These members shine brightly by providing support, while being actively involved in the work of the Board and its committees. Rohan Woods School is in good hands, and the future looks very bright. All the best, Sam Sam Page Head of School