Blog
The Rossman blog features content written by our faculty and staff.
Click the archive button to view blogs from previous years. Blog Archive
Why Gratitude Matters
by: Junior Kindergarten Teachers Elizabeth Dean, Mary Eckenroth and Julie Renne
As teachers, we’ve had the joy of watching young minds grow in countless ways—academically, socially, and emotionally. Gratitude is one of the most powerful qualities we’ve seen blossom in children. It might seem like a small thing, a polite “thank you” or a smile, but gratitude can impact your child’s happiness, resilience, and relationships.
Gratitude isn’t just a nice behavior—it’s a skill, and even more importantly, a mindset. Like all skills, it can be taught and practiced at home. Regular reflection builds the habit. [...]
Our Core Values
by: Senior Kindergarten Teachers Lauren Brody, Caroline Jones, and Karen Larson
Do you return your shopping cart when you go to the grocery store? When this question was posed recently, it made us pause. While returning a shopping cart might seem trivial, it was later explained that a person who returns their shopping cart to the right spot after a shopping adventure is responsible. They have integrity and intrinsically know they are doing the right thing, by caring about the well-being of others and taking care of their shopping space. This made us think about a book that shares the story of a boy who makes irresponsible choices and sees the consequences for his actions. [...]
The Great Outdoors: Activities and Resources for Family Fun
by: Fourth Grade Teacher Naomi Smith
“Hey! I caught a fish! Let's go cook it on the campfire.” These may not be the normal things you expect to hear on a playground, but that is not true at Rossman. One of my favorite times with my students is out on the playground. It’s a time students jump into unstructured play in creative and fun ways. It never ceases to amaze me how a stick can become a fishing line, camp fire, wand, or a sword when in the hands of our children. I love being witness to how creative our students can be. [...]
The Benefits of Students Presenting Their Writing
by: Sixth Grade Teacher Zack Mouw
How do students grow as writers? The most obvious answer to this question is to make sure that they are spending time writing. Like most other hobbies or skills, one has to practice to improve. However, I’ve found throughout my time at Rossman that having students present their written work to their classmates and teachers to receive feedback can propel them as writers to even further heights. Namely, I have seen that when students present their work consistently, they begin to take healthy risks in their writing, they further develop their ideas, and they become better overall writers. [...]
Supporting Your Child in Regulating their Emotions
by: Director of Lower School Rachel Dixon
If you are a current Rossman parent, you’ve probably noticed a category regarding “practicing self-regulation” on our report card. Or, perhaps you’ve heard from an educator that your child is working on developing their regulatory skills. You may find yourself wondering, what does this even mean? And how can I help my child with it? [...]
Hot Cross Buns
by: Music Teacher Amira Fuller
A rite of passage for all young learners in elementary school is mastery of the recorder. Whether you remember it fondly or not, you likely recall honking out Hot Cross Buns at a young age on an instrument of your own. The recorder unit is a lesson that students often look forward to for years, excited at the opportunity and challenge of playing an instrument. Their parents, however, are often less thrilled at the prospect of this noisy initiation into the world of woodwinds, and are sometimes curious as to why I teach such a potentially loud and jarring instrument. [...]
Nine Hundred and Forty Saturdays
by: First Grade Teachers Julie Smith and Arika White
Nine hundred and forty Saturdays: Dr. Harley Rotbart, pediatric doctor and author of No Regrets Parenting did the math. He states that between the day your child is born, and when he or she turns 18, a family has 940 Saturdays — and 260 of them, Dr. Rotbart reminds us, are gone by your child’s fifth birthday. That’s Poof~ Gone! That fact is rather alarming! [...]
The Power of Traditions in Third Grade
by: Third Grade Teachers Lynn Frankenberger and Kristie Kerber
In 3rd grade, traditions are the heartbeat of our school year. They bring joy, excitement, and a sense of belonging, helping to strengthen our classroom community. Every tradition we celebrate fills our classroom with laughter and creativity. On Gooney Bird Day, students dress up as the quirky characters from the Gooney Bird Greene book. [...]
Navigating Healthy Technology Use: A Personal and Professional Perspective
by: Director of Technology Brad Williams
As the Director of Technology at Rossman and a parent of two children—a 23-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter—I have had a front-row seat to the evolution of technology and its impact on our children’s lives. I've experienced firsthand the challenges and rewards of navigating the digital world as an educator and parent. I hope to share some insights to help guide our children toward healthy and balanced technology use. [...]
The Value of a Field Trip
by: Fourth Grade Teacher Jessica Arnold
Recently, I have been reminded of how incredibly valuable field trips can be. After having to put them on hold during COVID, returning to our usual fourth grade trips has highlighted their importance in the learning process. Field trips are much more than just fun days away from the classroom. They are an invaluable tool for bringing learning to life and igniting sparks of enthusiasm around a topic of study. [...]
The Power of Routines: How Consistent Schedules Benefit Elementary School Children
by: School Counselor and Executive Function Coach Jess Fletcher & Permanent Substitute/Extended Day Supervisor Sarah Marx
Kids and adults alike typically have some sort of morning and/or bedtime routine. For example, upon waking up you may make your bed, brush your teeth, pick out an outfit, and make breakfast while reviewing answers for an upcoming presentation or test. Reflect on how you would feel if you missed your alarm clock only giving yourself 10 minutes to get out the door before being late. [...]
The Studio Habits of Mind
by: Art Teacher Erica Spangler
In the book Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland, the authors wrote about the mindsets that can keep people from making or sharing art. Wondering things like “is it going to be good enough”, “will people like it”, and “ am I actually capable” are just a few thoughts that keep even professional artists from starting or completing their art. As you can imagine, children are limited by those same thoughts which can be detrimental to developing their creativity and sense of self as artists. [...]
Tips for Improving Conversations with your Child
by: Director of Lower School Rachel Dixon
Have you lovingly inquired to your child, “How was your day?” when they’ve gotten in the car only to receive a “Fine” or “I don’t remember” response? Have you approached your withdrawn child and asked, “You okay?” and gotten a sullen “I’m fine”? Have you been stuck in a waiting room and handed your child a device to pass the time? If you are like me, the answer is a resounding yes to all of the above questions. [...]
Puzzles
by: Junior Kindergarten Teachers Julie Renne, Mary Schwartz, and Diane Vujnich
In Junior Kindergarten at Rossman School, puzzles are an important part of our play-based curriculum. One activity that the children love is our “Puzzle Palooza”! A puzzle is the only activity each child can choose, and she can work alone, with a partner or in a small group. Many different puzzles are available, from simple wooden puzzles and board puzzles to more challenging freeform and one hundred piece puzzles. A child will typically choose a puzzle that appeals to her interest, as well as her ability. Why puzzles? There are so many benefits. [...]
What's the Big Deal About Fundations
by: Senior Kindergarten Teachers Lauren Brody, Karen Larson, and Christine White
Imagine this: you come home and notice your child’s phonics work just peeking out of their folder. Upon further examination you see lined paper, but it’s different. It has strange characters on the sides. A cloud, a plane, grass, and an extra line (with a worm). You also see words with multiple bizarre pencil markings like circles, scoops, and lines. What?! At this point you are reminded of the new program you heard about at the beginning of the year and mutter to yourself, “Oh yeah, what’s the big deal with this Fundations program anyway?” [...]
The Importance of Safe Failure
by: Second Grade Teachers Emily Gorski and Jamie Rhinesmith
We’ve all been there before. We see a child making critical errors in a process that will undoubtedly result in task failure. What we do next as adults is more critical and counterintuitive than may appear at first glance. How tempting is it to step in and immediately orient a frustrating puzzle piece to its correct position for a child, hand them the key building materials they don’t notice sitting just behind them, or even give them the correct letters during a written assignment rather than asking what they already know about an unfamiliar word? [...]
Nurturing Nature: Creating a Monarch Waystation at Rossman Campus
by: Fourth Grade Teacher Naomi Smith
The change in the weather, the flurry of bird activity, and the little spots of color in our landscape let us know that spring is finally here. For me, spring marks the start of my garden journey for the season, and this year my garden activity is taking on a very special turn. This year, my focus is on developing a perfect habitat for pollinators and a waystation for the Monarch butterfly. [...]
Phones and Family
by: Sixth Grade Teacher Zack Mouw
Around this time last year, my family and I were enjoying dinner at home when the topic of adulthood came up. My wife, Alicia, and I chuckled at some of our children’s responses to why they wanted to grow up so quickly. “I’ll be able to eat as many sweets as I want!” one of them announced excitedly. I’ll stay up way past my bedtime!” another one declared. Finally, my then seven-year-old son said something that caught me by surprise–“I’ll be on my phone all the time, like Dad!” [...]
Synesthesia
by: Music Teacher Amira Fuller
The beauty and enjoyment that one can find in listening to a beautiful piece of music has always been something that drew me to music. The ability to listen to a song and allow it to transport you to a different time, place, or even emotion has always given music a magical sense to me. You can imagine my excitement then when I learned of synesthesia, the ability to see, rather than just hear, music. [...]
Rossman School, nestled on a 20-acre campus in St. Louis, is a private preparatory school for students in Junior Kindergarten (four years old) through Grade 6. The school’s mission is to provide a strong, well-balanced education in a nurturing school community committed to excellence. Dedicated to developing personal, nurturing relationships with each child, Rossman’s experienced educators provide a solid foundation in academics, athletics and arts while emphasizing strong character development and leadership skills. To learn more or schedule a tour, visit our inquiry page.