News

Individuals who feel equipped to handle life’s challenges report feeling greater confidence and overall satisfaction in both their personal and professional lives. The budding friendships and greater academic challenges of the Elementary years offer many opportunities for children to flex their “resiliency” muscles and to learn how to bounce back after disappointments and setbacks, both large and small.
Class-wide meetings and a focus on collaborative work and collective problem-solving at the Elementary level help children build the interpersonal skills necessary to make and maintain healthy connections with one another. Our emphasis on empathy, taking turns and active listening allows children to learn to be a good friend and to handle the negotiations and small disappointments inherent in friendships. When conflicts arise, Teachers and Assistants are on hand to help students talk out differences using Springmont’s core values as a framework.

Self-care skills – including expressive artwork, deep-breathing exercises and finding peace in nature, both on campus and at the Landschool – help children calm their nervous systems, stay balanced, build intrapersonal skills and be prepared to better deal with stressful times. Presenting their work to the class, visiting a class at the next level or auditioning for a role in the play help children face fears and overcome obstacles. Record books and teacher-student conferences allow students to set and meet academic goals and to learn time-management skills. Each success builds upon the last, gradually preparing students for greater challenges. Self-confidence, a friendliness with failure and a sense of humor help Elementary children persist during times of challenge.