Crane Country Day School Established 1928

Crane School Blog: Focus on Learning

Featuring articles written by Crane Staffulty

For more information about Crane Country Day School, please contact admission@craneschool.org or call 805-969-7732 x127.

Courtney Teaching
Courtney Fleming

I don’t know about you, but my winter break was consumed with all things Frozen 2. It was the first time my toddler set foot in a movie theater and, let me tell you, it looked like the best experience of her little life so far. After we walked out of the theater, my husband and I got HOURLY requests to listen to the soundtrack. After a few days, I was so done with it; but listening to her little voice trying to figure out the words was too cute to stop, so I decided to learn the words along with her...

I don’t know about you, but my winter break was consumed with all things Frozen 2. It was the first time my toddler set foot in a movie theater and, let me tell you, it looked like the best experience of her little life so far. After we walked out of the theater, my husband and I got HOURLY requests to listen to the soundtrack. After a few days, I was so done with it; but listening to her little voice trying to figure out the words was too cute to stop, so I decided to learn the words along with her. The lyrics of one of the movie’s songs particularly stood out to me because of the pertinence to my life as a mother and as a teacher of young children. The lyrics go:

“Some things never change
Turn around in the time that's flown
Some things stay the same
Though the future remains unknown
May our good luck rest, may our past be past
Time's moving fast, it's true
Some things never change
And I'm holding on tight to you.”

Since becoming a mom, my outlook on life and my teaching philosophy has completely shifted. It has fundamentally changed how I view the world and I’ve discovered that my purpose is bigger than myself. My days are packed to the brim, but the years are flying by incredibly fast. As a result, I sometimes feel as though my head is just above water. I try to live in each moment and soak up what I can--the good and the bad.

Being a mom has forced me to live wholeheartedly in the present, which is hard when you’re a planner at heart! I feel like this rings true for many parents at Crane. I can’t believe that 8 years ago I was an intern for the current eighth-grade class. It’s hard not picturing them as my little first graders when I see them around campus. Time is fleeting, but holding on to the precious moments before your children graduate from Crane is important. I know we all value the special nature of this school, but it’s also easy to get lost in our busy day-to-day lives. So, I encourage and challenge you to live in the moment and embrace the experiences your child has at Crane.

Courtney Fleming
First Grade Co-Teacher

Most Recent Posts

 Focus on Learning-Logos Pathos Ethos

Crane's seventh grade English students found out that the simple question, "What is your favorite sandwich?" isn't actually as simple as they had originally believed. Little did they know that this question would lead them to the theory of persuasion and the study of Aristotle's three modes - logos, ethos, and pathos.

As English teacher Mrs. Lombardi shared with seventh grade parents, "Understanding how to persuade others and also how one is persuaded by others are both important tools to have in one's kit"...

Its just middle school photo

This image is prominently displayed on our seventh grade dean’s website. It’s a bit of comic relief to combat the bad rap that the middle school years get. And it is a perfect example of one of the goals of the new Grade Level Dean program in the Upper School (sixth-eighth grades) at Crane School - to add an element of fun to the social lives of middle school students.

The Grade Level Dean program focuses on the social aspect of the middle school experience at Crane. As a school we are constantly assessing what changes we can make...

Focus on Learning Gratitude

While gratitude may be a buzzword, especially in the month of November, we believe it is much more than a popular hashtag (#grateful) or a fleeting trend. Gratitude is a powerful tool that has proven to positively affect individuals and communities.

In an article titled, What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important? from positivepsychology.com, Courtney E. Ackerman, MSc states, “Effectively gratitude can create social networks and help individuals work towards goals and challenges, and overall, simply have stronger coping skills for life’s hardships.”

At Crane it has been inspiring and heart-warming to see students of all ages learning the independent practice of gratitude...

Blog Image: How was your day?

In the past seven months, most parents have been more involved in their children’s academic lives than ever before. We know what sight words they have been working on, what the all-school art project is, and who presented in the Friday assembly video.

However, as Crane School students in all nine grades now have the option to learn on campus, the majority of parents are once again receiving less information about the day-to-day activities both in the classroom and on the playground.

We have all asked the question and gotten the dreaded answer. You know the one. Parents enthusiastically ask, “How was your day!?!” The response is an annoyed or indifferent, “Fine,” “Okay,” or possibly just an undecipherable grunt...