Peck School Blog

My husband and I were happy with how our children, Matthew and Emma, were doing in our local public schools. They were both excelling academically and socially. My husband, a product of independent schools, had raised private schools as a consideration, but we felt satisfied with the education our children were receiving. However, we eventually came to realize what was missing at our local public school. What attracted us to Peck was the Upper School curriculum and how it is intentionally designed around building the specific skills that are critical to develop both from an academic and character perspective in preparation for secondary school.  Even though our son Matthew only started at Peck in sixth grade, we felt his growth in three years exceeded our wildest expectations. Here are the five reasons we wish we had considered private school sooner:

At Peck, we strongly believe in the power of reading and intentionally foster opportunities to develop a passion and love for reading in our students. One genre that is a fan-favorite with students of all ages right now is graphic novels. Our Librarian and Literary Specialist Melissa Sorge compiled the top 5 graphic novels our students are reading:

As I enter my fifth year at Peck, I am still fascinated by the tradition of Kairos Day. I had never heard this word before coming to Peck and the concept of a day celebrating it felt even more curious. 

A timeless tradition at nearly all schools in the nation is the beloved back-to-school night. Parents get to sit in child-size chairs, peek inside cubbies and lockers, and hear firsthand from teachers about all that is in store for the coming school year. Our Peck administrators have collectively experienced more than 100 back-to-school nights—so, they know a thing or two about how to host, and attend, a successful event. They offered these six tips to parents:

New sneakers. Taco Tuesday. Secondary School Applications. 

Taste Some Vegetarian Louisiana Gumbo with FLIK! 

Celebrate and honor black heritage and have some fun making this gumbo with your family and friends, courtesy of the wonderful individuals at FLIK!

Our Daily Lives

Thirty years ago the internet was in its infancy—only available to those with high-security clearance. We relied on newspapers, television, and word of mouth to consume media. While the internet has given us a measure of comfortability and convenience, there is something to be said about information being too readily available—we have the world in our pocket, after all. Therefore, it’s important to take a moment to breathe and to connect with those who mean the most to us. At Peck, we do this through Kairos, a homework-free night set aside purposely three times a year. It provides us with an opportunity to move away from our screens and move towards connection with our friends and families.

In order for a child to be successful later on in life, there are several things we as educators need to think about: the child's growth and development, their disposition, and the building blocks of education such as literacy and math.  But how do we allow children to be children for a little while longer? I had the honor and privilege of speaking with Mark Mortensen, a cross-divisional woodshop teacher armed with a rubber thumb (yes, a rubber thumb) and a heart of gold.

One unintended side effect of our robust arts program is a lot of piled up artwork on the countertops of my students’ homes! While a good problem to have, I recognize how frustrating it can be for parents to want to keep mementos but not know how or where to display their children’s work.