Social skills are an essential part of a child’s development, but for many children and their parents, navigating social situations can feel like a daunting challenge. Whether it’s making friends, managing conflicts, or expanding social circles, these skills play a crucial role in a child’s emotional and social well-being. Some of the counselors at MPCS gathered to discuss what social skills look like at various stages of development, the common struggles children face, and how parents can help nurture these skills at home. Here are some key takeaways.

Jesus’s greatest commandment comes in Mark 12 where he teaches to love the Lord our God with all of our hearts and then to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). As Christians, service is not optional, but an act of obedience. How then are children and students taught to develop a love of serving one another? Any preschool teacher can probably verify that sharing is not an innate human instinct. 

We are at a pivotal time in parenting communities where there is a notable shift between parents who didn’t grow up with a super computer in their hands and parents who did. Some current preschool parents in our society grew up with cell phones in their childhood, and parents (or soon to be parents) in their early 20’s grew up with a cell phone and posting pictures to document their lives. So there is a significant chasm of understanding between those parents who grew up with technology, and those parents that did not. The older generations remember being able to survive without technology at their fingertips, the younger ones never had that experience. So how can both groups of parents partner together with administrators and their own valuable life experiences to come up with real solutions to the technology challenges of today? 

The creation of art dates back to the creation of the world — all the way back to Genesis in the Bible. We can read the story of Genesis and witness the beauty of creation all around us and everything that God created, in all his artistry. As humans created in His image, it isn’t a stretch to realize that we have that same yearning as He does for creating beautiful things. We see a continuation of this biblical alignment of creation and art within the story of Exodus when the tribes of Israel built the temples and began to use the word “artisans” and skilled workers. 

When the final bell rings for summer break, students and parents everywhere take a collective sigh. Time to refresh and recharge. Students definitely need a break, but, as most will agree, vegging out on the couch to Netflix or Disney streaming isn’t completely productive or replenishing to the body and mind. However, there are ways to keep your student’s mental, physical, and personal development going while still giving them that much needed downtime.

Dr. Alvin Rosenfield, author of The Over-Scheduled Child states that unscheduled time with family without goals or plans is key to character development. Most parents agree that character development is most important to them, but unfortunately, the packing of schedules or zoning out to television or gaming often counteracts that desire. So what are the best ways to carve out time for that much-needed downtime to recharge while developing healthy relationships and values? Experts at Mount Paran Christian School have some great creative strategies to share.

It is often said that there are no instruction manuals for parenting. But actually, the Bible gives very specific instructions on parenting, especially in Deuteronomy 6: 5-9. Essentially: love God, teach your children how to love God, read His scripture, write His scripture, wherever you are, all the time. 

As Christians we are taught to trust in God completely for the future. The Lord states in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” We hear this, we repeat it into memory, and we post it as a meme on our social media platforms, but when it comes to our children and their dreams do we really say “Your will, not mine (or theirs) Lord”? The truth is, it’s tough. Children have big dreams, and parents want them to check every possible box off their dream list that they can. 

A new school year is underway, and with it comes the overwhelming piles of papers, endless events, homework assignments, and school projects. Families inevitably find themselves searching for the right rhythm to balance the demands of school, alongside extracurriculars, church, and social activities. While the days are long, the years are short, leaving parents and students undoubtedly wanting to make the most of foundational educational experiences.  To help set children up for success, consider these 10 tips for a great school year.

While school “houses” are well-known across Europe and have been popularized in film, community-building house systems are steadily making their way across the pond to American schools. Mount Paran Christian School finished another year of its middle school House system and shares lessons learned, key wins, and future plans for the program.

School’s out for summer! Now what? To help prevent the academic summer slide, parents can help their children retain the knowledge they’ve learned this school year with a slew of fun activities. Faculty and staff at Mount Paran Christian School offer their advice to help students of all ages combine learning and fun to maintain essential skills across all subjects. Read on for ideas to get you started.

Learning is exceedingly complex. It is both highly personal and highly social. For educators tasked with facilitating and supporting learning, doing it, not just well but with excellence, requires a healthy dose of both art and science. And, while much is understood about the conditions and practices that support learning, facilitating learning that is durable, adaptive, inspiring, and innovative is a daily challenge for educators and schools. Moreover, creating school learning environments where students develop robust knowledge and skills is only the beginning. If students leave school today without the dispositions and skills to support lifelong, self-directed learning, they will not be equipped to tackle the challenges thrust upon them by an ever-changing world. 

So, while learning is complex, let’s take a moment to examine one of the key drivers of school-based learning – the teacher’s ability to create learning cultures of excellence in which students and educators are highly engaged with one another, with rich ideas and robust thinking and creating. Blessed with highly-skilled faculty, examples of high-engagement learning cultures at Mount Paran Christian School abound across all school grade divisions. 

Mount Paran Christian School is a college-preparatory school for students in preschool through grade 12, but our aim is to do more than simply prepare graduates for college admission. Our goal is to find colleges that offer the best possible fit for each graduating senior. We help students cultivate their talents and interests to find their academic and extracurricular strengths and passions, then focus on colleges that will best meet student goals. College selection can be overwhelming for families, but the MPCS college counseling department helps facilitate the process. By answering questions and providing advice, students are guided in their choice of coursework and ultimately towards the college that is just the right fit.

In an hour-plus conversation full of wisdom, laughter, and anecdotes, New York Times best-selling author and clinical psychologist Dr. Wendy Mogel explained the premise of one of her most popular books, The Blessing of a B Minus. To put it plainly, today’s standards imply that the “B” in a B- stands for “bad,” but Dr. Mogel attests that’s simply untrue.

Real classroom innovation at Mount Paran Christian School starts from within; from the open hearts and minds of the teachers, students, parents, and school leadership. Never has this been more true than during the 2020 academic year, when the coronavirus pandemic put the innovative practices of MPCS to the test.

The month of May marks the end of the school year and the beginning of summer. It is a time of self-reflection for students, especially seniors. And, it is a nationally-recognized time to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage. High school counselor Viola Lussier explains the significance of this recognition, shares her personal insights as a person of Korean heritage, and offers advice for students to explore other cultures and their family’s heritage.

Parents, do you remember applying for college? It was so easy! You likely had a paper application that asked a handful of questions, took the SAT once or twice and sent in your scores, and then your parents signed a check for $25. You may have been accepted to the three schools you applied to and chose the one that was close enough to home, but just far enough that your parents couldn’t surprise you without a phone call first. You may not have paid much attention to the ranking of the school’s degrees, if there was a football team, or the freshman retention rate. You and your parents decided you were going to college, picked one, and went for it. How times have changed!