Dear St. Michael’s Parents and Families—
On behalf of our Board and teachers and staff, I wish all of you a wonderful, safe, and restful Rodeo Week!
Please note that I will send a standalone, separate email tomorrow to all parents and families with a summary of our faculty-recruiting efforts for the coming 2020-2021 academic year.
For now, as I look ahead to this upcoming week of rest, with the hope that we will all find some time for reading, I offer two suggestions—one to help your superstars strengthen their independent-reading skills and enjoy reading while they’re away, the other a recommended book for those of us who are raising adolescent girls.
First, for your sons’ and daughters’ own explorations in reading outside of school, which I highly encourage, I have discovered the wonder and appeal of online books for my three children at home. There are a number of suitable (it seems) apps online that support reading. I do not necessarily promote any particular app, but one such app that I have used and enjoyed, “Audible,” offers (for a modest cost) digital books that are read aloud for the listener and can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, with or without the use of headphones; all that is required is a standard speaker on a mobile phone, a desktop, laptop, or any similar mobile device. Paired with the hard copy of the same book, it is an effective way—though certainly not the only way—for young readers to follow along as they read, pausing and re-reading when they need to. I enjoy, above all, reading aloud to my kids, my youngest in second grade especially, as he is often the only willing participant! When too much to do and obligations elsewhere prevent me from sitting and reading aloud with them, however, the online option for audible books has proven to be a winning and effective alternative.
My second recommendation—again, especially for those of us in the throes of raising adolescent daughters—I have been reading with great interest Dr. Lisa D’Amour’s bestselling book, Untangled, a research- and anecdotal-based testament to the complex journey of adolescent girls and their parents through the distinct stages of separation, independence, and adulthood. Here is a short excerpt about the book from the author’s website (https://www.drlisadamour.com/untangled/): “Untangled helps mothers and fathers (parents) understand, connect, and grow with their daughters. When parents know what makes their daughter tick, they can embrace and enjoy the challenge of raising a healthy, happy young woman.”
Happy reading, wherever you end up!
Brendan Sullivan
Head of School
bsullivan@stmichael.net