Dear Families and Friends of Trinity,
Parenting Kids in a Digital World: When we think back to our youthful years, chances are some of our fondest memories involve outdoor activities and places. Maybe it was riding our bike through the neighborhood or playing hide and seek in nearby woods with friends. In my childhood days, I was told, “get out of the house and don’t come home until the streetlights went on.” Unfortunately, many of today’s children spend far less time outdoors (often for legitimate reasons). Video games, television, and screen-time-related activities may expose children to some incredible visual images, but being outside and seeing something completely first-hand has more value in the long run.
While technological skills are extremely important to our children growing up in this century, I think that teaching our children conflict resolution and social skills may be one of the most important responsibilities we have as educators and parents. With technology increasingly saturating our world, time accelerates, and distances shrink. We find ourselves living increasingly fast-paced lives which can result in stress and increased difficulty maintaining cohesive families and lasting friendships. More than ever, we all need robust interpersonal skills to fulfill our need for productive and meaningful relationships. I received most of my childhood training in my neighborhood and through unstructured times at school. When given the opportunity to be “bored” without any electronic stimulation, children are more likely to practice and develop social skills. As they do, there are more able to express themselves and learn about the world around them and their place in it. This in turn should help promote autonomy, sound decision making, and effective organizational skills.
Please join us next, Monday, January 22 at 6:00 p.m.in the school cafeteria for an evening with Pastor Aaron Sanders and his wife Holly Sanders as they present on, “Parenting Kids in a Digital World.” Pastor Sanders will segment a practical seminar designed to help parents with children of all ages navigate the digital world with wisdom and grace. Each year the PTO secures a parent education workshop to help strengthen our parenting skills. Thank you, PTO, for this important evening.
Lastly, the forecast calls for an Arctic Blast and when the temperature dips below 40 degrees. On these days students and staff may wear jeans and non-uniform outerwear. Our priority is to keep everyone warm and engaged.
With warm regards,
Mark Ravelli / Head of School
Trinity Episcopal School
720 Tremont Street Galveston, TX 77550
409.765.9391 https://tesgalv.org