Posts by Doug Schwartz

November 4, 2020 Thanksgiving Day is much more than a great meal and watching football—it is a day for us to feel truly grateful for all that we have in our lives. The benefits of gratitude are numerous for everyone. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, appreciate good experiences, improve physical and mental health,…

October 29, 2020 We know that choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important decisions parents will ever make. At Columbia Academy, you will find a unique, safe environment where individual attention and caring teachers help create happy children, and families who are confident in their child’s experience. Our research-based…

October 22, 2020   It’s that time of year again where pumpkin spice, apple cider doughnuts, and pumpkin carving mix with crisp autumn air and vibrant foliage —some of our favorite fall traditions! Here is your guide to carving pumpkins and creating the spookiest jack-o-lantern on the block!   Materials Needed: Pumpkin Pumpkin carving kit…

October 15, 2020 Columbia Academy is honored to have been named one of the American Heart Association’s “TOP 25 Schools” in Maryland for the 2019-2020 school year. Each year, we participate in the AHA’s Kids Heart Challenge, which teaches students about heart health while raising funds to protect all hearts – especially other kids’! Through…

October 6, 2020 Preventable injuries are a major cause of hospital visits in children. According to the CDC, every year in the U.S., approximately 12,175 children and young adults, ages 1 to 19, die from unintentional injuries and over 9.2 million children are treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal injuries. There are many precautionary, life-saving…

September 29, 2020 Music and movement play an important role in healthy child development, and they have many benefits. Children need to be able to move their bodies to prepare their brains for learning. Children naturally love music and will begin reacting to it at an early age. Whether it’s soft and soothing or upbeat…

September 15, 2020 In Columbia Academy preschool classrooms, teachers use The Creative Curriculum® to create lesson plans with developmentally appropriate objectives. These objectives help children have positive interactions with both their peers and adults, develop social-emotional competence, be constructive and purposeful in their play, and continue to develop motor skill growth. Dramatic play has an…

September 9, 2020 The physical and social-emotional well-being of students and families is a top priority as the world continues to adjust to the uncertainties related to COVID-19. These are challenging times, especially for children, both in the U.S. and around the world. Health and safety, social-emotional development, and established routines are critical to educators…

September 8, 2020 Whether on-campus or online, it is completely understandable for children to feel anxious and stressed about starting a new school year with unfamiliar teachers and unknown expectations. Being able to identify when children are struggling with stress and anxiety is essential for parents to help ensure that the back-to-school transition is a…