From the time you were very little, you've had people who have smiled you into smiling, people who have talked you into talking, sung you into singing, loved you into loving." - Fred (Mr.) Rogers
There is nothing like the beginning of another school year when it comes to eliciting an emotional response with just about every human on the planet - even those who no longer have any connection to schools likely experience a fleeting, nostalgic moment or two when they see the school ads emerge in early August, or witness the frenzy of 'new clothes for school' shopping - or the inevitable school supplies visible on every store shelf!
Students might look forward to school with eagerness and enthusiasm, or trepidation and worry - depending on their prior experiences of school. Parent perspectives vary depending on how the long days of summer have unfolded - sometimes it's a relief to look forward to not having the children underfoot all day but, at the same time, there is a wistfulness that the easy summer days have flown by and another year of growth has suddenly presented itself for recognition.
Teachers often spend their summers alternating between thinking "Wouldn't the kids love to give that a go!" and "I'm not thinking about school yet!" until the middle of August begins the siren call to get ready, set, go! for another school year. By the time the children arrive after Labour Day, teachers are welcoming them back with big smiles and big plans for another outstanding year of learning:)
And perhaps the biggest surprise I've come to appreciate is how much planning and behind-the-scenes preparatory work goes into ensuring every September holds the promise of 'the best year' of learning yet for students.
Having been a principal for fifteen years, I have come to accept (although not necessarily willingly!) that administrators usually begin planning for the next school year in January of the current school year - a phenomena that still continues to astound me! I feel like we are barely getting comfortable in this school year when we are already moving forward in our thinking to next year!! What that does mean, however, is that there are literally months of planning invested in every new school year long before Labour Day weekend rolls around and parents are battling to get children into bed at a reasonable time for the first day of school. From registration for Kindergarten that begins each January, to the first bell on the first day of school in September, schools have been seriously planning and anticipating how to best organize to meet learning needs for literally 3/4 of a year!
And even then, sometimes things still get messed up and all that pre-planning and organization goes awry - as it did this year when the CBE transitioned all schools and approximately 120,000 students to a new student information platform. Despite a rigorous training schedule and trials for many months, glitches emerged at the last minute, the system 'went down' and schools scrambled to gather the best possible information about student enrollment, schedules and general operational data. In our highly technologized world, a 'glitch' has the power to cause chaos or potentially even digital darkness - thankfully our glitch just temporarily slowed things down and created inaccuracies in the classroom data. It took a few days to get things back on track again, but by September 4 - our start up date - we were back on track digitally and our first day of school was simply outstanding!!
Every first day has it's 'moment to remember' and for me this year it was during our first Peace Assembly on September 4th when we all gathered in the gym to share our whole-school 'peace book' for this year, 'Be Kind' by Pat Zietlow Miller. As Jasper, one of our Grade 4 students, stepped up to the microphone to read, and the pages of our new book flashed onto the screen, every child stopped moving, rustling and whispering and attended to the words and images that will frame their learning experiences this school year. It will be a long time before I forget the quiet in the gymnasium as the children listened intentionally to this lovely story.
Did they understand the care teachers took to consider several titles before selecting this one last spring? Did they understand the many discussions, meetings and plans that have been taking place amongst staff to ensure their learning experiences reflect the sharing and caring perspectives found in the story? I seriously doubt it - children live in the moment and appreciate each gift of time in a school day as it is offered, not as it was planned. That is the truth and absolute joy of childhood - being able to live and love and accept each day as authentic, not as the outcome of some greater plan.
I believe the children stopped to listen because they have lived so many moments already - both in their homes and at school - appreciating the stories, the voices, the laughter and the tears as the way life is experienced - one moment at a time. Our school has established a culture, in cooperation with our families, where stories matter, kindness matters and listening to each matters too.
It is a lovely way to begin each school year, establishing from the earliest moments of the school year that we are a family of learners, coming together every day to share our stories, practice being peaceful and kind, and very much ready to embark on a new learning experience that will offer us the best year yet of learning :)
Welcome back to school!
Lorraine Kinsman, Principal
Eric Harvie School
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