Notes from the School Counselor
As we successfully welcome our students back to campus, we acknowledge and celebrate the hard work of our administration, faculty, and staff to make it all happen! The campus is filled with excitement and laughter from the students, and it almost feels like things are “back to normal.” For example, your child’s emotional and physical exhaustion at the end of the day/week may resemble his or her response to the first week of a typical school year in August/September.
However, here are a few reminders to consider as we transition to “normalcy” while still living in the Pandemic:
- After almost one year of remote learning, minimal playdates, and home isolation, the amount of stimulation kids experience on a daily basis at school may be overwhelming for some. So while they are excited from having their “best day ever” on campus, it would not be alarming for them to have meltdowns or moodiness due to their exhaustion.
- Children in Grades 3-6 may experience the highs of on-campus interactions with their peers, and then the lows of returning to the screen the next day. This “back and forth” could be both discouraging and exhausting for your child.
- Some of your children may be leaving siblings behind while they return to campus everyday. Feelings of jealousy or even sadness from separating from their siblings (and only playmates for the past year!) is normal and understandable.
- Your children may desire other “normal” things to resume in their lives, such as frequent playdates, birthday parties, or other extracurricular activities. Please remind your child that we need to continue to make wise choices as we consider the safety of our community.
- Normalize and validate your child’s experience, whether remaining in the full remote program or returning to campus. All feelings are okay and all feelings are important! Feelings come and feelings go, just like the Pandemic will someday soon.
- Encourage and model an “attitude of gratitude” within your household, which helps all of us move through the more challenging moments of this season. I suspect that our Teachers and Administrators (and Nurse Venick!) would especially appreciate words or notes of thanks! :) This simple act enables both parties to experience the warmth and joy of connection.
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