Letter From Leadership 5/4
Dear families,
Sometimes, all it takes is a single word to get a powerful, ground-shifting conversation underway.
This week, our fifth graders began the next step of planning and preparing for graduation. After middle school offers went out last week, the energy shifted amongst our soon-to-be-graduates, as they now feel a foot in each of these two worlds - the end of their elementary school years, and the beginning of their next chapter. In our conversations with families, starting at the end of the fourth grade year, we remind everyone how much impact our words as adults have on our children. We underscore the importance of minding our language - we should not speak of “good schools” and “bad schools” when our whole community of unique, interesting, growing children are applying to a range of middle schools. Instead, we remind our adults to think back to the “Goldilocks” language of “just right” schools, places with an attribute that’s a perfect match for another child. In doing this careful work, we are able to make sure that to the greatest extent possible, the day after middle school offers go out is a day filled with hugs, celebration, and melancholy, but not a day where one child hears, “my family said that’s a bad school.” Kudos to our fifth grade families and our fifth graders for taking care of each other in this way!
In the days that came next, fifth graders brainstormed with their teachers, and BAX teaching artist Donna Costello, about the word “graduation,” and what it makes them think of. This is one step in their creative process, as they prepare for that beautiful day. As you can see, a wide range of emotions and experiences made their way into the conversation:
Thinking back to our own graduations at various stages, there are echoes of all that led up to them, coupled with those big markers of the celebration itself - the hats in the air, the food, the party, the diplomas, and too, the goodbyes.
For fifth graders, spending the last two months of the year immersed in this conversation is an important way to support their processing of this big transition. For children in younger grades, the discussions will come later, as the teachers sense from the children, and overhear, that they’re ready to start the conversation. The youngest children will visit spots in the building they might see next year, checking out the kindergarten hallway, first grade hallway and other special spots. Classes will reflect together, working towards closure on this year and preparing children for their own next steps. We encourage families to check in with your child’s teacher(s) if your child is starting to ask about next year, as teachers can share more about the plans for closure in their particular grade. We also encourage families to try their best to let kids open these conversations, rather than starting to talk about next year before kids start thinking about it on their own.
We often see regression for children of all ages as we approach a moment of transition, and June marks a very big one of those. Sometimes we see behaviors that children seemed to have “grown out of” pop back up. Sleeping troubles spike, conflicts and big feelings ramp up, as children (and adults) are working overtime to make sense of the feelings in their bodies as we approach the uncertainty of what’s to come. We do everything we can to meet our children with empathy in these moments, and guide them to understand their own feelings and worries.
In the next few weeks, time will go by quickly primarily because there is so much going on here at 610 Henry Street. Keep your eyes and ears open so you can be present for the learning along with your child. Volunteer to go on a trip or help in the classroom. Support your child by keeping up with teacher notifications and homework expectations. And keep paying attention to class parent messages and Konstella messages so you know what is going on.
Mark your calendars for Friday, June 16th - BNS’ annual June Share event. This special day celebrates a year of learning for all of our children, with more details to follow soon.
We look forward to seeing you!
D&M
Check the website calendar and the Konstella calendar for updates:
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