Dear Brown MS Community,
Thursday was the Vernal Equinox and the first day of spring! It is also Nowruz, the Persian New Year, celebrated by millions in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Central Asian countries, and diaspora communities worldwide. We can see the beginnings of flowers slowly popping up from the ground with a promise of what lies ahead! Happy Nowruz to those that celebrate, and Happy Spring!
With the dawn of this new season comes many new opportunities for students to get involved at school. There are spring sports (more information in this newsletter), after school club offerings and more opportunities to get outside. If your child has not tried out a club or activity after school, please encourage them to do so (a full listing is in this newsletter). They can meet new friends and explore something they truly enjoy.
Also with the spring comes a “busy-ness” unlike any other for teachers, parents and students. We have MCAS, field trips, concerts, recitals, culminating projects, celebrations, graduations and end of school year events. We live in a time when we want to do all things and try to be all things to all people. It can lead to impatience and exhaustion (as well as confusion and disorganization)! As we embark on this busy time, it is important to be realistic about what is doable and forgive ourselves (and others) when we inevitably fumble. I am completely a “type A” person, and I do my best to keep it all together with calendar systems and reminders from Siri and Alexa to keep me on track. Yet, I will miss things, and I will need to forgive myself and accept that I can only do so much. I also need to remember to make choices – especially when I want to do everything. If we demonstrate a pragmatic attitude about what we can and can not accomplish, and choose accordingly, we are modeling for kids how to prioritize and make choices – something that is hard for teens and tweens. If we show grace under pressure with a sense of humor, then we model for our kids that even when we feel overwhelmed, we still try our best. And, of course, even when we try our best as adults, we sometimes don’t get it right, but even this is an opportunity to show them how we learn and grow.
Today is the end of Term 2. Teachers will be finalizing grades next week and report cards for term 2 will be published on Monday, March 31. Please be sure to review the report card with your child – including reading the comments from teachers as these can provide students with information about what they are doing well and if there are areas for improvement for term 3.
My youngest heads back for her last semester of junior year in college this weekend. I am amazed at how quickly the time goes by! We will miss her, but our dishwasher is breathing a sigh of relief as it has been running non-stop since my kids came home. I plan to come to school to see the Mean Girls Jr. tomorrow – hope to see some of you there! I wish you a relaxing weekend!
Best,
Kim Lysaght