How do we end a school year like THIS one?
We thought the end of the 2019-2020 school year was chaotic. We also thought that would be the end of the chaos. My son showed me an email I sent him on March 13, 2020…reminding him to bring his gym clothes because he will be home for 4 weeks. 4 weeks???
4 weeks turned into…
An entire school year of some of the toughest parenting decisions we’ve ever faced.
An entire school year of missing closeness with friends.
An entire year where teachers were essentials workers - sacrificing their safety and sanity to teach our children, by any means possible.
So how do we treat the end of this year? My initial thought was to let it go quietly. I’ve been looking forward to closing the book on this chapter for awhile.
But - we owe it to the kids and the teachers to make this closure of 2020-20201 academic year a big celebration. Maybe the biggest one yet.
Yes, parents had it rough. The decisions, the nagging, the extra meal prep and juggling work duties. But let’s give a standing ovation for those “in the arena”:
To the kiddos:
For trying to learn “as usual” when your environment was anything but.
For adjusting to remote, hybrid, in-school, social distancing and mask wearing.
For watching Mom and Dad and caregivers stress day in and day out.
For missing out on the fun parts of school - friend time, recess, lunch, musicals and sports and taking it all in stride.
To the teachers and staff:
For somehow mustering up a smile and positive attitude in front of our children. Every. Single. Day.
For dedication to your career, your passion, by providing the best education in less-than-ideal circumstances.
For your creativity in keeping kids interested in learning, online and in-person.
For not only educating our children, but keeping them physically and mentally healthy.
For calming our fears, patiently answering our frantic questions and taking in any criticism. We know you are doing your best every day. Don’t let the naysayers get to you. You are wonderful and we appreciate you.
While everyone will be celebrating the end of a school year a little differently this year, here are a few creative ways to celebrate the end of this very special year. Let’s all raise a toast to ourselves for making it through together. We all made mistakes. We all had victories. We’re all in this together.
THANK A TEACHER. There are countless bullet points I could have added above. I’m sure you have some special teachers that could use a few kind words of encouragement and gratitude. You don’t need anything fancy or expensive. Just acknowledgement, reassurance and gratitude.
SCRAPBOOK. Collect any memorabilia - artwork, good grades, pictures…and place into a scrapbook that they can decorate.
JOURNAL or INTERVIEW. Think of the future here. This was a year for history books. This is something they can share with their children. Have your kids answer questions, written or spoken about this past year. Some ideas; Describe this past school year in 3 words. How was this year different from past years? What new skill did you learn this year? What will you always remember about this year? What are you looking forward to next year? What was the biggest bummer about this year? What did you like most?
VIDEO (You saw this coming, right?) Put together a fun slideshow of any pictures or videos taken throughout the year and place them to their favorite music. You can do this through iMovie or plenty of free apps out there. Or hire a professional.
AWARDS CEREMONY. There are two ways to do this. One, write down a list of their accomplishments. Sometimes we (and they) overlook them. Or forget about them. Write down a list of things that made you proud of them this year. Or, print out some ‘award certificates’ and make up some awards that they deserve, such as ‘perfect attendance’, ‘time management guru’, ‘positive attitude’ and so forth.
Other ways to celebrate:
Remember to celebrate your triumphs, too! We made it. Maybe not unscathed. But there is hope for next year. It will get better. And you are better and stronger and smarter than ever. Onward.
As a footnote, I referenced a quote from Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech. It’s my favorite and, I think, holds so true to this past school year.
To have a slideshow created or to schedule a filmed interview - start here!