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How in the world did we get to September? My girls and I barely had time to visit the Rhode Island shore before we all settled into that familiar routine of school again.
It’s hard to believe my two youngest will be in seventh and eighth grade; I can still remember the looks on each of my three kids’ faces when they started kindergarten. I can see the smiles of excitement and pride they wore on their first day of school as we took their first-day-of-school pictures. It was bittersweet for me since it meant they were growing up. Now it’s funny to think how tweens and teens don’t have the same excitement about the start of school any longer (though I certainly appreciate it some days!).
The one thing I’ll always enjoy at the beginning of each school year is getting to meet the girls’ teachers when they come for the home meet-and-greets with the families. It is nice to meet them in a more intimate setting, to ask about their expectations for their class and what the year will look like across different subjects. I love finding out what books they’ll be reading in ELA, what types of math they’ll be learning, and what’s new in science and history. My kids are able to talk to their new teachers and ease some of those first day jitters. It’s also a chance for me to tell their teachers a bit about my girls and their learning needs and styles. By the end of the night, I know my girls are in capable hands.
Despite not showing excitement about going back to school, it seems all kids love shopping for back-to-school supplies. Why is that? Is it the smell of newly sharpened pencils, blank lined paper, notebooks? Is it the choosing of new backpacks and lunch bags? Or maybe they’ve reinvented themselves with stylish back-to-school haircuts? Or just maybe it’s the anticipation of a brand new school year, with new teachers, different classmates in this year’s classes. The thoughts of this being a new year, new grade, maybe this will be the best year yet!
Best year yet…As a mom, that is what I hope for my girls. As parents, we all want to see our kids be as successful as they are able to be in school—and in life. To me that doesn’t mean being at the top of their class. Not all of our scholars, as they are called at the charter school my girls attend, will be ‘A’ students, and that is perfectly okay. I prefer to see my kids try to the best of their ability and to see them improve each trimester and each year. While my girls may have to work harder in some subjects, I know they both get the supports they need from their teachers in order to help them be more successful. Learning will always be a challenge, but school also helps them develop grit and perseverance so they never stop trying to improve themselves.
I wish for all scholars to have their best year yet.