Growing up, I was involved in many different activities. I was most active in sports, playing everything from football and wrestling to tennis and racquetball. Fortunately, I was able to participate widely, and was also active in many other arenas, playing the trombone, singing in chorus, and acting in a variety of productions. Common to all these different activities is the idea that within the game, production, or concert, there were always shorter segments – halves, acts, sets, and so on.
Similarly, I have come to find that school years are broken into segments in much the same way. There are the obvious segmentations of a school calendar – semesters, trimesters, or marking periods. The school year, however, is also divided into less formal segments. For example, we have just completed the first informal segment of the school year, which has spanned from Orientation to Fall Long Weekend.
In this segment, the overarching goal is acclimation and acculturation. In this segment, students and parents alike are introduced to the general expectations that guide the community for the remainder of the year. In class and through all school meetings, we discuss the ways in which the Foundations of Community guide our school culture. Students are trained how to use the planner, Google Classroom, and individual teachers spend time with students making sure that notebooks, binders, and the like are set up correctly. Likewise, we have invited parents and guardians to join us so that they too can understand both institutional and class specific guidelines.
In just over a month, we have accomplished much, communicated expectations, and began in earnest the challenging work of learning and growth. I hope that this weekend, you and your family are enjoying a well-earned and needed rest. Though some of our 8th Graders will be busy with secondary school preparation, our goal is to allow the students to take a breather as this first segment draws to a close. The next segment, which spans from Fall Long Weekend to Thanksgiving is one of the longest uninterrupted segments in the school year. It is usually the time when the novelty of a new year has worn off, and the work requires a little more attention and effort. Thus, the need for a 4-day weekend, to recharge for the upcoming challenges.
Overall, it has been a great start to the year, and we should feel good about a successful culmination of the first unofficial segment of the year - enjoy the break!