It was lovely on the very first day of school to hear so many of you wish me a Happy New Year, a phase I traditionally only hear in January. Yet it couldn’t be a more fitting use of the words. For educators and students, the first week of school is their new year. It is the time when real change happens and sets the stage for what comes next.
The first week of school marks a pivotal moment in the academic calendar. It’s a week filled with the new, yet comfortable familiar. Not only does everyone get to engage with new routines, new people, new friends and new opportunities, we also get to set new goals, new targets and new dreams. Just as New Year's Day symbolizes fresh beginnings and the opportunity to set new resolutions, the first week of school serves as a reset for students, teachers, and parents, setting the tone for the learning journey ahead. It is a time for everyone to recalibrate their expectation, to set their sites on reaching higher, doing better and going further than they ever thought possible.
For some of our very little ones, this week has meant being brave enough to be away from home, going to school for the very first time. For others it is the realization that in a years’ time they will be heading off to college. And for everyone in between, this week has been about building and renewing relationships, foster a sense of belonging, all the while having fun.
The new school year is like an unwritten book, with each day offering a blank page to be filled with learning, growth, and experiences.There are challenges ahead, no doubt, but there are also countless opportunities for discovery and achievement.
This week couldn’t have gone better.Dropoff and Pickup has even settled down some. Today was particularly amazing! Most students were picked up and heading off in less than 10 minutes, that’s a record!
So here’s to a Happy New Year to everyone and just like the official new year, it is followed by a holiday!
