Dear Paragon Parents,
There comes a point every school year when we move from the excitement of the beginning and new-ness of everything into what I like to call “ordinary time.” The first-day pictures have been taken, Parent Nights are behind us, we’ve celebrated together at our Back-To-School Pool Party, athletics are underway, and most of the big “start of school” moments have officially happened. Now, we settle in.
And settling in is when the real school year begins. The schedules get more complicated. Homework becomes part of the evening routine. Practices, games, clubs, and activities fill the calendar. We’re remembering which day is Art or Electives, where that missing water bottle went, and whether those shorts are actually dress code. Students are figuring out their teachers, teachers are figuring out their students, and families are figuring out how all the pieces fit together.
So, parents, as we enter ordinary time, I have one very important piece of advice for you: Don’t freak out. There will be a forgotten homework assignment. There will be a low quiz grade. Someone will leave a lunchbox at home, wear the wrong shirt, or realize at 9:00 p.m. that something is due tomorrow. That’s okay. In fact, that’s part of why they’re here.
We don’t expect perfection from our students, and we hope you won’t either. School is a place to learn how to manage responsibilities, recover from mistakes, ask for help, solve problems, and try again. Sometimes the most valuable learning happens in those little uncomfortable moments when our kids have to figure out what to do next. Our job, both at home and at school, isn’t to remove every bump in the road, but to help them learn how to navigate it.
So as we settle into the rhythm of this school year, remember: we are in this together. There will be busy weeks, complicated schedules, forgotten things, successes, mistakes, and plenty of growth along the way. Ordinary time may not have the fanfare of the first few weeks, but this is where the good stuff happens. This is where routines become habits, classrooms become communities, and our kids get a little more capable and confident every day.
Wishing you a wonderful week,
Lindsay Hay, M.Ed.
Head of School
