Park West Families,
This week I’ve been soaking in the joyful energy of the new school year. Doting parents take photos of their children in front of school, fresh markers and neatly organized toy shelves surround teachers as they begin learning about each of you and your children, eager parents look for their first school friends, and new board members arrive at meetings with fresh ideas and motivation to pitch in. The energy around the new year is palpable and I absolutely love it!
What a special and sometimes bittersweet moment it is to start a new school year. Sending your child to school for the very first time often involves some looking back, remember the day they were born? It feels like it was just yesterday, how can my baby be ready to be a school kid? As parents, time can seem to move slow and fast all at once. A friend and colleague of mine would often say about parenting young children, the days are long but the years are short. For some of you, this is your family's last year with us here at Park West and you know better than anyone how true that statement can be.
This special time of year is filled with a wide range of emotions for children and their parents: excitement, nervousness, stress, feelings of overwhelm, joy and delight. As you navigate this range of emotions, both with your child and as parents, I invite you to get curious, and aim to be present. Let your children be your guide, no one is better at being in the present moment than young children. Of course you want to document the moment, of course you want to reflect on the past and can’t help but think of the future. But this time in your child’s development is short and precious. So take the opportunity provided to share this new experience with your child and take it all in, meeting them where they are.
For families new to school – I hope that your time with us these last few weeks has helped you see just how important this work is to all of us on staff and just how much we all care about you and your children. For returning families, I want to thank you for being with us again and for helping this school be the welcoming and inclusive place that it is.
Each of us has had a role to play in bringing this school year to life. Many board members began their work over the summer, the office completed many important projects, teachers spent many days planning and preparing their classrooms to be special places for your children, and parents completed paperwork and attended orientation and classroom visits with their children. Our collaborative efforts were fed by our shared goal: creating and fostering a special place for our children to learn, thrive, connect, and find joy in school together, together. So thank you everyone for helping Park West be a place where children and their ideas are taken seriously.
Warmly,
Melissa