Back to School at SGS

Congratulations on completing the first full week of classes! For many of us, settling into the more predictable structure and routine of the Fall Term class schedule is a welcome relief after a very full, exciting week of orientation. This week, students got to meet and experience different classes with their teachers and developed a sense of what their daily routines will feel like between now and December. As I consider the back-to-school transition and routines, the word that comes to mind is change. 

Back-to-school means adjusting our daily routines. For many of us that means an earlier wake up and an earlier bedtime. It means thinking ahead about snacks and lunches. It is also a season of adjusting to shifting social dynamics and new or changing friendships. As the year begins, there can be lots of excitement and enthusiasm around trying new things and we often have to support our students in managing their time, energy, and commitments; not to mention our own! Change is often uncomfortable and can bring up anxiety in all of us. This is a great article for adults at home about supporting students as they navigate back to school worries and challenges.

At SGS, we work to approach the back-to-school transition by slowing things down where we can, rather than rolling it all out at once. During the next few weeks of classes, students and teachers will continue to focus on relationship and community building, co-creating routines and norms, and generating excitement for the year to come. Students will continue to learn about and experience new things at SGS that may become part of their day-to-day routines, whether it be the Affinities and Alliances, Wednesday Workshops, After School Clubs, or Homework. For now, let’s take a deep breath, celebrate all the learning and adjusting we have already done, and be patient with ourselves and each other as we continue to settle into school routines! 

If you are interested in more information and resources about the back-to-school transition, here are some excellent articles from the Child Mind Institute: