Managing the Challenge of Change

Two watchwords, awareness and empathy, can help us manage the huge transition involved in starting a new school year together. Most of us associate summer with relaxed routines and play, even if we are continuing work and school. However, for many of us fall represents a learning curve, an exciting time that also involves the challenge of change.

Both parents and teachers share the wonder of children maturing into a brand-new year, as well as the tremendous work and countless details to make it all happen smoothly. New classes, new routines, new people. We want to be aware that the transition to fall doesn’t occur in one day, but over time.

Realizing that change is both exciting and stressful can help us have compassion for others in our community and for ourselves. This is especially true for new students and families, and everyone can play a role in being welcoming.

Here are some suggestions to help everyone climb the mountain of new experiences in mutually satisfying ways.

Pay attention to energy—yours and theirs

Expect tiredness. Children may have meltdowns about little things, and parents may find their own patience tried. Fall transitions take enormous energy, and the first weeks of school may not be the time to add extra activities to a child’s schedule.

It helps to understand that clinginess, regression, and even agitation are often byproducts of new situations. It doesn’t mean anything is wrong. Change always involves struggle. Children need loving downtime with parents after school, and parents and teachers do better if they have time to recharge.

Talk about feelings with empathy rather than worry

Empathize with children’s mixed-up feelings about new beginnings without being alarmed by their anxiety or fears. Tell them stories about how you felt when you started a new school year. “I was excited to see my friends, but I was nervous about having a new teacher.”

Give children vocabulary to help them name and tame their emotions. “I hear that you were frustrated and angry that you didn’t get to play with your friend. What will you do to try to make that happen tomorrow?” We want to understand and validate children’s emotions without projecting worry that they won’t be able to handle the new situation.

Make a bridge from summer into the delights of fall

Talk about the good times of summer and make plans for ways to spend predictable, nourishing time together in fall, as schedules become more demanding.

Connect with understanding

Reach out to new people. Encourage other parents who seem to be struggling. Trust in teachers’ expertise and dedication to working with you to help each child to value themselves and to thrive.

Growth Mindset Presentation for Parents

The beginning of a new school year can be a challenging transition for families. We're pleased to offer a parent education session on “growth mindset” to set the tone for the year.

Growth mindset, the belief that your basic skills and strengths are things you can cultivate through your efforts, has been linked to greater achievement as well as greater enthusiasm for new learning and challenges. It has led to parenting approaches that are quite different from the way many of us were raised. Instead of punishing failure and rewarding success, parents learn to reward effort and attitude. They move away from "You’re good at math" or "You’re not a good athlete" to praising effort and improvement. In doing so, they instill in their children a love of learning and resilience in the face of difficulties.

This presentation is for parents. It will be conducted by psychologist Wendy Ritchey and first grade teacher Karima Hastings, who uses growth mindset in her work with students. They'll give an overview of growth mindset and show how parents can use this knowledge to help their children. There will be opportunities for parents to ask questions.

The presentation will be held via Zoom on Monday, August 21, at 7:30 p.m. Current families, please check your email for the Zoom link.

Graduates Explore the Nation's Capital

Keeping with a 20-year-old Meher School tradition, our recent graduates went on a whirlwind tour of Washington, D.C. As it always is, it was a rich and inspiring experience for all. Students, along with chaperones, parents, and elementary co-principal Vince d'Assis, saw almost two dozen sites, including the MLK Memorial, the JFK Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Albert Einstein statue, Ben's Chili Bowl, George Washington's home at Mount Vernon, the National Archives, the Air and Space Museum, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Ford's Theater, the Natural History Museum, the American History Museum, the Lincoln Summer Cottage, the African American History Museum, the Native American Indian History Museum, the Hirshhorn Museum, and the Library of Congress.