Hello EMS Families and Caregivers!
A few reminders for this week as we head into our winter break:
First, Friday 12/22 is and EARLY RELEASE with students dismissed at 11:30, so please plan ahead with your students!
Second, Tuesday evening, 12/19 is the EMS Chorus Concert at 7:00PM!! Chorus Teacher Claudia Pawlikowski and our student singers have been working hard this Fall and are excited to fill our evening with music! I hope to see you there. The students will also be visiting the Converse Senior Center on Thursday to share their musical talents with our community!
Lastly, I would like to encourage all of us to be as present as possible with our young adolescents during this break from school. This time of the year is joyous for many, and also quite stressful for many young people as well. We know that anytime there is a significant break from regular routines, it can throw things off.
Some will fill the time with beloved activities: winter sports, time with family, cozy downtime with good books or movies, crafts and other hobbies. To me, this represents the best of the season, and can bring a welcome, restorative break from the daily routines of the school year.
For others though, these days between school ending in December and resuming in January can be difficult. The pain of loss is often felt most acutely this time of year. Contact with family members who may not share the same values or fully accept our identities can generate stress, often without familiar supports or coping strategies available as usual. Financial stresses can often be felt by families at this time of year as well. Without daily, in-person contact with friends and supportive adults they would usually see at school, some teens withdraw in ways that can make the eventual return to school more difficult.
So here is John’s Winter Break Tip: At least once a day, do something intentional with your child that brings you both together and into the present moment. Put the phones aside for a minute or ten (I can feel my wife looking over my shoulder and reminding me how much I need to listen to this advice btw), and be together. Play cards. Decorate. Cook something. Go for a walk. Get a special drink or snack. Make a playlist. You can google “mindfulness activities” if you want, but really it can be anything as long as you are here, present, right now, and connected. Think about the questions you always ask and the answers you always get back. Think about if there is a different question you might ask while you are peeling carrots together, or brushing the dog, or riding the chairlift, or shoveling the driveway. It doesn’t have to be anything major. Try for one thing a day. Small changes can lead to big outcomes over time. Even if they say they don’t want to, they may appreciate knowing that you’re there.
Thanks for reading everyone. Have a wonderful break and a safe and happy New Year.
See you in 2024!!
John
