Entering the Second Lap

As we return from Fall Break and begin the second quarter of the school year, it is a great time to reflect on the first quarter and prepare for the next phase.

Many teachers refer to the term “reset” when talking about beginning the new quarter.  You may have even heard this word used during fall conferences.  Returning from Fall Break is a great time for a fresh start and a time for our teachers to remind scholars of the expectations set before them.

As a parent, you have now mastered school drop-off and pick-up traffic, you can remember early release days with very few prompts, and you have developed your daily routines for your household around your child’s school and sports schedules.  You can go into the new quarter knowing you have all the hard parts figured out.  But for many of us, second, quarter can be a very busy season.  It is the time where we begin entering the holidays and all the festivities and gatherings that go along with them.  Fall sports wind down and winter sports begin.  Buying dresses for homecoming dances and sewing costumes for Literary Character Day are now added to your to-do list, all leading up to semester exams before winter break.  It’s a fast-paced time of year that will disappear in an instant if you blink, but it will also be some of the best memories with your child as you look back.

We spoke to Melanie Brintnall, Great Hearts Curriculum Manager for New Regions, to find out what a scholar at an upper school can expect.  “Much like in the beginning of a race, the first quarter is about finding your pace and figuring out how fast you need to go,” said Brintnall.  “By the second quarter, you have found your stride and gained the stamina, habits, and focus needed to complete the next leg of the journey with strength.”

Brintnall believes this can be a time for upper school students to capitalize on the momentum and study habits from the first quarter to really dive in and enjoy their learning.

Cammie Passey, Director of Curriculum in the Lower Schools, gets excited for this time in the cycle of the school year.  “Life within a school community has a seasonal rhythm to it that often disappears as we age.  The second quarter coincides with the beginning of autumn—a time of gathering and feasting… This is a beautiful illustration of what this school term looks like!  It is a time when our students begin to reap the benefits of the habits and practices that were planted in the first quarter of the school year.”

Passey feels the second quarter brings many more opportunities for our lower school families to engage.  Your child has developed friendships during the first quarter that they can now build on.  Concerts, recitals, festivals, and celebrations abound.  It is a time of celebrating all the transitional moments with your child.  And yes, you will feel like an Uber driver at times, but remember that you and your family are making core memories that you will cherish for years to come.

We hope you had a fun and refreshing Fall Break.  We want to congratulate you and your scholar for completing the first quarter of the school year.  We now welcome you to the second quarter.  Your children may need some extra encouragement at times, and you may need to stop occasionally, to sneak in a sip of a pumpkin spice latte.  But above all, enjoy this season.

Do you have a story or know of a story that you would like to see featured at Great Hearts?  Please contact jmoore@greatheartsamerica.org.