Summer is for Running Barefoot in the Grass

Dear Families:

“At the end of the day, if I can say I had fun,

 it was a good day.” ― Simone Biles

A few days ago, one of our newly admitted families came to visit the school. We were chatting in the hallway, the way I used to love to do with all of you, and the student’s mother asked me what she could do to counter the 18 months of instruction her daughter lost due to the pandemic.

“Mindy regressed terribly,” she told me as her eyes started to well up. “What can we do to get her ready for the fall?”

This recent Washington Post article details what we have known for a while now about just how problematic pandemic-related school closures have been for students with special needs. The article, and Mindy’s story, also reflect the trend we’ve seen in this year’s prospective students: each applicant has been failed by their schools; each applicant has regressed.

I thought for a few moments while Mindy’s mother waited for an answer, and I recalled what Pearl’s former physiatrist used to say: 

“Summer is for running barefoot in the grass, not orthotics.”

Finally, I found the advice that felt right. Now I’d like to give that same advice to all of you who might be asking yourselves, “Should I be doing something specific to get my child ready for the next school year?” 

YES. You should...

Go outside— soak up the sun, laugh, smell summer’s sweetness. Breathe, and take some time to just be. If you are lucky enough to be vaccinated, take off your masks and scream. A real primal yell is encouraged (outdoors, of course!) for everyone.

Plan visits with friends, play with siblings or cousins, hug grandparents. Encourage your kids to connect with other children. Run and laugh and play— whatever “play” means to you and your family. The key here is simply togetherness. 

Read something fun or listen to an audio book together. Try sitting under a tree while you do it. Feel the sun on your skin and the air around you and be part of the world again.

Ride a bike. Jump double dutch (do people still do that?), play four square, throw a football, kick a soccer ball. Go swimming at least once. If you can’t swim, go to your public pool or the shore of a lake or ocean and just stand in the water. Dance—even if, like me, you only do it when nobody's looking.

Spend time together. Be happy. Get well. Smile. Breathe deeply. Encourage your children to enjoy summer's beauty and bounty as you all recharge, reset, recalibrate, and come back to life.

That’s your summer homework. We will figure out the rest in the fall. 

Shine on,

Alex