We have entered the home stretch of the school year. It is a month full of celebrations, culminations, teetering piles of obligations, and a pace of living that can encourage a few bad choices.
There is no better season in New England to slow down, take a look around and smell the flowers. Unfortunately, in schools, there may be no month when we are less likely to do so.
Adam Rohdie aptly refers to this annual phenomenon as May Mayhem. There is no malicious intent to the bewildering pace and volume of activity each spring, we’re all just really excited. There is good reason to be – it is the end of another school year laden with carefully planned and accidental lessons, triumphant victories and heartbreaking losses, soaring melodies and missed notes. There has been a lot of growth, and every May we feel like we need to hurry up and put a bow on all of it.
We know that the learning doesn’t stop when school lets out in June, but things change. It is natural to want to squeeze in as much as we can while we have reins, so to speak. It can feel like our last chance to get a word in edgewise.
There is a reason Ferris Bueller chose late spring for his day off.
Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
While I don’t advocate for playing hooky, being intentional about looking around once in a while is worthwhile.
The Lower Elementary recently did just that by taking school outside, moving every class into nature , and venturing to the fields, trails, and streams that surround our campus. Nobody missed their SMART boards.
Our Dining Hall is following suit, scheduling weekly barbecue lunches on Old Church Road. Picnics are effective, and tasty, speed bumps.
There’s a lot that needs doing in the next few weeks, and it is important stuff. We know it can be overwhelming, so take your cue from the Lower Elementary (never a bad idea) and put the deep breaths on your calendar. Remind yourself that learning happens inside and outside, fast and slow, on purpose and out of the blue.
You might just find the cure for May Mayhem.