December 20, 2024
Dear Cohasset Families,
Last Friday night was a true joy. I smiled for an hour as I was transported back to when my own boys were younger and I attended the Deer Hill 5th Grade Circus as a parent. As I sat in the crowd, I remembered both of my boys' and their friends' performances and how they walked around the house for weeks flipping the "devil sticks" and the "diablo". I remembered how much fun they had learning new skills, stepping outside of their comfort zone, and performing on stage for their classmates and their families. It was awesome then and it was awesome last week.
As I watched this year's fifth graders perform, I could not help but see the connections between the circus experience for our fifth graders and the conversations we've been having as a district following our community read of Jonathan Haidt's The Anxious Generation. In his book and each month since I stepped into this role, I have encouraged families and students of all ages to engage in play and responsible risk taking. What I saw on Friday night was an entire grade level of Cohasset students doing just that. Each student learned something new, worked hard and became better at a task that they didn't know how to do on Monday, and engaged in a public performance. And, they did it with smiles, laughter and joy. They supported one another through every success and failure and celebrated each other's accomplishments. While spinning plates may not, at first glance, seem like a risk, when asked to do it in front of peers and an audience of 100+ people, it starts to feel like more of one. These are types of risks we want our students to be taking. They are risks that require them to be new to something, to practice being resilient and persistent, to ask for help, to wade through the unknown and the uncertain, to come out the other side better than they went in, and to know that progress not perfection is the goal. Each of these skills will help our students as they work through a hard math problem, read a book that may be challenging, or navigate an unfamiliar or uncomfortable social situation.
Thank you to Circus Smirkus for spending the week with us and to Principal Sullivan, Mr. Youmans, and the fifth grade teachers for providing such a fun and meaningful experience to our students! You can see some photos of the 2024 circus performance below.
And, as we head off into the holiday break, I want to wish those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, and/or Kwanzaa a happy holiday and to wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year. Here's to a great 2025 ~ may we all have fun and try something new!
Ever onward,
Sarah
Keeping up with our Anxious Generation purposeful play and responsible risk taking challenges, I am inviting you to join in on our December activities. This month, our challenges are:
Purposeful Play Challenge
As the weather gets colder and vacation comes upon us, build an indoor fort to hang out in. While you're in there, play cards, eat a snack, etc!
Responsible Risk Taking Challenge
2025 is on our doorstep. With a new year comes new resolutions. This New Year, as a family identify something new each person wants to learn or try to do. Encourage your children to step a bit outside their comfort zone with their ideas and model that for them!
