Dr. Cristina Sevadjian

Hi Covenant Friends,

As the school year ends and we usher in summer, I wanted to leave you with a few thoughts. The end of the school year is often a time of saying goodbye. Our younger students are saying goodbye to teachers they love and that have loved them. Other children may encounter big transitions from Grammar to Logic and Logic to Rhetoric, which comes with feelings of sadness and excitement. Our graduates are saying goodbye to childhood in many ways and are excited about launching into their adult-ish lives.

With these goodbyes, it is good to talk with our children about the transitions and help them understand that most moments in life come with excitement along with anxieties. You may even observe their feelings come out in the form of behaviors (younger children may have more meltdowns and in older students there may be more irritability and agitation), which is all about them processing these changes.  It is helpful to normalize the feelings that come with these transitions and help them avoid pathologizing these very normal parts of life. Most people struggle with endings, so it is important to help shepherd our children’s hearts through them. The best time to talk with our older children is after they get through their exams; younger children may need more conversations and support in the moment. To help them process you may ask variations of these questions based on their age:

1. What did they overcome this school year? What were they most proud of?
2. What did they learn this year? About themselves, friends, or an important life lesson?
3. How did they see the Lord’s goodness to them this year? How did they see Him work in their lives?
4. What is one thing that they would handle differently from this year if they had a redo? Is there a mistake or a poor choice that taught them a lot this year?
5. Who will they miss over the summer? What teachers will they miss the most and why? What will they miss most about Grammar, Logic, or Covenant in general? What are they most excited about in a big change? What will be hardest about the change?

Shifting gears for a moment, I am encouraging all (including myself) to slow down this summer. Take time to make memories with your children. Some of my favorite memories of childhood were family trips we took together. One of our best trips with our children was a very simple trip last summer to Michigan. We loved spending time on the lake, taking easy hikes, and even climbing some sand dunes. Being in nature helped us be more mindful, enjoy each other, and even build confidence. (The kids were all surprised that they could do hard things like climb up a giant sand dune!). Wherever your summer may take you, I hope you can relish time with your family and enjoy God’s very good creation. Happy Summer!