Let's make no bones about it, it really does stink that high school Seniors are potentially going to have miss out on many of the milestones we associate with the Senior year in high school. Prom, last high school theater productions, Senior breakfasts, last time on a high school athletic field.........the list goes on.
A couple of months ago I wrote a blog about how important it is for our kids to develop resiliency in order for them to succeed in college and more importantly in life. Well, it seems like there is no time like the present for our Seniors to learn what resiliency means and how much more important that is.
Our Seniors are home for the foreseeable future so what can they do to create a Senior year like no other and learn what it means to sacrifice and put others before themselves.
Creating New Ways to Connect
All news reports are stating that our young people are going to play a huge role in preventing the spread of this coronavirus by making sure they adhere to the social distancing guidelines. However, our students are so technologically savvy that they can help families become creative in maintaining contact with friends and family. What a great contribution
to the greater good by allowing our students to use their creativity to connect with one another. Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, these kids know how to use social media! Have fun with them.
What Can you Do to help your Community?
While we are not able to get out like we used to, there are ways that students can play a role in helping their community. A student can offer to mow a neighbors yard, a student can offer to pick up some groceries for an elderly neighbor and drop off at their home, a student can offer to babysit siblings while a parent has to work at home. This becomes a time when students realize that we all have to do our part to help. Learning to get satisfaction from helping others is a skill that will serve them well for the rest of their life. Building that intrinsic
sense of accomplishment from doing their best is invaluable.
This too shall pass
You know, that as much as you swore you would never say this to your student, you have....Life isn't fair! Well, many times it isn't, but the good news is that usually there is a light at the end of the tunnel. While this may not be the Senior year they had envisioned, they have probably learned lot about themselves, their family and the world around them. This will not be the only time that a student will feel disappointment or sadness in their life. But knowing that you can weather the storms in life can provide a sense resiliency. The possibility, when the next storm comes, that you are equipped to handle it.
I really do sympathize with all of the Seniors that aren't going to have the Senior year they thought. But could it be a Senior year that becomes even more meaningful and full of opportunities for them to show what I already know to be true. The class of 2020 is made up of wonderful, caring, creative, bold humans that will make this world a better place.
Learning that we are all connected and the importance of community will be the best gift a Senior can receive.
