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Judy Anderson, Lower School Director
Throughout the school year, the Lower School director, Judy Anderson, sends notes home to parents updating them about the Lower School division and school life. The following is an excerpt from her most recent note.
Feel free to ask Mrs. Anderson for more information about any of the programs or activities she mentions here when you visit.
As we head into the second semester of the school year, the expectations placed upon students in the classrooms naturally will increase as students grow in maturity and capability. I frequently speak with the children at our morning Chapel time, and recently shared this quote with them:
"People forget how quickly you did a job - but they remember how well you did it." - Howard Newton.
As these classroom expectations increase, children often feel pressure to accomplish things quickly, and indeed, there are some things that need to have a rather quick and specific time frame. However, I believe that it is more important for our children to learn the value of pondering, of thoughtful consideration of ideas, of taking time to search for answers and solutions to problems, than to “be the first one done.”
We, as teachers and parents, have the daunting task of being role models of this philosophy for our children. Helping your child complete each task well, whether a chore at home, studying for a test, doing homework, or preparation for a recital or sports event, is what will allow your child to become a responsible and productive adult who values the quality of his work, not just the speed of the accomplishment. As children complete these tasks in a diligent and thoughtful manner, their sense of confidence will also grow. This confidence is built from within when children realize that they are competent, that they can achieve goals and do things for themselves. It is this ability to persevere and do things well that will lay the groundwork for excellence in all that your child can and will accomplish throughout life.