There are ten years difference in my children’s ages. They are very close, but grew up almost like only children. When my daughter Jillian left for college, my son Ben was just barely eight years old. The coming and going of a teenager in the house with friends, school, sporting events and other activities meant that we had a household that was always buzzing with energy.
“Schools are meant to be places where people exchange ideas, share stories and work through challenges. We have missed these sounds. We’re back and ready for a new adventure. Every year is different—as it should be."
Soon after my daughter left for college, my son reflected on the change in the level of activity. He said it was too quiet. But he also said he liked the sounds of the vacuum cleaner, the dryer, our loud dishwasher, and lawn mowers and yard work happening outside. He liked it all. He called all this “the sounds of the house.” It sounded like home.
I miss the sounds of the house at the end of a school year when students leave campus. While the staff works through the summer, the sounds are not the same. I am happy to say that the sounds are back, and things feel right again.
At the Gregory School, the sounds of the house are:
First day arrival in carpool and humorous resistance to “first day of school” photos, a mix of excitement and groans of fatigue from a summer schedule of leisure that didn’t require a “wake-up call,” students joyfully reconnecting after a summer of travel, camps and other adventures, new students meeting new friends and teachers, seniors welcoming their fifth grade buddies to the family, our Sage dining hall staff preparing meals for always-hungry teenagers, bells that remind us of transitions and Convocation cheers that brought us together as a community as we begin a new year.
Schools are meant to be places where people exchange ideas, share stories and work through challenges. We have missed these sounds. We’re back and ready for a new adventure. Every year is different—as it should be. Every student brings their own personal interests, experiences and gifts. No two years look the same—nor should they. Even younger siblings with the same teacher as an older brother or sister, will have different experiences. They are different people. And it’s the differences in each child that make our work so interesting.
Thank you for working in partnership with us. We are so eager to share this year with you and your child.
Please know that I am happy to be a resource for you in your parenting journey. This is the most important work you will ever do!
Cheers to the wonderful sounds ahead!
