Chaplain's Corner

Over the last few weeks I have been making melted snowman cookies with the students. I joked with them saying they look like how I feel! What a year it has been! Are you feeling a little exhausted? Like you are only able to crawl over the finish line this year?

We have had a very busy year, one in which we started without the same stamina as previous years. There have been camps, excursions, sports days, peer mediation days, patch cooking, Chinese day, pinpongathons... and so much more!

We might be feeling a little less than festive, but hang in there, and let me encourage you to try and find a little energy to celebrate the end of the year with your family. 

Celebrating the end of the year  

I have been very fortunate this year, to have been invited to attend the Grade 6 Graduations at both of the schools that I work at. I feel very lucky, and I am really looking forward to them. They are always such a wonderful night, celebrating the completion of the student's time at Primary school. And this year, after the last couple of years that we have had, it is certainly worth celebrating! 

However, I really do want to encourage you to celebrate the end of the schooling year every year, no matter what grade your child is in. Whether it’s the first, the last, or any of the multitudes in between, the end of the school year is a naturally perfect time to reflect on your child’s accomplishments and to celebrate them and all of their hard work. And to celebrate all of your efforts as a parent as well! It doesn’t take a lot and, especially on the brink of summer holidays, a little can go a long way. Here are a few small, simple ways to mark the end of another school year and start the summer off on a celebratory note!  

1. REFLECT OVER A MEAL  

When the school year officially ends, heading straight home feels a little anti-climactic. So where could you head with your newly free little birds? We love eating out for special occassions, and it doesnt have to be a super expensive fancy restaurant. Try a picnic with fish and chips! It is who you are with that matters the most. Some of our favourite family memories have taken place over a plate of pizza. Gathered around a table in the first hours of the summer holidays, you and your kiddos can take a minute to breathe in that new sense of freedom and reflect on the year that brought you there. While you eat, daydream back to those first days of school, relive the ups, and some of the downs, and celebrate the accomplishments big and small of the school year that has passed. As a parent, you’ll get to enjoy this time to reflect on your growing child and your child will learn how important it is to take a moment to look back at how far they’ve come.  

2. GIVE A LITTLE GIFT  

There are some years, such as those that end with a formal graduation, that might warrant a more extravagant gift, however most years you do not have to go all out.  

In fact, the best small gift to mark the end of a year of school is a book. Choose a title that your child is interested in and would love to read for fun, now that they have the time to do so over the holidays. A home made gift is always lovely too. You could even do a little baking and cook them their favourite baked goods. My go to recipe is the good old faithful chocolate balls. Yummo!

3. MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT  

With the end of the school year comes the easy, breezy days of summer. The sun lingers longer into the evening before settling beneath the horizon… and little ones believe it their right to linger a little longer too before settling into bed! Give into that later bedtime request, at least for a night, and stay up to watch a movie as a family. Make popcorn, curl up under blankets on the couch or spread a bed out on the floor, whatever makes for fun viewing in your home. If you don’t do this kind of thing often, staying up late will feel so exciting to your kids. And hey, you don’t have to pack a lunch for tomorrow so you can enjoy the evening too!  

Maybe you have some other special traditions and ways to celebrate, I would love to hear them! 

Whatever your family traditions may be, we wish you all the very best as you finish up the year, and we hope that you all have a wonderful, happy and safe start to 2023! 

“Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard  

Carly Cassidy – Chaplain [ carly.cassidy@education.vic.gov.au ]  

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