One of my favorite newspaper columnists, Charlie McDowell, used to write an annual column for the Richmond Times-Dispatch titled “February is the Longest Month of the Year”! Sometimes it feels that way—especially this year with all the snow and interruption. I posted on Facebook: I want my structure back!—and that was BEFORE the most recent two snow days. It’s hard for our students to have their schedules so disrupted—and the adults don’t like it much, either. Finding that balance between flexibility and structure becomes doubly essential. I think we’re doing a commendable job. MOST of the students are aware that they need to do the homework assigned, and we pick up where we left off and go forward. As Roger Saunders, one of the great founders of using the Orton-Gillingham approach for young people with language processing disorders put it, we’ll go “as fast as we can, as slow as we must” to assure that each student gets what s/he needs. Come on, Mother Nature—cut us a break! And meanwhile, only eleven more days in February!
Charlotte G. Morgan, MEd, MFA
Head of School, New Vistas School
