New Beginnnings

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On Saturday, we welcomed our new preschool families to Turning Point for a morning of mingling and games. Returning families gladly attended as ambassadors, with parents sharing tips and information, and children leading the lines and demonstrating activities. Our preschool classes are fully enrolled, and we are thrilled to meet our new cohort.

Seeing our youngest students shooting baskets, jumping through hula hoops, running around cones, playing musical instruments, and creating whimsical art inspired both the fast-forward and rewind of time. I looked back to last year’s New Friends Day and compared our now-veterans to their first-time visit selves. They are physically larger and more coordinated, and they feel ownership of their experiences here. They are proud to show off their school and excited to demonstrate the routines that structure their time here.

Our incoming students, some of them sporting backpacks to mark their entrance into school, explored the activities with curiosity and sometimes caution. Some rush into each new experience, others hang back to get the lay of the land before engaging. All these approaches are normal and allow everyone to participate with their own style and comfort.

As we get to know these children, we will help them to lead with their strengths and to embrace the challenges that build resilience and character. We know that children learn best from their relationships with each other, with teachers, and with parents. Childhood is a dynamic time of change, and it is this process that yields delightful unveiling of children’s talents, traits, and interests that calls our wonderful Primary teachers to this work.

We often wonder what path our children will take—we look at them, squint our eyes, examine their interests and aptitude, and try to imagine them as their fully grown selves. The truth is that children will naturally show us their own way forward, in their own time. They themselves hold the tools of their own development, and our job is to strike a balance of offering attention and resources while also getting out of the way to allow them to find their true character and identity.

We at Turning Point are thrilled to be part of the fabric of our families’ experiences, to come together to guide children in the composition of their lives and the creation of their adventures. Like any journey that requires fortitude and faith, we will summon bravery when we are afraid and curiosity when we are uncertain, with the goal of creating a smooth pathway where our children can freely and confidently live their way into a compelling, vibrant future.

Laura

Dr. Laura Konigsberg
Head of School

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