As we inch closer to reopening businesses and schools, we are all trying to anticipate what our new normal will look like. Will we all be wearing masks to school and checking temperatures upon arrival? Do we need to forgo hugs and handshakes when we greet our students for the first time in months? Will class sizes be limited in number or schedules be determined by a variety of factors? We don’t know yet, but there are a few things we do know and we want to share them with you.

#1: We are excited to see your children again

We have already missed over two months of their young lives! They’ll be taller when they come back. Their hair will be different and someone will have lost a tooth by now. They’ll have new stories to share and lots of things to tell us. You may not have been traveling or on some grand, family adventure, but there are still memories being made.

They’ll tell us about your family walks and how you had ice-cream for dinner that one time. We’ll find out that Daddy makes good pancakes and Mommy does all the voices when she reads books at night. And, yes… they might even spill the beans about how many times they watched Frozen II! We’ll listen to their stories, just happy to hear their voices and see their faces again, in person, with no screens between us.

#2: We are anxious to be part of your routine again

Remember routines? Remember getting up, getting dressed, making breakfast, packing lunches, and heading out the door? We do! We love routines and we know how important they are for young children. We’re anxious to get back on a schedule and into a routine that includes you and your family! We’re ready for lessons and circle time, playtime and our daily Virtue pick. We can’t wait to get back to work!

Will the routine be different? Of course it will, but “Flexibility” is one of our favorite Virtues, so we’ll be calling on it in the weeks and months to come. We’ll find “imaginative new ways to do things” and “adjust when something unexpected happens.” We hope you will help us as we all adjust to a new normal.

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#3: Classrooms weren’t meant to be silent

A typical morning in a Montessori classroom is busy! Children are working, some are quietly independent, others are talking to their friends. You might hear a teacher giving a lesson or the running water from someone cleaning out their paint cups at the sink. The sound of footsteps, the scrape of trays on tables, and the clinking of glassware from the Practical Life shelf create the buzz and hum of daily life.

Right now the silence is deafening and the classrooms feel cold and empty. We’re ready to put new work on the shelves, open the windows, and bring back the chatter and laughter we have so missed. There’s a quiet that happens during the Great Period that we absolutely love. It’s the quiet that falls when everyone is concentrating, working hard on their chosen lessons. The classroom gets quiet and, sometimes, you could hear a pin drop. That silence is amazing, but this silence? It’s not the same and we’re ready to be done with it.

#4: The playground has been lonely

Playgrounds without children are lonely places. We are ready for laughter and shouting! Bring on the dinosaur roars and the butterfly dances! We’re ready to spend time outside! Our gardens need tending, our sand area needs digging, and our treehouse deck is waiting to be swept.

We’ve missed spring at Children’s House! We’ve missed flowers blooming and the lacy green leaves appearing on the trees. There have been baby birds hatching and fawns in the forest and we’ve missed them all. Summer will bring it’s share of delights — the butterflies, alone, are worth it — but nothing beats spring!

Additional Resources:

• Returning to School After an Emergency or Disaster: Tips to Help Your Students Cope
• Talking with children about Coronavirus Disease 2019

You might also like these posts by Children’s House Montessori School

• Kids and Quarantine: A Few Thoughts for Parents
• FAQs Answered: Closures, Tours, and the Upcoming School Year

For more information: COVID-19 Precautions: Preparing to Open Safely in the Fall