May 2012
Dear Lower School Parents,
Is it really May already? How can that be? When one is surrounded by children, the passage of time is particularly noticeable. Whether it is the Class I girls seeming to grow several inches taller overnight or the Class III girls preparing for the Middle School, we see how fast time passes and how quickly our little girls become young women.
In what might be considered one of childhood’s rites of passage, my daughter learned to ride a bicycle this past weekend. No more training wheels! A favorite poet of mine, Linda Pastan, has a beautiful poem entitled To A Daughter Leaving Home. I particularly love how she captures the bittersweet quality of our children’s increased independence.
When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter,
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye.
As we conclude the school year, we will celebrate many rites of passage that mark important moments. I am grateful to have been a witness to the many transitions and tremendous growth of our daughters over this past year. I look forward to celebrating even more of them in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Katie Bergin
Divisional Head, Lower School