For many of us, the end of the school year is a mythical time. Our “calendars” do not hang on the wall, they overlap with planning and executing school events.

While this school year will end sometime in late May-early June, we have already begun planning for the next school year. Class registrations are under way, we are reviewing student work from this year in order to plan summer professional development and create the next School Improvement Plans, activity calendars are already being finalized, the list goes on. Throw in the end-of-year programs, projects that are due, final exams for those who still give them and the stress levels for students, parents, and staff are hitting the red lines. The days are long, and our patience and empathy tanks are beginning to run low.

It is easy for little things to become big things at this time of year.

Hopefully, we will not forget to take care of ourselves, and our personal well-being first. The same routines, like diet, exercise, reflecting that helped us get this far are easily pushed aside in the time crunch to “get everything done” before the students and staff leave.

I’ve found through the years that while it may be hard, leaving the school day in the parking lot every afternoon is more critical now than it was 3 months ago. I still have to drive into the parking lot every morning with my tanks full and ready for the new day.

The late Michael Conrad said it best…

And so it goes…