Another amazing school year is coming to an end! Summer is upon us, and you can feel excitement in the air! I hope you all had a wonderful school year full of successes, challenges, new friendships and experiences, and self-discovery!
Like every school year, each segment of our lives is a journey…a hero’s journey. In story telling, The Hero’s Journey is a plot structure where a “hero” (or protagonist) goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, overcomes obstacles and fears, and ultimately returns home transformed. It involves an adventure with lots of uncertainty and risk, trials and tribulations, celebrations and disappointments, and ultimately, metamorphosis of the hero into a better, stronger, or fuller version of him/herself.
Students may not view themselves as heroes in their own adventures. They might not fully recognize and acknowledge just how much they have overcome and grown as a student, friend, and human being! But it is precisely because we are each a “hero” on our own life’s adventure that we can all find ways to relate to this archetypal story structure.
As you wrap up the school year, I encourage you and your child to learn about the Hero’s Journey and use it to reflect upon the ups, downs, challenges and triumphs they (and you) experienced over the previous months. Discuss what you learned, what challenges you overcame, how you are better and stronger for it. Most importantly, celebrate this segment of your life for what it is, and how it has transformed you into a better version of yourself!
In closing, I wish you and your family have a wonderfully adventurous summer vacation!
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