May 7, 2026
From James Ewer, Lower School director
We are close. And close is worth pausing on.
Before the last days blur into carpools and summer plans, I want to invite you into a moment of genuine reflection. Not because the year is over. Because it is not. These final weeks still belong to your child. They still belong to us.
Reflect on who your child was in September.
Think about the first morning drop-off. The nervousness, the energy, the version of your child who walked through that door, not yet knowing what this year would ask of them. Now look at them. Something shifted. Ask them tonight at dinner: What is one thing you learned this year that surprised you? Not the answer they give quickly. The real one. The one that takes a second. That conversation is worth more than you know.
The end of a school year is a transition, not a finish line.
Transitions require intention. In our Lower School, we are spending these final weeks making sure every child feels seen, celebrated, and prepared for what comes next. All of your children are moving to new grade levels. Some are leaving our Lower School division for Middle School. All of them are carrying something forward. Our job, together, is to make sure that something is worth carrying.
Summer is not a break from learning. It is a different kind of learning.
Read together. Play together. Let your child be bored sometimes. Boredom is where creativity lives. A summer reading routine, even 20 minutes a day, makes a measurable difference in how students return in the fall. If you need book recommendations for your child’s level and interests, reach out. We got you.
These months matter. Your partnership makes that true. Thank you for showing up all year, in all the ways you have.
Peace and love,
Mr. Ewer
Mark Your Calendars
- Friday, May 8: LS PreK Art & Music Show, 9-10 AM
- Wednesday, May 13: LS CHAMP Assembly, 8:15-9 AM, Recital Hall
- Wednesday, May 13: APPI Month Celebration, 3:30-5:30 PM, Family Commons
- Friday, May 15: Conversation & Coffee with the Head of School, 8-9 AM, Martin Lenz
Harrison Library - Thursday, May 21: LS K Play, 2-3 PM, Recital Hall
- Friday, May 22: US Senior Walk, 1-1:45 PM, MPA Campus (Door 1 to Door 4)
- Friday, May 22: LS G1 Poetry Picnic, 2-3 PM, Playground; Martin Lenz Harrison Library
(in case of rain); Martin Lenz Harrison Library - Monday, May 25: No Classes, Memorial Day
- Monday, May 25: Panther Club/Den Closed
- Monday, May 25: PreK Panther Closed
- Tuesday, May 26: Volunteer Breakfast, 8:30-9:30 AM, Family Commons
- Tuesday, May 26: LS/US Band/Orchestra G4 Concert, 10:30-11:20 AM, Panther Center
- Thursday, May 28: LS Field Day, 8:30-11 AM
