Insights
Eighty-Eight Days
A vet, a chef, a teacher, a horseback riding instructor, and a paleontologist are among the vocation aspirations of our kindergarten graduates and the graduating Class of 2034. In twelve years, we hope to see each of them graduate as Logos Prep graduates. The seniors preparing to walk the stage with us on May 21 have taken the same journey. Though kindergarten at Logos Prep was not available to them, over half of this year’s graduates were with us for elementary school. Most of the rest came in junior high or early high school. Year over year, it’s been a joy and privilege to watch them grow. A psychiatrist, a physical therapist, a high school math teacher, a radiologist, a pediatrician, and a Chick fil-a owner/operator are among the career goals of the LP Class of 2022. The next four or more years of school will help them continue to develop and secure their plans. We typically mark our lives in years but as we head toward summer break, I want to encourage you to mark your days.
Psalm 20:12 tells us “to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” So let's count some days. Between the last day of class and the first, elementary students have 88 days of summer. Secondary students taking finals have 80 days between the last day of finals and the first day of secondary classes at Logos Prep. Over twenty percent of the year is dedicated to summer. Of course, we highly recommend academic pursuits as part of that time. Studies have consistently shown that skills are lost over the summer when not practiced. This is particularly true of math and reading. Students are said to lose two months worth of grade level equivalency in math computation skills over summer if they do not spend time working on math. On the other hand, students who do summer math work gain proficiency. In addition to skill building, reading great books daily with your children is invaluable time spent toward connection.
Valuing time spent is what I’d like to encourage you with as we head into summer 2022. How will you and your children spend the eighty plus days? I recently asked one of my daughters what her favorite summer memories were. She didn’t mention Disney, Mexico, LA, or any other family vacation. She said her favorite memories were at home. Specifically, she mentioned playing in the yard with the dogs. Note that her favorite at home memories were not in her room on a device, or spending time in front of the television. Neither will those be the favorite memories of your children. Keely is grown now and no longer in our home for summer vacation. I pray that we made the most of the time we had but I fear that often we did not. My encouragement to you as we head into summer is to intentionally decide how you will connect with your children over summer break and how you will help them grow as individuals during that time. Summer offers room for you to connect with your children and engage their hearts in important ways.
Earlier this semester, Dr. Teresa Brown came to speak with the Logos Prep Board of Directors about the mental health crisis being recognized amongst American children. According to Dr. Brown, one in five kids have a mental health condition. Examples are depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Fifty percent of mental health challenges start before the age of 14. Dr. Brown also told us that between the years 2012 and 2018 the number of children reporting loneliness doubled. Incidentally, 2012 was also the year that cell phone ownership in the United States passed fifty percent. In the fight against mental health decline, Dr. Brown gave us one key takeaway. Focus on connection!
Parents, you are being given the gift of 80 plus days. I encourage you to plan to use them in ways the create connection with your children. Give them summer memories of time together and moments shared. One day they will graduate and go on to be vets, doctors, teachers, and maybe even horseback riding instructors or paleontologists. While they are still at home, hold them close. We will be praying for you over the summer. While we will miss seeing your precious children on a weekly basis, we are excited that you get the extra time for connection. If you catch a photo of any great family moments, post it and tag us at #LPFamily. We’d love to see the many ways you find to connect. Happy Summer Break!
Tammy McIlvoy
Head of School
Logos Preparatory Academy
A Community Builder
Over this past summer my family moved. We weren’t really in the market to make a move, but a great house in the same neighborhood as our best friends became available and we jumped on it.
I am so thankful that we did.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with our old neighborhood. It was quiet. It was centrally located. It was relatively close to everything we needed. After we made the move we realized that the one thing we were missing was the community aspect. Our neighbors were great, but for the majority of our neighborhood, life was lived inside and behind a closed garage door. Our new neighborhood is vibrant. People are always outside walking dogs, riding bikes, running, or working in the yard. People are not shy about getting to know each other. It is beautiful! We have been in the house almost a year and we have seen the importance of community and how much of a difference it can make.
One of the coolest parts of the worldview class that I get to teach with Mr. Henderson is that we get to talk about the importance of living in community, despite our various beliefs. It is our hope that when our students graduate they seek out the opportunity to build whatever communities they are involved in–whether that is the community of their dorm building at college or university, the community of their fraternity or sorority, the community of their church that they get involved in, the community of their workplace, the community that they choose to raise a family in, etc.
Here at Logos Prep it is our hope that our graduates leave our walls with a desire and drive to make an impact for the Kingdom of God where they live, work and play. May we as parents, strive to set that example for our children. May we seek to make an impact in our various communities, in the places where we live, work and play.
Joel Gutowsky
Director of Student Life
Logos Preparatory Academy
