Dear Members of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Family:

June is a month brimming with excitement here at our school. On the first Monday of the month our 7th graders have their Confirmation ceremony, and after that there is Nursery Moving-Up, Pre-K and 8th Grade graduation, and that long-hoped for last day of school when children get their wishes of “no more teachers; no more books” granted (at least for the summer months). This an enjoyably warm and hopeful time of year for students, parents, and teachers as endings are realized and new beginnings are understood and embraced.

Many of us think of June as the month of “Dads and Grads,” but June is also the month of brides and grooms, when the fecundity of the earth inspires unions that will last lifetimes. It is also the time of happy anniversaries as many married couples renew their love by either repeating their vows or having large ceremonies reminiscent of happy wedding days once enjoyed. June can be an exciting month indeed.

Students are usually happy about this month coming, for the good weather promises opportunities for the beach, the pool, and vacations with families and friends. Parents too look forward to a chance to take time off from work and be with the children without the hustle and bustle of school and work schedules. Teachers certainly need and deserve this time to renew, reflect, and reenergize for the school year they know is not so far away in September.

I like to think of June as a bridge month, connecting the dots of a successfully completed school year and the one that looms ahead. As we move over the bridge we can stop, savoring the gentle summer breezes, enjoying the sights and sounds, and meandering at points along the way as long as we wish. Inevitably though, the bridge must be crossed and, when we get to the other side, the reality of school, work, and responsibilities will once again have to be faced.

Although some people in the modern world disdain this summer pause in the calendar, I think it is an essential and healthy period that allows us time to assess and understand our individuality and collective sensitivity. This seemingly obsolete agrarian calendar tradition actually makes natural sense, and we can only follow nature’s call to reinvigorate and refresh if we allow ourselves to hear it.

Children already well know that their time has come, having the chance with more light to play longer, laugh harder, and dream that lovely dream of an endless summer. Parents, I hope you too heed the call of the earth and sun and sky. Enjoy your barbecues, your pools, your hammocks in the shade, and your iced teas and lemonade. Take your vacations and wander to the far corners where differences in culture remind us, more than anything, how we are all the same in God’s eyes. Most of all relax, savor time with your families, and remember that when it is time to come back to reality, SS. Cyril and Methodius School will be here and our teachers will be ready to begin another wonderful school year.

Enjoy the bounty of season, and may God bless all of you throughout the summer.

Sincerely in Christ,

Dr. Victor Lana