Winter Holiday Reflection

By Paul Hagen, Dean of Students

There’s a reason so many holidays fall in December. When the world is dark (and it’s really dark this time of year in the Pacific Northwest), it’s a good time to light candles and hang strings of lights. When it’s cold and blustery outside, it’s the right time to gather with friends and family near the fireplace. And when the year winds down and the days are the shortest, it is a natural moment to reflect on the passing year and to prepare for the coming year. Winter break always seems to arrive just in the nick of time. Students and faculty alike have been in what feels like a sprint since September. There have been projects, papers, presentations, and performances. Students have played sports, and have joined clubs, and have met new friends. There have been good days, and bad days, and mostly there have been days with a little bit of both. Most students (and most teachers, too) have felt the stress of an impending deadline, an upcoming assignment, or a tricky social situation. We’ve celebrated successes together, solved problems together, and shared in a million moments and experiences that make EPS such a big part of our lives. Now, students and teachers are tired, and fighting the seemingly endless onslaught of sniffles, colds, and flus. And all of us are ready to break from school, to relax and recharge. This is the time for students to take a deep breath, step away from their regular school work, and rejuvenate. It’s an opportunity to contemplate how the year is going. And it’s the chance to set goals, realign priorities, and dream about the future. We hope that this break is a welcome respite for you and your family, and that students will return in 2018 refreshed and ready to continue to make the most of their EPS experience!

Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Solstice, New Year’s, or a combination of these and others, we wish you a restful Winter Break and a happy holiday season!