Dear KLSD Families,
A two-week break during the school year is rare. I encourage all our families to make the most of it. And making the most of it doesn’t have to mean filling every moment with meaningful activity. Plenty of current research points to the importance of downtime for the body and the brain.
According to an article in Scientific American some years ago, "The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration—it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done."
Our culture tends to encourage us always to be doing something and to feel guilty if we’re not. But our scientists confirm that doing nothing, at least sometimes, makes us healthier, happier, and more productive in the long run.
I hope these next two weeks provide everyone some time to do nothing, and the opportunity to do it in the company of friends and loved ones.
I wish all our families happy holidays and a healthy and peaceful New Year.
Sincerely,
Andrew Selesnick, Superintendent of Schools
