Dear Cairn Parents,

Are you tired of snow yet? Tired of shoveling? Ready to see the sun again? The grass? I know our students are ready for the spring. The eight-week stretch between Christmas Break and Spring Break is a long one. If you’ve worked in education, you know January and February can be grueling months for students. The lack of sun doesn’t help, of course. In fact, the lack of sunlight can be so disruptive to the body’s internal clock, as well as to the brain’s serotonin levels (a chemical that affects mood), that psychologists often use the term Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) to describe the feelings of depression and sadness felt by people during this time of year.

In many ways, there’s nothing unusual about this season. Over the last decade of working in higher education, I have seen students struggle through these difficult months. I have watched them despair. However, I have also seen them persist, succeed, and even thrive—making it through these months with renewed self-confidence and reassurance of God’s steadfast, unfailing love for them. This season, of course, has its moments of levity. Students have made the most of the inclement weather by enjoying the snow’s beauty, making snowmen, throwing the occasional snowball, and even sledding on campus. And, in the midst of this eight-week stretch, several days off of school over the past two weeks came as a much needed reprieve for many.

In many ways, of course, there’s quite a bit unusual about this season. Though the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel gets increasingly brighter, and COVID-19 cases on campus continue to decrease in number, the disease remains a reality this learning community must reckon with. Our Health and Safety Plan is still in place, though we continue to make adjustments and updates as we receive new guidance from local and national health authorities. For example, this semester we have implemented a new “modified quarantine” practice, which takes a slightly less restrictive approach to quarantining when deemed possible and prudent based on contact tracing.

Through this season we remain committed to the success and growth of each student, as well as the health and safety of the student body. We are praying for students regularly and, when possible, for specific requests and needs. Please join us in prayer for our students. Pray as you are aware of specific needs, but pray also for our student body as a whole: for their emotional stamina, physical safety, and spiritual wellbeing. And as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to parents@cairn.edu.

Sincerely,