Back to School Feast and Family Theme: Stand a Little Taller
A back-to-school feast and family theme is a great way to kick off the school year for your kids. This tradition is something they look forward to every year and helps them to be excited to go back to school.
School started last week and we held our traditional back-to-school feast the night before the first day of school. This is one of our most beloved family traditions and the girls look forward to it every year.
I usually spend a great deal of time planning the feast as well as what our new family theme will be for the school year, but this year we had way too much going on in the month of August. I ended up throwing it all together at the last minute, but luckily the girls didn’t mind too much!
The theme we chose for this year is “Stand a Little Taller.” It’s based on a quote by Gordon B. Hinckley:
“Let us all try to stand a little taller, rise a little higher, be a little better. Make the extra effort. You will be happier. You will know a new satisfaction, a new gladness in your heart.”
The talk that quote is taken from emphasizes our quest for excellence and perfection, while acknowledging that we cannot become perfect all at once. We must do it little by little.
Sometimes I notice how overwhelmed my girls get with all of the things they are expected to do. I see them becoming discouraged because they don’t reach excellence status as quickly as they think they should.
And, truth be told, I notice myself feeling a bit the same way.
So for this year, our family is focusing on the idea that small changes will make a big difference in our lives.
I recently bought a letterboard (I purchased this one) just because I’ve been wanting one for so long, and I used it to display the scripture that goes along with our theme:
“By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.” —Alma 37:6
I made a Stand a Little Taller printable and framed it to be displayed all year as a reminder.
I also printed out small versions for the girls to put up in their lockers or on their mirrors or wherever.
Scroll down to the end of this post to download these printables.
We tried an amazing new recipe called Mediterranean Baked Chicken. It was a huge hit with the entire family and we’ll definitely be keeping it in the rotation.
As usual, I made each girl a crown.
Some years I have done very elaborate crowns, but this year was not such a year. They were hastily made out of scrapbooking paper, buttons, cording, and hot glue.
What is truly amazing to me is that my girls LOVE wearing the crowns even though they are quite a bit older than they were when we first started this tradition!
This year is a huge transition year for all three of my girls.
My eldest is now a senior and has to start applying for college and making some pretty big decisions. My middle daughter is a freshman and will be beginning her first year of high school, and my youngest is entering middle school as a 6th grader.
I don’t know how it’s possible that my little girls have grown so old. I also don’t know how it’s possible that I am finished with elementary school. It goes so fast.
After dinner, they packed lunches and backpacks, chose their first day of school outfits, and received father’s blessings from their dad. Such a wonderful way to begin the school year.
See previous years here: Back-to-School Feasts and Family Themes
Download your own copy of the Stand a Little Taller printable by entering your email into the form at the end of the post. You will get one large printable and a page of smaller printables in PDF format sent directly to your email.
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