Being a parent to a teenager is truly difficult work. The time and effort you spend tracking, congratulating, and nagging your children to always keep trying and improving is time well spent, but it is also hard and sometimes thankless work. However, for both adults and students, with the beginning of each New Year comes the opportunity for improvement. This commitment is commonly called a New Year’s resolution. One of the many challenges a parent faces is teaching children how to set and obtain goals like New Year’s resolutions. It is well researched that those children who plan out and obtain their goals have healthier self-esteem and tend to be more resilient when faced with life’s challenges.
Establish goals that are realistic and stand a good chance of success. Success in school tends to breed more success therefore it is very important that students experience early victories. Break goals into smaller tasks or steps so that students can feel like they are accomplishing their objectives. Recognize even the small successes. This step is particularly important for students who are trying to improve persistent underperformance in specific areas. Help students prepare for setbacks. Perseverance is the key to achieving a goal. Many young people, after experiencing a setback, have a habit of giving up. One of the best skills a student can learn from setting goals is how to remain focused in the face of challenges. In the end, the most important aspect of setting and achieving goals is diligence. Life is all about achieving goals and setting new ones. Those who learn this skill tend to be the most successful.
The basketball season is also in full swing. Along with the planning and studying our winter athletes are working very hard to bring their best to our opponents. If you want some fun, inexpensive evening entertainment check the website for our home schedule and come to a game. The students will appreciate the support and I know you will enjoy the time.
In closing, I hope everyone has a great month as we look forward to a successful second semester.
Sincerely,
Christine M. Sidwa
