It’s January 2023. Happy New Year! If you are like me, you approach the New Year with hope, wonder, and excitement. The new year is filled with optimism that propels us forward without hesitation. We plan and set goals for the year with the hope that we will accomplish and possibly exceed what we imagined. We set personal goals, financial goals, and health goals. As educators, we begin planning how we will close out the current school year while also preparing for the upcoming year. As parents, we begin contemplating what the remainder of the school year will look like, planning for the summer and perhaps a vacation.
As you set personal and family goals, make time to sit with your child/children and help them set goals. Have conversations focused on what it means to set goals and how they help us improve our life. Help them identify two to three things they would like to achieve. You can also suggest something you would like to see them improve. Once you have identified the goals, share them and make a plan for how you will accomplish them. Determine how each of you can encourage and support one another.
I recently ran into a parent of a student I taught over 15 years ago. This parent was a fierce advocate for her child. She believed in her daughter and would do anything to ensure she had everything she needed to be successful. Together they would set goals for learning and extra-curricular activities with the hope of receiving an academic scholarship. So, of course, I was not surprised to learn that my former student had completed a BA and would soon be graduating with a Master’s Degree. This single mother from an impoverished rural area created a foundation filled with hope and optimism, which I am certain propelled her daughter forward even when faced with challenges. This is a perfect example of what we set out to do at Athlos. We want to educate and equip our students with character that helps them accomplish their dreams.
Thank you for partnering with us to build strong resilient students.
“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” –Samuels Smiles