Do you remember the story of the The Little Engine that Could? Its origin dates back to 1920, but it is an ageless story of the power of having a growth mindset – believing that with effort and perseverance, one can be successful. “I think I can, I think I can,” becomes “I knew I could, I knew I could!” I witness ‘little engines’ every day! I see the students working hard in the classrooms, asking clarifying questions, sounding out words, checking predictions and hypotheses. I listen to the teachers as they praise their students’ efforts and modify lessons for their different learning styles. I see the children try and try again to get the basketball in the hoop or pass it successfully to a teammate. I delight in the conflicts that are solved and friendships that are repaired. Thank you for encouraging your students to keep on trying. Yes, they may struggle and yes, we want to help them when they fail, but the struggle builds coping skills and resiliency, and we want them to be able to say, “I never gave up.”
St. John parishioners never gave up either and we have a flourishing 100 year-old parish that we will celebrate this weekend at Oktoberfest! Fr. Quigley and the founding parishioners would be so proud to see their legacy honored by your commitment to the current campaign.
Other reminders:
- Tomorrow, we have Free Dress as we celebrate the great results of the Jog-a-thon!
- Wednesday, October 18, Student Portrait Day
- Thursday, October 19, we are participating in the Great ShakeOut, a statewide earthquake practice drill. We will practice the ‘drop, cover and hold on’ in the classrooms, and then the evacuation procedures and the post-quake protocols on the playground. The more we practice, the better prepared we are to deal with a real event. And we pray that we won’t need to use all the practice.
- Tonight the Parent Association, along with St. John parent Kelly Kasper, is hosting a discussion on Disaster Preparedness in the Home. Kelly is the President of HT2 Consulting. 7pm Egan Hall
See you at Oktoberfest!
Bernadette O’Leary
