February 20th, 2026
As we wind up the Olympics this weekend, imagine standing on a giant stage with the whole world watching. You’ve got a gold medal around your neck, and everyone is cheering! It looks like magic, right?
But here’s a secret: Olympic athletes aren't superheroes. They don't have wings or magic boots. They have something even better called perseverance. Perseverance is just a fancy word for "not giving up, even when things get really, really hard."
Think about a gymnast on a balance beam. Before they could do a perfect flip, they probably fell off that beam a thousand times.
They didn't quit when they got a bruise.
They didn't stop when they felt tired.
They just got back up and said, "Let’s try that one more time."
When an Olympic swimmer loses a race by one second, they don't say, "I'm bad at swimming." They say, "Cool! Now I know I need to kick my legs faster."
In school, if you make a mistake, your brain actually grows. Mistakes are just clues that show you what to practice next. Every time you fix a mistake, you’re "leveling up" your brain, just like a video game or a gold-medal athlete.
School is your Olympic stadium. When you’re learning to read big words or trying to solve a tricky math problem, you’re training your brain just like an athlete trains their muscles.
Perseverance is a finite resource, so treat your brain like an elite athlete treats their body. Hydrate, sleep, and don't forget to celebrate the small wins—even if your "gold medal" is just finally understanding how to use a semicolon correctly.
If you plan on attending, please fill out the attached Google form, so I can be sure to plan for food.
The Harmony Ridge Library is hosting a Reading Bingo Challenge for Read Across America (March 2nd - 6th). Each square equals at least 10 minutes of reading. Complete one row to earn 1 raffle ticket or black out the board to earn 10 tickets!
There will be 3 winners, each receiving a $20 Book Fair gift certificate (March 30th - April 4th). Bingo sheets will be sent home Monday, February 23rd. They are DUE March 5th!)
Happy reading!
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