January 9, 2026
With a new year upon us, this is a great time to talk with your child about their goals for the year ahead! Remember when setting goals to focus on the connection between effort and improvement. Students achieve more when they are praised for their work ethic/effort versus for being smart or good at something. In the goal setting world, perfect is the enemy of progress. I encourage you to talk with your child about academic (school) and personal (extracurricular activities outside of school) goals. One of the holiday traditions my family started a couple years ago was, on New Year’s Eve, each family member would choose a word that inspired them to be their best all year long. We write our word on a board and keep it posted in our dining room, so we can see it daily. We have fun looking up the meaning of our words and using those definitions to drive our actions to help us achieve our goals. I have been amazed at the discussion that has come from my own kids picking a word and then writing goals underneath the word. This will spark conversations and celebrations of goals they have achieved throughout the year. My word for 2026 this year is thrive. What will your word be?
Giveback Partner • SPIN Pizza • 1/15 • 4-8 PM
Rainy Day Book Fair • 2/3 - 2/5
There will be more information to come about this family-friendly evening event, but in the meantime, we are reaching out to Briarwood parents who have a science-related career or hobby who might like to share their talents with our students and families!
The format for Science Night is meet, greet and inform. It is a busy evening, so individual contact is short – a quick hands-on activity or demonstration works very well.
Please reach out to Anya Arnold, Science Night Chair at anya.e.arnold@gmail.com or 913-709-6179 if you have any questions or are interested in being a presenter.
Thank you in advance for your support. We look forward to another fun Science Night this winter!