During the Fall season, we are reminded to be thankful. This season I am thankful for all of our staff, parents, and students that make Snyder Park amazing.
I am also thankful for the implementation of Leader In Me within our district. For the month of November, we have been focusing on Habit 2, Begin With the End in Mind. As I think about the end of our school year, I would like to see all of our students meeting their own personal and educational goals. With the support of our community, district, staff, parents, and students; we are well on our way to accomplishing this!
We now have the results of our Acadience and I-ready test scores from the beginning of the year, which will help us in measuring our student's growth as we proceed throughout the school year. Parents please continue to be supportive of your student's educational experience by talking to them daily about school and reaching out to their teachers regularly. Remember that every victory, no matter the size, is something to be thankful for!
-Walter Sledge, Principal
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Leader In Me Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind
Begin With the End in Mind means to think about how you would like something to turn out before you get started. Reading a recipe before cooking or looking at a map before leaving on a trip is beginning with the end in mind. For young children, a good example is that of a jigsaw puzzle. Before doing a puzzle, they look at the cover of the box. They start with the end in mind.
Family Mission Statement: A family mission statement is like a constitution your family lives by that helps you all make decisions for your life. It represents the purpose and values of your family, and will allow you to shape your future according to the principles you as a family hold most dear, rather than letting other people or circumstances determine it. Mission statements take many forms. Some are long and some are short. They may take form as a saying or phrase, a picture, a poem, or even a song. Make it personal to your family.
Get started by following these steps:
1. Discuss the following questions with your family:
- What does our family want to be known for?
- How do we treat each other?
- What unique contributions can we make?
- What big goals do we want to achieve?
- What unique talents and skills do we have?
3. Begin crafting your statement, but remember, it doesn't have to be finished in one sitting. It can be a work in progress until you are all happy with the outcome.
4. Post the statement prominently in your home and encourage the entire family to consider it when making decisions or having disputes.
Examples:
- We want to be the kind of family our dog already thinks we are.
- No empty chairs.
Some other activities you can do with your child are:
1. Habit 2 provides a good base for activities around goal setting. As a family (or with an individual child), choose an area that needs improvement. The area of improvement, or the broad goal, becomes your end in mind. Then think of specific steps that will lead to achieving this goal. For example, if the goal is to improve as a reader, specific steps may include reading a certain amount of time every day or working several times a week to improve oral fluency.
2. Ask your child if there is something special he or she would like to buy, then help your child plan how much money he or she will need to save and how long it will take. Discuss ideas for earning extra money like doing additional chores and helping around the house.
all information from FranklinCovey/education TheLeaderInMe.org
