Good Afternoon, MacArthur,
This Wednesday, during our monthly assembly, we focused on the idea of courage. As part of that message, I shared the “Courage Challenge” with the kids. An independence challenge to try something they’ve never done before, completely on their own.
Last night at the PTA meeting, I learned that one important part of that message may not have come through clearly, and ahead of the weekend, I wanted to share a little more about the challenge with families. The most important ‘rule’ I gave was that students need to plan their challenge in collaboration with their adults at home. If you want to participate, the goal is to find something new and appropriate for your child to try independently.
The idea behind the challenge is to help students gently stretch outside their comfort zones, have courage, and build confidence through independence. For younger students, this might be something simple like making their own lunch or creating something on their own. For older students, the challenge might look like doing something outside the home for the first time, such as walking a short distance, completing a task independently, or taking on a responsibility they haven’t handled before.
When I first tried this at home with my own kids, we spent time together learning how to safely use basic tools. From there, I stepped back and let their imaginations soar while I was out of sight. With the scrap lumber, nails, hammer, and drill, they created their own shop, which later turned into a lemonade stand. What they created wasn’t the best part (although the ‘Ender Portal’ they made at the start was pretty cool). The best part was the confidence, problem-solving, cooperation, and independence they practiced.
Other examples could be:
Taking out the garbage independently for the first time
Independently walking the dog with a plan in place
Completing a new responsibility at home without help
Each of these examples was planned ahead of time with an adult, ensuring it was safe, appropriate, and meaningful for the child. If your child is excited about taking on the Courage Challenge, we encourage you to partner with them to choose something that feels right. Here are some example ideas if your family is interested.
While the end of the year is rapidly approaching, I wanted to also take the time to thank you for your partnership and engagement with this community, which is what truly makes Mac special.
Make it a great weekend, everyone,
Steve
