Happy New Year, Village Families!

Happy New Year, Village Families!

Many thanks to all involved in supporting our Open Door Mission drive as well as to the Student Council and staff members that worked to prepare all that was donated through our ninth annual drive.  Your efforts as a school community allowed us to deliver 93 gift boxes of hats, gloves, socks, and toiletries for those in need.  We are truly a caring and generous community and I am proud of the work we did through this drive to make a difference.

I'd like to also take a moment to ask that you share your input regarding this year's One School, One Book experience.  While the survey link can be found on this blog and will be sent home in hard copy form as well, you may click here to share your perspective as well.  Thank you in advance for your feedback.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, I would like to continue exploring the concept of mindset. Last month, I encouraged all families to consider the following questions from the Mindset Kit website published by Stanford University:

1. How often do you notice and praise effort, strategies, and progress?
2. What thoughts did you have this week when your child struggled? How could you frame their struggle in a growth mindset way by helping them understand that this is when their brain is growing most?
3. What thoughts did you have when your child excelled? How could you frame their success in a growth mindset way, e.g., by talking about the process that went into their success?
4. What kinds of fixed and growth-mindset statements did your child make?

These questions force us as adults to realize the impact our language has on the mindsets of children in our lives. Reflecting on this both as an educator and as a parent, I recognize that this can be challenging.  With this in mind, I would like to share a resource that may help.

Mindsetworks.com, a site led by Mindset author Carol Dweck, reminds us that, "Parenting is really hard. Having a growth mindset helps."  Parenting has countless rewards and joys thanks to the great things young people can do, but it takes real work on our part as adults to support young people through the ups and downs of life.  Through the various successes and failures our children experience, we communicate messages that contribute to or detract from their learning.

Over the next few weeks, I challenge you to consider applying the language Dweck's research suggests will help to promote a growth mindset.  By 'saying this, not that' as her findings suggest, we can send a clear message that a child's effort has a direct effect on their success and learning. Many thanks to Interim QUEST Principal Karen Spillman for sharing this resource.

I hope you will give these ideas a try.  Once again, don't hesitate to contact me to share your successes, ask questions, or to seek additional information.  

Thank you for all that you do to support the home-school partnership.


-Dr. Rudd

PS... Follow me on Twitter to stay up to date on things happening here at Village Elementary and to read some of the things I'm reading.