Hopeful Happenings
Kids at Hope at Christensen
I am a Kid at Hope! I am talented, smart, and capable of success. I have dreams for the future, and I will climb to reach those goals and dreams every day.
All kids are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS!
Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year!
A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER
Hello again, Christensen Kids at Hope, Treasure Hunters, and Families!
Usually, the beginning of a school year is filled with mostly excitement and a little nervousness. This year, many of us may feel it's the opposite, filled with mostly nervousness and little excitement. Or maybe excitement of a different sort. Remote learning presents its challenges for everyone. Parents are learning to balance their everyday responsibilities with the added responsibilities to support their students' online education. Rather than navigating classrooms, the breezeways, and the playground, students are learning to navigate Canvas, what to click to get where, and how to manage their daily schedule. Teachers are learning to provide engaging and rigorous academic work through a screen while also supporting their students' individual needs and emotional wellness. This extreme change in daily life and the uncertainty each day brings through this pandemic can leave one feeling anxious, fearful, and hopeless that things will ever change for the better, and understandably so. But, that is only one lens to look through.
There is also the lens of hope. With hope, challenges are opportunities to learn and grow. Yes, they can be hard and scary and shake our confidence, but with hope they are not impossible to overcome. With hope, we see our current situation as just a bump along the way to our goals and dreams. No route to success is a straight arrow. We evaluate, adapt, and keep moving forward. With hope, we look to each other for support, giving grace and kindness when needed (and it's always needed!). With hope, we will be successful in spite of this pandemic. And, maybe, we'll even be better for going through it.
As we venture into this year like no other, I encourage you to see life through the lens of hope. Think hope, speak hope, BE HOPE! For yourself and for each other.
Cheers to a year of new learning and endless hope!
Song of the Month: "What I Am" by Will.i.am and Friends
Hope Focus: "GET YOUR HOPES UP!"
GOAL SETTING
So begins the third line of the Kids at Hope Pledge, and it highlights the hope focus for September: goal setting. Goals are something you want and work to achieve. With goals, you are always working to be the best version of yourself, focusing on what's ahead and making plans for how to get there. When you set goals for yourself, you are living a life of hope!
We often think of goals as part of our education or job, but we can have goals in all areas of our life. In fact, Kids at Hope teaches us to have goals and dreams in four destinations of life: Home & Family, Education & Career, Hobbies & Recreation, and Community & Service.
For the month of September, think about a goal for yourself in each destination:
- Home and Family: How can you get along better with your family members? How can you be more helpful at home?
- Education & Career: Set a goal to log in every day with your teacher and class. Practice writing at home every day. Read for 20 minutes every day.
- Hobbies & Recreation: What can you do to make sure you're getting exercise every day? Work to eat veggies with at least one meal every day.
- Community & Service: What can you do to make your community a safe and respectful place for everyone?
When you have goals, you can make a plan to get you there. When you know where you're going, nothing can stop you!
CALLING ALL KIDS AT HOPE!
If you are a student at Christensen Elementary, you have the chance to be featured in this newsletter! "Spotlight on Hope" is a student piece where we hear from students about hope-- what it means to you, where you see it, and what you do to have it. You can submit an art piece, writing piece, or video. Students can submit from their Canvas course, "SEL with Mrs. Roppo," by clicking the "Kids at Hope" button on the home page.
Looking forward to your ideas on hope!
Kids at Hope Have Strong Character!
CHARACTER TRAIT OF THE MONTH
Character Check
Have you shown fairness by:
- treating others with consideration and respect?
- being honest, even when it's hard?
- following rules and expectations?
- standing up for what is right?
- refraining from judgments about others who are different from you?
- including others who want to be included?
doing your part at home, in class online, and in your community?
Which one of these will you work on to do better?