I hope your winter break was filled with everything that brings you peace and joy and that you feel refreshed in the new year. From this point until the end of the school year, each day will bring more and more daylight! We cannot believe we are already almost halfway through the school year!

As we embark on the second semester, now is an excellent time for you and your student to do some self-reflection around the first semester and set some goals for the rest of the year.

January is also Mental Wellness Month. Mental wellness is not something that occurs on its own; it is a muscle that needs to be strengthened daily. If your family does not already have a self-care practice, the new year is a great time to incorporate one into your everyday routine. Small changes can become wellness habits that create hope, joy, and resiliency in the new year.

Here's to a fabulous 2023!!

Mrs. Byrom

In this Issue:

Goal Setting for the Second Semester

Childhood 2.0

Lesson Overview: Strengthening Relationships

Upcoming Events

Goal setting, when done correctly, can be very beneficial to success. Goals provide direction and guidance. They allow one to focus on specific behavior while avoiding distracting tasks. In addition, when correctly identified, goals can help students stay motivated to complete difficult tasks.

As we enter the second semester, now is a great time to help your student reflect on what went well during the first semester and what could be better. What are their strengths? What parts were challenging? Once they have determined what area they would like to improve, here are some ways to support them in achieving their goals.

Help them set a SMART goal.

SMART goals are:

S- Specific. Help your student set goals that are clear and well-defined about what they wish to achieve (rather than, “I would like to wake up earlier next semester,” a more specific goal would be, “I will wake up at 6:40 am every morning, Monday-Friday.”

M- Measurable. How will your student know when they’ve achieved their goal? Students should be able to track their progress.

A- Achievable. Students should state what specific actions they will take to achieve their goal. They should also consider any resources they will need to achieve their goal and whether or not it is achievable, given their set of resources.

R- Relevant. Help your student think about why this goal is essential to them. What are the benefits? Why is it meaningful?

T- Time-bound. When do they want to achieve their goal?

Help your student consider what obstacles may get in the way of their goals. Have them write down any internal difficulties (ex. low motivation, self-doubt, anger, anxiety) and external challenges (ex. a lack of time or personal conflicts) they may encounter and how they will deal with those when they arise.

Help your student think about the tools and resources to help them achieve their goal. Who are the people that can help your student stay on track? What tools and resources might they need, and where can they find them? Break the goal into small, obtainable steps. Help your student draw or write out a list of actionable steps with a timeline of when they will achieve each item.

Tip: Offering small rewards when each item is achieved can be very motivating!

Source: Goal Setting

Resources: Valid Goals