The Triton Tribune - Parent Edition
Be Kind ~ Be Awesome ~ Make The Right Choices
Volume 2 ~ Issue 21~ January 11, 2021
Awesome Triton Families,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
"Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous mind." Samuel Jackson
One of the most enduring rituals in anticipation of a New Year is our need to identify resolutions for the New Year; these are actions we believe will make our lives better. And we start the year by passionately pursuing these resolutions. But by the second week, most of us have already broken at least one resolution. Many times, we give a lack of willpower the credit for our early demise. This year, I decided not to make any resolution because I became intensely curious in the WHY of failed resolutions. In reading Wendy Wood's book, Good Habits, Bad Habits, I was introduced to the term "homo economicus," which means that humans have the ability to act rationally at all times, weighing every cost against profit by utilizing his/her perfect knowledge to make decisions for the benefit of self-interest and satisfaction. We make resolutions because implicitly, we believe in the homo economicus. It is even embedded in the Nike motto, "Just Do It," indicating that willpower is enough for us see our resolutions or actions to completion. As it turns, we aren't always fully rational in spite of having full executive function in the brain as adults. Changing our behavior is more than willpower; it is multi-faceted in nature thus making resolutions practically impossible if we are to believe that willpower is singularly responsible for us attaining them.
And regardless of which side of the political aisle you stand, the events of January 6 proved that homo economicus is a very challenging ideal. Right now, there are many WHYs regarding this event. And because we don't fully comprehend what transpired, our minds demand answers to the WHYs. That is the innate curiosity in us. I hope that we will always be intensely curious as we learn about each other and each of our perspective.
As we begin to deepen our knowledge about our January Triton Trait of CURIOSITY, 2021 has already given us many opportunities to teach curiosity to our children. Google dictionary defines this term as "a strong desire to know and learn something." Without much help, children are born with a natural tendency to be curious and as they grow older and depending whether or not we have nurtured that tendency, they will become more curious or less curious. Walt Disney once said, "When you're curious, you find lots of interesting things to do." Those "interesting things" can be detrimental or beneficial; that will depend on the guidance they receive from the adults that speak into their lives. PARENTS PLAY AN INTEGRAL ROLE IN DEVELOPING OUR CHILDREN'S CURIOSITY. Let us commit to guiding their curiosity that lead to learning more about what they are passionate, which will hopefully become a life-long career for them. This begins with a conversation with them. This month, create a space in your home where our children's curiosity blossom. Inducing and guiding this curiosity becomes the spark for an appetite of knowledge.
Finally, please read the newsletter in its entirety as I have changed the format slightly. This is my main form of communication and there are a lot of information in it to start the semester; the most important one is completing the checklist I have provided for you BEFORE school starts on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
Let's have a wonderful week!
Mrs. Finley
Attention Parents:
We want to include your child in our yearbook! Below are the instructions on how to submit a portrait of your child(ren) for our People section. Please note that for each child, you will need to use a unique email to be able to submit as the email is the identifier for each account. Please upload your photo by January 30, 2021.
Directions for submitting pictures:
- On your computer, go to ybkplus.com or from your phone, scan this QR code below for access to the portrait portal.
- Follow the prompts on your phone. IMPORTANT! Iphone users. Please make sure the setting on your phone camera is correct. Go to SETTINGS>CAMERA>FORMATS and make sure “Most compatible” is selected (see image below instructions).
Eastlake Middle School
Email: easter.finley@sweetwaterschools.org
Website: elm.sweetwaterschools.org
Location: 900 Duncan Ranch Road, Chula Vista, CA, USA
Phone: 619.591.4000
Twitter: @erfinleysd