This time of year, as winter ends and spring begins, kids many times lose enthusiasm for pushing ahead and finishing strong in school. That’s why there’s a “Spring Break”. But after this break, students need to still buckle down and give their school time 100%. Do your kids understand determination?

What is Determination?

If you haven’t heard of Character First Education, a subdivision of Strata Leadership, you should check them out. The following description is from their determination module and it is used with permission.

DETERMINATION

Determination is “overcoming obstacles in order to reach my goal.”

Determination is like climbing a mountain. You have to know what you want to achieve, then put one foot in front of the other until you reach the top. 

Climbing a mountain takes a lot of effort. It is tempting to quit and turn back when you feel tired or discouraged. But determination means pressing on, pushing forward, and not giving up. Determination makes you a winner, not a quitter!

You can “win” at school by concentrating in class, finishing your assignments, and doing your best in every subject. You can “win” at home by helping your family, doing your chores, and making good choices. It takes determination to win—but you can do it!

I WILL:

1. Set the right goals.

2. Get moving.

3. Face challenges.

4. Not be discouraged by failure. (or by what others might say- added by me.)

5. Keep trying.

DISCUSSION STARTERS:

• How do you feel after you accomplish something difficult or win a close game?

• Why is it important to finish what you start?

• What should you do if you discover you are heading in the wrong direction?

• ​What is the opposite of determination? (Quitting, working halfheartedly, giving up, or being lazy.)

(Permission granted to reproduce this lesson for educational use. Credit: CharacterFirstEd.com) 

SALMON ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR DETERMINATION

Kids, did you know the salmon fish is at home in both fresh water and salt water? They are born in high, fresh water streams and live there for about a year or so until they are big enough. Then they swim downstream towards the ocean. This is pretty easy to do because the current is with them. When they reach the waters near the ocean, they stay for a few days to let their bodies get used to the salt water. Then they swim on into the ocean where they live and grow big for about 3 more years. When they are 4, they have a great determination to go back to where they were born - the VERY SAME river. They know the smell of it! They swim hundreds, maybe a thousand miles in the ocean, to find it again. If they get to one river and it’s not the right one, they will look further until they find the SAME river. When they do, they let their bodies get used to fresh water again for a few days, and then they swim UPSTREAM, against the currents, rapids, and waterfalls to get to where they were born. There, they lay eggs for another generation of salmon. Watch this video to see how much determination salmon have! (It’s a Youtube video, so you’ll need to turn it off at the end, or it will just keep loading more videos.)

WINNER OF THE FEBRUARY DRAWING

Last month, Julia Breeden won the hardback copy of her choice, Rascal’s Trip, from the Bandana Acres series. She’s a middle-schooler, but she follows me anyway. Here’s a photo of her. She will be gifting this book to someone in early elementary. CONGRATULATIONS, Julia!

MARCH DRAWING

March’s winner is JADEN who won an original watercolor painting of this pretty blue butterfly. (The paper is really white. It’s just the lights in the room that makes it look warmer.) I think it will look nice in a black frame. Please send me a picture of you with the painting, Jaden, for next month’s blog. CONGRATULATIONS!

YOUR GALLERY

Let’s see what you’ve been up to in the last month!

Parents -

We’d love to see any examples of good character, school activities, extra-curricular, or creative endeavors your child exhibited this month. Use this link to email your attachment to me for the next blog. Thank you!