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From the Desk of the Superintendent

Two Ways of Reaching the Same Goal for Our Kids

Whether you’re a parent or a teacher in our District, we all have one shared goal: we want every one of our students to grow up to become the best possible version of themselves. 

Each day, while our teachers guide our students on their Journey of a Highlander in class, parents do the same for their kids at home. But since each of us is setting our own personal example for the kids to follow, our guidance blends together with what’s learned at home.

For example, at school, students might work together on group projects, conduct science experiments in order to test a hypothesis, or answer questions about what might happen next in a story based on what they know about the characters so far. Whether they’re working in a science lab, creating in a makerspace, or reading a library book, each of these activities helps our students develop key Highlander traits like responsible collaboration. adaptive learning, clear communication, critical thinking, and empathy.

But what does exploring those same traits look like at home? 

It could look like helping to make dinner, working together on a home repair project, identifying plants and animals during a walk in the park, writing thank-you letters for birthday gifts, or talking through a disagreement with a sibling rather than getting angry and shutting down. Any group activity, game night, meal prep, chore day, vacation, or errand has the potential to be a learning opportunity for our kids. The more chances we give them to figure out how the world works — and what they can do to make it even better — the more opportunities they have to grow.

Of course, every journey is easier when we’re not doing it alone. In class, teachers recognize when students are making progress on their Journey of a Highlander, and they reward them with encouragement and helpful feedback. As parents, we must find our own way to do the same. 

When we see our kids asking questions, solving problems, playing well with others, speaking up for their own needs, and taking other people’s feelings into account, we should recognize and reward them for making healthy progress on their journey to adulthood. But that reward doesn’t need to be a prize. It can be as simple as a hug, a high five, or a heartfelt compliment. The important part is to let them know that we see they’re on the right track, and we’re proud of how far they’ve come.