My daughter is not a fan of “snow days”. She was so happy that Minneapolis did not cancel classes today due to the weather. She eagerly pulled on her snow pants, jacket, hat, mittens and boots and off we went to school 15 minutes earlier than normal. Our regular commute takes about 25 minutes and I drive her to school every day. We arrived safely, with plenty of time to spare. She happily skipped through the snow into the building and couldn’t wait for “morning games” when she could go outside and play. But first, she pulled out her morning worksheet, grabbed a nicely sharpened pencil and got to work on her math worksheet. She knew the order of the day – worksheets, morning meeting, morning games, etc. She knew that today they also had Music and she loves that class. They are practicing for a performance coming up next week. She has been studying her songs for over a month and pretty much has the words, and the hand motions, memorized.
The afternoon would hold similar activities like science, reading, and writer's workshop. She knows the routine, she enjoys the structure, but most importantly she understands what the expectations are for her and the rest of the kids. Her class created a pledge that the children say every day:
“I will follow directions.
I will be respectful.
I will be responsible.
I will be a good friend.
I will try my best!
106 is the best class EVER!”
-Kenny Community School
It’s no wonder she is successful in school. She is learning important tools for success: respect, responsibility and hard work in her daily life. I think it’s good advice for anybody, whether you’re in 2nd grade, graduate school, or working full-time. We all have our daily tasks to complete, but we also need to keep in mind that we are responsible for our own success.
One of my favorite quotes is from Paulo Coelho who wrote: “No matter how you feel today, get up, dress up and show up.” And that’s exactly what my daughter did today. She got up, put on winter gear and said “Let’s go, Mom!” Snow days? They can wait.
