Preparing for New Challenges

Happy 2017! The New Year is all about making resolutions. I am going to eat healthy this year. I am going to work out more this year. I am going to try rock climbing this year. I am going to get organized this year. Whatever resolution you make, do you keep it? In the past, I have made and broken countless resolutions. At Ellis, we want to teach every student that setting resolutions and new goals is great, but it is also okay if you break a resolution or fall short of your goal.
Studies have shown that feelings and thoughts of self-doubt are common among girls, especially beginning in pre-adolescence. So, what can parents and educators do to build up a girl’s sense of self, while curbing feelings of self-doubt, no matter what her age? Help her develop the qualities of a strong, independent young woman. At Ellis, we teach girls to believe in themselves and in their abilities, to take pride in their fortitude and tenacity, and not to shy away from challenges or the prospect of failure.

It is okay to try something new, to take on a challenge, or to fail and make a mistake. How you react to failure, and the resilience that you build in the process, are important lessons girls need to learn. As educators, we prepare Ellis girls to tackle a challenging math problem, read a book about a new subject, or to attempt to draw a map from memory, by giving them the confidence to try new things. When students make a mistake in their addition or subtraction, or pronounce a word incorrectly, it is how they react to their mistakes that we prepare them for. 

At Ellis, we teach them what to do next, what to do when faced with a problem or task they have never encountered before, and how to ask for help. How can I try again? How can I fail up? How can I rise up again and conquer challenges and failures? Developing persistence and grit are valuable qualities that build strong, confident, Ellis girls. 

I hope that 2017 is full of opportunities for your daughters to strive to reach their goals while learning to navigate through the obstacles they may face.
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