During Student Previews this month, four-year-old preschool through seventh-grade students will visit a classroom in the next grade level to get a glimpse of the exciting learning and fun they can expect in the coming school year.
After the Student Previews, we’ll hold a Parent Preview of kindergarten, which we encourage parents of four-year-old students to attend. This is a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand how our kindergartners continue to learn and become self-reliant, productive achievers. Our students are our finest treasures, and we’re excited to present them in action! We host these previews because we want to show you how seamlessly your child will transition to the next grade at Challenger.
Watch for an invitation to come home with your child. Some campuses offer Parent Previews for additional grades. If your campus does not offer a Parent Preview for the next grade that your child will be attending, please contact the office if you have questions about your child’s next program. We’d love to demonstrate all that is in store for your child at Challenger School!
“I can do it myself,” is a common and endearing phrase that has been heard in the classrooms and halls of Challenger School campuses for over sixty years. Those words are music to the ears of teachers and administrators because developing self-reliance—thinking and doing for oneself—is a core aspect of our mission.
How do we teach self-reliance? We start with the basic concepts and build upon them. Preschoolers are provided a personal book bag and individual cubby to house their belongings and take-home work. It’s not the teachers’ or parents’ job to take care of the items in the cubby. These items belong to each student, and we teach students that they are not only capable of taking responsibility for their items, but that great satisfaction comes by doing things for themselves.
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Watch for Reports of Progress this month. These reports give you information about your preschooler’s participation in class and academic progress.
Valentine’s Day is recognized as a day to show appreciation to those who are important to us. We look forward to acknowledging this special day with lots of fun! The only thing students need to bring is valentines to distribute if they’d like. We will provide everything else needed for our in-class celebration.
There will be no school on Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 20. In conjunction with the occasion, Challenger students in kindergarten through eighth grade will learn about American heritage and our nation’s founders in an assembly. The assembly will recognize and commemorate the monumental accomplishments and contributions of the founders who established the United States of America.
The Founding Fathers—including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and James Madison—fought for freedom and independence and worked tirelessly to create an innovative form of government: a constitutional republic derived from the consent of the people.
At Challenger, we honor the lives and the work of these patriots by teaching the values and principles that help preserve freedom and liberty.
Due to continued restrictions, we are unable to present the Founders assembly in California. Teachers will commemorate the Founders in classroom discussions.
Students in grades 6–8 will soon gather for a social event. Your campus will provide more information about this fun opportunity for middle schoolers to enjoy time with friends and classmates after school.
If your enrollment plans have changed and your child won’t be attending Challenger next year, remember to withdraw from the 2023–24 school year by February 28, 2023, to avoid being charged the tuition deposit. Once the tuition deposit is charged, it is no longer refundable. Withdrawal requests can be submitted via the parent portal.
Witty and clever second-through eighth-grade students are encouraged to enter the annual Comic Contest. Submissions for this optional contest can be submitted to Marketing@ChallengerSchool.com and need to include your child’s full name, grade, and campus. The contest deadline is Friday, March 3. Watch for a flyer with details that will be sent home with your child. The winning entry will be published in the April newsletter. We can’t wait to see the creative submissions!
Students are preparing for the upcoming Speech Festival, which will take place in March.
There will be no school held during Spring Break. Please make arrangements for childcare during the applicable dates below.
In the coming weeks, prospective Challenger parents in most regions will have more opportunities to visit Challenger campuses to attend an open house and learn more about our powerful programs.
Specific dates and times are located on each campus page on our website. Help spread the word to friends and family who are interested in enrolling their children at Challenger.
For those who need it for their tax returns, Challenger’s tax ID is 47-1405971.
As children become more self-reliant, their ability to do more independently soon follows. Just try to tell self-reliant children that you want to do their homework for them. They won’t allow it because they not only know they are capable of doing their own homework, but they don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience. Self-reliant children certainly do not want to rely on someone else to do something for them that is their own responsibility.
Children come to recognize that it feels good to learn, produce, and handle things for themselves. As they take responsibility for their thoughts and actions, their confidence and happiness increases, and their attitudes change from “I can’t so I won’t!” to “I can so I will!”
As adults, we need to allow children the freedom to develop these important character traits. If we micromanage and do things for children that they are capable of doing for themselves, we rob them of important opportunities to learn and develop. Rather, we should provide opportunities for them to practice—and discover for themselves—the satisfaction that comes from choosing to become a self-reliant, independent individual.
For example, to help ensure that our elementary and middle school students are developing self-reliance and productivity, we expect a high level of responsibility from students to complete and turn in assignments on time, take notes, and participate during discussions. Believe it or not, meeting our expectation is not the most important part of this process. What really matters is that a child is learning to identify his or her individual expectations and own the resultant positive or negative consequences.
Can it be challenging to help a child develop self-reliance and productivity? Yes. However, with consistency and dedication, it is rewarding work that offers impressive and obvious results worth celebrating.