Why Mistakes Are Actually Our Brains' Best Friend

Have you ever tried something new and felt like giving up because it was tough? But here is a cool secret about our brains: every time we struggle, make a mistake, and keep trying anyway, our brains grow. Our brains are like our muscles lifting weights and getting stronger.

When we keep trying even though things are hard and know we are not born automatically good or bad at something it is called having a Growth Mindset. It is important to have a Growth Mindset so we can tackle hard problems, try again after failing, and help our brains build new connections.

• In the classroom this is seeing a tricky assignment not as a wall stopping you, but as a puzzle waiting to be solved. Mistakes and challenges are not proof you can't do it—they are just proof you are learning!
• In life a growth mindset keeps you from quitting when things get rough. It gives you the power to say, "I might not be good at this yet, but I can get better."

TRY THIS AT HOME - DAILY 4 PART REFLECTION

To help improve your child's Growth Mindset, try starting a simple and quick daily reflection routine with your family. Talk through these four parts of your day together so your child can better recognize and develop their Growth Mindset:

1. 🌹 Rose (something sweet, fun, or wonderful that happened) What brought you joy today?
2. 🌵 Thorn (something that bothered or frustrated you) How did you handle that uncomfortable feeling?
3. ⛰️ Mountain (something difficult that challenged you) What did you try, or what did you learn from the struggle?
4. 🌊 Stream (something that went smoothly or flowed easily) What skill did you use that made this feel easy?

With appreciation,

Jennifer Dudley

Welcome back to a fantastic new school year! We are thrilled to begin the 2026–2027 school year with so many exciting things on the horizon.

• PILOTING NEW MATH MATERIALS Teachers will be trying out updated math curricula to ensure our students receive instruction that builds strong problem-solving skills.
• BACKUP POWER GENERATOR We are continuing our work to install a backup generator, ensuring our school remains a safe, warm, and continuous learning environment during outages.
• PLAYGROUND UPGRADES Planning and early work begin this year on modernizing our playground.
• FOCUS ON ATTENDANCE Consistent daily attendance remains one of the single biggest drivers of student growth. We will continue partnering with families to support strong habits and regular attendance throughout the year.
• STAFFING UPDATES
  • New Classroom Instructional Aides and After School Support - Willow, Aunalisa, and Laurel are working as aides in classrooms and after school.
  • Primary Teaching Team - Scott Carson and Blossom Lievore are job-sharing the primary teaching position.

Together, we are going to make this year an exceptional experience for every student!

What a fantastic school year it has been! I am so incredibly proud of our students' hard work and the strength of our community. Here is a quick look at our major celebrations and what lies ahead.

THIS YEAR'S BIG WINS

Thanks to your amazing support, we successfully improved our student attendance rates this year! Being here every day makes a huge difference. We also made great progress on our ongoing facility improvements to keep our campus safe, comfortable, and ready for our students.

EXCITING SUMMER PROGRAM

Don't forget to sign up for our Summer Program! It is going to be packed with hands-on activities and lots of fun field trips to keep our students smiling, learning, and exploring all summer long.

LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR

We are already preparing for next fall with some wonderful additions to our district:

• Healthy Choices: Launching a new tobacco-use prevention program to help students make safe, healthy decisions.
• New Math Curriculum: Piloting a fresh, interactive math program to boost hands-on learning.
• Campus Upgrades: Completing our reroofing project, giving the school a fresh coat of exterior paint, installing a new backup generator, and upgrading our playground!

Thank you for a wonderful year, and have a safe, happy summer vacation!

Mrs. Dudley

Frontier Status Update

A few years ago, a California law was written that left our school district out. Even though we are in a far-away area with very few people, the state didn't officially call us a "Frontier District." Being a Frontier District is important because it is a special title for the smallest of the small schools. Because we didn't have this title, we had to run our after school program for longer hours, pay more in salaries, and we got less money.

I met with many leaders from the county, Northern California region, and state to explain why this was unfair. No one could help, but I didn't give up! I finally met with top officials in the state government. They agreed there were flaws in the law, but they said no immediate change was possible.

Finally, this year, all my hard work paid off! Because I kept speaking up, the state rewrote the rules. Now, our district and a few others in Northern California are officially Frontier Districts. This means we finally get extra money for our students and better rules for our hours.

We learned three big lessons from this:

• One person really can make a difference.
• Never give up, even when things seem stuck.
• We may be small, but we are mighty!

With great gratitude, Mrs. Dudley