The Power of Perseverance

When I moved back home to Detroit from the west coast to join the DAA team and family, I was prepared for a climate change…but had no idea we were in for the coldest winter on record!  While there have definitely been challenges that come along with the weather, the walls of DAA have been filled with the joy of learning.  Students and families come to school each morning, bundled in hats, coats, and scarves, to make sure that learning is happening in every classroom.  This is just one of many ways our students and families live one of our DAA Habits of Character: perseverance!

The dictionary defines perseverance as, “steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.”  At DAA, we see our students working tirelessly before they even walk in the door–our first graders and kindergarteners identify letters, sight words, shapes, and coins before they cross over the classroom threshold.  They practice their spelling words during breakfast, solve tricky words and re-read with fluency and expression, and edit and revise their writing to make improvements (sometimes two or three times!).  In math, students check their answers using multiple strategies–if the number line isn’t helping, they try counters, then drawing a picture–our students won’t give up.

One of the most heartwarming examples of perseverance I’ve seen recently was on Monday morning during our bus ride to school.  A father of one of our first graders was waiting at the bus stop with his son, holding him while he himself was standing in knee-deep snow to keep his son warm and dry, to make sure that he got to school safely and on time.  Not only do our students show commitment to their education and working hard each day, our families also show steadfastness (even in the snow) to ensure our students have the opportunity to achieve success.

Stay warm, and see you ALL on Thursday for a full day of school and our first ever Celebration of Learning!