At BMS, we believe that reinforcing strategies between home and school is an important dynamic in educating the whole child. Here are some ways you can foster our ExPECT character skills at home.

Enthusiasm: Pursues passions and shows love of learning.

Why it's important: Frederick Williamson observed, “The longer I live, the more certain I am that enthusiasm is the little recognized key to success."  When our students enter the workplace, enthusiasm can impact not just getting a job but succeeding in that job and advancing in a careers.  In fact, research shows that many employers would rather provide job skills training to an enthusiastic but inexperienced worker than hire someone with perfect qualifications but a less-than-positive attitude.  Cultivating this skill may be the most important when considering future workplace ramifications.

How it can be developed at home:

• Cultivate Relevance - Discuss long term goals with your child and help them link the relevance of their learning to their future success.  Students who believe that education is important to their future are much more likely to be enthusiastic about learning at school.
• Reinforce Learning at Home - Parents can breathe life into school learning by finding out what children are studying in school and then planning activities or initiating conversations that connect those topics to daily life. An example would be when children are studying the earth and the solar system, watch a sunset together. Ask them, “What is happening—? Why is the sun disappearing?”
• Build Enthusiasm - Enthusiasm about learning is contagious, and we have to make sure our kids catch it from us. Reading books and magazines for pleasure and by choice sends the message that reading is fun, not just something that has to be done for school. Talking about hobbies or interests or something you enjoyed learning that day also shows children that learning is enjoyable.