Re-enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year is now open and the only way to ensure your child’s seat at HSA-Belmont for the next school year is to submit the re-enrollment form via the PowerSchool parent portal by February 10th, 2023. For step by step instructions on how to re-enroll your child(ren) CLICK HERE and for a step by step video on how to re-enroll CLICK HERE.

If you do not submit the re-enrollment form by February 10, 2023, we will not be able to guarantee your child’s seat for the 2023-2024 school year. The re-enrollment fee will not be due until June so you may re-enroll now without paying the fee.

Growth Mindset

Self-Awareness: Understanding One’s Emotions & Thoughts, Strengths & Challenges

Social Skill: What is it?

We want our students to have a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. A growth mindset is when you believe that failure is not a setback, but actually an opportunity to grow. You can learn from your experiences, and take feedback to better yourself next time. You focus more on the process rather than the product. You believe that your attitude and effort is more important than anything.

On the other hand, if you have a fixed mindset, you believe that any failure is the limit of your abilities. When you’re frustrated you give up and shut down. You feel like you either know something or you don’t. You do not like to be challenged and you do not learn from feedback. You are very hard on yourself. We want to shift student’s mindset to be growth centered.

Home Connection: How can we re-enforce this at home?

• Read books and talk about characters and real people who have faced challenges and used strategies to better themselves.
• Be a role model- when you’re frustrated, show your child that you don’t give up right away.
• Rather than awarding feedback focused on the child’s product like, “You did a great job getting a 100%,” ask questions about their process like “Why did you think you got a 100%?” If they got a 60%, talk about how they could work to improve like “What do you think you can do differently next time?” Also, focus on what they took away from their mistakes like “When this happened, how did you feel? What did you learn from it?”

When a child says something with a fixed mindset, help them to rephrase it in the moment.

Instead of:

“It’s good enough”

“I give up”

“I’ll never be that smart”

“I’m not good at this”

Try:

“Is this really my best work?”

“I’ll try a different idea”

“I’ll learn how to do this”

“What am I missing?”

Book Suggestion: Look this up on YouTube or check it out from the library! The Magical Yet By: Angela DiTerlizzi

Weekly Affirmation: Have your child repeat these words each day. “I am getting better everyday.”

If you were unable join us for the school expansion meeting you may view the slide presentation by clicking HERE to review the highlights from the meeting please see the notes below. Note that the next meeting regarding the school expansion will be held virtually on March 1st from 7:00-8:00.

• The current campus in Belmont Cragin will be a K-6 campus and will be called the 'Lower School' while the new campus will be called the 'Upper School'.

• The Lower School will have 3 sections of approximately 25 students per class and will service 525 total students.

• The upper school will be for grades 7-9 only next year. Every subsequent year we will add another grade level.

• Each grade level will have 4 sections, class sections and approximately 100 students in each grade.

• Eventually 600 students will be enrolled at the Upper School.

• Emphasis will be on college prep at the high school. Students will be able to determine various tracks after their sophomore year in STEM, liberal arts, or public service.

• All 8th grade students should re-enroll for next year. You are not bound by that decision and it keeps all of your high school options open.

• Students will be able to sign up for the bus lottery at the end of this school year in June instead of in August.

• The daily schedule and the arrival and dismissal times for the Upper School will be determined in the coming weeks and shared with you all at the next town hall.