Dear Families,



This month in counseling lessons, we are diving into the powerful concept of growth mindset. This idea, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, teaches students that their abilities and intelligence can grow with effort, practice, and perseverance. Instead of saying, “I can’t do it,” we encourage children to say, “I can’t do it yet,” helping them embrace challenges and learn from mistakes.

Why does this matter? As your child faces academic and social challenges, having a growth mindset will help them approach problems with confidence, resilience, and a positive attitude. They will be more likely to persevere, work hard, and believe that they can improve—an essential skill for success both in and out of the classroom.

Here's how we are addressing growth mindset with each grade:

• Kindergarten: "I Can Grow My Brain"
• We will watch a fun Sesame Street video about how our brains can grow with practice. We'll talk about the power of yet—for example, "I can't tie my shoes yet!"
• First Grade: "I Can Learn Anything"
• Using the metaphor of planting seeds, we’ll explain how learning grows over time with care and effort. Students will understand that just like a seed, their abilities need patience and persistence.
• Second Grade: "Challenges Make Us Stronger"
• Students will make "resilience rocks" to symbolize how challenges help them grow stronger, just like a rock shapes over time. We’ll explore how facing difficulties can build our emotional and mental strength.
• Third Grade: "I Can Improve with Practice"
• Through the book Your Fantastic Elastic Brain, we’ll discuss how practicing new skills stretches and strengthens our brains, just like an elastic band. Students will see that the more they practice, the better they become.
• Fourth Grade: "Mistakes are Part of Learning"
• In this lesson, we’ll talk about how mistakes are not failures but opportunities to learn. Students will participate in the “flip the slip” activity, where they turn mistakes into valuable lessons.
• Fifth Grade: "Effort vs. Talent"
• Using the example of Michael Jordan, we’ll discuss how talent alone doesn’t lead to success—it's the effort that counts. Students will also take part in a paper folding challenge to practice persistence and effort over talent.

We encourage you to continue the conversation at home. Remind your child that learning is a journey, and with effort, they can achieve great things!

Thank you for your support,

Mrs. Glissman

School Counselor

School Delays & Closing Information

When inclement weather or other school emergencies necessitate school delays and closings, the district will use the automated calling system/ text messaging, the district website, and social media for direct contact with families. Typically, the decision to delay or close will be made by 5:45am. To receive calls and text messages from DCS, text he word "YES" to 67587. Please note that the text request must come from a number that is recognized in PowerSchool.

In addition, the following radio and TV stations will be notified of delays/closings:

Television - CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX

Radio - 97.9, & 95.1

When weather conditions necessitate a TWO - HOUR DELAY, our educational hours will be 10:30am - 3:15pm. Students will be permitted to enter the building at 10:20am.



There will be NO breakfast, no Compaction or Strings classes on two-hour delay days. School Age Child Care (SACC) will also operate 2 hours later on a delay day. SACC is CLOSED when school is canceled due to inclement weather.

5th grade families, mark you calendars -

Join us at Dempsey MS on March 11th to learn all about scheduling for your upcoming 6th grade school year!