Weekly Update: January 5 to January 9

Happy New Year, Grizzly Families! 

I trust that you had many opportunities to connect with your family over the Winter Break and that the new year will bring joy, safety, comfort, and prosperity to your homes. 

December brought about some staffing changes for us, which were discussed at the recent School Council Meeting.  Families of classes that were affected by the changes have already been notified.  I’m pleased to welcome Miss Belanger to our staff for the remainder of the school year in the Math/Science department.  She will be taking over Mr. Wttewaall-Arteaga's classes as he has been assigned to take over Mrs. Donahue’s classes.  Mrs. Donahue has been reassigned to a new position for the remainder of the year; her new role is titled Social-Emotional Lead Teacher.  This position is new to the CBE, and Mrs. Donahue has already participated in some training related to it. More information will be coming your way as she enters into the new role full time this week.  All the teachers involved in these changes have been in discussion about student progress, curriculum, and next steps for their classes. 

School spirit was alive and well in the days leading to the Winter Break—many students and staff took the opportunity to dress up for Spirit Week for a fun way to mark the end of 2025.  DEAR Day (Drop Everything and Read) was a hit as well as we included six opportunities to read throughout the day.  I spoke with many students who were proud of the amount of reading they completed on that day. 

This January brings us volleyball season.  If your child plans to try out for, please ensure that you use the schedules provided in the calendar at the end of this message.  The point of this weekly update is for families—parents and their children—know what is happening and talk about it together.  You will see that senior tryouts are this week and junior teams will be hosting tryouts next week. 

CONNECTING HOME AND SCHOOL:  Optimism for Teens 

The second letter of our COURAGE model is O, which stands for Optimism.  Over the next few weeks, I will share some information about optimism, which you can consider as you work with your teen at home.   

Optimism Is Healthy:  Researchers have spent a lot of time studying people who think positively. It turns out that an optimistic attitude helps us be happier, more successful, and healthier. Optimism can protect against depression — even for people who are at risk for it. An optimistic outlook makes people more resistant to stress. Optimism may even help people live longer. 

The best thing about optimism is you can learn it, even if your outlook tends to be more pessimistic. 

Optimism Builds Resilience:  Optimism lets us see disappointing events as temporary situations that we can get past. It strengthens us to try again rather than give up. It allows us to keep our goals and dreams in play so we can act on the motivation to keep working toward them. Because of this, optimistic people feel more in control of their situations and have higher self-esteem. 

Pessimism influences us to take disappointments and rejections personally. It also makes them seem more permanent than they are. A pessimistic outlook exaggerates the negative aspects of a situation so they overshadow anything positive. Pessimistic thinking makes it harder to cope when things don't go as hoped. 

Realistic Optimism:  Optimism isn't about seeing everything as rosy. Optimists don't ignore problems or pretend life is perfect. They just choose to focus on what's good about a situation and what they can do to make things better. Optimists have true confidence because they're prepared: They know they need to study if they want to ace a tough test. They know they can't make the basketball team without practicing. 

Optimism goes hand-in-hand with action. It's about finding a healthy balance of positive and realistic thinking. 

How to Be More Optimistic

If you tend toward mostly pessimistic thinking, you can get better at seeing what's good. Here are some things to try: 

  • Notice good things as they happen. At the end of the day, take 10 minutes to run through your day and come up with things that you're grateful for. Write them down in a journal or keep track using a motivational app on your phone or tablet. 
  • Train your mind to believe you can make good things happen in your life. Get in a habit of telling yourself specific things you can do to succeed. For example: "If I study, I can get a better grade." "If I practice, I'll perform well at the audition." "If I go on that volunteer trip, I'll meet new friends." 
  • Don't blame yourself when things go wrong. What does your inner voice say when things don't go as planned? Instead of thinking, "I failed that math test because I'm terrible at math," tell yourself: "I failed that test because I didn't study enough. I won't let that happen next time!" Instead of saying, "Grace broke up with me because I'm such a loser," think: "Now I know why people say breakups are so painful, but hanging out with my friends will help me feel better again." 

Retrieved on January 4, 2026, from:  https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/optimism.html 

DID YOU KNOW: 

NEW:  Congratulations to the winners of the gift basket draw held by our School Council at our last meeting.  The winners have already been notified, and I’m happy to report that I was one of the lucky winners! 

NEW:  If you or any families you know of that live in our catchment area are interested in the TLC program, we will have a virtual information night on Wednesday, January 14, at 6:30 p.m.  Share the news with others!  There will be information posted to our website later this week. 

REMINDER: TLC families were sent information about the current purchasing window for TLC uniforms, which closes on January 31. 

UPDATE:  We now have a date for our TLC Winter Band Concert.  Please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 29, from 6:30 – 7:15 p.m.  TLC families should have received specific information from Ms. Bumstead. 

REMINDER:  If you signed up for working at our casino, please check your emails and ensure that you show up for your shifts.  We can’t thank you enough—this fundraiser is a significant one! 

NEW:  Our next School Council meeting will be on Wednesday, January 21, at 6:00 p.m. 

NEW:  The next Fun Lunch is Wednesday, January 28. 

NEW:  January 31 is the date for our next non-instruction day. 

WEEKLY EVENTS – JANUARY 5 TO JANUARY 9 

Monday, January 5 – CLASSES RESUME (TLC Students in formal uniforms) 

  • 11:00 am | First shifts start for casino volunteers 

Tuesday, January 6 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Tryouts 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Tryouts 

Wednesday, January 7 

  • 4:00 am | Last shifts end for casino volunteers  
  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Tryouts 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Tryouts 

Thursday, January 8 

  • 2:45 – 3:45 | Senior Girls Volleyball Tryouts 
  • 3:45 – 4:45 | Senior Boys Volleyball Tryouts 

Friday, January 9 – ORANGE DAY 

Tammy Quiring 

(proud) Principal