Dear Hunnewell Families,
This week, as I was walking through our building, a simple sign outside of KP (Ms. Powers) stopped me in my tracks. It read: “We Can Do Hard Things.”
At first glance, it’s the kind of message you might expect to see in a kindergarten space — short, encouraging, and just right for young learners. But the more I stood there and reflected, the more I realized just how important that message is — not just for five-year-olds, but for all of us.
We Can Do Hard Things.
That’s not just a feel-good phrase. It’s a life skill. And it might be one of the most important lessons we can teach our children — especially today.
In a world that often promises ease, convenience, and instant gratification, the ability to face challenges with courage, perseverance, and resilience is becoming rare — and more valuable than ever. Whether it’s learning to read, standing up for what’s right, dealing with failure, or navigating difficult emotions or friendships, our kids are going to face hard things. That’s not something to shield them from — it’s something to prepare them for.
And we do that in partnership — parents and educators, working together.
So how do we prepare our children to do hard things?
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We model it ourselves. When our kids see us struggle, persist, and keep going, they learn that setbacks are normal and that strength isn’t in never falling — it’s in getting back up.
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We stop rushing to rescue. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is let them feel discomfort, confusion, or even failure — and let them discover they’re capable of handling it.
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We praise effort, not just outcome. When we celebrate hard work, grit, and persistence, we reinforce the idea that success is earned, not given.
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We talk openly about struggle. Kids need to hear stories about our challenges — and how we’ve grown from them.
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We stay in the process. Learning to do hard things doesn’t have an endpoint. It’s a lifelong journey — and as adults, we’re still on it, too.
We are a school that believes in high expectations and strong support. We want our children to become confident learners — not because everything comes easily to them but because they know how to work through things that don’t.
Let’s keep helping them — and each other — lean into the hard stuff because that’s where the growth happens.
Dare to Dream,
Mr. Dees
Important Dates
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April 5: Hunnewell Auction Gala – 7:00 PM
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April 7 & 8: 4th Grade MCAS
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April 10 & 11: 3rd Grade MCAS
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April 14–16: Hunnewell Used Book Fair