8 Tips for Promoting a Growth Mindset

Growth Mindset

Students’ mindsets—how they perceive their abilities—play a key role in their motivation and achievement, and if we change students’ mindsets, we could boost their achievement. Students who believe their intelligence could be developed (a growth mindset) outperformed those who believed their intelligence was fixed (a fixed mindset).

8 tips for promoting a growth mindset in kids:

  1. Help children understand that the brain works like a muscle, that can only grow through hard work, determination, and lots and lots of practice.

  2. Don’t tell students they are smart, gifted, or talented since this implies that they were born with the knowledge, and does not encourage effort and growth.

  3. Let children know when they demonstrate a growth mindset.

  4. Praise the process. It’s effort, hard work, and practice that allow children to achieve their true potential.

  5. Don’t praise the results. Test scores and rigid ways of measuring learning and knowledge limit the growth that would otherwise be tapped.

  6. Embrace failures and missteps. Children sometimes learn the most when they fail. -Let them know that mistakes are a big part of the learning process. There is nothing like the feeling of struggling through a very difficult problem, only to finally break through and solve it! The harder the problem, the more satisfying it is to find the solution.

  7. Encourage participation and collaborative group learning. Children learn best when they are immersed in a topic and allowed to discuss and advance with their peers.

  8. Encourage competency-based learning. Get kids excited about subject matter by explaining why it is important and how it will help them in the future. The goal should never be to get the ‘correct’ answer but to understand the topic at a fundamental, deep level, and want to learn more.

Courtesy of https://kidtalkfrisco.com/growth-mindset/

Eat the Colors of the Rainbow

Did you know that sugar in candy, sodas and certain foods can hurt your teeth? Sugar is like a magnet for bad bacteria. The bacteria eat the sugar and develop an acid that builds up on your teeth and over time will make little holes in your teeth called cavities. Sticky candy like, gummy bears, sour patch kids, war heads, and fruit roll ups are worse because they stick to your teeth. Brushing your teeth at least twice a day in the morning and night and not eating too much sugar will help keep your teeth healthy.

It’s easy to get into a habit of eating the same foods over and over. Many of us like to eat only our favorite fruits and vegetables. Did you know that it’s best to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables! The color in each of them helps the body in a very special way to grow and be healthy. This is why they say…..Eat the colors of the rainbow!

Eating a well balanced diet of healthy foods is one of the best things you can do for your body. Food is used as fuel for the body like gas is used for fuel for a car. If you eat junk food, your body won’t run as efficiently. You might feel sick or tired. When you are trying to make a decision about what you are going to eat, ask yourself, is this good for me? Just being mindful about what you are eating is the first step to amazing health!

Brighter Bites Recipe
Try eating the rainbow by whipping up this Hulk Smoothie from Brighter Bites!

Hulk Smoothie

INGREDIENTS:
¾ cup water
1 banana
2 cups kale (or spinach)
1 medium apple
2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)

NUTRITION FACTS FOR ONE SERVING
(approx. 1 cup)
97 calories; 18 gram carbohydrate; 1 gram fat; 4 gram protein; 4 gram dietary fiber

DIRECTIONS:

Wash all fruits and vegetables. Remove stems from kale, and remove tops from strawberries if using fresh. Slice apple into chunks, removing core. Add all ingredients to blender, and blend until smooth. Add more or less of each ingredient to fit your family’s taste!

DLE Veterans Day Tribute

Veterans Day is Thursday, November 11th. Traditionally, the students would make a poster of a veteran that is near and dear to them and the posters would be displayed throughout the school.

We will be honoring our veterans virtually again this year. A PowerPoint presentation will be compiled to share with the school featuring all of the veterans.

You will find a template to use along with brief instructions here. Feel free to be creative and add some great pictures. Once your slide is complete please email it to DLEVeteransDay@dlepto.org by Monday, November 8th.

Yearbook Cover Contest Deadline Extension

LE students, we've extended the deadline for the Yearbook Cover Contest ONE MORE WEEK. Submissions are now due this Friday.

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The theme for the 2021/2022 yearbook is "Lions on the Prowl.” We’re searching for the most creative illustrations of this theme for the back cover of the yearbook.

Submissions are due October 29, and can be emailed to your teacher or to yearbook@dlepto.org. (If sending to your teacher, please also note this with an email to yearbook@dlepto.org, so no one’s contribution gets overlooked.)

Winners will be selected in each grade level. There will be a 1st place winner and honorable mention(s) for each grade level. We can’t wait to see our DLE artistic talent on display!

Campus Now Open To Lunch Visitors

Lunch visitors will be allowed on campus beginning this week! In light of DLE’s campus enrollment needs, there will be a five-day rotation to accommodate the number of visitors in the cafeteria at one time. Please see the day of the week below for your approved day to visit for lunch. Parents and guardians will only be allowed to eat with their child at the designated visitor tables. They cannot pull any other students for a lunch visit.

If you are visiting for lunch, please stop by the front office and provide your identification to receive a visitor’s tag.

Fort Bend ISD announced Monday that visitors would be welcomed back to district campuses, including volunteers.

From Fort Bend ISD:

“The district continues to monitor positive COVID cases and we are thankful the number of cases is declining. Therefore, beginning Monday, October 25, 2021, campuses will once again be able to welcome visitors on Fort Bend ISD campuses. This includes parents who wish to have lunch with their child, volunteers, and community partners who help support our schools. In order to ensure that students and staff remain safe, all visitors are required to follow the procedures and protocols developed by each school based on available space and use of their campuses. … Officials continue to monitor the rate of COVID-19 infections in the local community as part of the District’s mitigation measures. Should infection rates begin to rise, the visitation policy may change to keep students, staff and families safe.”

Wellness Corner: Engagement + Awareness = Resilience

Resilience. It is something we are not born with. We build it with experience!  Key components of resilience are engagement and awareness. Engagement is how we connect with others. When children have candid, trusting communication with others – parents, teachers, siblings – they get to practice processing their experiences and discover new ways of coping. Awareness is our ability to self-reflect. If children can identify when they feel out of sorts, they are a step closer to being able to seek help.

  • Have Conversations Early and Often. The best way to foster engagement, increase your child’s self-awareness, and to figure out what is going on with your child is to have open conversations. Start early

  • Observe Changes in Behavior. Worrisome changes in a child’s behavior might be obvious, but could be subtle. Behaviors parents can be aware of are changes in appetite; sleep; mood (irritability, tantrums, sadness); relationships with others (friends, siblings, parents); social isolation; poorer academic performance; loss of interest in things previously enjoyed (sports, music).

  • Once in Conversation, Get More Specific. If your child starts to open up – whether about cyberbullying, depression, or anxiety – then you can start getting specific.

  • Resist “thinking traps.” Catch yourself when you are sad or mad and think about a phrase to say like “I know that I am doing the best that I can.”

  • Manage anxiety with paced breathing. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply

  • Consider keeping a gratitude journal. Write down 3 things you were grateful for during the day.

  • Engage in behavioral activation and limit device usage

    • Exercise, dance, and perform deep breathing

    • Paint, draw or consider doing a jigsaw puzzle

    • Learn a new skill such as playing a musical instrument or language as this can provide empowerment

  • Consider Consultation. It’s often useful to call a school guidance counselor, teacher, coach, or other parents who spend time with your child, to see if they notice the same things, or if they have some insight into what may be going on. Ms. Armiger and Ms. Sane are wonderful and have such a calming presence!

Brighter Bites Recipes

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Apples and Pecans

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Brussels sprouts
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium apple, diced (about 1 cup)
¼ cups pecans, chopped

NUTRITION FACTS FOR ONE SERVING

approx. 1 cup; makes 6 servings
91.4 calories; 11.8 grams carbohydrate; 4.8 grams fat; 3.1 grams protein; 4 grams dietary fiber

DIRECTIONS:

Wash the Brussels sprouts and trim the stems off the sprouts. Slice the sprouts into thin rounds (There will be about 8 cups). In a large sauté pan on medium-low heat, add the olive oil. Next, add the Brussels sprouts and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. The sprouts will begin to brown and soften. Add salt, pepper, and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, continuing to stir. Finally, add the apples and pecans and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Once the ingredients are well incorporated and the Brussels sprouts are tender, remove from heat and serve immediately.

Changes to the Marquee Messages

Beginning in November, the school will include the Marquee Message birthday names monthly on the inside TVs as an added bonus!

The TVs are updated just once a month, so to take advantage of this special bonus, you must sign up for the Marquee Messages before the first of the month that your child's birthday is in.

The school cannot accommodate last-minute signups on the TV screens. But rest assured, your message will still run on the marquee and be featured in PawPrints per our usual program.

Sign Up Here

Wellness Corner: 10 Tips to Stay Motivated

HEALTHY KIDS ARE HAPPY KIDS - LEONETTI LIONS WELLNESS CORNER

Here are 10 family friendly tips to keep us motivated and inspired to ensure we are moving forward together to build healthy, successful and stronger communities! We want to spread our Leonetti Lion heart everywhere we go!! 

  1. Exercise
    During commercial breaks or between Netflix episodes, have a friendly family competition to see who can do the most pushups, hold a plank the longest or do the most jumping jacks.

  2. Forgive
    Admit mistakes to your children and ask for forgiveness. By modeling this behavior, it can help improve your own health and well-being while teaching kids to let go of grudges and bitterness.

  3. Manage portions
    Offer fruits and vegetables at every meal. Try to make their plate colorful as this may entice them to try new foods. Be sure to model healthy eating as well. Your kids are watching.

  4. Get quality sleep
    Sleep is an essential element of success for children. Aim for an early bedtime and a consistent routine of winding down — with no screen time. Remember, sleep-deprived children usually don't slow down, they wind up.

  5. Explore new things
    Make a list of activities you'd like to try together and hang it somewhere the whole family can see.

  6. Build strength
    Incorporate strength and flexibility into your family's physical activity plan. This can be as simple as stretching during commercials or doing calf raises while brushing teeth.

  7. Find joy
    Find something to laugh about with your family every day. Laughter reduces stress and anxiety.

  8. Kick addictions
    Make screen time a privilege that is allowed only after chores and homework are completed. Limit screen time to less than two hours a day, and keep screens out of your child's bedroom.

  9. Reduce stress
    Search online for free videos about yoga for children and families, or try incorporating deep breathing into your children's bedtime routine. Children experience stress and anxiety just like adults do.

  10. Show gratitude
    Create a gratitude jar and encourage everyone to put a note in the jar each day with something they are grateful for. While you are all at the dinner table, take time to read them

Brighter Bites Recipes

Make this family friendly recipe with your children!  They will love the fragrance of Fall during our upcoming cooler temperature days!

Sweet Potato Harvest Salad

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups sweet potato, diced (about 2-3)

1 cup red apple, diced

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

4 Tbsp unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp + ½ Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

¼ tsp salt

⅛ tsp black pepper
 

NUTRITION FACTS FOR ONE SERVING

(approx. 1 cup; makes 4 servings)

183 calories; 35 gram carbohydrate; 4 gram fat; 3 gram protein; 5 gram dietary fiber

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Drizzle diced sweet potatoes with 1 tsp of olive oil and roast in the oven on a baking sheet for 10 minutes.  Once sweet potatoes are cooked, remove from the oven and allow them to cool.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweet potato, apples, pomegranate seeds, and pepitas.  Whisk the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.  Once mixed, add to sweet potato mixture and toss until the salad is lightly coated

Wellness Corner: Stop, Focus, and Breathe

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Children of all ages need opportunities where they can take time out of each day to relax and reset. Meditation offers this break and helps kids function more effectively and clearly.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages parents to share meditation with their children—and teachers to incorporate mindfulness training into their lesson plans. We do this at Leonetti!

Here are a few benefits from meditation:

  • Improved sleep.

  • Increased focus and prolonged attention span.

  • Reduced stress and anxiety.

  • Stronger mental resilience.

  • Improved emotional regulation.

  • Increased self-awareness and empathy.

The length of time and frequency:

  • Preschool children: A few minutes per day.

  • Grade school children: 3-10 minutes twice a day.

  • Teens and adults: 5-45 minutes per day or more based on preference.


Meditation Tips:

  • Try incorporating deep breathing into your children's daily bedtime routine—it can help them wind down for the night and make meditation easier to do when other situations arise.

  • Remind grade-schoolers and teens to take a few deep breaths before answering a difficult question at school, taking a test, or before an athletic performance.

  • As young children learn to manage strong emotions, deep breathing can be part of the process.

Brighter Bites Recipe

Pumpkin season is upon us! Try this recipe to spice up your next loaf of bread!

Jack-O-Lantern Loaf

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups whole wheat flour

1½ cups sugar

1 Tbsp baking soda

1½ tsp salt

½ Tbsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground ginger

⅔ cup water

¾ cup olive oil

1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1½ bananas)

½ tsp vanilla extract

NUTRITION FACTS FOR ONE SERVING

approx. 1/12 loaf or 1 muffin; makes 24 servings):

166 calories; 25 grams carbohydrate; 7 grams fat; 2 grams protein; 2 grams dietary fiber

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger until well combined. Then make a well in the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, blend together the water, olive oil, pumpkin, applesauce, banana, and vanilla extract with a spoon or electric mixer. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Grease and flour baking pans. Divide mixture between two 9×5 bread pans. Bake for 1 hour. (Or divide mixture in 24 muffin pans and bake for 25-35 minutes depending on the size.)

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