The first school day after the holidays is always a threshold: the children arrive full of stories and settle back into a working rhythm only with difficulty. So we used the day for exactly that — to open a new year together.
We talked about our goals for the year ahead and about how to turn them into reality. A goal put into words by the child themselves has a different status from one handed down by adults; and when it is said out loud in front of classmates, it comes with a small commitment attached. We also discussed the less glamorous part: that a goal is reached through small, repeated steps, not through a decision taken once.
To give them courage and confidence, each child received a motivational bracelet to remind them daily of their own strength. A small object worn on the wrist works better than a poster on the wall: it is always there, precisely at the moment you feel like giving up.
And because everything at PlusKids is an adventure, our little "monsters" kept watch over homework and activities, and the most persevering and creative children were rewarded with surprises at the end of the month.
We believe education should be enjoyable, motivating and full of inspiration, and every activity we run has a clearly defined purpose: to give children wings.