Dear Island Trees School Community,
 
Please see the messages, as well as the calendar of events & activities below: 

To Quit or Not to Quit - That Is the Question

“I don’t want to go to dance anymore.”
 “I want to quit lacrosse.”
 “I hate music lessons.”

Sound familiar? Most parents have heard these words at one time or another. From time to time, children decide they want to give up an in-school or after-school activity. Sometimes, they’re just tired, overwhelmed, or caught up in something else and don’t feel like going that day. Other times, they’re truly ready to move on -- they’ve lost interest and want to stop for good.

So, what’s a parent to do?

Naturally, we want to encourage our children to keep going.  We don’t want them to give up every time something gets hard, or when they feel frustrated, or when something more exciting comes along. After all, we’ve already paid the non-refundable registration fee, and deep down we know there are important lessons in perseverance, commitment, and teamwork.  Besides, quitting can be contagious -- and no one wants to raise a “quitter.”

But sometimes, forcing a child to stick with something they truly dread isn’t the best path either. Most parents can sense when their child has truly hit their limit. 
Recently, I heard a story that struck just the right balance.  A parent had tried everything to convince her daughter to stay in dance -- she encouraged her, praised her, even offered small rewards -- but nothing worked. Finally, the mother realized that trying to stay the course may do more harm than good.  She, however, saw an opportunity to teach her daughter an important lesson about responsibility.

She said, “If this is really your decision, you need to take responsibility for it.”  She asked her daughter gathered up the dance shoes, uniforms, and accessories, and had her return them to the studio. There,  she also had to tell the instructor --  face-to-face -- that she would not be continuing.

Was quitting the right choice?  I don’t think this is a hard and fast answer.    Every situation is different, and every child is different. Parents must weigh the pros and cons carefully. But even if your child does step away from an activity, it can still be a valuable learning experience -- one that teaches accountability for their decisions.
 
 


The Blitz Fundraiser
 

 
https://my.cheddarup.com/c/blitz-2026-presale-entry-tickets/items
 
  
Next Week’s Calendar
 
Tuesday, March 24 – Tri-M Honor Society, ITHS, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, March 25 – Dollars for Scholars Application Deadline
Wednesday, March 25 – Ryan’s Story, John Halligan Presentation, ITHS & MMS, Grades 7-12
Wednesday, March 25 - Opening Day ⚾🏟️ "Take Me Out To The Ballgame..."
Thursday, March 26 – Sparke Book Fair
Thursday, March 26 – Sparke Family Reading Night, Sparke, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, March 27 – ITHS Junior Prom, 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 28 - National History, Geography & Science Bee Regional Competition, ITMMS,8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
 
Athletics Game Schedule Link
https://www.islandtrees.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=415372&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=767844
 
 
Island Trees Home Page – Parent Square Link and Pop-Up
https://islandtrees.org/
 
 
Island Trees Social Media Sites
 
Twitter/X - Sparke School
@SparkeShines
https://twitter.com/SparkeShines
 
Twitter/X - Stokes School
@WeRStokes
 
Twitter/X - MMS
https://twitter.com/IslandtreesMMS
 
Twitter/X – Special Education
IT_SpecialEd
 
Island Trees High School
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/islandtreeshs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/IslandtreesHS/
 
Instagram – Athletics
islandtreesathletics
 
Island Trees Curriculum and Instruction Instagram:
islandtreeslearns
https://www.instagram.com/islandtreeslearns/
 
 
Two-Week Calendar Look Ahead
 
Monday, March 30 – MMS Spring Athletics Begin
Tuesday, March 31 – Elementary Report Cards Issued
Wednesday, April 1 – April Fool’s Day – School is Open for a Make-Up Day (no joke)
Thursday, April 2 – Spring Recess Begins – Schools Closed
Thursday, April 2 – Friday, April 10 – Spring Recess
 
Monday, April 13 – Schools Reopen