A Positive Education Focus for Murray City School District

The transition from fall to the holiday season often brings a mix of excitement and stress. At Murray City School District (MCSD), our educators seek to support the whole child, which includes understanding some of these stresses and working to address barriers to learning that sometimes manifest in their emotional and mental well-being.

As November is National Gratitude Month), we encourage educators and our community of students and their families to focus on the powerful link between gratitude and academic tenacity. Research from the field of Positive Psychology shows that teaching children how to practice gratitude is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to build essential life skills like resilience, optimism, and perseverance – the techniques they can use to succeed.

Why Gratitude is a Superpower for Students

When students consistently practice identifying things they are grateful for, it shifts their focus from what they lack to what they have. This positive mindset has a measurable impact on learning:

• Reduces Anxiety: A grateful disposition helps students feel more content and less stressed by academic pressures or social challenges.

• Builds Resilience: Students with a stronger sense of gratitude are better equipped to handle setbacks (like a tough test score) because they can still see the good things in their lives, helping them bounce back faster.

• Improves Motivation: Optimism and gratitude are closely linked to higher self-efficacy—the belief that you can succeed—which drives deeper engagement in schoolwork.

Simple Ways to Cultivate Gratitude at Home

You don't need elaborate tools to embed gratitude into your daily life. Here are three simple, proven practices you can start today:

1. The Dinner Conversation Starter: Before anyone leaves the table, ask each family member to share one thing they learned or accomplished today and one person they are grateful for. This helps shift the focus from complaints to connections.

2. The Family Gratitude Jar: Decorate a simple jar and place it in a common area. Throughout the month, encourage everyone to write down brief notes about things they are thankful for (e.g., “I’m thankful my teacher explained the math problem again” or “I’m thankful for a warm house”). Read the notes aloud on Thanksgiving or New Year's Day.

3. Active Kindness: Turn gratitude into action. Together, identify a local Murray-area service project. Donating time or resources (both in the community and through school activities) helps your child connect their feelings of thankfulness to the larger community, reinforcing the MCSD value of Ethical Responsibility.

Let's embrace the power of gratitude to make this holiday season happier and healthier for all our students!