We spend a lot of time in this space talking about how great school is, and don’t get us wrong: School is great. It’s the greatest.

But it’s also a lot of work! It takes a ton of work to learn! It takes a ton of work to teach every day! It takes a ton of work to lead schools and maintain facilities and wrangle technology and all the other things that school staffs do all school year!

So that’s why right around now is when it’s important for parents, students, and staff to find that marathon pace. We all burst off the starting line with the indefatigable gusto of a brand-new year, brimming and bubbling with excitement and enthusiasm for education. But here we go, now, a few weeks in, and we’re remembering, “Oh, man, we’re doing this until May.”

That’s OK! It’s important to be excited and joyful. But it’s also important to be focused and consistent, and to not lose steam as the length of the year starts to get a little daunting. So, as the starting line fades into the distance behind us, and while we have so long to go until we see the finish line, let’s talk about a few thoughts to keep in mind over this marathon of a 2025-26 school year.

1. Enjoy the journey. Yes, we just spent a lot of time talking about the finish line, but let’s think about this a little differently. The run itself is the blessing. The school year, itself, is the gift. That we are so fortunate to have high-quality education available to all students right here where we live is a gift that relatively few human beings have experienced, even today! It is incredible that we can send our children off to school every day during the school year and know they are getting a great education. And it’s incredible to be a part of that, even though every step can be a bit exhausting. So have fun, be grateful, and take it all in.
2. Don’t get too wrapped up in any one thing. Education is, in part, a results-based business. We test, we assess, we grade. We’re looking to measure growth and learning, because if we don’t measure, we don’t know we’re doing it! But we also have to remember that educating a child is a process. She might take a little longer to master a concept than her classmate, or she might ace one test and not do so well on the next. One student might never get the test scores his peers get. Another might get top scores and struggle with friends or with activities. She might be doing great and then suddenly start to struggle. The reverse is true, too. Life is long, and it’s not all about As and Bs or CMAS and MAP data. Those are important, but they’re just steps on the path. The truth about the marathon is it’s not just the length of a school year, because we’re not just building students advancing to the next grade. We’re building humans together. No single failure (or even many failures) signals a child can’t or won’t succeed.
3. Focus on the moment! The flip side of the above is that while we should take a long view sometimes, we should also pay attention to the here and now whenever possible. Mindfully consider every day, every class, every breath an opportunity to learn and to grow and to teach and love. No matter how long we live, we are only ever existing in the space of each and every moment through which we pass. Make the most of each one! And, if you didn’t make the most of the last one, or any of the last several, begin again and make the most of this next one.
4. Be patient, be compassionate, and be uplifting. This race is LONG. We all need each other to get through it. As you’re easing into your marathon pace, look for those who can run with you, and with whom you can run. You need their help, and they need yours. Build one another up and you’ll run stronger together.

It’s a great day to be a Moffat County Bulldog. We believe in Moffat County School District, and that means believing even through the hard times and through the moments when you’re tired and feel like giving up. No sprinters here: Let’s run this marathon of a school year (and a life) together!