Part II: The 2025 Twin Cities Marathon was held on Sunday, October 5. My daughter-in-law Melea was running it, and my son Logan had strategically planned for her support to be at different locations along the route, and while that support helped her persevere, she had to do it herself.
One does not simply run a marathon. Months of preparation is needed to be able to participate. Building up mile upon mile until the race day is critical if one wants to finish the race. One aspect that makes running so great for so many different people is that everyone can do it: the body has been made to walk/run. Whether male or female, tall or short, skinny or muscular, everyone can run. Everyone can finish the race, and many people say that is what they want to achieve when asked about running a marathon: I just want to finish. This idea of competing and finishing has become a metaphor for life. The phrase that "life is not a sprint but a marathon" has become common, meaning that lasting success comes from consistent, long-term effort, not just quick bursts of energy. It suggests a need for patience, perseverance, and a focus on sustained effort over time to achieve significant goals. The saying encourages looking beyond immediate satisfaction to make consistent small steps that build toward a larger, long-term vision, and while we certainly can use the help along the way, we all need to individually run this race.
Annually at my Information/Tour Night presentations, I joke about no one ever wanting to go back to their middle-school year, which gets a chuckle or outright laugh. This stems from knowledge of how hard these years can be, and since we know it, we try hard to help our children/students through the lens of our experiences. But the greatest challenge is to actually let them struggle: Logan could not run the marathon for his wife. He could plan the support, he could train with her, he could offer his perspective from his having run Grandma’s Marathon, but with or without these supports, Melea was on her own to figure it out and to do her best. It was her race to train for; he could only encourage her to do so. It was her preparation that would earn her the outcome; he could only hope for the best and support her in whatever the outcome turned out to be.
The first trimester ends in two weeks. Even with support, it is the students' learning from their preparation and execution; they are motivated and engaged, or they are not. We can only encourage them to strive for their very best and to support them in whatever the outcomes turn out to be. And in the middle school years, maybe the most impactful experiences for the future are the negative/somewhat negative ones, the ones that caused the chuckles and laughs from those adults at Info/Tour Night when remembering.
Encourage your child to self-advocate for support, to complete quality assignments, to reflect on the experiences of the first trimester of the year, but also to "rehydrate"/rejuvenate to have an even better second trimester. It is their race, and we will support them in whatever the outcome turns out to be.
Weeks at a Glance
- Veterans Day Program - Tuesday, November 11
- End of Trimester 1 - Friday, November 14
- Fall Spectrum Student Leaders Event - Gym Fun: Friday, November 14 @ 2:45 pm
- Teacher Professional Development - No School: Monday, November 17
- Beginning of Trimester 2 - Tuesday, November 18
Open Enrollment
Help us spread the word to your neighbors, friends, family, and community:
Spectrum Schools is accepting enrollment applications for NEW students for the 2026-2027 school year. Applications must be submitted by January 31, 2026, to be included in the mid-February 2026, Enrollment Lottery. Applications due by January 31, 2026.
IMPORTANT: Siblings must submit an application to be considered for enrollment.
Sign up for an Information & Tour Session with the Spectrum Registrar or call 763-241-8703 for more details.
Thank you for helping us grow our Spectrum community!