It is January 2026. Have you made any resolutions? Have you ever made any? I cannot recall ever doing so. I have always believed that I did not need the new year to set a goal or make a conscious effort to try and improve or make positive changes. Yet historically, January first does have significance for taking stock of one’s life and vowing to do better. In fact, I recently learned that this concept actually dates back centuries.
One of the first appearances of the phrase “new year resolutions” was in a Boston newspaper in 1813 with “a serious determination of beginning the new year with new resolutions and new behavior,” and diary entries have been found that show people practicing this concept well before that, as far back as 1671. Historians trace it back even farther to 2000 B.C. when Babylonians celebrated the new year with a 12-day springtime festival while other cultures and countries came to view the new year as a time for self-reflection and goal-setting, especially from a religious perspective.
In the 20th century, Americans en masse began celebrating New Year’s as a holiday and making secular resolutions a part of it. This included paying off debts and resolving to avoid them in the future. This included the ball dropping in New York’s Times Square – the first was in 1907 – a countdown (many decades later), bells ringing, champagne flowing. Commercial forces and making money have shaped the holiday while resolutions became about “improving character, be[ing] more independent, more efficient and prompt, stop[ping] smoking and sav[ing] more money.” The “get thin,” “stop eating candy,” and “get more sleep, take care of my health, not work so hard” rank at the bottom of the list (“Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition,” Rachel Treisman 12.31.2025).
So while those that do make resolutions – around 30 to 50% – typically give up within weeks (in fact, mid-January has become to be considered “Quitter’s Day”), I have a suggestion, which I invite you to join me in: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” (Maya Angelou). While it is noble to make and keep your new year resolutions, might it be better to learn from the experiences and then do better the next time? Might "the acquisition of knowledge or skills through study or by being taught inform our daily actions" be reflected on so we can grow into better futures?
Trimester 2 conferences are next week. As a new calendar year is here, let us collaborate as school staff and families to grow better futures. We can look back as far as necessary – at least to the end of the first trimester – and take this knowledge, our connections, time, and talents, and do better.
Weeks at a Glance
- Winter Fest Celebration: Monday, January 5 - Friday, January 9 - dress-up days, elementary Spirit Time, and middle school Pep Fest
- Parent-Teacher Conferences: Tuesday, January 13 - 3:00 to 5:00 or 5:30 to 7:30 in the elementary and middle school gymnasiums
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.
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!