By February, the year has a different feel. School has settled into a rhythm. Expectations are clearer. Work is more demanding. Relationships are more nuanced. Growth is happening, but not always in ways that are easy to measure. February offers us a natural pause: a moment to step back and consider not only how far our students have come, but what is truly carrying them forward.
I am often reminded of Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” a book that first appeared in the mid-1980s. I remember being struck by it at the time, by how something so profound could also be so uncomplicated. The lessons were simple, yet deeply powerful. I was genuinely impressed that the most important truths about life could be pared down to a short list of ideas that anyone could understand and live by.
I loved it so much that I even had a poster of those lessons hanging on the door of my very first classroom. It was relatable. It made sense. It spoke to children and adults alike. In a profession that often wrestles with complexity, expectations, and constant change, that list felt grounding. It was a reminder that while the world of education evolves, the most important lessons remain steady.
All I Need to Know….
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies & cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life - learn some & think some & draw & paint & sing & dance & play & work…
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands & stick together.
Beware of wonder.
Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup: the roots go down & the plant goes up & nobody knows how or why…
Goldfish & hamsters & white mice & even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die…So do we…
And it is still true, no matter how old you are.
When you go out in the world, it is better to hold hands and stick together.
(By Robert Fulghum)
When we read that list, it almost feels too simple. And yet, those ideas form the backbone of everything we hope children will become.
In our earliest grades, these principles are taught explicitly and intentionally. In pre-K and kindergarten, students practice sharing, taking turns, listening to one another, caring for their space, and using kind words. These moments may seem small, but they are anything but. They are the first lessons in self-control, empathy, responsibility, and belonging. Children are learning how to function within a community and how to see themselves as an important part of it.
As students move through the elementary years, those same lessons quietly deepen.
Sharing becomes collaboration. Taking turns becomes patience and perspective-taking. Cleaning up one’s mess becomes owning mistakes and learning from them. Trying again becomes perseverance. Academic expectations grow, but the foundational skills that allow students to engage thoughtfully and productively remain rooted in those early truths.
By the time students reach the middle grades, the simplicity is gone, but the principles are not.“Play fair” now applies to friendships, group dynamics, athletics, classrooms and digital spaces. “Tell the truth” requires courage and accountability. “Say you’re sorry” demands humility and reflection. As students navigate independence and influence, those kindergarten lessons become a compass that guides thoughtful decision-making, especially when no adult is standing nearby.
This is where the real power of those early lessons reveals itself. We often talk about students “growing up,” but what matters just as much… is how they grow FORWARD.
Forward in empathy. Forward in integrity. Forward in responsibility. Forward in understanding that their choices have an impact. These lessons do not fade as children age; they become more meaningful.
At Darlington, a student who can persevere through challenges, treat others with respect, take responsibility for mistakes, and try again is prepared, not only for the next grade, but for life beyond our classrooms.
As we move into the second half of the school year, we are grateful for your partnership in reinforcing these timeless truths at home. In a world that often urges children to grow faster and do more, it is reassuring to know that the most important lessons remain simple, steady, and sure.
Sometimes, what children need most as they grow older is not a brand-new lesson but a deeper understanding of one they learned long ago.
