Click the pic above to download the September 2026 Word of the Month Homework Packet.
This September, as students return to the school routine across Kenosha, our students are focusing on a foundational character skill: PERSEVERANCE!
What is Perseverance?
Perseverance means that we don’t give up, especially when things get tough! It means not quitting, even when things get rough. This is an important problem-solving skill, because without perseverance, we could never get anything done.
Remember the first day you took a karate class? Everything was new. You didn’t know any martial arts. You didn’t know any of the movements. Remember the first time you really struggled to learn a new move? You might have gotten frustrated, but you didn’t quit! You showed perseverance!
Why Perseverance Matters for Children
Learning perseverance at a young age is an important skill when children are more prone to frustration and outbursts in the face of problems.
Students are encouraged to practice perseverance in martial arts, where they must learn new skills daily. There are many ways they can practice perseverance in their daily lives, too:
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Perseverance Gives You the Strength to Face Your Problems: Think of some problems you have. Maybe the problem is a class you don’t like or a really hard homework assignment. Maybe the problem is that there is one rude person in your class that you do not get along with. Whatever the problem is, you have two choices: give up, or face the problem. Perseverance means that when you face a problem, you try your best to solve it!
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Perseverance Shows Mental Strength: How much weight do you think you can lift? Five pounds? Ten pounds? Fifty pounds? One hundred pounds? Maybe not now, but if you stay healthy and train hard, one day you could easily lift more than 100 pounds! The same thing is true with mental strength. There are problems right now that you probably can’t solve. But if you have perseverance and build your mental strength, eventually you’ll be able to solve almost anything!
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Perseverance Keeps Us Moving Forward: There are times when we all feel stuck. Maybe you are stuck on a homework problem, stuck inside because of bad weather, or stuck because you got into a fight with a friend and neither of you wants to apologize. Perseverance means that instead of sitting around feeling stuck, you go out and work on your problems!
How Parents Can Help at Home
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Encourage your students to continue their martial arts training, as well as any other hobbies they are seriously involved in.
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Help your students practice martial arts at home.
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Help your child with their homework, but do not do it for them. Allow them to figure out as much as they can on their own without your intervention.
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Do not scold your child for getting frustrated or upset when faced with challenges they cannot immediately resolve. Instead, use positive encouragement, for example: “I know this is difficult for you, but I know you can do it if you don’t give up.”
The September Patch Challenge: Weekly Mat Chats & Chores
All good karate students are responsible for their actions inside and outside the dojo. To earn your monthly patch, you will need to do three jobs at home without being told by your parents every week. These could include washing the dishes, picking up your room, or feeding the dog.
Each week, students complete their Mat Chat quotes and reflection questions:
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Week 1: “Big shots are only little shots who kept shooting.” — Christopher Morley / “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe
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Week 2: “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.” — Barack Obama / “A problem is a chance for you to do your best.” — Duke Ellington
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Week 3: “It’s not that I am smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” — Albert Einstein / “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Gandhi
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Week 4: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” — Colin L. Powell / “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming it.” — Helen Keller
🗓️ Weekly Packet Due Dates:
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Week 1 Due: Friday, Sept. 4
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Week 2 Due: Friday, Sept. 11
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Week 3 Due: Friday, Sept. 18
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Week 4 Due: Friday, Sept. 25
🚀 Build Perseverance in Kenosha Today
If you are ready to help your child replace frustration with perseverance and focus, visit us on the training floor at our Kenosha Kids Karate Program (conveniently located at the corner of Highway 31 and Highway 50).
We proudly serve families across Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Somers, and surrounding communities. If you have friends or family in other parts of Southeast Wisconsin, they can access this exact same character-building program at our sister locations: visit our Racine Kids Karate Location or check out our Championship Martial Arts Oak Creek location!
Call our Kenosha dojo today at (262) 288-9919 to get started!