September 14, 2026
Monday Motivation: There’s Still a Lot of Game Left
Good morning, TCUSD Family,
I was watching the Texas Longhorns take on the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday night, and that fourth quarter really stuck with me. The Longhorns entered the fourth quarter trailing 23–3. Twenty points down against the No. 1 team in the country with one quarter left to play. It would have been easy to believe the game was over. But the Longhorns kept playing. They kept believing. They kept fighting. They scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and found a way to come all the way back and win 24–23. And yes, as a Longhorn fan, I enjoyed that one! 🤘
But as I watched that comeback, I couldn’t help but think about our kiddos and the work we do every day. Matthew McConaughey once said, “Don’t be afraid to fail… then persist and pursue to get what you want.” That’s football. That’s life. And I think that’s education.
Every one of us works with students who are going to have a rough first quarter. Some will struggle academically. Some will struggle with attendance or behavior. Some will walk through our doors carrying things we may never know about. And sometimes, they are going to need someone to believe in their fourth quarter before they do. That’s us.
A bad day doesn’t define a kid. A test score doesn’t define a kid. A mistake doesn’t define a kid. And where a student starts certainly doesn’t have to determine where they finish. The same is true for us. We’re going to have tough days this year. We’re going to try things that don’t work. We’re going to look at data and realize we have more work to do. We may even have weeks when it feels like the scoreboard isn’t going our way. So, we adjust. We learn. We encourage each other. We get back after it. And we keep believing. Because a kid’s first quarter does not have to determine their fourth quarter.
There’s still a lot of school year left, Warriors. Let’s keep showing up for our kids and for one another. Our best quarters are still ahead of us. Have a great Monday and an AWESOME week!
Stronger Together,
Scott Nedrow
Superintendent
Tuba City Unified School District #15
#KidsComeFirst
