Thank you

"Thank you."

Two simple words, but just one phrase...

One cannot end a successful school year without saying, "Thank you!" to so many people.  At the risk of leaving anyone out of my list, I'm going to try.

  • Thank you to a remarkable staff.  As I wrote in my previous blog entry, you are superheroes.  Plus, we laugh!
  • Thank you to all of those folks who work behind the scenes in our district.  From the custodian who opens the doors each morning to the person who changes oil on the buses...from the tech helper to the college kids who mow our lawns...from the maintenance crew to food service to our bus drivers, secretaries, and paras...we would not be us without you!
  • Thank you to our PTO.  Our PTO is unbelieveable.  From fund raising to fun raising, they are the "glue" that holds us together.
  • Thank you to our parents.  I recently received a generous gift certificate as well as a personalized brick paver at our local, public library.  As I shared at the surprise assembly, "You can now walk all over me when you go to the library!"  I am excited this brick may inspire young people and families to go to the libary and read.  I am humbled by the generosity of our parents who willingly give their money, time, and talents.  Thank you for understanding we must work together in order for all of our students to be successful.
  • Thank you to our community.  Our community is safe.  Our community is clean.  Our community supports education.  We have businesses regularly donate items to our PTO, and our city is amazingly responsive to our concerns.  From the fire department who brings fire trucks for young children to learn about fire safety to our police department who is a familiar presence just so people understand we are working together, I have always felt like schools come first in our community.
  • Thank you to our district.  Our district is not huge.  We have close to 6000 students, but it is clear our district is working together more closely than ever in my time here.  While we might not always agree, we do recognize our kids must come first.  We recognize we must collaborate, push ourselves, and build our capacity to better help each student.  Our district is poised for a bright future, and our students are the benefactors!
  • Most importantly, Thank you to our students who work diligently every day.  As adults we sometimes forget that learning can be hard work, and we've asked you to take risks and smile while you're doing it. We ask you to face challenges that previous generations of students would not even recognize. You have grown and met goals.  You have made new friend and welcomed new faces.  You have opened new doors that will forever change your life.  You understand that becoming a great leader is more than becoming just a great reader, writer, or math student.  You remind me each day about the great hope I have for our future.
Thank you.


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