A View from the Now-Retired Principal's Seat

Ring, ring.  Ring, ring. Hello, who's there? 50?  I'm not sure who that is.  Say it one more time. Fifty?  You mean like Five Zero?  Are you sure you don't have the wrong number?  Aren't you looking for someone...uhm...much older ? Ok.  Ok.  Maybe you're right.  This is me. How did you get here so fast?  I really wasn't expecting you yet.  Where did you come from?  Hey...As long as you've called, I have lots of questions for you.  Are you really just 25 times 2?  I remember 25.  It was, after all just "yesterday," wasn't it?  Yes, I remember 25, but some days you feel like 25 times 4 to me.  Fortunately, most days you feel more like 25 plus just-a-few.   No, you don't scare me, and I guess I'm glad you're here.  Many of my best friends, mentors, and heroes have already met you.  They report mostly positives regarding your arrival.  I know, for sure, it's surely better than you not calling at all.  Plus, I'm not very interes

Dear Novi Woods Staff, Students, and Community, Well, we made it.  We made it to the weekend--the end of the first week of our 2020-2021 school year in which the world is still gripped in a global pandemic due to the Covid-19 crisis, and I've never been more proud of our school.   To be clear, I have NEVER-in my now more than 25+ years in our district-been more proud of our school and our school community.   I'm proud of our students who have inspired the adults to be better and do more than we probably thought we ever could.  You are why we do what we do.   I'm proud of and grateful to our parents for being so understanding and supportive of the many new details, my many miscommunications, and for raising remarkable young people.  Your patience with me and us has held me up in more ways than you will ever know. And, of course, I'm proud of our staff.  I am not speechless very often, but many non-educators might not fully understand what our staff has undertaken this we