Pushing Forward

Over the last seven days with students I can’t begin to describe the overwhelming feeling of positivity around here!! Everyone from teachers to students, and even parents, are just brimming with positive vibes and attitudes.  The beginning of the school year is a busy and stressful time but I can honestly say that this has been the best overall start to a school year that I’ve experienced in a long time.  With as many new faces as we have amongst our colleagues and students it’s always a bit of a scramble.  However, every single person here has put their heart into this community and it shows on the faces of our students.

Yesterday was the new parent orientation hosted by PAFA and I had the pleasure of chatting with parents almost all day long.  Every person I talked to couldn’t stop singing the praises of our staff and community.  New parents were nearly tearing up when they talked about how happy their students are at our school.  Stories about kids coming home on day one and glowing with excitement about their teachers makes my heart swell.  We have a wonderful thing going here and everyone can see it.

The most beautiful part of all these happy stories is that we’ve only just begun.  These are the boring days in my mind, going over class expectations, safety, etc.  Just wait until the real learning begins and the kids are engaged in amazing lessons, labs, and performances!!  I truly believe that with each year that has passed the kids at our school have become more engaged and excited about learning.  The curiosity and genuine interest in school is fueled by the passion for education that you, as teachers, bring to the classroom…never before has it been at a higher level than it is today.

I just want to say a huge thank you to all of you for the hard work that you’ve put in to making this start of the year so amazing.  I know it has taken a lot of energy and effort to be this wonderful and it is appreciated by everyone.  I wish you would’ve been able to hear all of the positive comments yesterday from parents, the work you’ve done to welcome these students to our school is outstanding!

Thank you every one, have a great weekend and a much deserved rest!!

Awesome video about the Science of Happiness (VPN needed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ALRY5LyBM

A great story about the difference we can all make (VPN again)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chjHPSLapv8