Re-Writing History...

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As we watch golfer Jordan Spieth re-write the record books this weekend in The Masters tournament, it reminds me of the opportunities that we all have to affect positive change in our history. Although I am an avid golfer, I believe that the similarities between golf and life are abundant and easily understood by all. In order to position himself for this weekend's tournament where he can re-write history (or in his case create it), Spieth has not won a single tournament this season after dominating golf last year. Not only has he not won, but he really hasn't been competitive. What does this have to do with education? It's simple, keep your eye on the prize! Along the road there are all kinds of little tasks and larger tasks that all lead to one goal; COMPLETION!!

In public school it doesn't matter if you are first or last or somewhere in the middle. It's not a competition against your classmates or your teachers, it's a competition against the system. And the best part is that we are all on the SAME team!! Everyone one of us from the students, to the teachers, to the parents, grocers, elected officials, referees.. you name it, everyone wants the same outcome for our youth and that is simply to finish high school so that everyone has the best opportunity possible for their future. Jordan Spieth has already made history this weekend and is poised to continue making history because he has not been afraid of failure and taken the risks needed to progress. We need to provide opportunities for our teachers and students to take risks. It's time to re-write history of what schools look like but at the same time understand and respect where we have come from. Every decision on the golf course comes with a risk/reward element and most often times we choose risk. Let's provide that same mentality to our children with learning without penalizing them for failure.

Black Knight Kudos ...

Congratulations to the members of the RFA Weight Lifting Club for finishing 1st as a team in their first ever competition!!

Congratulations to the members of Fermata Nowhere for winning the Judges Choice Award at their recent competition in Reston, Virginia!!

"PAIR"ents Partnership ...

On a regular basis, I am having the privilege of meeting more and more parents and having great conversations. The one thing that I really appreciate is that all of our families are passionate about their child's education. I urge you to continue to contact us if you have a concern. As we enter the last marking period of the school year, there are a lot of stresses that students experience related to graduation, college, summer school, passing, exams, and the list goes on. Keep an eye on your student and if you notice any behaviors that begin to surface that are out of the ordinary for your student, have a conversation with them about what may be happening. While students often will say they don't care about their grades and schooling, the reality is that they care more than we think.


This Week at RFA...

4/11 - Girls (v) Track and Field at Camden
4/11 - Boys (v) Tennis at VVS
4/11 - Boys (v) Golf at VVS
4/11 - Girls (v) Golf vs. VVS
4/11 - Boys (v) Baseball at VVS
4/11 - Girls (v) Softball at VVS
4/11 - Girls (v) Lacrosse vs. Carthage
4/11 - District Parent Advisory Meeting
4/12 - Key Club Meeting
4/12 - Honor Society Meeting
4/12 - Ballister's Bistro Art Show Opening
4/12 - Boys (v) Tennis vs. Oneida
4/12 - Girls (v) Golf at Proctor
4/12 - Girls (v) Softball vs. Holland Patent
4/13 - Varsity Baseball Team to Visit Major League Baseball Headquarters
4/13 - Mock Trial Field Trip to Utica Court House
4/13 - Boys (v) Golf vs. Oneida
4/13 - Girls (v) Golf at Oneida
4/13 - Boys (v) Track and Field vs. VVS
4/14 - American Red Cross Blood Drive at RFA
4/14 - Career Seminar
4/14 - RFA Musical, Beauty & the Beast
4/14 - Boys (v) Golf vs. Central Valley Academy
4/14 - Boys (v) Lacrosse vs. Clinton
4/14 - Girls (v) Lacrosse vs. Marcellus
4/15 - RFA Musical, Beauty & the Beast
4/15 - Travel Club Meeting
4/15 - Class of 2018 Chicken Riggie Dinner Fundraiser
4/15 - Boys (v) Track and Field vs. Camden
4/15 - Boys (v) Tennis vs. Proctor
4/15 - Girls (v) Softball vs. Notre Dame
4/16 - RFA Musical, Beauty & the Beast
4/17 - RFA Musical, Beauty & the Beast

Worth the Read...

Take a Moment to Self Reflect and Grow...

The end of the year is always the most stressful time for many. The weather gets nicer and we want to be outside, let alone that giant summer vacation staring you in the face. Find some strategies to improve your time management over the coming weeks as the year comes to a close. What are some classroom activities that you can allow students to have more ownership over? Can you do something different with your assessment practices, grading practices, homework to provide you with more time to have a good balance between work and play? After all, having a good balance in life helps us all perform our duties more efficiently.

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