Honoring History...

-


As most of you know, February marks Black History Month in our country and it is not a secret that our country has been through a lot over the last 12 months between the pandemic, issues of racial injustice, and differences bred from on of the most tense presidential elections in our history. Black history month is a time when we can all take a moment to learn about aspects of our nation's past that have been largely absent from text books of the past. Many people are well aware of the super famous throughout history, the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Robinson, Maya Angelou, and Barrack Obama. These names are easy to recognize and their accomplishments easy to know. For every individual that we may be aware of and may know their accomplishments, there are many more behind the scenes who have worked every day to make their lives and all lives better. Many Americans are well aware of the tragedies of our nation's past and the injustices that have existed. That's not what Black History Month is about. This month is a time to honor the individuals who have committed their lives to creating a better world and who have sacrificed something to achieve greatness. The road to success isn't easy for anyone, but there was a time in our country when the law was stacked against our black colleagues and friends, making it even more challenging to achieve at the greatest levels. While we have made great strides toward having a more just and equal society, the reality is, we are still struggling for equity for every human being in our country; black, white, brown, yellow, female, male, tall, short, special needs, or general education. The struggle is real and it will never end if we aren't willing to realize that equity does not mean equality. I don't profess to know the answers, nor do I think the solutions are simple. They also can't happen overnight. However, if we begin with a simple concept of respect for each other and understanding of the perspective with which each individual comes from. If, at the very least, there is a common respect for all individuals; our differences become less and less intense and violent. Solutions are bred out of respectful disagreements and it's our responsibility to make sure that the dream continues.     

Updated PreK-12 Toolkit

Similar to the Fall, the New York State Department of Health has re-issued an updated PreK-12 Toolkit for students, families, and staff to have a better understanding of when they should/should not come to school. The updated toolkit is reflective of those individuals who have tested positive for COVID in the last 90 days. A copy of the updated toolkit can be found at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2021/02/nysdoh_prekgr12_toolkit_update-020121.pdf

Kindergarten Registration

Kindergarten registration for the 2021-2022 school year will occur during the week of March 8 - March 12, at each individual elementary school. More information on the registration process and documents required for registration can be found at https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/2009375/districts/32521


Mid-Winter Recess Reminder

Just a reminder that next week, February 15-19, marks the week of mid-winter recess. Schools will not be in session during that week and will reopen on Monday, February 22. 

BigFutures Day

The College Board has developed a virtual college fair for current sophomores and juniors in high schools throughout the country. Whether you've already started your college search or have no idea where to begin, they want to connect you with colleges that might be a good fit for you. BigFutures Days gives you a chance to get information about multiple colleges from college admissions offices and current college students. For more information, please visit https://app.peachjar.com/flyers/2001210/districts/32521 

Popular posts from this blog

It Takes A Village...

-
Image
 We all know the old phrase, "it takes a village to raise a child." One can reflect on the phrase and find a few different ways to interpret its meaning, however, it cannot be argued that when groups of people work together to help their children grow, success is more likely. To me, I view this phrase as referencing that there is someone within every community that a child can connect with to help them feel a part of their school and/or community. It may not be their classroom teacher or their principal. It may be a bus driver, a coach, a teaching assistant, secretary, custodian, food service worker, music teacher, art teacher, computer specialist, monitor, etc. The list can go on and on. Why mention this? Well, currently, one of the largest and most important educational research projects in our nation's history is occurring with some of the leading educational experts researching what education needs to be by the year 2025. Education 2025 is producing information that m...
Read more

When One Door Opens, Many More Follow...

-
Image
One of the hardest things to do in life is to deal with change. There is that old saying, "When one door closes, another door opens." I wonder though, why does a door have to close for another to open. Why can't many doors open when someone decides to go through a new door? I am about to embark on a new professional journey in the coming weeks and I refuse to think that the building that I have helped to lead over the past 3 years is going to be a closed door. Instead, I can think of thousands of opportunities that have been opened because of my decision to walk through a new door. I think of all of the people that have touched my life (students, staff, and parents) and I honestly don't see why a door has to close. Instead of that thinking, I choose to think that thousands of doors are opened now with all of the amazing people that I have had the opportunity to lead. The lessons that have been learned, the friendships that have developed, and the opportunities tha...
Read more

I Had A Dream...

-
Image
Once upon a time, when we all began our careers or started a new position/school, we had dreams. Dreams of what we wanted to accomplish, dreams we wanted to see our students accomplish, dreams we wanted to see our school communities achieve. Throughout my travels though, I have seen more adults tell students that should lower their expectations and downsize their dreams. Unfortunately, I would say that the ratio of adults encouraging students and adults discouraging students is close to 1:1 in my career. I ask, would you be where you are today without someone throughout your educational life encouraging you to pursue your dreams? As with many things in our schools, we need to focus on the positives that are happening and capitalize on them. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream for our country, and while his dream was related to equal rights and oppression, his intended message of having a dream and working tirelessly to achieve it can be applied universally in society. Recently, ...
Read more