Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. ~Aristotle
Reflections on the Week
Seniors. They make our days lively. These are their final days with us, and it’s imperative that we enjoy them together. When you think back on the year with our seniors, I hope you are all thinking about the special moments shared. These are moments and stories that both teachers and students alike carry for a lifetime. In this finals week of making memories, be sure you show and share excellence with them. Our students look to us to model what excellence of training and habituation standards will be. They look to us to care for them and to care about them. They beg us to hold them to high standards, which they are proud to achieve with our support, encouragement, and grace.
I want to state boldly that our seniors were amazing last week when under the leadership of their class officers, CheyennE , Boo and Trevor, they made decisions to lead their class into a level of solidarity and responsibility for Thursday night’s decorating party. Within one hour of school starting, they cleaned up their party, whether they had attended or not. They understood that as adults we are given freedoms with responsibility. They won in this instance because of their training and habituation, and they were excellent. I am very proud of them for acting rightly in response to the event. I hope you are as well.
Last week was a huge week in respect to state testing. Thank you to all students and staff alike who worked diligently to study and show your efforts of learning on the EOC assessments. Thank you for the attending extra study sessions, working punctiliously through your reviews, and for ensuring our students were prepared and ready to test. Now we wait for the results.
Final(s) Week/Final Week(s)
We are down to the last 8 school days. It’s hard for me to believe the final days are really here. Between Monday and our last day, we have enough work to fill a month of school. But then that seems like the standard each week for these last few months. I will send out as many communications as possible to keep us all informed and as lock-step as we can be so that frustrations are kept to a minimum. At this point, my best points of advice include: smile, remain flexible, ask questions, stay positive, double check, hold students accountable, finish strong, and enjoy this time with our students. Because somehow, the world believes in irony, this is TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK. I have one word for that. True.
Here is the week:
Monday: Crash simulation for sophomores, JEPD (see meeting locations in staff email), Josten’s meeting with Class of 2013 officers during CAMP, IT @ state, Tennis team @ districts, PTA hosts TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH in Room 108 (Sharp’s room).
Tuesday: Yearbook distribution, IT @state, Teacher Appreciation breakfast in mailroom
Wednesday: Freshmen to MWSU, Senior Red Finals, Senior checkout sheets distributed 1R(in your mailbox), Senior Red Check Out, Teacher Appreciation snacks in mailroom
Thursday: Senior White Finals, Senior White Check Out, W2 (for HTC students)/W4 teachers with seniors collect check out sheets, Teacher Appreciation snacks in mailroom, Senior Slideshow @630pm
Friday: Scholarship Assembly @ 9:00 in Springer (special bell schedule will be emailed), Senior Survey taken after assembly, Senior laptop check-in (Modis Gym), Teacher Appreciation Pizza Lunch in Room 108.
~Excellence is a journey, not a destination.~
All images available in CC on Flikr: “Countdown” by Holster®; “Outnumbered” by Roger Smith; “New Year 2010 Fireworks, Singapore” by Eustquio Santimano.