Investment

Each month the administrators get together before the next scheduled staff meeting and talk about the agenda. One of the first things that we discuss is always the Whatever It Takes Award. We look for someone that stands out in what they do for a student or the school at large. I am not looking forward to having to make a decision for this month's staff meeting and there's a really good reason for that. Recently I have seen so many of our staff members doing very special things for students. These things have nothing to do with academics, content and language objectives, curriculum maps or anything like that. These are investments in our students as people and they often address issues that pull at our hearts.

In the past couple weeks I have seen some pretty dramatic examples of that. Between teachers that have purchased shoes for a student, another that purchased a belt for a troubled student that had done better and a teacher that served as a father in a daddy-daughter tennis match, I've seen some amazing things out of our staff. I'm certain that there are many more examples that many of you have kept to yourself. These acts of investing in children serve the exact same as money invested in an account. It doesn't just sit there; it grows.  Children that are shown kindness and understanding in times of need are much more likely to become adults that do the same for others. These acts of compassion grow upon one another.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I want you all to know that I am thankful to work with a staff that sees children as more than a name on a roster. They know more about them than a predicted achievement level. They care about them more than just 90 minutes a day.