Make Today Your Masterpiece

Over break, I spent some time reading books for enjoyment (Imagine that not a text book). One of my favorite books was given to me by Kerry. It was a book that focused on observations and reflections by John Wooden. For those of you that don’t know who John Wooden is, he is viewed as being the most successful college basketball coach of all time, winning 10 national championships in a 12 year span at UCLA. His observations were on the court and off the court observations that can help us all to be successful. Coach Wooden defines success as doing the absolute best you can do with your abilities. He is not concerned with what others do, finals scores, or reaching specific targets. If we all do our absolute best the rest will take care of itself.

Coach Wooden talked about making each day your masterpiece. He shared the following story. “When I was teaching basketball, I urged my players to try their hardest to improve on each and every day, to make that practice a masterpiece.” Too often we get distracted by what is outside our control. You can’t do anything about yesterday. The door to the past is closed and the key has been tossed in the trash. You can’t do anything about tomorrow either, it hasn’t come yet. However, tomorrow in large is determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that. Don’t worry about the education our students received in years past, the lack of parental guidance they may be getting, or their past EOG scores. We do not control those things, all you control is your effort.

This rule is extremely important in life. If we all apply ourselves to become a little better each day, then over time we will become a lot better. This begins with making each day count and knowing you can never make up for a lost day. If a player appeared to be taking it easy in practice coach Wooden would say, “Don’t think you can make up for it by working twice as hard tomorrow. If you have it within your power to work twice as hard, why aren’t you doing that now?”

Think about our jobs. We have to deal with so many things we have no control over. Take responsibility for what we do have control over, our effort. Do not take a day off, teach with a sense of urgency and do not become complacent. Just because we reached our goal last year does not mean we will reach it again this year. Great effort from each one of us will be needed. If we all improve a little each day then the results will be incredible. Win or lose all I ask of you is do your best every day, make each day you walk into this building your masterpiece. Welcome back now go paint your masterpiece.

Holiday Season

As we enter the holiday season I want you to take a minute to think about how lucky we all are. You all know about Lisa and the pain her family is feeling this week and I also had the misfortune of dealing with being notified we have a 7 year old student that has been diagnosed with Leukemia. This family was going along happy and healthy just a few days ago and a "well" visit led to a terrible diagnosis. We never know when or how our lives will be turned upside down so take time over this break to spend quality time with your loved ones. I am challenging each of you to make three commitments for the holiday break. I will be committing to do the following:
1. Put away my graduate work do take the new puppy and the kids to the park at least twice over break.
2. Put away the laptop and stop answering e-mails for at least two nights that I will spend doing quality family stuff (great descriptor I know).
3. Do at least two kind things for strangers without looking for a thank you or recognition.

That is what I plan to do between all of my homework and my Antioch work, what will you do? I hope you all enjoy the well deserved break and you get to see family and friends. Tell them you love them (even the ones that are hard to love) because you never know when life will throw you a curve-ball. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all:)

PS Come back well rested and ready for the stretch run.

Give Thanks To Those That Make This Possible

Today is a special day that we should all take a moment to honor American Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines that have served our county, and allowed us to have the freedoms we experience each day. The courage and commitment these veterans, past and present reflect perfectly the fundamental values of our great country. We can live without a lot of things, but we cannot live the lives we currently have without the American Military who sacrifice everything in their lives so we can have the freedom all deserve. I ask that you all take a minute today or some day soon to thank a veteran for their service. This year I think about my 90 year old grandfather who served in WW II, my 84 year old father-law who also served in WW II, my older brother who served years ago, my nephew who is getting ready to deploy again this time to Afghanistan, and my other older brother who just took a job contracting with the Army to bring his "Bomb Dog" to Afghanistan to help keep the soldiers safe. I can't help, but think about what they are doing or have done for us. Take a minute to thank those that made our wonderful lives possible. And remember we may be stressed, but our jobs are not putting us in a life and death situation every day.

The "Little" Things Matter Most

As we go through the school day or the school year it is easy to lose focus on what really matters. Each year the state asks us to do more than we did the previous year and we may even get less support to accomplish it. Some stress and lose focus on the important things, while others step up and get it done. Dr. Davis has five core expectations for all UCPS employees and I have told you these are also my expectations. We need to strive for excellence, work as a team, be professional, try to be a problem solver and most importantly maintain a positive attitude. This year as the budget talks kick in I am seeing the stress level higher than ever. Keep your focus on the "little things".

Why are you here? not for the extremely high salary although that is great too. You are here for the little things, the students. Keep that in mind when you are clocking in at 7:00, or when the angry parent e-mails you at 9:00 at night. Do what is best for the students and in the long run you will feel great about yourself and the students will be able to benefit from all you have to give them.

This weekend I was able to see and experience the benefits of doing what is right for the "Little Ones". I coach, or try to coach a 3 and 4 year old soccer team. It has been a long year with many frustrating moments, but this Sunday I experienced a sense of pride I never knew youth soccer could provide (I am a baseball guy. I hate soccer). I watched the team excel for the first time all year. We had no crying and every child actually chased and kicked the ball (baby steps). Then I saw my little girl Sam take the ball the length of the field and score her first goal of the season. It was amazing especially because she threw a small elbow to keep the bigger girl away. Watching those "little ones" made me realize all the time I have spent frustrated at practice and prior games was worth it. Do what is right for the kids and remember we are here for them. Hopefully we are giving them the skills they will need to score in the game of life (very corny I know).

Inspect What You Expect!

As I walk the building it is easy to see the great things we have going on at Antioch, But I must look deeper to inspect what is driving instruction. I need to step back and take a "30,000 ft view" to better understand where we are struggling and why? I can't assume because things went well last year that they will again be great. There is no time for complacency and we must assess what we are assessing. I would challenge you to do the same. Look at your classroom and make sure you are seeing exactly what is happening. Ask yourself what you intended to teach. Then ask if the students actually learned what you intended. How do you know? If not, what could you do differently to ensure the desired outcome is reached?


Often we make assumptions about what the students are learning, or why they are not learning. Be careful that you are not too close to the situation to see what is actually causing the issues. How observant are you when you enter your classroom? Do you really know what is happening? Be sure you are stepping back and assessing what is happening in your classroom and be sure you don't miss the signs that are all around you. The following link is a great example of not being able to see what is going on if you aren't looking for the right thing. http://http//www.bing.com/search?q=awareness+test+moonwalking+bear&FORM=Z7FD

Why Do We Do What We Do?

This week my message to you will be quick and to the point. As we are winding down the first grading period, I wanted to remind you why we are all here. We are here for the kids and this weekend was a perfect example. Watching the parents, teachers, and staff working together to make GatorFest a huge success is proof that you care. I was so impressed with the event, but more impressed with the number of staff members that came out to support the PTO and to interact with the students outside of the school day. Please watch the following video about Tyler. It will only take 11 minutes, but I promise it will be worth it. It starts out slow, but it will remind you all why we do what we do everyday. http://www.imtyler.org

Overwhelmed?

Over the past week or so I have felt a stress I can't explain, but I am sure you can understand. As we have jumped into the year head first and raised the level of expectations I understand you all are feeling the stress. We have asked you to deal with technology issues, become familiar with "the new Moodle", raise your expectations for students, include LLI in your instructional plan, and develop a clear set of goals that will guide what we do throughout the year on top of all the regular teaching duties. Although that is a lot to ask it is all done with the best interest of students in mind.



I want to remind you all why we are here and what we are doing. This is not a job that we do for the paycheck, but for a much bigger cause. Think about the students in your classroom and make sure you are doing what you can to provide them with the opportunity to be successful in life. Unfortunately it is hard for us to see the fruits of our labor, but I assure you, you are making a difference and the students appreciate it (or they will one day). I have watched my own son gain back the love for school this year. He is eager to go and learn and this is a direct result of a teachers impact. Be that teacher, don't let the little things fog your vision of what we do. We change lives, shape the direction our students go and provide the love and support all children deserve.



And remember every year starts this way and after the first 6 weeks things settle down and you will get in your groove of teaching and the incredible impact you have on students will become much more evident. Keep up the good work!!

Welcome Back!!

As we begin another year, let's take a minute to reflect on what we accomplished last year. Over the past few years, I have encouraged you all to have "180 days of purpose". I have expressed that we have to maintain high expectations for ourselves and for our students. I have asked you to "Take Ownership" and to teach with "Urgency". Well, you stepped up and exceeded my expectations. I want to thank you for being the hard working, professional staff that you are. Each day I walk in the doors of Antioch I feel blessed to lead such an incredible group of professionals. You all make me look so good (and that is not easy to do), but more importantly you give our students the best you have.
As a young boy who made many bad choices, I learned one lesson very early in life. When I would have a great day, week or report card (???) my mother would say, "Now I know you can do it." The problem with excellence is that it does not come easy. I am challenging you all to be better teachers this year than you were last year. I can promise you all that Karen and I are going to do our part to be better supporters, coachers and leaders for you. Now that we set the bar, we cannot become complacent. My motto for the year is going to be exactly that, "NO TIME FOR COMPLACENCY". Just because something was ok in the past does not mean it is ok this year. Each day come prepared, reach your little gators at their level, integrate technology and inspire each and every child that walks into your room to learn. Give them opportunitites to THINK, CREATE, PROBLEM SOLVE AND COLLABORATE. These are the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century and it is our job to provide them opportunities to practice them. If you are not skilled at small group instruction or you struggle with technology, do what you have to so you can meet the needs of your students. Do not let your pride get in the way with what is best for students. Remember we are already 10 years into the 21st century and some of us still struggle with the 21st century skills we are trying to teach.

We all need to grow. Remember there is NO TIME FOR COMPLACENCY!

No Growth in the Comfort Zone

As we enter the final 8 days of school I want to take a minute to thank you all for the hard work you put into this school year. As we began this journey we set goals and designed a plan of action we felt would help us to achieve them. From the first grade level meeting we tried to become more results oriented. Karen led you through a goal setting activity and we discussed the three focus areas for the year.

This process began last year as we identified areas of need, with your input. As the summer months slipped by Fran designed the staff development plan. Throughout the year we maintained the focus on integrating technology into instruction, improving the quality of small group instruction and becoming more culturally proficient. Each of these areas is a key reason our EOG scores are looking so strong.

With these three focuses we plan to improve even more next year. I want you all to take a minute to reflect on the year and identify where you can continue to grow. As the title of this post states "there is no growth in the comfort zone". I challenge you all to take some time this summer to think about where you can improve. Don't pick IGP goals that are easy to accomplish. Challenge yourself and grow as a professional.

I feel blessed to have the opportunity to lead such an incredible staff of professionals. The results we are seeing are not happening by mistake. They are a result of the hard work you all have put in and the focus we have maintained on continuous improvement. Keep up the good work and enjoy the long weekend, you deserve it.

Team Spirit

Well for three years you have heard me speak about being a team player. I have used countless sports analogies that some of you still don't even understand, but it was all in the name of team spirit. I try to lead by example doing everything I ask you all to do. If I see trash on the grounds I pick it up, in the morning I am out front with the TAs on car line duty, and I have tried to teach as many lessons as possible this year (still not enough). I try to be the best team player I can be.

Who knew all I had to do was start a little contest to help build team spirit. This past week I saw a competitive spirit in some of you that I never knew existed. It was so much fun to see you all let loose and enjoy yourselves. Catherine "Kung Fu Fighting" on the table is just one great example of team spirit. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard at work. Maybe never.

The team spirit I saw last week is exactly what I want to see throughout the year. I saw colleagues doing good deeds for each other. I witnessed team members picking up the slack for those that could not get to a specific task and I received some great suggestions for improvements (and some ridiculous ones). It should not take a contest to motive you to do nice things for your peers or to open up the line of communication from the staff to principal. I hope this activity was just the jumping off point for our growth in team spirit and collaboration. I am hoping to begin the school year with a low ropes team-building activity in August and possibly another more challenging one later in the year. Those of you that know me well understand that everything is about competition and being the best you can be. As we approach the end of the year stay motivated and use every minute you can to push our students to be the best they can be. Go Team Antioch!!!

The final stretch

Can you believe we have 37 school days left? Yes, I said 37 school days left. As we begin the final push we need to take a minute and reflect on where we have come from and where we are trying to go. Wednesday we talked about the cultural proficiency training and we discussed meeting our kids where they are. As we push forward don't ever lose focus on that.

As you reflect on the year I hope you keep coming back to the reason we are here. The picture to the right shows you why. The kids should be the 1st thing that comes to mind when you ask yourself why you are here. The students we work with need us and we need to use ever minute we have left over the next few weeks to prepare them for their future. This begins in kindergarten and we need to be sure when they leave us after completing 5th grade they have the skills to succeed in this ever changing world.

Throughout this year I have seen you all stepping outside your comfort zones to meet your students and I thank you for that. I have all the confidence in the world that we are doing a great job of preparing our students for success. Keep pushing yourself and your students to grow and to reach new heights. I have been in education for 13 years now and the classroom looks very different today then it did when I first began teaching. When I went to college I did not have a computer and next year we are looking at all 6th and 9th graders in Union County having laptops to help them discover the world around them. These are just a couple of examples of how quickly things are changing and we need to be sure we are changing with the times. Think about the year and what you did with your students. Would you do it all the same again if you had a second chance? If not plan ahead and make the necessary changes for the future. Remember we must continue to grow ourselves if we are going to meet the needs of our students. You can do anything for 37 days, so raise the bar for your students and yourself for the stretch run.

Spring Reflection

Spring Break is here!!! I want you all to take the well deserved break next week to reenergize for the stretch run. Throughout this year I have tried to challenge you to grow as teachers. We all have different strengths that we bring to the table and areas that we can definitely grow in. This year we have focused on three main areas: integrating technology, increasing the amount of small group instruction and becoming more culturally proficient.

Take some time over break to think about these three areas. Have you grown in these areas and if so how much? Just as I say with the students "it is all about growth". We all began this year at different places in each of these focus areas. take some time and reflect on your starting point and the growth you have made. This will be the same focus areas we will have next year, but we should be further down the path than we were this fall.

I want you all to know that I have spent some time reflecting on what I have been seeing this year and I am happy to say it has been impressive. I see technology bringing the classrooms alive. I see small groups from kindergarten to 5th grade. I see teachers trying to "meet students where they are". All of these make me proud and al confident we will see the results this May. When we return we only have 25 school days until the testing season begins and we need to stay focused. As I keep telling Ryan at baseball practice "keep your eye on the ball". We are in the home stretch of the year, but we can not relax yet. When we return come back prepared, focused and ready to push through the end of the year, our kids deserve it.

I am proud of what I am seeing and you all deserve the break. I hope you all have time to relax, rest and enjoy yourself and your loved ones. The picture is just to remind you how wonderful you job will be in July:) and because I am excited about opening the pool this week.

Never Underestimate an Underdog

I know some of you think I refer to sports too often, but this week I can't help it. I look forward to March Madness all year and today a huge underdog almost ruined my bracket in the first round while another made me look brilliant. Today, Robert Morris a 15 seed took Villanova a 2 seed to overtime before losing a heartbreaker. Shortly after that a 13 seed Murray State handed a 4 seed Vanderbilt a first round loss. Then later in the evening my heart was stepped on when Ohio (14 seed) dominated Georgetown (3 seed).

This only happens if the players and coaches believe it can happen. When we talk about meeting our students where they are that includes believing in them. We must believe they can succeed and they need to know that we believe in them. It will not be easy to overcome the baggage many carry with them, but we need to convince them that they can overcome any obstacle if they believe in themselves. Take the time to build them up and to convince them that they can be the underdog that beats the odds.

It is easy to coach a team loaded with talent, but any coach will tell you the most rewarding years are those that their team outperforms expectations and overcomes challenges. Take the time to "coach" them up and beat the expectations that were set this fall.

Get Ready, Get Set, Go

I know you all have heard me say "180 Days of Purpose" so many times it probably makes you sick. That is fine, but I believe it and we must live it each and every day we come to work. It is our job to shape the young minds we work with and we don't have any time to waste.

A coupe of weeks ago I had the privilege to sit down with the superintendent of CMS, Dr. Peter Gorman to discuss leadership. He spoke to my class one Saturday morning. He said many great things that I hope to model for you all about leading a school or a school system. One comment that he made jumped out at me as another way to stress the importance of utilizing every moment.

He spoke of the school year as a 180 lap race. Then he discussed the students that run 20 or 30 laps over the summer with their parents. These are the students that read with the parents every night, someone reads to them, and they most likely gained some great experiences over the summer to help improve their schema. Then he talked about the students that don't even have the track shoes to run the race. This took me back to our cultural proficiency training from a weeks ago. What are we doing to help these students, so they can successfully complete the race? Please remember what we talked about in our training session. Equal treatment does not necessarily mean fair treatment. Meet your students where they are and help them to run the best race possible.

Stay Out of the Way

The past few weeks have been amazing to watch. Not only have I witnessed amazing instruction in practice, but I am seeing teachers step outside of the SCOS to teach our students about being quality citizens.

Earlier this fall our 3rd grade students helped to raise money for UNICEF and over the past few months many others have also stepped up. Our TAs raised money to help Anita's family. Our students have helped to "Stuff the Bus". Our 4th graders conducted a coin drive to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti and our 5th graders had the opportunity to show our support to a 20 year old soldier who put his life on the line so we can all lead the wonderful lives we lead. The 4th grade teachers have spent time teaching their students about segregation and equal treatment. This unit has been amazing to see and hear about. The students have been pushed into uncomfortable situations and forced to discuss and reflect on the feelings they encountered (sound familiar).

I am so happy to see that you all are not only teaching the SCOS, but you are also helping to mold better citizens. Never lose sight of the fact that we must jump on teachable moments and run with them. The SCOS is important, but the most important thing you do is reaching a child where they are and pulling them forward. Help them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Keep up the good work!!

Meet Your Students Where They Are.

As we talked about in the cultural proficiency training yesterday it is essential that we figure out who our students are. We began this journey a couple of months ago talking about ourselves and explaining what has shaped us into the people we are. We have also participated in an activity that forced many of us to feel the isolation that many of our students feel each day they walk through the doors at Antioch. Yesterday, we focused on how to meet our students where they are.

I challenge you all to take a minute out of your day to look at your class roster and think about the baggage the students you serve may be carrying. Take the activity we conducted and do the same for your students. Do the policies and procedures you have in place hinder these students' success? If so, what changes can you make to help them feel comfortable at school? Ask your students the questions Adam talked about. How do they feel at school, what do they think you value, what do they think their parents value? All of these questions should help you to better understand where they are. If we don't know where they are how can we meet them there?

I hope that the training was beneficial and you took what we discussed to heart. As Adam stated it is our job to prepare our students to be successful citizens. We need to reach them and pull them as far as we can. If they come to us with baggage, which many do, we cannot dump more baggage on them. Take some time and reflect and make sure we are helping to lighten the load of baggage the students are carrying. Go and meet them where they are and do the great things I know you all can do.

Birthday Reflection

I don't know when my birthday became a town holiday, but today was a great surprise. I spent the entire afternoon reading the comments you all wrote about me and my leadership style. I want you to know that each and every letter that you wrote touched me and helped to affirm in me that I am doing what is needed at Antioch. It is clear that you all understand what is important to me and I am thankful that I have been able to model those behaviors. I am touched that you all have the trust in me as a leader and I do not plan to let you down.

I often feel that I am getting credit for the great things that are happening at Antioch and I truly believe that I am only a small part of those accomplishments. Each day that I enter the building and look around I am amazed at the incredible staff we have acquired. Leading this team is truly an amazing opportunity and I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy days to write the kind words that you shared about me. This book is something that I will keep with me throughout my career.

Remain Focused

We are entering the stretch of year that always seems to beat us down as educators. With this said I want to remind you that morale is a state of mind that you choose. If you decide to be positive then that is what your days will be. If you decide to be negative or dwell on the challenges we all face then you will go home feeling beat down every afternoon. Stay positive and don't lose focus on the three priorities we have put in place this year. Pull small groups, integrate technology and expose your students to the world around them.

Pulling small groups is a great way to research what level our children are at. This can occur in guided reading groups, strategy groups for reading or writing or in math class. Taking the time to sit and listen to a child is a powerful tool. Integrating technology through the use of Mimio Boards, Promethean Boards, document cameras or any other tools that are available to you is an easy way to engage reluctant learners. When you show students these new tools and the world they open up they will become excited about learning and that is the key to success. Using these tools and others such as Skype you can bring the world into your classroom. This leads to our third initiative. Globalization and diversity. What are you doing to open the eyes of our students to the differences that exist among us and those around the world?

We are all here for one reason STUDENTS. Stay positive, bring the world into your classroom and make sure you spend time in small groups with your students. If you do these things you will end the year with a feeling of satisfaction, knowing you made a difference in the lives of your students.

Rules and Relationships

My message the week will be short and to the point. I want you all to think about your classroom. Are there students that just will not follow the rules? Do you have structured rules that the students understand? What type of connection do you have with your students? Don't just think about the kids that are easy to love, but those that are the most in need of our love, and those that are the toughest to love.

I am going to share a quote that was shared with me this week that could shed some light onto why we struggle with some of our students. Rules without relationships leads to rebellion while relationships without rules leads to a lack of respect and chaos. If you feel like your classroom can be chaotic or you have students that don't show you respect this could be why. Running a classroom with a fine balance of relationships and rules is challenging, but it is the key to well structured classrooms with the safe and comfortable learning environments.

Don't be afraid.

What does 21st century learning look like to you? That is a question you should be able to answer. If you do not have an image of this, then you need to research and develop a vision that you can believe in. We are no longer preparing students for knowledge based jobs. Our students need to be creative, flexible, citizens with the ability to utilize technology. They must be able to collaborate with those they work with and those across the nation or the world.

Watching my son Ryan who

is only seven navigate the computer is an amazing thing. This

evening he was using the flip video to record movies that

he was creating with his legos. I remind you he is seven and

he is zooming in and out, editing the different videos and saving them

to a CD. He plans to merge them together with help from dad. He needs to have the ability to create in school.

If you want your students engaged and excited, let them create.

Our students need to see that the curriculum they are experiencing is relevant. They must have the ability to utilize technology. They must understand how they connect to our community and the world. They must gain the ability to analyze data and develop plans to improve it.

I want you to think about how these things are reflected in what I am asking you to do. Collaborate on Moodle, use the technology in your classrooms, connect your lessons to your students lives, reflect and use data to improve instruction. For many of you this is challenging, but we cannot stop the momentum we have gained. It is our responsibility to provide our students with these opportunities and we ourselves must model these skills. I know this can be scary for many of you but I ask you to step outside of your comfort zone to give our students what they need. Remember an amateur built an arc that survived the great flood and the best engineers in the world built the Titanic, which did not survive its first voyage. You do not need to be an expert, but you do need to take the first step. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE IT.

Change The Way You Think

Albert Einstein once said "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them". I ask you all what that means to you and how does that relate to what we do as educators. To me he is clear, we need to think outside the box, we need to stop doing things just because we have always done them that way and we need to teach our students to challenge the status quo.

Just this morning I had a teacher talking to me about a student that is struggling in reading. I asked the teacher to explain what she was doing and she listed lots of great strategies. My follow up question was how long have you been doing these things and she replied all year. The next question was simple, if you have been doing the same things for months and they are not working why are you still doing them? This child has probable had the same strategies used for the past few years and they have fallen further and further behind, so they are not effective strategies for this child. As educators it is very easy to get sucked into a comfort zone where we do what we have always done. Be sure you are looking at your students and you are reacting to their needs.

This year our goal is to become an Honor School of Excellence. We will never reach this goal if we just do what we have always done. Historically we have almost always been a school of distinction, which would lead one to believe we will again fall short of our goal unless we change something. Step back tomorrow on the workday and reflect on what you have done this year to raise the level of instruction in your classroom. Einstein also stated "information is not knowledge". We need to be sure we are providing our students with more than basic information. Teach them to think and problem solve. Strive for the goal and keep that as the focus when you make educational decisions in your classroom. I know we can get there, but we must remain focused.

Count Your Blessings

As I began the weekend I could not help but thank god for the blessings I have. Looking at the devastation that has occurred in Haiti just reminder me how lucky we all are. Life is so fragile and we never know when we might suffer a tragedy. I hope that you all will take some time to reflect on the wonderful life you have.

I plan to make the most of this weekend. I spent the day making my first Pinewood Derby car with Ryan and playing games with Sam. These are the types of blessings I hope popped into your head when I mentioned them earlier. I hope you all are able to take some time this long weekend to enjoy your family and loved ones, but don't forget those in need.

As we enjoy this long weekend in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I challenge you to make a difference. Usually I am asking you to make an difference for the students in our building. Today, I am asking you to keep those in Haiti in your thoughts and prayers. I am also urging any of you that are in the position to help the support efforts to do so. You can do this through many different organizations. Enjoy the long weekend it is well deserved.

Why Am I here?

What is the point? It is too cold? Break was too short? You fill in the blank. What other negative comments have you heard or worse yet spoke this week since returning.

We have all been given the opportunity to work in the most rewarding profession. We have been given the privilege of helping shape the minds of the children that will some day be running our county and the world.

Over the break I was able to step away from work for a while and I did not have any classwork to complete for my doctoral program so I spent a ton of time with my family. It was by far the best break I have ever had. Was it hard to get out of bed to come to work Monday? Absolutely. Not because I don't love my job, but because I wanted to stay home with my kids. With that said, I was here on time standing out front for 30 minutes with my wonderful car rider line troopers with a smile on my face. Why is the smile important? Because the students deserve that from me. The issues that come with running a school did not come back slowly. They all came rushing back the minute I walked in the door. We had to address teacher assistant reassignments, we have some staff members dealing with health issues, others having difficulties at home, children that were not taken care of over break, etc.

Why do I share all of this? Well that is simple because this week it has never been clearer to me that I am in the right place, doing the right thing. I have always loved working here, but this week cemented my love. I was able to listen to a few of you that were struggling with your home life and I was able to put a smile on the face of a few children that have been miserable the past few weeks while we were on vacation. Home is not as good for many of our students as it is for us. While dealing with the teacher assistant schedules I was able to make a decision that I believe in my heart is best for students. This was a tough process. I could have stuck to my decision and ignored the issues you all were seeing, but that would not have been best for students. I also could have made all teacher assistant placements with teachers' feelings in mind, but again that would not be best for students. I slept well last night knowing that I did what I believe was best for students. I have said this over and over and here I go again. I will not run Antioch by making decisions with what is best for parents, teachers, or administrators. I need to do what is best for the 800 students we serve each day.

I take you back to the quote from the weekly update "Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work". We are a team and we all need to be committed if we are going to reach our goals. Whether you have the schedule, the partnership, or the plan that you wanted is not important at this point. What we all must do is step back take a breath and adjust. It is time that we all step-up and commit to the success of all students at Antioch. Ask yourself what that means for you. What can you do to better utilize your TA? to support your teachers? to improve the efficiency of operations? or whatever it is that will make Antioch the best school in Union County. I know I have the staff to accomplish this goal, but we must all commit.