5-28-2021

 

 

Mary’s Minute

“Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened.” 

~ Dr. Seuss

My kids will tell you that I am a crier (not a town crier), but someone who cries!  Seldom do I cry tears of sadness – usually they are tears of joy, pride, and often nostalgia.  Nostalgia is defined as a wistful affection for the past, and certainly on days like graduation, retirement, or the last day of school we look back with affection for the past.  It doesn’t mean that we are not excited about the next chapter in life or the upcoming summer, but we are grateful for what we experienced.

I cried a few tears at my daughter’s graduation last Sunday and I cried each time I had the privilege of moving my three children into college.  I wasn’t sad on these days – and I wasn’t even sad that their childhood was essentially over.  I was affectionate for the past – appreciative that I have the great joy of being their mother and experiencing their childhood and these special days in their lives.

As school closes for the summer, and some people say good bye to a chapter of their lives through graduation, retirement, or other life changes, we may shed tears.  We are not crying because it is over, but crying because of the sweet joy that it happened, looking back over the year(s) with sweet affection.

                                                   Have a great summer!

                                                                        Mary

5-21-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”

                                                                                 ~ Bryant McGill

Most of my weeks are full of a lot of meetings.  During meetings I do my share of talking and admittedly, some multi-tasking.  As I was sitting in a meeting with a group of colleagues working through towards solutions, I caught myself talking too loudly, and it struck me how I need to talk less and listen more – truly listen.  And not talking is not the same as listening!

I want to be a better listener for two reasons.  First because I know that I can learn from everyone around me.  Learning is generative, and together we are always better.  Multiple perspectives and ideas are what make us better.  The second reason I want to be a better listener is that a way to be respectful.

 A goal I always have it to be kind – and to show people that I truly care about them because I really do.  In that moment, sitting in one of my fifteen meetings of the week, I realized that being a better listener is not just about synergy, but also about kindness! 

In other words, listening is a skill that can help me achieve two important goals I have:  being kind and generating creative ideas!  It seems like an easy choice!

 

                                                                      Have a great week!

                                                                                  Mary

5-14-2021

Mary’s Minute

“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”

                                                                        ~ Maya Angelou

This is one of my favorite quotes and ideals, and as the school year winds down I think it is good to reflect on the impact we have on people.  Whatever our job, there is no denying that we have to get the work done – teachers have skills to teach, office workers have paper work to complete, grounds people need to mow the lawn, and so on.  The “work” is important, but the relationships we build, or as Maya Angelou says, the way we make people feel, are what people remember and how we make an impact.

We have much to say and much to do, and how we say it or do it, is what will stay etched in people’s memories.  When we say and do kind things, we can make people feel loved and appreciated.  When we provide words of encouragement we can make people feel confident. 

We spend a lot of time planning what we will say and what we will do, but it is also important to think about how our words and actions will leave people feeling.  It is important and even scary to realize, the emotions that we leave people feeling are what they will remember.

 

                                                             Have a great week!

                                                                                   Mary

5-7-2021

 

Mary’s Minute

“The greatest asset of a school is the personality of the teacher.”

                                         ~ John Strachan

 This week we celebrate “Teacher Appreciation Week.”  I love the idea of appreciating teachers who are so deserving of our gratitude, but to be honest, weeks like this make me nervous.  There just is not enough that can be done to show our gratitude for the work of teachers.  As a superintendent I have long said that I never wanted to forget what it was like to be a teacher.  It has now been almost 25 years since I have been in a classroom, but I try hard to never forget so that I can honor the hard work, dedication, and brilliance of teachers!  I know now that as a superintendent, any success that I have is due to the efforts of our teachers.

The week falls right before Mother’s Day weekend, and I am reminded of a year when I was feeling bad that I didn’t have an adequate Mother’s Day gift for my wonderful mom.  I’ll never forget my sweet mom saying for me to not worry about a gift because every day was Mother’s Day for her! 

Although teachers were honored this week with many treats and well wishes, my wish is that they could feel appreciated every single day so that they could feel like every day was Teacher Appreciation Day!

 

Thank you, teachers!

                                                                                            Mary