Reflections From a Year Four Principal

Weeks like this one are ones that remind me as an educator how the workload demands ebb and flow during the school year.  From August, through the first week of October, it is one deadline, meeting, training, event, and conference after another.  It's TOUGH!  Though all of these are important in setting the school year up for success, they also tip the scale when you try to find a work/life balance.  

Tonight, we had our third school event after hours.  Even though it was communicated on a short timeline, you made the effort to be there.  Showing up for the kids is what you do…even if it means changing plans, postponing personal and family committments, and you put on smiles for another couple of hours for our school famiLEE.  Some of you were at school at 6:30 this morning- I saw you!  That means a 12+ hour day.  How is that for balance?  

Look at YOU!  (More of you were there- I just snagged these from Twitter.) THANK YOU! THANK YOU for your dedication to our children, our PTO, and most importantly to ME!!  I know each of you understand my passion and love of our school.  It truly is "my baby" and like every parent I want my child to be THE BEST, one I am super proud of.  Never in my wildest dreams would this self-proclaimed "school momma" realize how deeply I also want each of you to be THE BEST, ones I am super proud of.  Tonight is a fine example of why I KNOW we have an amazing staff. Finding out that the movie was starting an hour later than communicated was not news any of us were excited about.  Yet I see the story you tell on Twitter, our Lee and CISD story, and I am thankful (beyond measure) for each and every one of you.  You smiled.  You laughed and had fun with each other. You spent time with our kids who LOVE YOU TO PIECES!

So, I thought to myself...how do I cultivate kindness and show my gratitude to the best staff on the planet?  Well... TIME.  This time of year EVERYONE needs MORE TIME!!!  Our school took a great deal of your time this week, and we need to balance that out.  Please adjust your calendars for next Wednesday.  We will postphone our learning and group work until a later Staff Meeting.  That means this week's Staff Meeting is cancelled.  LEAVE after the kids are dismissed.  Give back some time to yourself, your family, or wherever it was robbed from this week.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  See you on Monday!  xx-Chantel