June 6 , 2011
End of Year Message
Dear School Community Members:
In our house we have a wall's edge dedicated to measuring height. My children's friends are in on the act and regularly contribute to the wall, rendering it a mess of lines, initials and dates. Sometimes there is amazement at how much someone has sprouted up since their last measurement, and other times it seems the only difference in the lines is based on hope and a sloped ruler.
The end of a school year offers those of us who love young people a chance to bring out rulers and draw lines of a different sort. Whether it is a kindergarten portfolio or the culminating performance of scenes from Shakespeare in a drama class, there are moments when we can see so clearly the magical, wonderful people our students are becoming.
We in the school business produce metrics like test scores and grades. Yet, like the parents who entrust their most prized possession to our care, our greatest pleasure comes from seeing those changes that defy measurement: an increasingly confident attitude, a new sense of self, a growing personal voice.
Though it may seem the school years fly by, each one should be cherished as much more than a tick mark on the wall. As you head to graduation and promotion ceremonies this week, or just the close of the school year, I hope you will take time to notice the subtle--and not so subtle--changes in your children's growth and celebrate them as a family.
Here's to a summer of rest and renewal!
Kevin Skelly, Ph.D.,
Superintendent
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