Executive Director
MASA
Well, maybe! While the final bell has rung for some, and summer vacation is officially here for many, school leaders are encouraged to kick back and rejuvenate. But let’s be realistic, even during the summer, you’ll be brainstorming ways to make the next school year even better.
When I think of this last school year, I am reminded of Past President Joe Gothard’s article in which he shared the importance of asking, “How are the children?” That’s an essential question I know school leaders contemplate while they work crazy hours in order to create positive school cultures where children thrive.
I hope that when you consider your response to “How are the children?” you recollect what worked well this past year. Let your mind linger on the vision of preschool and elementary students who came for their first days of school with excitement and perhaps a bit of shyness. Recall those ever-increasing piles of clothes in the lost and found with a smile, saluting the carefree children who prefer play over whether or not they have matching mittens. In your mind’s eye, recall the children who overcame challenges that no child should have to bear. Remember the elation of children who mastered new skills in the classroom or their chosen activities. Focus on how the children are the pride of school staff, coaches, their family members, the community, and you!
Your leadership mattered all year long. There is plenty of time to deal with all that is going through your mind about what should be done differently next year. Give yourself a permission slip to dwell on all that went well knowing that your focus will always be on having a positive response to, “How are the children?”
Here’s to a summer filled with doing whatever makes you happy, rest, and maybe more than a little bit of sunshine. It would be my pleasure to highlight your summer pics in my “Henton Headlines.” Please send them my way. Enjoy!
