2022-2023 School Year
Most educators will agree that we get the same nerves and waves of excitement as our students do on the days before our school doors open for the first day of a new school year. Well, those nerves don't go away when you become a Principal. I would argue that they intensify, but my purpose is not to "one up" anyone; rather, it is an energy that we all share.
Each year, the list TO DO list grows and the responsibilities of educators and administrators weigh more heavily as our world has changed so drastically. It's easy for a school's climate and culture to take a turn for the worst. Our school culture is so important for the leader of a school or district! We want our staff and students to feel safe, supported, and connected in the environments where they will spend the majority of their time in the next year of their lives. Additionally, we want families to feel supported by a system that is caring for their children. This is no small task in any given year, but add to it all that we have faced in the last couple of years, hopefully, you can understand the gravity of the task this year.
Needless to say, the NERVES are in FULL effect this Sunday morning.
Despite the nerves and the growing list, I am always reminded of how lucky I am to be surrounded by staff and a community that is like no other. In this past week alone:
- Empty classrooms transformed into energizing, flexible learning environments.
- New families were welcomed into Manning by 5th-grade student leaders, former 5th-grade student volunteers, and community helpers.
- Custodial staff went above and beyond to get our schools ready for students
- Our parent organizations showed up in a last-minute request to welcome new families and share some of the great opportunities for future engagement.
While my nerves will continue to nag at me throughout the day, they are always overpowered by the GREATNESS that exists in this community and at Manning Elementary School.
We have so many plans in store for this school year that are motivating and encouraging. Each day, no matter what has been added, edited, or shifted on the TO DO list, it will not get in the way of celebrating all that we have to celebrate.
This brings me to the purpose of this blog I wanted to make sure that if I was blogging, an added TO DO item might I add, there is a purpose that makes sense. As its title, I have decided that The Principal's Blog will focus on all of the big and small wins we celebrate at Manning. I know there will be more to share than I have time to blog for, but I cannot wait to get started on sharing them with the Manning community.