Community Spirit - August 2023
First Impressions
As an educator and as a father, I often talk about the importance of a good first impression. How do you put your best foot forward and demonstrate your personal qualities in a way that garners trust, confidence, optimism, and a desire to work more with that person? There is a tremendous amount of power in those first impressions. The way that those first impressions go can completely shape relationships and opportunities moving forward.
For those of you that I have had the privilege of meeting already, I hope that I have done a good
job of creating trust and confidence, as well as excitement and optimism for the future. For those that I have not had the opportunity to meet, here is a short list of some of my beliefs that form who I am as a person and professional. I believe:
–That relationships form the foundation for all that we do.
–In the power and importance of servant leadership.
–That ALL kids deserve and need an advocate.
–That future readiness for our students is one of the most important conversations we need to
have as a school and community.
–In the power of technology and instructional technology.
–In the philosophy of continuous improvement. (Why wouldn’t we want to be the best versions
of ourselves?)
–In the power of collaboration and that we are better together.
As I reflect upon on my first weeks in the school district, I would like to share my (and my
families’) first impressions of Tomorrow River Schools and the encompassing communities:
–There is an incredible amount of pride and connectedness to the district. That is exciting to see.
–People have been incredibly welcoming and inclusive.
–“Everyone is so nice. It is like living in a movie.”--My teen son.
–The staff is equally talented and dedicated to Tomorrow River Schools.
–There are some great things happening already, as well as a large amount of potential.
First impressions are incredibly important but that is just the beginning of the work. Next steps
involve building on those connections, creating a shared vision for the future, and defining what
success looks like. When the school building opens up again and the staff and students fully
return, we will turn those first impressions into a cornerstone for long lasting progress.