Encouragement for Staff and Students

We feel fortunate to be part of a school community that comes together in times of celebration and tragedy to support each other. And in it's short history, it has had both. It has used creativity, love, respect, education, and community to get through it. We can talk about what we love and what we struggle with and ALWAYS there is action that follows. That is true community. --Erik Howard

To Staff: Thank you for helping raise our kids. On the hard days, remember that we would all be lost without you and every day you show up for work you are changing their lives.

To Students: You are capable of great things. Rise to the occasion because it's not about today and doing schoolwork; what you do here today can help shape your future.  --Hilary Young

To Staff: Teaching is hard.  Learning is hard.  Sometimes just getting out of bed is hard.  I long for Southwest DCS to be a place where you feel AWAKE and ALIVE because you are doing things you love with people who love you!  Thank you for dreaming up a beautiful vision and mission.  Thank you for showing up every day with the desire to see them come true.  Thank you for coming to work even when the day before was horrible.  Thank you for your kindness, your courage, your creativity and your endurance!  You are amazing!

To Students: There are things you need to learn, but there are things you already KNOW.  You know that you are at your best when you feel safe and loved and trusted.  You know that telling the truth keeps things clean in your heart and between the people you love.  You know that mean words kill, but kind words raise the dead.  You know what it feels like to be left out, and you know that light and breezy feeling when another takes you in with a smile or a complement or an invitation.  You know that you can CHANGE THE WORLD.  Not someday.  When you're bigger.  When you're smarter.  When you're cooler.  When you're farther.  You can change the world TODAY.  By being a safe place.  By asking tough questions and not settling for easy answers.  By listening to each other.  By fighting boredom with creative risk.  By being yourself.  By thinking for yourself.  By sticking with a task, even when it's hard. By being an inviter.  By speaking life to each other!  Thank you for being.  You are WONDERFUL! --Rachael Sanowski

Our first parent group meeting took place on Friday, September 30 at 8:30am.  There were 28 parents in attendance!  Mr. Donner joined us at first and introduced us to Kammy Webb, the middle school instructional coach.  He also spoke about the heartbreaking passing of Luciano Cruz, 1st grader.  He informed us of ways to show support to Luciano's family and ways for us and our children to work through our grief.

Rachael then wrote the Mission of the parent group on the board (it's at the top of this blog), and we discussed what it means to build community and support one another:  being like a family, growing in relationship, taking care of each other in our thoughts and words and actions.

Everyone in attendance had opportunity to introduce themselves and share an encouraging word that they would like to share with staff and students (the encouragements that were written down will be posted to the blog).

Hilary then shared about Classroom Ambassadors: two parents per classroom that will help with communication between teachers and parents.

Rachael shared about lunch and recess flash mobs:  parents creating a little fun and excitement during lunch and recess.

At the end of the meeting, people interested in being a classroom ambassador could talk to Hilary, and there were sign up sheets for those interested in 1) praying together before school once a week and 2) flash mob volunteers.

The next planning meeting will take place on Friday, October 14, where there will be opportunity to learn about the blog and opportunity to brainstorm in small groups about some flash mob appearances and an upcoming resource fair.