A World of Thanks (11-20-06)

Where do I begin? This is the question which faces me this week as I attempt to write about all the things I have to be thankful for this year. While there is always plenty to be thankful for, this Thanksgiving has found me and my family a little overwhelmed with good things for which to give thanks. Now (sigh), where do I begin?

I suppose the biggest thanks would logically fall to the USD 281 Board of Education, for taking a chance on me - a rookie administrator. Most of my blessings begin with that auspicious decision. I thank them for bringing me and my family to Hill City.

Then I need to thank Jim and Chris Welter for selling us their home. I am thankful that I am able to walk to work everyday and that I am able to make the school such a big part of my life.

I need to thank the teachers and staff for their support and patience. It isn’t always so easy to break-in a new administrator, especially a greenhorn like me. But they have risen to the challenge and have supported me every day. I am thankful that we have such an excellent and experienced staff.

I want to thank our new superintendent for becoming my mentor and my friend. Along with our dedicated and talented board of education, I know that we can achieve any goal we set. I am thankful to be part of a team who are all committed to improving the education and the lives of our most important resource: our students!

And I can’t forget to thank them as well. Crikey! What an amazing group of young people. They have answered every challenge I put before them with maturity beyond their years. The students are a joy to work with and to work for. I am thankful for each and every one.

Of course, behind every great kid, is one or more parents pushing, molding, and guiding, with a lot of love and care. I thank the parents of these incredible youth. From the Ringneck Backers, to the FFA parents, to the hundred plus who graced our doors during parent teacher conferences, the parents have been outstanding. I am really appreciative of the time so many have taken to sit down with me and talk. I can’t help if I don’t know the issues, and I am thankful for those who brought their concerns to me rather that take them downtown.

Finally, I thank Hill City. Yes, that’s right. I am thankful for the entire blessed town. From Homecoming to Halloween, I have seen many positive examples of generosity and community collegiality. Not a week goes by without someone stopping me with a kind word or a vote of confidence, and not a day goes by without some good deed being performed by a volunteer from our community for others.

Finally, I really need to thank my wife and children. It is all too easy for me to take their support for granted, .and to forget all they have sacrificed in order for me to pursue and perform my dream job. They gave up friends and familiar places, and willingly left behind the comfort of their daily routines, all for me.

I hope and give thanks that the rewards have been more than worth it. I thank all of you who have gone out of your way to make us all feel welcome and to get my wife and children involved in Hill City life. We have never been happier and are truly fortunate to now call Hill City our home. We hope to continue to call it our home for many years to come.

As I reflect on just how much I have to give thanks, I wonder if other first year principals, especially those in the big cities, are feeling the same sense of wondrous gratitude for their situations Do all new administrators feel the love and support that has been bestowed upon me and mine?. Do all high school principals thank their lucky stars to work with such good people, doing such great things for such outstanding students?

I don’t know what other school leaders experience during their first year, but I suspect that I am luckier than most. I just try to remember that I owe my many blessings to the many good people of our school, our district, and our town

So a world of thanks to you, Hill City! On behalf of me, my wife, and our children, may we wish each and every one of you the very best this Thanksgiving.