By: Ralph Mayo
Things that I am grateful for as a school principal as the Holiday Season is upon us:
The children that attend our schools, they dutifully wear their masks, wash their hands, remain socially distant and have learned to do school in a different way. Their perseverance, adaptability and work ethic should be the standard that is set for us all. They are our best and most precious resource and they stand out as leaders each and every day.
The instructional staff who have had to work night and day to provide lessons to the students in front of them and to our remote learners. They have had to learn new technology skills while at the same time personalizing each child’s education. They are the frontline workers that are never mentioned in the news, but they are truly my heroes and I wish them the best as they move toward multiple days of rest and relaxation at the end of the month.
The custodians, security staff, administrative assistants and our food service workers who have given us all the support we need in order to stay in school. These individuals are rarely recognized, but we would not have such an amazing school district without their unwavering dedication and devotion to their schools.
The fall coaches who won more than they lost, but more importantly, they gave their student-athletes a season to be proud of even though it was abbreviated. We had multiple stand-out performances in all sports and if we had a normal fall season we may have won championships in multiple sports. Our coaches demonstrated the sportsmanship and the needed flexibility to overcome the limitations that were imposed upon them by our league officials. GO BIG RED!!
The members of our PTA and all of the families that have been so supportive of our school and the changes we have made to keep the building safe. We have asked them to provide us with many different types of support and they have done so without hesitation. They are the gold standard when it comes to this type of organization. They constantly ask me what does the school need to make teaching and learning more effective-it doesn’t get any better than this !
Finally, to the Leadership Team at GHS who have worked everyday since last March to plan for the current school year. They redesigned how and where students eat, how they passed from class to class and how and where to sit in classrooms. How the daily schedule would move forward on a hybrid basis while at the same time figuring out how we would service all of our students. Our team continues to make progress on assessments and different technologies in order to make every student’s classroom experience a better one.
All of these individuals have been the best gift a Principal could receive as we move through these trying times. Gifts such as these raise your spirit and last forever!
