It Is How You Finish

"When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another."
- Helen Keller

Here we are in the white flag lap of this school year. Growing up, this was the time of year when my dad would give my brothers and I a big speech about finishing strong and sprinting through the finish. I thought it was cheesy at the time, but as he likes to point out, none of us have been arrested, and we all have college degrees, so he did something right. As I've gotten older, I see the wisdom in his annual speech. 

As the weather gets warmer and we have more and more conversations about planning for next year, it is easy to lose focus on the work that still lies ahead for this year. The small battles you have been waging for our students' futures over the course of the year are not over, and in a lot of ways the additional ground you gain with them over the closing weeks of this year will benefit them in the opening weeks of next year. 

Keep fighting the good fight. Keep holding them accountable for their best effort every time. These are the lessons that will set them up for success in the future, and you are all doing a magnificent job of reinforcing it every day. We have 36 days of school left. You have the endurance to sprint through the finish line. I know you will not let up early. The challenge will be making sure we don't let our students let up either.

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