New School Year Smell

“The beginning is the most important part of the work.” 
–Plato

There are still a few more days of summer break, but the school is starting to get that new school year smell (kind of like new car smell, but better), and I thought it important to get the first Monday Memo and Weekly Message out during this week leading up to school starting. For one thing, there are many things school-related happening this week, and I wanted to make sure you were all aware of them. But more importantly, I am excited to get back to the work of educating students.

As the weeks passed this summer, and I relfected on the past year, both good and bad, I began to get more and more excited about this coming school year. I feel refreshed and energized about the challenges and triumphs that lay ahead. My feelings of excitement and optimism are rooted in the great conversations we had at the conclusion of last year. I feel like we left the school year very much on the same page about the areas we wanted to tackle this year, and more I have thought about them and internalized them myself, the more confident I become that this year is going to be a tremendous year at SMS.

Far and away our greatest strength as a school building is our amazing staff. Everyone who works in this building every day is here for all of the right reasons, and that commitment to the profession shows in the way that all of you work with our students. I have so happy to have some new faces joining us this year. 

Francesca (Frankie) Ehlers will be joining us as our school counselor. Frankie has a passion for counseling students and a great personality. I definitely enjoyed getting to know her a little better during registration day, and I can't wait for all of you to get to know her as well. She is going to be a wonderful addition to our office staff.

Caiden Webb will be joining us to teach 7th and 8th grade social studies. Caiden is very enthusiastic about coming to Sullivan Middle School. Many of you have probably already met him as he has been attending Annie and Val's iPad trainings throughout the summer.

Aly Mott will be joining us to teach in our brand new ED program. This program is going to allow us to have an option to support more of our students here at Sullivan Schools rather than seeking a TLC placement. As an administrative team, we are very excited to have Aly here and all her program will allow us to do because we truly believe that the best placement for any student is right here.

Tim Lapin will be joining us as our new day time custodian. Tim has been in here all summer long working to get our building ready for school to start, and I can tell you he has been doing an amazing job. 

I will end this first message of the year by inviting any and all of you to attend our New Student Orientation. This orientation is run almost entirely by a group of 8th grade students, but feel free to come hang out for the evening and meet our newest students if you would like.

Here's to a great year! #OneTribe

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