SMS Principal Blog

"As the world we live in is so unpredictable, the ability to learn and adapt to change is imperative, alongside creativity, problem-solving, and communication skills." ~Alain Dehaze I'm not sure how many of you noticed it this week, but things didn't exactly go as planned. In fact, I think we were only about 10 minutes into the week before things started to get a little sideways. When it was first communicated to me first thing Monday that MAP was not working properly on desktop computers and iPads didn't have the app available, I couldn't help but think it was going to be a long week, and for some of you that may still be the case, but just as soon as that thought entered my head, the next thing I registered was the immediate reaction of our staff to simply find a way forward. I've long believed that there are essentially two kinds of people (Yay! Another "two kinds of people" philosophy): problem solvers and problem identifiers. These tw...

“Love springs from the inside. It is the immortal surge of passion, excitement, energy, power, strength, prosperity, recognition, respect, desire, determination, enthusiasm, confidence, courage, and vitality, that nourishes, extends and protects. It possesses an external objective - life.”  ― Ogwo David Emenike At first, I was going to write my weekly message about MAP Testing, but I just couldn't come up with a message about MAP Testing that matched my excitement for this year. That isn't to say that I don't see the benefits of benchmark testing-- I do. It just isn't the reason any of us got into education. Instead, I want to just take a little time to share with all of you how excited I am to have this school year off to such a great start. The quote I chose for this week's message embodies for me what it means to be an educator. Getting the opportunity to educate, empower, and inspire these kids every day fills me with a vitality that I hope you all feel as...

"You take the good. You take the bad. You take them both, and there you have the facts of life." ~Gloria Loring With so much going on as we kick off the 18-19 school year, it was hard for me to come up with a single theme for my first Weekly Message of the school year. I used the title of one 80's TV show for a title and the lyrics from the theme song of another 80's theme song as the quote of the week, and I have the lyrics from an REO Speedwagon song from the late 70's stuck in my head ("Roll With the Changes" for those playing along). Like the thoughts running through my head, this week was a little all over the place, but to be honest, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I'll go ahead and say it now that I know everything is going to be ok.... I spent most of the summer terrified that I would not have this building as prepared as we needed to be for all this year had in store for us, but I was forgetting one amazing detail-- ALL OF ...