Dear Families,
In 2nd grade we had an assignment where we had to create a poster about what we wanted to be when we grew up. I remember sitting at my desk, being torn between two options. I wanted to be Steve Yzerman (captain of the Detroit Red Wings) or a teacher. Mrs. Dillion told me that I couldn’t be Steve Yzerman because he already existed, so I decided that I was going to be a teacher.
I was a lucky person I guess, because I never wavered from that childhood dream. I knew in middle school and in high school that I was going to be a teacher. I put myself in every situation possible to learn how to be one. I went to the number one school in the country for Elementary Education (Go Green), I started coaching, graduated as a valedictorian of the program, and earned my masters degree from the number one school for educational administration in the country (Go White). I got my dream job of teaching 5th grade in South Lyon and worked with amazing teachers that helped me grow along the way.
I was pretty good at it as well. I went to all of my students' extracurricular events no matter what they were. My students achieved some of the highest writing scores in the county As they moved onto graduation I have been invited to almost every one of their graduation parties. I still go to every single one. I can tell you where all of my former students are, whether in college or the work force and I love getting the emails from them asking me for advice on their career. I hired one of my former students as a soccer coach this year. The experience of getting to work alongside a former student has been nothing short of amazing.
I was pushed into administration by my colleagues and it was a great push. In fact my teaching partner was a parent here at Hutchings a few years ago and told me about a potential job opening. A few months later I was the principal of Hutchings Elementary school. It has been the most rewarding experience of my life. The staff here is amazing, the families are incredible. Getting to watch the kids grow from Kindergarten to Fifth grade is an absolute treasure.
What I didn’t plan on was that half of my entire administration career (six years now) would be dealing with Covid. I had these grand ideas of the progressions I wanted kids to make, the outreach I wanted to do with soccer and school, and the relationships I wanted to build with the community at the school. Covid threw a rather large wrench into all of that.
When I was younger, I had an Olympic Development Coach tell me that when you enter a stadium for an away game, you have to enter the storm. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that so I had him explain. He said, “When you enter the storm, you assume the environment is going to be chaotic, and that you assume you won't be liked. You assume that for the first part of the storm it's going to be rocky until you get your bearings.” I thought, great I am going to get destroyed at every away game, but then he continued. “You also know that once you get your bearings you will be just fine. Once you refocus back onto the gameplan and your goals the storm is just weather and we’ve been in it before.”
As a person, I’ve entered the storm. I’ve seen Covid, I’ve lived through the quarantine process, read the emails, seen the reactions of folks, and I’ve adjusted personally and professionally to that storm. I’ve also found my bearings. I know that my entire life has been geared towards working with kids and being there for them. I believe that my ability to make students laugh, feel loved, cared for, and accepted is more vital than ever. I understand that the world can be a scary place but I also have the ability to make it not scary for the kids when they are here. I am reaffirmed that my childhood dream doesn’t end with Covid-19, nor can it slow me down. I became a teacher because I loved working with kids. I became a principal because I wanted to create awesome environments for teachers and students.
I wanted to share this with our community this week because for the past three years we haven’t had the chance to really connect, and if you have a student in 1st grade or Kindergarten we’ve not had a chance to really get to know each other at all.
As this year progresses, if you have questions or concerns about the year please feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible. If you need to fire off an email that is filled with frustration, I am absolutely fine with that, as I understand it is a difficult time for all. Send that email to me, not my staff, for they probably haven’t made the decision that you’re frustrated with. If you want to send an email with thanks to the staff, feel free to do so. They are working incredibly hard each and every day for your kids.
I wish I had a crystal ball that told me when Covid would end but I do not. However, I do have a mirror and I know that at the end of this pandemic I am going to look into that mirror and ask myself if I held true to why I went into education in the first place. I am confident I will be able to answer that question well. “I did my absolute best for the kids.”
Mr. Moore
Fall Programs: An overview of programs and services offered to our elementary families this Fall.
Mobile Dentist:
Health and wellness are both integral to success at school, and taking care of your child’s teeth is important to keep them healthy. All elementary schools in Howell are proud to work with the Mobile Dentist program, where a dentist and dental hygienists visit the schools twice per year to offer dental check-ups and cleanings. Here at Hutchings Elementary School, we are pleased to announce that we will once again have the Mobile Dentist visiting our school on Monday, November 15th! Your child has received a Mobile Dentist application. If you forgot to fill out the form, no worries! You can also fill out a form online, please visit www.myschooldentist.com If dental services are desired, please be sure to fill out that form and have your child return it to school as soon as possible. If you need another permission slip, please let me know and I will send one home with your child.
October is College Month:
During the month of October, our district will be celebrating COLLEGE MONTH! At the elementary level, that means we will encourage students to explore their interests, plant the seed about college, community college, military, trade schools, and the world of work. Also, we invite students to think about what they want to be when they grow up! Lastly, teacher’s have posted a college sign in their classroom or outside their door letting students know what college(s) they attended.
Thank you for your support in helping our students think about their interests and their futures!
Your partner in education,
Sarah Marker
School Counselor
Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center Fall Open House
The Highlander Aquatic and Fitness Center is hosting a fall open house on Saturday, October 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This fun-filled day will include free admission to the center, including open swim times, water and dry land fitness classes, give-a-ways, raffles, cider and donuts, and much more. To learn more about the open house, please visit https://bit.ly/3meAmaN.
Contract Tracing Update
To help keep more students in school, the Livingston County Health Department (LCHD) has lowered the contact tracing radius for schools from six feet to three feet. At the middle school and high school levels, this is a very easy change to implement. At the elementary level, it is much harder to implement without significantly altering our instructional model because of the amount of movement within our classrooms throughout the school day. Due to this, we will not likely see the impact of this change at our school. With that said, the elementary team will continue to work with the district and LCHD to find ways to limit the impact of quarantines in our schools.