Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid my parents would have my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins over to the house; and it was always an amazing experience. We had parades, played football (or soccer), ate a ton of food, watched movies, and of course watched the Detroit Lions. We were also big into playing music. My cousin Matthew would jump on the piano and the rest of us would grab a trumpet, guitar, clarinet or whatever was near and play for a few hours. As we’ve gotten older and moved to all different parts of the world, we still make it a priority as a family to get together during Thanksgiving.
I learned a lot about life from my family. I learned about working hard, respecting others, how to joke around and how to treat other people. They taught me soccer skills, hockey shots, and how to get back up after I was knocked down - both in sports and in life. I learned that fair doesn’t always mean it is going to go my way and that you can learn just as much from a loss as a win depending on your attitude. However, the biggest lesson I learned came from years of watching my older cousins, my aunts, uncles, and my parents handle adversity.
I remember as my cousin Brian, was finishing up law school, he would pick fights with me about sports to see if he could change my mind. He was, and still is, very good at finding the correct button of mine to push to get me to engage. When I was younger I used to get frustrated, angry, and oftentimes would raise my voice. He would stop me there and say, “remember: the first person to yell or scream loses the argument.” I would get even more frustrated at this point because I knew he was right: when emotions started to dominate the conversation, the content faded away.
My cousin David ran one of the largest hospitals in Omaha, and I couldn’t ever figure out how someone who was so quiet was such an impactful leader. After he destroyed me in Jeopardy as a kid he told me his secret: “when you work with people, you have to listen to understand, not listen to reply.” He told me that he beat me in Jeopardy because he was listening for the key information, not for Alec Trebek to finish talking. That sentence would go on to frame how I would approach conversations for the rest of my life. I learned from my family how the holidays really aren't about yourself. It is about caring for others, helping those in need, and being thankful for what you have.
Covid has really taken away the ability for a lot of people to gather with their families, and the holiday seasons highlight that tremendously. As an educational leader, that concerns me, as a human being, that terrifies me. The number one development of social skills comes from the family unit, and all of the research continues to say that parents and family members are the biggest influence in a child's social development. My life would be dramatically different if I did not have time with my family during the holidays. I wouldn’t have the parade memories, the gift giving, the making of a super high-quality rendition of Phantom of the Opera with Matthew, or the bond that we currently have with one another.
As the holidays approach, I hope you all have time to connect with family and friends. I hope that our students here benefit as much from their time with you as I did with my own family.
ESSER III/American Rescue Plan Survey
As part of the American Rescue Plan, and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Department of Education has released funding grants, called the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER), for which local education agencies (K-12) can receive additional funding to support instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic. Howell Public Schools is seeking feedback from all district and community stakeholders to help determine how the district should best utilize the upcoming round of funding made available through the American Rescue Plan (ESSER III). Please take a few moments to complete a short survey the district has put together to gather stakeholder feedback. You can find the survey at https://bit.ly/3cnPEpt.
Second Semester Enrollment Changes
The district's second-semester enrollment change window is now open. If you would like to change your child's enrollment for the second semester (in-person to virtual or virtual to in-person), please complete the enrollment change application at https://bit.ly/3opZo8i by Wednesday, December 1 at 5 p.m. If you do not wish to change your child's enrollment, you do not need to take any action. If you have questions about the enrollment change process, please contact the Highlander Virtual coordinator for your child's level (Mr. Moore - elementary, Mrs. Gehringer - middle school & Mr. Stolle for high school).
Counselor's Corner: World Kindness Day 2021
Last Saturday, November 13th was World Kindness Day. World Kindness Day is all about promoting and encouraging good deeds in your home, classroom, and community. An ancient Storyteller, Aesop once said, “No act of Kindness, however small, will go unnoticed.” Taking time to celebrate kindness reminds us all that together we can have a positive impact on the people around us. There are hundreds of ways to show someone that you care. You may show kindness without even realizing it! This week especially, look for opportunities to show that you care by performing acts of kindness.
Here are a few simple ideas for how you can continue the conversation about kindness at home:
Read Books on Kindness
- “The Invisible Boy” by Trudy Ludwig
- “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell
- “Horton Hears a Who” by Dr. Seuss
- “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud
- “The Very Frustrated Monster” by Andi Green
- “Kindness Snippet Jar” by Diane Alber
- Write a letter to a soldier.
- Using sidewalk chalk, leave positive messages on the sidewalk for your neighbors.
- Do yard work for an elderly neighbor. Collect the leaves or shovel the snow from the driveway.
- Let someone else in the line go in front of you at the grocery store.
- Give a hot (or cold) beverage to a mail man.
- Give thank you notes to police officers, teachers, your mail person, etc.
- Surprise a neighbor with some baked goods.
Your partner in education,
Sarah Marker