Thursday Thoughts January 30
Tuesday was a day like no other. The likes of which I hope we never have to endure again. The stories kept coming about the many students stranded on busses and the staff and and students who had to sleep at schools. After hearing from many of you, I can tell you that the commutes home ranged from less than 2 hours to up to 22 hours. I wish I had some profound commentary or quote to make Tuesday's ordeal seem like it was no big deal, but I don't. In fact, I have too much respect for you to even try to minimize what occurred this week. But what I will say is that I witnessed first hand a building full of adults who epitomize the motto "Where Students Come First".
You are the best!
This week I would like to shine the spotlight on our staff as a whole. Tuesday continues to run through my mind like a movie reel. So many staff members came to the atrium to help me figure out the best way to dismiss students. The ladies in the front office fielded hundreds of calls from anxious parents. Teachers took kids into their rooms so that other teachers could leave. Those without homerooms turned into messengers who walked the halls retrieving students from class when the parent crowd spilled out of the door and the atrium became too loud to use the intercom. Some teachers and assistants refused to leave the building. I kept telling them that they had to leave but they refused (isn't that insubordination...lol). Thankfully they left before dark. But I would be remiss if I did not thank Debbie and Chris specifically. As the principal it is my job to remain calm under pressure. But as a human it is only reasonable that as night fell, a bit of worry set in and the possibility of staying became a reality. Debbie was the communications manager (I just made that up) and she kept in constant contact with the parents and transportation. Chris was the logistics engineer (made that up too) who found food in the kitchen and prepared a meal for the students (yogurt plates). As of 6:00 we still had about eight students in the building. I could spend the rest of the blog naming the other things that Debbie and Chris did but I don't want you to miss the point. The point is this....as a leader you don't always have all of the answers. I didn't have all of the answers for Tuesday. But I realized that when you are a part of a loving school family everyone pitches in to get the mission accomplished. I later learned that one of the students had never spent the night away from his parents. The fact that I could reassure them that he was fine and having a great time (the boys had smiles on their faces until they feel asleep) reminded me that what we do as educators is not a job but a calling. Thank you Medlock for putting yourselves in harm's way to answer the call!
NO ARTICLE OR WEBSITE THIS WEEK- PLEASE ENJOY THE LONG WEEKEND!
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