ALL HANDS ON DECK
By Dr. Michael J. Martirano Superintendent St. Mary’s County Public Schools (Presented at the ALL HANDS ON DECK EMPLOYEE KICK OFF)
Good morning St. Mary’s County Public Schools. It is a glorious morning. The sun is shining and there is no thunder or lightening. This is a wonderful celebration and I am so impressed with the talent assembled in this room. We are so fortunate to be able to gather together, under one roof, in the home of one of our educational partners, St. Mary’s College, to rededicate ourselves to improving the quality of life for our children. This is an amazing opportunity to celebrate and refocus our thoughts on another wonderful school year. Let’s give all of our student performers and student speakers a big round of applause. I love this event and I have been looking forward to it all summer long. You can feel the energy
pulsating throughout this room. It is so good to see each of you. My oh my what an amazing year we had together last year!!!! It just seems like yesterday when I entered the gym at Leonardtown High School and I became acquainted with you for the very first time. Now, I feel like we are old friends. I have met so many of you individually and I see many of you on my travels throughout the county. Each weekend, I get up early and I put on my baseball hat, tennis shoes, gym shorts and my University of Maryland tee shirt and I head off to Lowe’s. It is a glorious experience. I wonder aimlessly throughout the warehouse and dream and ponder of all the “honey do” tasks that I need to complete and of all the projects that I can do. Generally, I can kill about an hour before I realize that I will never have the time to do any of the home improvements that I set out to do. As I am dreaming, I often times, run into many of you out there too. I usually get that familiar double take look that kind of goes like this. Look once, look twice and squint your eyes, and
1
then I hear “was that the superintendent?” Well, on one such occasion, I encountered one of you in the lumber section and I am not going to mention your name, but you know who you are. I was intently measuring some boards for some shelves that I was building. I had on gym shorts, a tee shirt that was older than dirt, and I was using my handy dandy tape measure. I was a weekend warrior. On this particular day, this person (whose name I will not mention) was staring and looking at me. Several times, she looked at me and she put her head down and she walked on by. She did not speak and then she disappeared. It did cross my mind that she might be a stalker. So, I continued measuring the two by fours and as I glanced up she was peaking her head around the corner and just as I gained eye contact with her, she ducked back around the end of the aisle. Now to say the least, I was getting a little scared, but I tried not to think about it. So, I went back to work again. The next thing I know, she was walking by again. Now I was nervous. This time she came
2
up to me and said. Are you Dr. Martirano, the superintendent? And I reluctantly said yes! She said to me “Oh my goodness, I am one of your teachers” and with a nervous giggle she said, “YOU GOT LEGS” With that, I looked down at my legs and said “YOU ARE RIGHT, it’s a miracle, I do have legs!!!!” We both laughed so hard that I thought that security would have to escort us out of the building. I know that it is hard to believe, but I do have real clothes and I don’t always wear a shirt and tie. Believe it or not, I do have legs albeit some pretty skinny ones. This story exemplifies my leadership style which is predicated on building positive and enduring relationships. It’s about making connections with each other. The theme of this gathering is “All Hands On Deck”
3
It is so symbolic and it further extends our vision plan that is entitled, “Charting a Course to Excellence.” As Mr. Clements mentioned to you, you have been given a ships wheel pin which represents all of our hands being placed on deck to navigate our ship in the direction of academic excellence for all of our students. Also, you have been given a “Work Hard and Be Nice” bracelet which is our school system motto. As you know, this has really caught on around the county and with our kids. Wear your pin from last year, wear your pin from this year and wear your bracelet proudly. I loved when I would see you wearing your “charting a course to excellence” pin. Also, I liked when I walked into a school, an office or a classroom and I would see work hard and be nice on the wall or on bulletin boards. It is just great and our kids love it too. We are one team. Team St. Mary’s County Public Schools.
4
ALL HANDS ON DECK FOR ANOTHER GREAT SCHOOL YEAR. There are so many people to acknowledge and I want to start with recognizing the committee of individuals who helped organize and choreograph this event.
First, I want you to take note of this wonderful stage display. All hands were on deck and these volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty. These dedicated people volunteered their time before and after work to create the wonderful display. They used their time, talent, and scraps from the wood piles to make a vision a reality. I would like to acknowledge them at this time as they have placed their hands on deck to create this nautical ship theme. Boat:
5
Robert Morgan Douglas Frederick Mark Unkle Freddie Hewitt David Quade Ray Adkins Nick Gagliardi Tom Gross James Spears Lewis Young Paul Hampton Brad Clements Jeff Sheckels Davonte Carroll and Chris Johnson, student workers Justin Alt, Veniece Cusic and Kimberly Howe – Flags Ellen Duke Wilson and Cathy Pielmeir – artists for the back drop They have done a fine job and we really do get a feeling that we are setting sail. Let’s give them a big round of applause.
6
Next, to the Division of Supporting Services for the outstanding job with transportation, for setting up the gym, and printing our programs. To Beverly Dahlstrom, Kathy Mancini, Sandra Battle, Jean Adams, Zina Thomas, Mary Ann Williams and Eric Millham for tending to the logistics and video presentations and to Eugene Butler for serving as our DJ. And to Lynne Morgan Smoot for addressing every performance detail and choreographing a wonderful program. Please give all of them a round of applause. At this time, I want to acknowledge all of our NEW employees. I ask that you stand now so that we can applaud you and welcome you to
7
our school system. APPLAUD. You are now a part of our family and like all good families know that we are here to support you. Welcome aboard. Next, I want to acknowledge our invited guests and our partners in education. We are fortunate to have so many of you in attendance today. Board of Education of St. Mary’s County – Dr. Salvatore Raspa, Mr. Gary Kessler, Mrs. Cathy Allen, Mr. Bill Mattingly, Mrs. Mary Washington, and Ms. Brittany Thurston our Student Board member. Local Delegation – Congressman Steny Hoyer, Senator Roy Dyson, Delegates John Bohanan, Anthony O’Donnell – (who is represented today by Mrs. Linda Darby) and Johnny Wood Board of County Commissioners for St. Mary’s County – Commissioner President
8
Tommy McKay, Mr. Tom Mattingly (who could not be here today), Mr. Larry Jarboe, Mr. Kenny Dement and Mr. Dan Raley Circuit Court and District Court Judges, Judges of the Orphan’s Court Sheriff/Maryland State Police – Law Enforcement Commissioners of Leonardtown Candidates for Local Elected Offices (BOE, BOCC, Judges, etc.) Patuxent River Naval Air Station (Captain Glen Ives, Commanding Officer, Captain Andy Macyko, Executive Officer, Mr. John Romer, and Captain Matt Scassero) Education Association of St. Mary’s County (EASMC) and Collective Employees
9
Association of St. Mary’s County (CEASMC) Maryland State Teachers’ Association (MSTA) Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE) Board Committees (Budget Advisory Committee, Citizen’s Advisory Committee for Special Education, County Council of PTAs) Bus Contractor’s Association (Mr. Bobby Burroughs) Colleges – St. Mary’s College, College of Southern Maryland, Southern Maryland Higher Education Center National Association for the Advanced of Colored People (NACCP Education
10
Committee – Mr. Nace Bowman, Dr. Janice Walthour, Mr. Bob Lewis) Business, Education, and Community Alliance (BECA) Chamber of Commerce – support of Principal for a Day program Local Management Board – education partner County Government Department Heads (collaborative partner) St. Mary’s Hospital, Dept. of Social Services, St. Mary’s County Health Department, Walden-Sierra, So. MD Child Care Resource Center St. Mary’s County Planning Commission Minority Business Alliance
11
Patuxent Partnership Southern Maryland Navy Alliance United Way of St. Mary’s County St. Mary’s County Farm Bureau Southern Maryland Electric Coop (SMECO) – Math/Science Teacher recognition St. Mary’s County Special Olympics – Spring games for student athletes Local Press – The Enterprise, St. Mary’s Today, The Washington Post Let’s give all of our educational partners a round of applause. I want to thank each of you publicly for the support that you have provided our school system. You are to be commended
12
for that and know that our children benefit from your efforts. Also, with me today is my wife, Silvana, my three children, Maria who has worked on base all summer as a camp counselor and who will be heading back to the University of Maryland for her sophomore year, my son Vincent who will be an 8th grader at Leonardtown Middle School and my daughter Gina who will be a 6th grader at Leonardtown Middle School as well. My inlaws Maria and Donato Petruccelli are here today, too. So now, let’s begin some of the fun. It’s time to celebrate! Last year, I went through a roll call of sorts. So, as we set out on our voyage, I want to be sure that everyone is accounted for and it is imperative that we conduct a roll call. This year, I sense that you are much more prepared and a little more exuberant than last year. Many of you have developed themes and cheers. So, as I call the name of your school or office, I
13
want you to yell out your cheer, play your music, make lots of noise or sing your songs. You are in random order. I will call out a few highlights from each site and then I will call your name. Don’t be shy! We are here to celebrate! Here we go.
This school is known for their “Pride Inside” when it comes to their highly qualified and dedicated staff, continuous improvement in achievement, and wonderful community partners.
Chopticon High
Building service staff won their 4th Glossy Award; the use of data meetings to drive instruction and intervention groups for students, and Volunteers as Literacy Tutors and Junior Great Book Leaders.
Piney Point Elementary
They embrace their stakeholders via parent volunteer programs and community partnerships; their 11 Month Jump Start Program continues their dedication
14
to the academic achievement of EACH child; They are a PBIS Exemplar School (2nd year in a row)
Lexington Park Elementary
This group’s motto is “I’m from Central Office and Here to Help”; they provide unwavering support to schools and the community as we chart a course to excellence.
Moakley Street/Central Office
They are proud of their students and their increased attendance; they are proud of their staff and their dedication to the students and program; they have a new name and a new building. We are very proud of them too.
White Oak Secondary Center
They are proud of their completion of their renovation/addition; “Healthy Heart Night”; Student “Good Referral Luncheons”
Margaret Brent Middle School This office is responsible for launching Performance
Matters and how it has positively impacted the way teachers and staff monitor the progress of their
15
students for TV Channel 96 and for the redesign of Web Page
Office of Information Technology
This school is known for their International Day Celebration; for Green School Reauthorization; for “Walk for the Katrina” Relief Fund where they raised over $10,000
Hollywood Elementary
They are known for receiving the Maryland Green School Award; Making significant gains in student achievement; implementing their “Jumpstart for Literacy” Program as a result of a partnership with Mercantile Bank
Oakville Elementary
They are proud of the Grade Level School Improvement Plans. They are proud of their Teacher of the Year, Ms. Stephanie Flick and they are proud of the Guinness World Record for the tallest popcorn structure. The administration and staff are always on board ready to sink or swim together everyday on behalf of students!
Benjamin Banneker Elementary
16
This group is known for the unity of the division in
providing holistic services that are seamless to the customer; Various moves this past summer; the purchase of a school site for the first new elementary school in California, MD. The sustainable design approach for the new elementary school with collaborative input from capital planning, design and construction and the department of instruction for the work that keeps our fine schools running smooth every day.
Division of Supporting Services
They are proud that 90% of their students enrolled in AP Physics scored a three or higher on the AP test; Legacy of success of the graduates from their school include (Olympians, college coaches, politicians and community activists. Senator Dyson and Mr. Hewitt are both graduates and are in the audience today) and Dr. Raspa was a former principal; They are the high school of a student who won last year’s $10,000 Northrop Grumman Engineering Scholarship
Great Mills High School
They were named 4th year in a row as a Maryland PBIS Exemplar School; Named as a physical education Demonstration school 2005-2007; Named
17
4th year in a row as a SMCPS Highest Average Cleanliness Rating Award
Greenview Knolls Elementary
100% of 3rd graders scored proficient on MSA Math Test for 2005-2006; Donation efforts – Katrina $5,211.98 and Jump Rope for Heart - $15,626; Expanded their partnership with Verizon to recognize individual student achievement
White Marsh
Placed 1st on the county level Math counts Team – 10th place at the State level; Chorus ranked 1st place with perfect ratings at the Tri-County level and at the Maryland State Competition for the 2nd continuous year; Best Buddies chapter was recognized at the Annual Best Buddies Awards Ceremony
Leonardtown Middle
They pulled together as a school community after a fire swept through their school. They opened 2 days later. They made significant improvement in student achievement; dedication of their highly qualified staff in promoting student achievement; successful, meaningful partnerships with the Division of Supporting Services and Information Technology to
18
ensure a smooth transition to their new facility. They have a brand new school.
George Washington Carver Elementary
They are welcoming 11 new staff this year; their building service workers are the best and they won a Glossy to prove it; Everyone is a team player – staff, students and parents.
Dent Elementary School
Kindergarten students had the highest DIBELS scores in the county; successful after school reading programs and clubs; phenomenal partnerships within the community. They celebrated their 55th anniversary as a school.
Mechanicsville Elementary
PBIS Exemplary School; They wrote the “Work Hard and Be Nice Song”; highest average cleanliness rating school for the 2005-2006 school year
Park Hall Elementary
PBIS House system; They made AYP; Students, staff and the community support the school wholeheartedly
Esperanza Middle
19
Student Achievement – increase on MSA and solid scores on Stanford 10; teamwork and hard work of staff in making the move to the annex a smooth transition; kind and caring attitude of their students/families; participation in Jump Rope for Heart, St. Jude Math a thon, Veteran’s Day parade.
Leonardtown Elementary
Very successful “Jump Start” summer program; they received an award from the Maryland Council of Staff Development for their work in Differentiated Instruction; They are very proud of each and every member of the “Gator” team.
Green Holly Elementary
1st in county and one of the top 10 in the State for their food drive – Harvest for the Hungry; They will have well over 900 students taking AP exams this year; They experienced the most athletic conference championships for the 2005-2006 school year 26% of staff are SMCPS graduates; They developed the Scholars, Leaders, Athletes, and Gentlemen Club; They increased community partnerships and had steady gains in student achievement
20
Leonardtown High
Dynard Elementary
They are proud of their MSA scores; 2 staff members attended Space Camp; They have a new parking lot and they now have cell phone service. Yeah!!
Ridge Elementary
Their student’s achievement on MSA was super; being named a PBIS Exemplar School for 2006; and they are proud of their small nurturing and close community
Town Creek Elementary
The Washington Post Teacher of the Year, SMECO Mathematics Teacher of the Year; Destination Imagination Team (the only middle school in SMC to have this and they went to the state competition) Their Boys and Girls Club after school partnership; They organized several faculty vs. kids kickball games this summer – and Iva Berg even caught a high fly ball
Spring Ridge Middle
Their renovation is complete and the total building is ready to go into full swing; record number of students attending Nationals in Kansas City, including 2 state
21
officers, several national top 10 places including a Silver medal in Criminal Justice; the most new programs added by any county in the State – Diesel, TV video production, aviation maintenance, Fire rescue EMT, Dental assisting, manufacturing, and hospitality/tourism.
Forrest Career and Technology Center And last, but not least… Are you ready? This school system is the best in the state, nation, and world. ST. MARY’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Thank You…That Was Great. AS YOU KNOW, I AM STARTING MY SECOND YEAR AS SUPERINTENDENT OF ST. MARY’S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WHAT AN AMAZING YEAR MY FIRST YEAR WAS.
22
We experienced many trials and tribulations together and throughout it all we became stronger and better. We experienced a fire at George Washington Carver and it did not get us down. The entire school system rallied around the school and within two days the school was up and running again. What an amazing show of support from our community. We experienced a $3 Million budget deficit as a result of increased fuel and oil costs and our Board of County Commissioners stepped up and provided the LEADERSHIP AND additional support for the education budget. At Chopticon High School, we tragically lost two of our students as a result of car accidents. Our thoughts and prayers were with them constantly.
23
We experienced a lockdown at Leonardtown High School that took our school system to international levels of recognition. But, because of the crisis management procedures that were in place, proficient leadership, and the calm and caring ways of our staff and emergency personnel, no one was hurt. We take the safety of our children very seriously and I was very proud of our entire community for the response. Collaboratively, with CEASMC AND EASMC we negotiated a three year contract with all of our employees that is respectful and allows us to remain competitive throughout the Southern Maryland region and allows us to stay focused on our work with children. We posted the highest SAT scores ever in the history of our school system. We were 2nd in the State of Maryland for the Washington Post Challenge index for AP courses.
24
Our MSA scores are on the rise across the district. We are as high as 9th in the State in several of the performance indices. We are only going to go higher and get better. We have the 3rd highest percentage of highly qualified teachers in the state of Maryland. We have implemented the Performance Matters Data Warehouse and this initiative is transforming how we do business across the school district because it focuses in on each and every child’s individual performance. Instructional decisions are being made based upon data. We have implemented an Energy Conservation program that will be fully implemented this school year. As a total community we have rallied together to confront the brutal facts of our achievement
25
gap and together we have pledged to eliminate the achievement gap. We will not be satisfied until all students are performing at proficient and advanced levels. We have established a policy on wellness that addresses the nutritional needs of our students and staff. We have expanded our focus on high quality professional development across the district to meet the needs of all employees and we are focusing on cultural proficiency training to ensure that we fully know each of our diverse learners. We adopted a school calendar that includes a spring break and we encourage our parents to take vacation during designated times off to improve our attendance. Students must be in school every day to maximize the learning process.
26
We are fully addressing the 15 points of priority. AND Our school system is aligned to provide the very best service for each child. We are not implementing random acts of improvement for the sake of doing them. All of our acts are aligned so that they assist in achieving our academic goals. We are stopping things that are not working and we are implementing interventions and best practices that are working. WE ARE ON THE PATH OF GREATNESS. WE ARE BREAKING THROUGH, BY OUR FOCUSED APPROACH. WE ARE FOCUSED ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. WE HAVE CREATED A REAL “BUZZ” ABOUT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF MARYLAND.
27
THIS SUMMER A GROUP GATHERED TOGETHER TO REEXAMINE OUR MISSION STATEMENT. OUR PREVIOUS MISSION STATEMENT CONTAINED 187 WORDS AND IF I QUIZZED YOU TODAY, I AM NOT SURE HOW MANY OF YOU COULD RECITE IT. WE QUICKLY DETERMINED THAT WE NEEDED SOMETHING THAT CONNECTED TO OUR VISION PLAN OF “CHARTING A COURSE TO EXCELLENCE.” WE NEEDED SOMETHING THAT BROUGHT IT ALL TOGETHER WITH OUR MOTTO “WORK HARD AND BE NICE” AND WE NEEDED SOMETHING THAT EXPOUNDED UPON OUR CORE VALUE THAT “ALL CHILDREN CAN AND WILL LEARN.” SO TO THAT END, THE GROUP CAME UP WITH 22 POWERFUL WORDS. LAST YEAR, I TALKED ABOUT MY “E” WORDS OF ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM AND EXCITEMENT. THEY ARE MORE
28
PREVALENT NOW THAN EVER, BUT NOW I AM INTRODUCING “R” WORDS. OUR MISSION STATEMENT IS NOW: KNOW THE LEARNER AND THE LEARNING, EXPECTING EXCELLENCE IN BOTH. ACCEPT NO EXCUSES, EDUCATING ALL WITH RIGOR, RELEVANCE, RESPECT, AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS. THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT. LIKE WORK HARD AND BE NICE, IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE….STUDENTS AND ADULTS. EVERYONE CAN RELATE TO IT AND IT FOCUSES IN ON THE RELATIONSHIP PIECE WHICH OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS PREDICATED ON. IN ORDER TO TEACH A CHILD WELL, YOU MUST KNOW A CHILD WELL AND
29
OUR MISSION CLEARLY CONNECTS TO THIS THOUGHT. SO OUR NEW “R” WORDS FOR THIS LESSON ARE RIGOR, RELEVANCE, RESPECT, AND RELATIONSHIPS. I LOVE IT. IT IS REFLECTIVE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE REPRESENT. WE ARE A PEOPLE ORGANIZATION AND WE CANNOT FORGET IT. THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE FORM WITH EACH OTHER AND OUR CHILDREN ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND OF OUR STUDENTS. THIS SUMMER, I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON MY READING AND I READ SEVERAL BOOKS.
30
I READ A WONDERFUL BOOK ENTITLED, “ENCOURAGING THE HEART,” BY JAMES KOUZES AND BARRY POSNER. I RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY TO EACH ONE OF YOU. IT TALKS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WILL ASPIRE TO HIGHER STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE WHEN THEY ARE GENUINELY APPRECIATED FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT. THEY STATE THAT IF YOU TRULY WANT TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF AN ORGANIZATION, THEN YOU MUST FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE. ONE PARTICULAR AREA OF ATTENTION DEFINES WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE PYGMALION EFFECT. THE BEST LEADERS BELIEVE THAT NO MATTER WHAT THEIR ROLE, PEOPLE CAN ACHIEVE HIGH STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET. THIS IS CALLED THE PYGMALION
31
EFFECT…A BELIEF SO STRONG THAT EVEN IF OTHERS DON’T BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES INITIALLY. THE LEADER’S BELIEF---OR TEACHER’S OR PARENT’S OR COLLEAGUES---GIVE RISE TO SELF CONFIDENCE, TO A BELIEF THAT “YES, I CAN DO IT.”. IT BECOMES A SELF FULLFILLING PROFICIECY.” We must believe that all of our children can and will learn. I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED BY EVERY ASPECT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY, BUT MOST OF ALL; I HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY YOU…OUR STAFF. WE ARE PRIMED FOR GREATNESS. As I have said, across this great State of Maryland, we are viewed as a school on the move in a positive direction. In 1980, President Ronald Reagan called America the “SHINING CITY ON A HILL where there is hope and freedom for all young Americans.” In
32
that same light, I see St. Mary’s County Public Schools as the Shining City on the Educational Hill where there is constant hope, energy, enthusiasm, and a belief in our young people and where there is no challenge too insurmountable and where there are endless possibilities. MY ENTIRE LIFE HAS BEEN DEDICATED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF CHILDREN. THIS PAST YEAR, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET TO KNOW SO MANY OF YOU. YOU IMPRESS ME BEYOND BELIEF. YOU ARE WORKING HARD AND YOU ARE BEING NICE. YOU ARE VERY TALENTED YOUR POSITIVE AND YOUR “CAN DO” ATTITUDE IS CONTAGIOUS.
33
YOUR DEDICATION TO OUR CHILDREN IS REMARKABLE. YOUR WORK ETHIC IS IMPRESSIVE. YOU ARE A TALENTED BUNCH AND YOUR WORK IS PAYING OFF. THERE IS BELIEF THAT WE CAN DO IT AND WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN. YOU SEE IN ST. MARY’S COUNTY, WE HAVE TAKEN A STAND FOR CHILDREN. WE ARE ONE COMMUNITY COMMITTED TO THE BETTERMENT OF THE LIVES OF ALL CHILDREN. OUR STAND IS UNCOMPRISMING. WE FOCUS ALL OF OUR EFFORTS ON PROMOTING A HIGH QUALITY LIFE FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE REALLY BELIEVE THAT IT TAKES AN ENTIRE VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD
34
AND ALL OF OUR ACTIONS SUPPORT THIS BELIEF. OUR CHILDREN ARE OUR NOW AND OUR FUTURE. WE ARE IN AWE OF THEIR TALENTS. WE ARE BLINDED BY THEIR BRILLANCE, WE ARE INSPIRED BY THEIR INTELLECT AND WE ARE BETTER INDIVIDUALS FOR HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH THEM EACH DAY TO TEACH THEM AND TO WATCH THEM GROW. OUR CHILDREN ARE PRECIOUS. WE HOLD THEM DEAR AND NEAR TO OUR HEART.
35
WE TRIUMP IN THEIR JOY, WE BASK IN THEIR REFLECTIVE GLORY, AND WE SUPPORT THEM DURING TIMES OF TRAGEDY. WE BELIEVE IN OUR CHILDREN. WE LOVE THEM UNCONDITIONALLY AND THEY GIVE US HOPE. THEY ARE A PART OF US. OUR CHILDREN ARE DEPENDING ON US. THE BOTTOM LINE IS “IT’S ABOUT THE CHILDREN”. AND NOW I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO WATCH THIS VIDEO THAT HIGHLIGHTS OUR CHILDREN. (SHOW VIDEO)
36
All hands must be on deck. This is our moment; this is our time to take a stand for our children. Today, recommit to improve the quality of life for ALL children in St. Mary’s County. Protect them, nurture them, teach them and be loyal to them. We must be united as one. All hands must be on deck. As we work hard and be nice every day to improve our school system. We must be together as adults and we must make all of our decisions in the best interest of our children. Know your curriculum, know your job, know your pedagogy, know your learner. Our children our counting on us each and every day. All hands must be on deck.
37
We have a magnificent opportunity and everyone in this room plays a vital role in improving the quality of life for our children. We are partners in education and we are one community committed to the learning and safety of all children. All hands must be on deck As we chart a course to excellence. This is our moment, this is our time. One life dedicated to serving the children of St. Mary’s County. If you fall or if the waves get rough, know that we will support you to get you through it all and we will make a difference in the lives of each child to ensure that each one is achieving. We will not fail. Demand the best, accept no excuses, build positive relationships and set high expectations for every child. This is our moment this is our time. All hands on deck. Together we are one united in numbers, strength, passion, dedication and
38
commitment for bettering the lives of children. Keep our children safe and believe that all children can and will learn. Join with me to make this the best school year of our lives. My hands are on deck with you and I stand proudly with you to support your efforts. I will be with you through your trials and your tribulations. You are my inspiration You are my hope You are my role models You are making a difference in the lives of our children and for that you make me proud. You are remarkable and amazing individuals. You have touched my heart.
39
You are the protectors of our children. You are the right people at the right time and the time is right now. I believe in you and I believe in our children. This is our moment this is our time. All hands on deck for our children. Be loyal to our children because they are counting on you. Give hope to each and every one of them. I love my job and I am honored, humbled and proud to serve as your Superintendent. I am so full of hope that I could burst. I stand with you with my hands on the ships wheel as we set sail for another wonderful journey as we Chart a Course to Excellence. I am enthusiastic, energized, exhilarated, elated, exuberant, electrified, ebullient, ecstatic, and excited about
40
this upcoming school year. To each and every one of you, God speed and best of luck for an outstanding school year. Thank you very much for all that you do and remember….Work hard and be nice. Have a great school year.
41