Good morning Garden Spot!

And a cold morning it is! So glad we only had a two hour delay today, and not off school… I’m not sure I could have made it another day without getting to see you!

Reminders:

• The new iSpartan placements will begin tomorrow, and run through February 18. Grades will be pulled on Friday, February 13 to use in determining placements for the third cycle of the new semester.

Teacher Spotlight:

• The teacher spotlight this week not only expects a lot out of himself, but also expects a lot out of every student in his classroom. He does that because he knows that you are capable, and because he cares about your future. Mr. Weidman puts everything he has into making instruction in his classroom the best that it can be for the students that he serves. If you have had Mr. Weidman in the past, take a minute to thank him for pushing you to go further than you may have thought possible. If not, think of a teacher who has pushed you beyond where you were comfortable going, and thank them for their dedication to your future.

Personal Challenge:

I wanted to write about the iSpartan placements that will be in effect through February 18, and some other thoughts I was having when I began writing this email. I know some of you may feel like this is a punishment, and I understand that feeling. The most common response that we hear is these placements are based on last semesters final grades, and so the placements aren’t fair. I assure you that running the placements in this manner is the result of our caring about your success. Your performance, whether the result of taking a class that was extraordinarily difficult for you, or the result of not putting in the effort needed to succeed, indicates the need for us to make sure you have the best chance at starting this semester on the right foot.

We know that getting started on the right foot helps to breed long-term success, and so this is one way of our showing you how much we care about you and your future. We value each and everyone one of you just the way you are, but we should always be actively seeking to improve ourselves just a little bit every day. Mr. Sanger and I challenge each other to do that, our staff challenge each other to do that, and we all work together as a team to continue to find ways to take a step forward every day.

For many of you, the drive to improve on who you are every day is already there, but for some it is not. You know yourself better than anyone. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you are improving who you are everyday, or if you are just staying the same. Then decide to pick one thing and start working on that. Maybe it is completing homework… maybe it is studying for more than 30 minutes for a test… maybe it is working on school work during every iSpartan so that you never fall behind… maybe it is paying attention in class, and I mean actively paying attention and participating… maybe it is treating others better, or not talking about other people… maybe it is to stop making fun of others. Whatever it is, find something you know you could work on that would make you a better person, and start working on it.

There is also a word of caution that should be expressed for those who were successful in the past. Don’t let your success fool you into starting off slow… until you know how difficult a class is going to be for you, you need to attack every one as if it is going to be the hardest class you have ever taken. Once you fall behind, the effort it takes to get back where you want to be can sometimes be extraordinary. The harder you work at the start, the better you will be doing when you start to get a feel for the difficulty and amount of work being successful in that class will take.

This is what being a student is all about, and these are the traits that will help you to be successful in whatever profession you end up in. This is also why your grades are so important, because they are a sign of how hard a person is willing to work to be successful. Even when it is difficult, even when they may not like what they are currently doing… those are the things that employers are looking for because those are things that will be present in any job you have, even one that you love.

I have heard some say that we need to teach students responsibility, and that homework teaches them responsibility. I am not sure that I agree with that statement. I see homework as a sign of how willing you are to work hard to be as successful as you can be. If earning an ‘A’ means doing all of my homework, and the teacher gives homework every night, my success will be determined by whether or not I am willing to work hard until the job is over. Of course there is also a measure of responsibility here, as being responsible means that you do the things you know need to be done without having to be asked or told to do so.

Are you satisfied with mediocrity, or do you hold yourself accountable to being the best you can be even if no one else is holding you accountable? It is difficult to argue that someone who does the latter (holds themselves accountable) will not be more sought after and a better asset to whatever company they work for, and it is because of that many of you have heard me reply, “yes you do”, when you tell me that you don’t get paid to go to school. The amount of money you will be able to make after you leave is directly tied to how you perform while you are here. Those with the best credentials are more highly sought after, and are therefore paid more money.

Make yourself the best you that you can be so that you can be the best at whatever it is that you have a passion for doing after you graduate this great high school. That thing is different for all of us, but I can promise you that when you get home from a job you love (knowing that you are honestly doing the best that you can) there is a sense of pride in a job well done that has a way of making life a little better. And when life is a little better, you treat the people around you a little better, even when things are tough. I would argue that is because you understand how to keep working hard even when things are tough because that is how you approach life on a daily basis, and because of that you know that never giving up is the best chance you have of getting out of a tough time. I’m not talking about being the best at a job that someone else thinks you should do, I’m talking about whatever it is that you want to do. There is no shame in any job, so long as you make yourself the best at whatever you do and always work to make yourself and the place you’re working at a little better each day. You are all capable of being the best… someone is going to do it, why not have it be you?

Have a great week Garden Spot!

Mr. Cox

Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School