Thoughts from Mr. Cox – June 1

Ladies and gentlemen,

Danny makes a dash for the finish line
Image from Flickr

It is difficult for me to consider the sadness that Mr. Sanger and I will experience without you here, but we will need to find a way to do so as the end of the year is almost here. I just want to take a minute to thank you for such an exceptional year… you are all such wonderful young men and women, and I appreciate having the privilege of getting to spend my days with you. Remember as you enjoy your summer to treat others well, and to give them better than they deserve. We are often quick to give someone back what they dish out, but I promise you that there is so much more joy to be had by holding yourself personally accountable for how you treat others, even if they have treated you poorly. So much of the hurt, drama, and arguing would disappear if we learned to treat others how we would want to be treated, and that includes treating them well even when they have done something hurtful. You never know what others are going through… give them better than they deserve and you may be part of helping them through a difficult time.

Updates:

Next year we will be changing iSpartan a little bit. On cycle days 1 through 4 you will return to the block that corresponds with the cycle day (on day one you would return to block 1, etc.), and placements will be determined by your quarter and semester grades. There is a chance we will use mid-marking period grades too. These changes have come as a result of feedback we received from students about it not being easy to see their teachers during iSpartan, and feedback we have received from the staff about having time to get to know the students they are to be supervising. The quarterly placements are the result of our desire to help assure we do everything we can to help you to be successful. If you are doing well, you have earned additional privileges. If you are struggling, we owe it to you to do everything we can to help. If you end a quarter with a ‘D’ or an ‘F’, we want to make sure that we give you the support needed for you to pass the class, hence the quarter long placement based on the previous quarter. If you end a semester with a ‘D’ or and ‘F’, we want to make sure you get the next semester started on the right foot.

If we didn’t care we would allow failure without attempting to intervene, but we do care. Some of you may not see it as that, but education is the tool that unlocks endless opportunities in your future, and it is incumbent upon us to do what we can while you are here to assure you get a good one. It is natural for teenagers not to see the value in it, and that is why it is so important for those of us who really care about you to do everything in our power to assure you maneuver through these years successfully.

Finish strong!

Have a great last full week, study for your finals, and have a wonderful summer!

Mr. Cox

Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School

 

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