Good morning Garden Spot!

Reminders:

Seniors will be returning to their homerooms for days 5-10 of the upcoming cycle in order to present their Service Learning Projects. All other students will be in iSpartan placements based on their final quarter 1 grades. Juniors and Seniors will receive new placements for the cycle that begins on December 2, 2015. I was not sure I was going to be able to make this work, so your teachers had been told that all students would be returning to homeroom for the upcoming days 5-10, but I was able to figure out how to make this happen.

Teacher Spotlight:

This week I’d like to spotlight a teacher who has brought her passion for life to our school. She is involved in GSPA, brings her personal experiences into the classroom, and leads the LEO club for our school. LEO is a community service club that has been helping to make our community better. Through their efforts with a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society last year they were generously given Hershey Bears tickets to give to the students and staff at our school. Ms. Barnett has been a tremendous addition to our staff, and works tirelessly both in and out of school to assure that each of you and the larger school community receive all that you deserve. If you have had Ms. Barnett in class, or are a member of the LEO Club, thank her for her efforts in making Garden Spot great. If not, thank a teacher you have or know that is making a meaningful impact in the lives of your peers.

Personal Challenge:

When things are tough, you need to keep going. The other option is to give up and decide to let life keep you down. If you want tomorrow to be better, you need to do things that will make it better. Most things in life are out of your control, but there are some things that are within your control. Treating people well, paying attention and doing well in school… those two things are things you can control, and if you do them a little better, tomorrow will have one less worry and a chance of being a little better. If you do not take the steps to improve in those areas, then it is unlikely that tomorrow will look any better.

Another important factor in making tomorrow better is to do things that you can be proud of, and to focus your attention on the things that are good in your life. If you think there is nothing in good in your life, then it is time to do things that introduce good into your life… see the paragraph above. If you choose to dwell on the bad, and ignore the good, then your days will grow worse and worse as you dwell on the bad. Conversely, if you look to the good, even in bad times, it will help you keep a positive mindset that will help you through the tough times. Find those things that are good, do things that will bring good into your life, and focus your attention on those things. This is the best way to make tomorrow a little brighter. If you take care of business, and focus on getting your priorities in line, then there will always be good that you can look to in tough times. It doesn’t make the tough times any easier or less painful, but it gives you hope that eventually the tough times will pass and a brighter tomorrow will emerge.

I have often said to students in my office that when life seems bad you need to do things that have a chance of making it a little better. If you do not, then it is unlikely that tomorrow will be any better. When life gets tough it is not uncommon for people to stop taking care of the little things that really matter, and as they stop taking care of those little things they begin to feel overwhelmed life. As the burdens of life pile up, not taking care of those things you can control only contributes to the weight you feel on your shoulders. I challenge you to persevere in doing the things that you know have a chance of bringing about a better tomorrow, knowing that it is those things that will help bring you through the tough times in your life.

There is a saying that I like to use when talking with people about starting down a new path to success and a positive future; the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago… the second best time is today. The same is true of charting a new course for your life. Now is the time, today is the day. Decide to start doing the things you know need to be done to help assure a positive future. You can do it… I believe in you, and you deserve it.

Have a great week!

Mr. Cox

Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School