Good morning Garden Spot!
It has been a wonderful two weeks, and hard to believe they have passed so quickly. This is one of the most important things to realize about life, that is passes so quickly. Take the time to realize the sweetness that is contained in each day… watch the sunset, run in the rain, choose to put a smile on your face, enjoy the company of others, and treat others well. If you can find a way to enjoy each day, the quickness with which it passes will be full of great memories. Life is too short to waste it being angry… I don’t care what anyone else does to you. Happiness is a decision to live your life in a way that brings about positive interactions with those around us on a daily basis. Make the decision to live your life in a way that allows you to love every day, even the crappy ones!
Reminders:
• Grades will be pulled on September 16 and used for iSpartan Placements that will begin on September 24. Keep up with your school work, ask for help as needed, and don’t attempt to justify poor grades if you have not taken the steps necessary to be successful. Begin seeing your teachers now if you are struggling, and make up any missed assignments you may have.
Teacher Spotlight:
• There are many teachers here who go above and beyond to make sure that every student has opportunities available to them, but there are two in particular I’d like to spotlight today. Mr. Crossgrove and Mr. Eller have unselfishly, and without hesitation, agreed to give their time and efforts to assure that all of the different programs we offer to reach the wide array of students in our school are not only supervised, but well instructed. They are well aware that doing so will leave them tired and drained at the end of many days, but they have chosen to do so anyway because of their desire to serve the best interest of all of you. If you have ever had these two, take the time to thank them for going beyond their regular duties to make sure you have every possible opportunity. If you have not had them, take the time to thank a teacher that has made a difference in your life.
Personal Challenge:
• There is a sign in Mrs. Petry’s room that reads, “Don’t be upset by the results you don’t get from the things you don’t do”. This is such a simple saying, but holds true in all areas of life. If you don’t try and don’t give your best, you can’t expect that everything will turn out wonderfully. Success takes effort, and pointing the finger of blame when you have done nothing to assure you are successful, is a bit ridiculous. Instead of getting mad that you were not successful at something you didn’t really try to be successful at, learn to put in the effort that is necessary to be successful. You will start to get results, and will be able to be proud of your efforts. Pride in a job well done is one of the best ways I know to improve self-esteem, and pride and self-esteem make it much easier to see the good in life.
It should come as no surprise that those who have learned to work hard and not make excuses for poor performance are often those that are happiest. Life is difficult, and working at it instead of giving up lends itself to a more positive outlook on life. Working at it instead of giving up creates a sense of pride because the harder you work, the more successes you experience. The more successes you experience, the more confidence and self-esteem you have because you realize that you are actually good at things.
Often times we claim to not be good at things, when really our lack of success is the result of our lack of effort in that area. Of course, there are always exceptions… sometimes we work as hard as we can at something and still do not find success. In those moments, however, we learn that it is possible to be proud of our efforts even if we are not completely successful. I earned a ‘C’ in both of my college Physics courses, and I worked harder at them then I did in almost any other class I had ever taken. I was more proud of those two grades then I was of most of my other grades because I knew how hard it was for me to earn them. I watched many others around me throw in the towel and give up, which was also a choice.
My challenge to you is to never give up, to work hard at everything, even the things you are not good at, and to not make excuses in an effort to justify a lack of performance. Go get ‘em, Spartans!
Mr. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School