Good morning Garden Spot!

There is no better way to start the morning, and no better way to start the week, then to be able to say hello and see each of you today. Over the past month I have had to deal with something that has left me upset, frustrated, sad, and confused. I was spending a lot of time trying to understand it, and allowing myself to be centered on the bad in that situation, which cast a shadow over the good that I am surrounded by on a daily basis. I have been spending quite a bit of time over the past week reflecting on all of the good things that are a part of my life, one of which is all of you! Thank you for being awesome!

Reminders:

• The end of the quarter is on Wednesday. Please make sure that you are communicating with your teacher’s and taking care of any work that you may have missed during quarter 1.
• Seniors will be presenting their graduation projects during the upcoming cycle, from November 6 through November 20. All Seniors will be assigned to their homerooms for that cycle, and there will be no open campus privileges during that time.

Teacher Spotlight:

• This week I would like to spotlight two staff members who changed into gym clothes in order to participate with their students in the competitive lifetime physical activities classes. It would certainly be easier to just say no to an invitation like this show that you did not have to sweat, or wake up hurting for the next three days (or five), but did so because it is fun and allows for them to laugh and interact with all of you in a way that is removed from content and academics. Thank you to Mrs. Custer, and Mr. Schneider for participating in these activities. If you see them, make sure to thank them for taking an interest in you beyond their classroom.

Personal Challenge:

Red Ribbon Week has come and gone, and I ask that you please realize that our desire is for each of you to live a long and fulfilling life. The reality is that drugs and alcohol do not bring about happiness and fulfillment, but rather leave people with a trail of broken relationships as they say and do things that they would not have done had they not been using. Life is difficult enough to understand as a teenager, adding drugs and alcohol only makes it more difficult and shifts priorities from where they should be (creating a positive future) onto something that has no chance of building a positive future. That is the truth, whether people want to admit the truth or not does not change the fact that drugs and alcohol do not lead to a better and more fulfilling life. Instead, drug and alcohol use generally leads to sadness, depression, loneliness, broken relationships, anger, resentment, and a general dissatisfaction with life.

All of the studies show that the time of first use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol is often between 8th and 10th grade. The studies also show that the longer you hold out, the less likely you are to start. The reason for that is simple… as you mature with age, you begin to see the reality of what drug and alcohol use does to people. It makes them say and do things they wish they could take back. It makes them stop doing things they used to love doing. It often leads to a decrease in grades and general lack of caring about things that should be a priority in their lives. It makes them irritable and moody, often interfering with otherwise healthy relationships. When you’re in the moment, it may seem like fun, but an outsider watching the life of someone who begins using drugs and alcohol quickly becomes aware of the changes that occur in their life, and they are not desirable to mature people. This is why people who did not start as teenagers don’t usually start using tobacco, drugs, or alcohol when they are older. The more mature you become, the less appealing those things become.

How many adults do you know who are happy about being addicted to cigarettes? I don’t know of many, but I do know a whole lot who have tried to quit over and over again, and often lament how they wish they had never started. How many alcoholics or people addicted to drugs are living the life they had always hoped to have? I can’t think of any I know or have ever heard of that can say it has made their life better. Think about it… do yourself a favor and learn to say no. Any friend that can’t respect that is not a real friend at all. I would also caution you to stay away from people that are using… you can only run around with people who are doing those things for so long before you start doing them yourself. Desire a brighter future… desire more for yourself than what some who may call themselves friends are trying to sell you.

The story these so called friends are attempting to sell you is that you need to live life to the fullest… or some catchy phrase like, ‘yolo’. I challenge you to ask yourself, “Am I doing things that bring about a positive tomorrow? Am I doing things that bring about fulfillment? Am I doing things that show others in my life the value that I have for them?” So many times I hear people say that they are living life to the fullest because ‘you never know when it will end’, but their idea of living life to the fullest is often doing things that do not bring about a better tomorrow. Because of that, when tomorrow comes they find it more difficult to enjoy. As they continue to ‘live life to the fullest’ they find that each day is becoming more and more difficult. In their haste to live life to the fullest, they have in fact created a life that is more difficult and hard to understand. Consider whether the things you are doing are bringing about fulfillment, or are hurting relationships that will make tomorrow more difficult to enjoy. Living life to the fullest ought to mean that you are doing things will improve tomorrow, allow you to live at peace with those around you, and be proud of your words and actions… if those things aren’t true, then the way you are living is actually diminishing your life.

Have an excellent week, and stay classy!

Mr. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School

Hello Garden Spot!

The temperatures are dropping, and the days have been cold, dreary, and raining… this has a way of dragging down the human spirit, and you will begin to hear people lament about how they can’t wait until Spring is finally here. Please realize that Spring will arrive, just as it did last year and the year before. Your wishing it were here sooner will only cause you to lose sight of all of the important and good things that are happening right now. It has the potential to diminish your relationships and ruin your perspective. People like enthusiasm and happiness, and are drawn to people like that. Does the way you approach each day draw people to you, or does it push people away? Don’t waste another minute wishing that you were somewhere else, but make the best out of where you are at each minute… treat others right, smile, laugh, work hard, do your best… and you will find that when the future arrives it is so much easier to enjoy, no matter what the weather.

Reminders:

ATTENTION OPEN CAMPUS STUDENTS: There will be no more warnings about signing out. From this time forward your open campus privileges will be removed if you do not sign out. Saying that you had trouble accessing the site will not suffice. Saying that you forgot will not suffice. If you cannot access the site, you need to stop into the main office and sign out that way. We made this clear, but have still had anywhere from 4 – 8 students we have had to speak with each day who left, but had not signed out. It is your responsibility to sign out electronically, or through the office.

LATE ARRIVAL ON OCTOBER 15: Your homeroom teachers will be able to tell you whether or not your parents updated your student information. The information regarding who will be permitted to arrive late on October 15 has already been pulled. Anyone arriving late who is not on that list will be marked as unexcused/illegal.

EAR BUDS: Ear buds are not to be worn or seen outside of a classroom where you have been given permission to wear them by the teacher. We are seeing them in ears, or hanging around ears or the neck, more frequently. We are going to begin taking them until the end of the day, and ultimately assigning discipline if the trend continues. What a silly thing to get a detention for. You know you are not to be wearing them in the hallways or lunchroom, so please remove them. You will have no one to be upset with but yourself, as the expectations have been clearly set.

Teacher Spotlight:

We have a wonderful staff here, and they are all in. They have decided to climb into the arena with each other to battle for your futures. As teenagers there is typically a resistance to being told what to do, and going to school feels like you’re being told what to do. Just like you, adults make mistakes. When we make them it is only because we care. All that I ask is that you consider the time and effort put into helping you become adults that will be successful in this world, and give the teachers as much patience, grace, and mercy as they extend to you when you make a mistake. Don’t let one negative experience tarnish your opinion of everyone else… most of us are trying our best to treat you right and to help you grow. Thank a teacher today, and a different teacher tomorrow. And thank you for being so wonderful yourselves.

Personal Challenge:

We should all desire people in our lives that call us to be something greater than what we are, who want to point out areas where we could improve because they care about our continued growth toward becoming a better person. When we have those people in our lives we often receive their conversation with anger or disappointment, and that encourages them to no longer give us feedback. Be careful how you receive their criticism because that is what will determine whether or not people are willing to give you information that will help you grow.

Instead of receiving that criticism negatively and responding in a way that will cause them to stop freely giving it, realize the individual presenting you with that information must care about you or they would not be giving you feedback. It is obviously much easier to not tell someone something you think they could improve on, which means those who are willing to provide feedback to you must have your best interest in mind. Even if they don’t, there is often some truth to be had in the opinions of others. Keep it in perspective, and use the criticism to improve yourself. Thank them for being a big enough person to provide you with the criticism, and for caring about you enough to be honest with you. How many of us really have a friend in our lives that is willing to do that? I challenge you to surround yourself with people who will make you a better person, not just pat you on the back and agree with everything you do and say.

Have a wonderful week,

Mr. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School

Good morning Garden Spot!

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend. If you are at all like I was when I was in high school, you have been sitting around wishing it were Monday so you could get back to school! Well, here it is! A new week, a new opportunity to make a difference, a new opportunity to do things that you can be proud of. Use this time wisely, as you will never be able to get it back. Be good, be kind, be trustworthy, work hard, live a life that you can be proud of, and treat everyone around you respectfully. Go get ‘em, Spartans!

Reminders:

• This week we will be starting assigned seating for the ninth grade students during lunch. You will be sitting with your homerooms in the auxiliary cafeteria, and the tenth grade students will be using the main cafeteria. There will be no assigned seating at this point for the tenth grade students. One thing we have tried to stay consistent with is not punishing everyone for the bad choices of a few, but with 500 students in the cafeteria at a time it is too difficult to monitor what has become an increasingly frustrating problem. We should not have to tell you to not be excessively loud, to not be roaming throughout the cafeteria, and to not be throwing food and other objects. In spite of that, we have attempted to ask politely that those things not be done, and to punish when punishment was necessary. Those actions have not altered the behaviors, and this is our first step toward producing an environment that is controlled. Our preference would be that every student in this school would hold themselves accountable to the behaviors they know are acceptable, but if that is not occurring it is our duty to assure that the students under our supervision are being adequately supervised, and to provide a safe and controlled environment in all settings within our school walls.
• Grades will be pulled on Tuesday and used to determine placements for the upcoming cycle. Please be sure to seek help when it is needed, to make up work that you miss when you are not in class, to complete assignments when they are due, and complete assignments even if they will be late.

Teacher Spotlight:

• Mr. Hawkins is a man who has sincere goodwill toward others. He thoroughly enjoys what he’s doing, and desires very deeply to make a difference in the lives of every student in his room. He is kind and generous, and he is hard-working and driven to be the best that he can be. He is open to criticism, and quick to use it to improve himself and his practice. He is slow to judgment, and gentle in his criticism of others. We could all learn a thing or two from him. We are glad to have you here Mr. Hawkins, and I would encourage any student who has had him to smile and say hello today. Thank him for how much he cares.

Personal Challenge:

I remember being 16 and having my parents tell me we were moving to Kansas. I was certain that my life was over. I’ve since come to realize that there a lot of good that came out of that situation, and that my fear and dissatisfaction with moving had to do with my inability to see the bigger picture. As teenagers there is a tendency to see what is happening now as all that there is to life, but there is a much bigger picture to life than what is happening right now. Often times the things that we get most anxious or upset about are things that won’t even matter in a year or two. It is important to find a way to get that perspective on life so that we don’t allow the things that seem major today, but won’t be major in the future, to ruin our daily lives.

There are tons of articles and books about this type of thing, but the one that probably sums it up the best is the one with the title, “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: and it’s All Small Stuff”. Even the most major of events can only control the joy you are able to have in the future if you let them. None of that logic removes the reality that emotions are real, and that there is real pain and hurt that will likely find you at some point in your life, but it does summarize a point that anyone who has ever been in my office has likely heard me say… you are the only one that controls your actions, and you are the only one who decides how you handle situations that are out of your control.

I challenge you to take the worst that life throws at you, and to make the best out of it. I challenge you to be a person that others admire and respect for how you have overcome adversity and came out a better person on the other side when many would use those tough times to justify why they have not accomplished much in life, or why they are so bitter. Don’t let adversity stop you from being a person that lives a life that matters, or stops you from finding a way to love all of the good things that make life sweet… and those things are always there, even in the midst of extreme sadness, grief, or difficulties.

I look forward to another great week,
Mr. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School

Good morning Garden Spot!

It has been a pleasure seeing each of you every morning as we stand outside the front doors of this great place! It has been an amazing year so far, and you are a large part of that. Keep bringing the smiles, keep bringing the positive attitudes, keep working hard, and keep being you. You rock!

Reminders:

• Your iSpartan placements for the upcoming cycle that begins on Wednesday, September 24 will be available in your homerooms on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Your homeroom teachers will share them with you, and will post them in the same location in the room each cycle so that you can easily check your placement if you forget where you are supposed to be.
• The Outside Lunch Area is Unavailable For Use During the 9th and 10th Grade Lunch Until Further Notice. There are students who are wandering the hallway instead of traveling only in the 400 wing between the cafeteria and outside launch area. There are students who cannot keep their hands, their mouth’s, or their food to themselves. And there are students picking on other students, running around, and being so loud that it is disrupting the rooms surrounding the outside lunch area. This is not a babysitting club. In order for you to be able to have this opportunity, we need to be able to trust that you can behave appropriately. Despite several warnings and requests by us, that has not been demonstrated. Until we have a cafeteria monitor available to supervise outside, the outside lunch area will not be available.

Teacher Spotlight:

• This week the spotlight is on the new teachers that have joined our staff. Each morning and throughout the day they have a smile on their face, positive attitude, and desire to grow as a professional so they can become the best teacher they can be for the students they serve. They are working hard, and believe in the students in their classrooms. We are happy to have them here, and those of you who are in their classrooms can support that assertion. If you have Ms. Chvotzkin, Ms. Trimble, Mr. Wright, Mr. Houpt, or Ms. Boyer, take a moment to thank them for all of their hard work. If you do not have them, take a moment to introduce yourself and welcome them to the building.

Personal Challenge:

• I have heard often the argument that students don’t get paid to go to high school, but that could not be further from the truth. The number one indicator of future earning potential is the education that a person receives. A person that does not receive a high school diploma will make less money over the course of their lifetime than a person who does receive a high school diploma, so in fact you are getting paid to go to school. Likewise, the grades that you earn on your way to a high school diploma are equally significant. A person with who graduated graduated with a 2.0 GPA will not earn as much over the course of their lifetime on average as a person who graduate with a 4.0 GPA. The reason for this is simple, your performance academically is a sign of your work ethic, and the better your work ethic the more value you bring to your future place of appointment. Businesses recognize that work ethic in the form of compensation. Of course there are always exceptions to this reality, and school is certainly not for everyone, but the average income of those who obtain more education, and do well overall, is undeniably higher than those who do not obtain as much education and do not do as well academically.

No matter where you are at, or what you are doing, the harder you work, the better the attitude you have, the better your performance, the more likely it is that people will be willing to handover more responsibility to you. When it comes down to what wage you earn in life, those traits are the traits of a good worker, and they are the ones that are rewarded with increased salary. Whether you start on the assembly line at McDonald’s, grabbing the trash bags on the trash collection route, or as a clerk in a business setting, those traits are the ones that will make your employer want to offer you more responsibility. In order to get more responsibility you must prove that you are capable of handling the responsibility you currently have. If you prove that you can handle that, you will in fact be trustworthy of greater responsibilities in whatever job you take after high school, and that will translate into more money. You are getting paid for school.

Have a great Friday, and a wonderful weekend!

Mr. Elias M. Cox
Assistant Principal
Garden Spot High School