From the Desk of Mr. Brad Williams
First, I would like to start with a note of gratitude and appreciation to our students, faculty and family regarding our transition info our formal, sweater uniforms. Only a few “reminders” were distributed on our first day with the new uniforms, students are looking clean and sharp, and compliance with the policy is generally off to a good start. Our students look modest, yet respectable and smart in their new uniforms. This would not be possible without the support of our families, faculty and staff—thank you!
Looking ahead, there are some changes on the horizon. We are almost halfway through the second quarter of the academic year. The weather is getting cold, fast. Sunday marks our change to day light savings. Our fall sports have all ended (congratulations to our girls Tennis team, Coach Berger and Coach Schwalbach on a great season) and our winter sports are kicking into gear. Underscoring all of this of course is the holiday season.
It seems important at times like this to be mindful of how to best experience the upcoming changes in a way that is seamless and graceful. For me, that involves trying to plan ahead as a teacher and administrator. Looking at the calendar, lesson planning, reviewing the sequence of curriculum. Being proactive in terms of talking with the right people, at the right time. I of course encourage this type of thinking for our students. Look forward, be thoughtful, think strategically—all of this will help avoid unneeded stress and difficulties as time goes on.
Related to this is taking time to take care of oneself. I will again speak for myself, hoping others may glean utility. In general, I try to be mindful of six activities: 1) Prayer, 2) exposure to sunlight, 3) movement and exercise, 4) nutrition, 5) healthy sleep, 6) meaningful social connections.
For our students, these are all of course important, but I think often about our students, and young people in general, developing meaningful social connections. It’s easy to observe in school their positive interactions, which is a joyful aspect of working in education. Where my mind goes to beyond that observation is how much time young people spend on social media. I say this to my students regularly, I will continue to say it and will state it here: I encourage everyone (students and adults) to spend less time on screens and more time engaging in meaningful activities. Go outside (without a phone), engage with friends and families, feel the energy that comes from hard exercise.
I try to make these six activities part of my life as much as possible, and it seems especially important with all of the changes and activities in the coming months. With this in mind, I hope this message finds you well and that these words are received with encouragement and optimism.
Mr. Brad Williams
