"Vision to See, Faith to Believe, Courage to Do"
Dear Staff,
We know that today in some way all of you will be celebrating Mother's Day. To all of you who are fortunate enough to be mothers, we wish for you a day of love with your children. Certainly over time, Mother's Day embodies those certain days when we can mark the changes in our lives. For me, the one phrase that stands out about mothers is "All Kinds of Kinds."
Thank God that there are all different kinds of mothers. For me, my mother was not the cookie-baking, homemade meals, reading stories at bedtimes kind of mother. In the 1960's, she was an anomaly, the only mother of all of my friends, of all the houses on the street, and one of the few mothers who worked full-time. For that reason, we saw very little of each other, as I did not grow up in the Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver families on TV.
She worked so that we could eat and have clothes, as my father did not work, totally disabled from the war. Instead of baking cookies with my mother I grew up drinking ginger ale at the American Legion and VFW Halls. My mother never stayed home when I was sick as when she did not work as the registrar of the Washington County Health Department, she did not get paid. I understood the realities of growing up and trying to survive.
And so while I have very few childhood memories of her, I have many adult memories. I remember her crying when she and my Dad dropped me off at OSU, and how surprised I was that she was going to miss me, a gross error on my part. She wrote me lengthy letters in her distinct cursive writing weekly when I was in college, exhorting and encouraging me to do my best and not drop out. I think she knew that going to Ohio State on the GI Bill was my one and only chance to have a better life than she, and I learned she desperately wanted that for me.
After that, I came to know her as someone who progressed to being somewhat resentful for having to work to someone proud of her job. She retired after 30 years of service and spent her remaining years being the ornery mother and grandmother-- driving Trans Ams, getting repeated speeding tickets, shopping with her daughters and grandchildren, and loving to eat out, as long as it was not Mexican. :)
Today I longingly walk by the Hallmark aisles wanting to buy her a Mother's Day card but knowing I no longer can and wanting to tell her how proud of her I was for being a trailblazer for working mothers.
Today, I will spend Mother's Day with Jennifer at the Worthington Inn Brunch. And I will cherish the time to look in her eyes, just as I did the first time 30 years of go. I will think of the Mother's Day I spent talking on the phone to my mother as an adult, the Mother's Days wondering if I would ever be a mother, and the first Mother's Day with Jennifer when she was exactly one week old and 5 lbs of sugar.
The best part of Mother's Day: cherishing that there are all kinds of mothers, just as there are all kinds of people, and that is the greatest gift of life. Enjoy this special day, and remember all of the things that made your mother unique, and for those of you who are mothers, everything that makes you unique.
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| Four generations of mothers and daughters in our family. Mom is in the middle. |
This Week--
Much thanks to Michael Cook, Diane Murphy and Junior Cabinet for such a beautiful Prom. Prom King is Matt McCarty and Prom Queen is Sara Peele.
Please remember that by Friday you need to determine Senior Grades in your classes, continue to notify parents of any failing seniors, inform seniors if they are taking exams, and send the names of Senior Exam seniors to us. Please call those grades on Friday, rather than May 19 or May 20. It is best if you assume that seniors will not be in class on May 19 or 20, and that is why it is important that you inform them this week if they take senior exams.
We will need your extra eyes and ears for this week and next in terms of senior supervision. Please be visible in the mornings and be in the hallways between classes. Please limit hall passes and inform us of any and all senior pranks you may hear. Help us send a a positive yet no-nonsense message to our seniors as we approach their last week.
Thanks to all of you we submitted all of the OTES Final Summative Ratings on time to the state. We so much appreciate our positive collaboration with you throughout this process.
Monday: You are all invited to come to the Board of Education meeting Monday at 7 PM at the 1919 Building as Gretchen George is honored with the Golden Shamrock Award. The recognition segment of the building is at the beginning, so that part should end by 7:30 PM or so. Congrats, Gretchen!
Tuesday: Senior Awards Night at 7 PM. Much thanks to all of the secretaries and guidance counselors who have made this night so special. This is our most academically talented class, and it will be an honor to recognize them for all of their achievements.
Wednesday: Our final staff meeting of the year at 7:15 AM in the band room. Please send me any items for the agenda you have. Also the final Orchestra Concert is at 7 PM.
Also on Wednesday, I have the honor to participate as a member of the interview team for the district's new Chief Academic Officer.
Thursday: At 7:15 AM, there is a Cedar Point Senior Trip meeting for all chaperones in the Media Center.
We will also begin building our Master Schedule in the Media Center Reference Room. Anyone is welcome to attend as an observer to this wonderful collaborative team effort. The team includes Bob Scott, Scott Sibberson, Karen Kendall-Sperry, Katherine Fogg, Catherine Smith, Aaron Bauer, Sondra Snodgrass and me. Much thanks to all of the chairs and to all of you for hard work in determining the classes offered, the number of sections and for understanding the importance of building a master schedule that schedules the highest number of students successfully.
Also, Band Concert at 7 PM.
Friday: Master Schedule Building continues.
Spring Fling picnic in the back parking lot during all three lunches with grilled out hamburgers and chicken. Thanks to Jazz Band for providing the music. If the weather is rainy, we will move it indoors.
Also Senior locker clean-out. More details to come.
Senior Dinner 6 PM
Looking ahead:
May 19: Senior will be riding alternative vehicles to school and most likely involved in a Senior Event for a day. Please do not require them to be in class on this day or assume they will be there. If they are low-performing or need to hand in work, they will be required to be here during senior exam time so please stay in communication with us.
May 20: Cedar Point trip. We have about 2/3 of the class going and many athletes who are unable to attend. It is important that you make this a learning experience for these students rather than a study hall all day.
Senior Exams: May 21- May 27
May 27: Required graduation practice 1 PM
Underclass Exams: May 28 - June 2. All requests to reschedule exams must go to an admin first.
Thanks for all of your work! Have terrific week! We are almost there!
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