Saturday, June 18, 2016

TOMMIE SAYLOR: It's another year in the books

“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure…  than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”
Theodore Roosevelt

By Tommie Saylor
Kennedy High School

It is another year “in the books” and what a year it was. Back in September I wrote:

“The 2015 – 2016 school year is now upon us, and we have three large hills to climb, the first trimester, the second trimester, and the third trimester. Once again, I feel your eyes upon my back, some pushing and others pulling. Yet together we will stand upon the crest of the final hill in triumph, together we will make this school year the best one yet. But keep in mind that upon your back are the eyes of your students. How and where will you lead them?”

Now as we stand upon “the final hill” looking back over the school year in raged triumph, battered and bruised, we must ask ourselves, did we win or did we lose? Was this school year epically awesome to stand as the model for all other school years yet to come, or was this school year a devastating loss wrought with disappointment, frustration and disillusion?

In truth, I would say someplace between the two extremes. As I review this school year, I can recall many victories, some simple and small, many others huge and life changing.  We suffered losses as well, losses that have left us scarred.  Personally, I like to believe that our victories outweigh our losses, both in number and impact. In our business it is hard to quantify. Each victory and each loss is independently graduated within the heart and mind of each individual.

As we brush this year’s dust off of our shoulders we see on the horizon the 2016-2017 school year looming over us.  Three more hills, three more trimesters, students that need us more than we will ever know. Have a great summer.


How and where will you lead them. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence by design.


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