School Superintendent Kenneth Savage

To our community,

With the winter holidays now vividly on the horizon, I would like to take a moment to send a special message about my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving. By definition, this holiday asks us to focus on “setting aside time to give thanks for one’s blessings.” During this season of gratitude, I would like to take a moment to recognize the abundance that I have to be thankful for.

While I have seen firsthand the tremendous challenges we have faced this year, I have also experienced the very best of what our school district can do with the support of the community. This “best” is what our school and district teams bring to the table every day for our children. This “best” is the refusal of a social worker to give up on a student who has not made it to school. This “best” is the persistence of a teacher whose student finally experienced success — that “lightbulb moment” in the classroom. This “best” is the school leader’s commitment to resolving conflict through restorative mediation — and achieving lasting success with students. This “best” is a bus driver who is the first smiling face to greet a student and set her day on a positive track. This “best” is a food service team member who ensures a student receives perhaps his or her only warm thanksgiving meal of the holiday. This “best” is our community partners rallying around our students and teachers to remind them how important they are. This “best” is all of us — doing our very best in spite of the world around us so that ALL of our children have the best chance at the brightest future every day. And despite what may feel necessary or right, this “best” is rarely a big event — it is a “little thing” — a choice that is made daily to bring our personal “best” to the table to provide for our children.

For many of us, this time of year may include travel to visit with family and friends, enjoying holiday foods, and reflecting on what we are grateful for. For some, it may also mean the first holiday season since a parent lost a job or a house. And for some, it may mean the first holiday season without a loved one. As we are perhaps more poised than ever to collectively take inventory of what we are thankful for, I ask that we never give up on extending our definition of “family” to include our entire community — that we care for each other as our own and extend grace and a “seat at the table” to each other to provide not only physical nourishment — but the nourishment of our souls through a sincere commitment to understanding each other and moving forward as a community for the sake of our future — our children. We go further together.

As we begin to get swept up in all of the additional responsibilities that come along with the holiday season, I encourage us to focus on our own self-care as well. Rest, reconnect with friends, take a break, plan ahead, commit to or continue healthy habits, reach out to someone, share a cup of coffee or even a simple smile, and express appreciation to those who have helped you. It’s the “little things” that sometimes have the greatest impact.

I hope that you and your loved ones have a restful and enjoyable Thanksgiving break.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ken Savage

Superintendent