First year experience
The year 2020 has provided me with a truly unique “last
year” experience as a high school Principal.
While I never would have scripted it this way, oddly, the 2020-21 school
year has been a chance for me to have a new ‘first year” experience. Yes, in many ways and at many times I have
felt like a brand new Principal. I think
back to 2009-10, my first at HBRHS, and who I was, what I believed, and what I
thought was needed of me. So much has
changed. While, hopefully, I have grown
as a Principal and leader, what truly strikes me is how much things have
changed in terms of what the students, staff, and school as whole need from
me. While there are definitely times,
and challenges I face, that allow me to think back and rely on my experience to
guide the way, there are certainly times this year when I find that there
really isn’t much in my inventory of experiences that I can call on to help me
help others. That is an interesting
feeling from a 27 year career that had, until recently, lead me to believe, “I
thought I’d seen it all.”
Well, education in the age of Covid-19 has taught us many
things… including the fact that none of us has “seen it all.” So, we continue to strategize, continue to
adapt, and continue to do the very best for the people we serve. I am proud of the fact that we have been able
to provide a quality set of hybrid learning experiences for our students. Proud of the fact that, until November 30,
our students have had the opportunity to show up to school, in person, every
day. And proud to know that when they do return to us, we will be ready.
Someday we will emerge from this pandemic, stronger, more well-rounded, and fully capable of managing secondary education in new and creative ways. My only regret? I will not be around to see it. That being said, Hinckley-Big Rock Community School District 429 is in wonderful hands… and will do quite well without me. But, I am not leaving tomorrow, so the plan is to give it my very best until the day I do… June 30, 2021. I promise not to count down the days… that would only cheat me out of the joy and contentment that comes with my job. Thanks for reading….and thank you for letting me be your high school Principal for the past 12 years.
All the best to you and your family this holiday season,
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| All decorated for the holiday season |
Jay Brickman