Take the opportunities
I was thinking back to an old blog that I wrote and the picture that accompanied it:
I believe these students are in 7th grade now; but then, they were in kindergarten. They had just begun their school journey, eyes full of wonder, ready to take on all that elementary school had to offer. Never could they fathom, in their wildest imaginations, that they would end their elementary years from home and begin middle school in a myriad of ways, but nothing close to how they thought it would be. All they knew at that time was that we don’t give up - we keep learning no matter what.
“Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.” - Kirill Korshikov
I love this quote because it is so true. We may not be able to predict what lesson life will decide to teach us at any given time, but if we look to each day as an opportunity to learn, we will not be disappointed. Learning is a life journey; it is not a race that is based on speed and there is no finish line. The power in the journey is the number of opportunities one takes and the strong relationships that are built along the way.
Today, as I walk the halls and visit the classrooms, I look to our students to see if they are making that connection. I strive to see what opportunities they encounter each day, and which of those opportunities they are taking. Here’s is what I learn from them:
Important learning is often bigger than we are.
Setting and achieving goals are easier with a team of support.
Discovery and accomplishment are tenfold when we combine our brain power.
The pandemic may have temporarily halted some things, but not HBRES students nor their learning journeys. As I think back to that blog from years ago, I am reminded of the resilience and determination of our students, and I am proud to be part of this community of learners. Each and every day brings opportunities to learn something new. No matter the modality, our “don’t quit” mentality helps all of us to remember that learning never stops!
“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” - Henry Ford
Julie Melnyk
HBRES Principal