A minister once told me that the reason the years go faster when you get older is that when you are 5 years old, one year is 1/5th of your life. When you are 50, that one year is 1/50th of your life, so it goes 10 times faster! OK, I got the message and yes, this was a very fast year!
Each month our Board of Education recognizes students and staff who have excelled at the first- or second-place levels either at the state or national level. I must tell you that our boardroom is packed every month with people who have achieved these accomplishments! We are extremely fortunate to have such outstanding people in our schools.
We celebrated great gains in academic achievement this past year as we went from about 350 students scoring at the distinguished level in every subject area on the KCCT to more than 1,800. Wow! Those celebrations were special, as the kids were treated to a night at the Oscars. We went from three schools breaking the 100 mark to 13 in one year, and we had 12 schools make double-digit gains compared with four last year.
I could list hundreds of accomplishments, from four state academic titles in one year at Paul Laurence Dunbar, to the highest academic performance of any girls’ soccer team in the state at Bryan Station, to Meadowthorpe’s state champion chess team, to teachers of the year. And this list could go on and on. Check out our past issues of Stu’s News, and you will find all of these types of accomplishments highlighted.
Our kids are learning at levels never before reached. Do we still have a long way to go? Absolutely. And we plan to continue to work very hard to move forward.
On a personal note, I am so happy to report that I am doing well after all the surgeries related to the bicycle accident. Wow, that was a life-changing experience! I sure do count my blessings when I find a parking place far away and I am able to walk to the door without any pain! Also, our Board of Education extended my contract for four more years, and I’m very grateful and honored to be able to continue to serve you.
Sam, my dog, had a pretty rough year. His back legs became paralyzed in November after a couple of discs in his back exploded. Luckily, he was able to have surgery, and although he is still a little wobbly, he can walk and run again. I often have told folks that Sam and I were on the same medications!
As we move into the summer, my hope is that you will be able to spend some quality time with your families and get some rest. I know that life does not stop during the summer, but it is a different kind of pace and focus. I hope it will be an enjoyable time.
Remember, as we get older, the years go by much faster, so be sure to take advantage of this time. Have a great summer!
