Last week, I had the opportunity to take a quick dip in the Detroit River. A large space was cut in the ice, rescue divers were positioned, and with swimsuit and cape, I jumped into the frigid water. By the time my body was feeling the sting of the icy water, I was already on my way to climbing up the ladder. I was numb for a little while and kept my hooded sweatshirt on even after I had warmed up at home later that day. Why did I go for a river swim in February? To raise money for the Special Olympics!
I had a lot of people tell me I’m crazy. (That was true long before the Polar Plunge). I wanted to help contribute to a good cause, but to be honest, what I did was just a drop in the bucket. I gave up a couple of hours out of my weekend and raised a couple hundred dollars. However, 300 other people also gave up a couple hours that day and they also raised money. By the end of the day, our group had raised over $100,000 for the Special Olympics and we were just one of the many Polar Plunges across the state of Michigan. All those drops in the bucket turned into a tidal wave of positive energy and made a real difference for some pretty special kids!
As educators, we can often feel that all that we do is a single drop in the bucket. That is the truth. Luckily for us, every drop makes a difference and working together we can help fill the buckets that will change lives and shape the future. Take pride when people call you crazy for caring too much and for trying to do the impossible. It’s people like you who give all they have to make sure kids have all they need. Keep putting your drop in the bucket and know that the tidal wave of possibilities will eventually come!
“Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make change.” – Barbara Mikulski
“It’s easy to make a buck. It’s a lot tougher to make a difference.” – Tom Brokow
“What I like to do is make a difference with the work I do.” – David Bowie
- Monday, March 5: Celebrate Monday Assembly 9:05 AM, Principals Collaborative Time 1:30-4:30 PM
- Tuesday, March 6: Homebound Meeting 9:30 AM, REED (Benson) 2:30 PM
- Wednesday, March 7: Parent Meeting (Ringler/Medellin) 8:30 AM, Elementary Principals Meeting 1:00-4:30 PM, PTA Board Meeting 2:30 PM, Kindergarten Parent Information Night 6:00-7:00 PM
- Thursday, March 8: Staff Meeting (Safety Protocols) 8:05 AM, Tornado Drill 3:30 PM
- Friday, March 9: Safari Reader Day, Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM, Teacher Work Day in Building
- Saturday, March 10: PTA Pancake Breakfast/Book Fair Kick Off 9:00-12:00
- Week of March 12: Scholastic Book Fair in the East Commons
- Monday, March 12: Celebrate Monday Assembly 9:05 AM
- Tuesday, March 13: Achievement Team 8:15 AM, All Administrators Meeting 3:00-4:30 PM, Grades due in by midnight
- Wednesday, March 14: Principals M-Step Workshop at Central Office 1:30-4:00 PM
- Thursday, March 15: Collaborative Learning Time 7:50-8:50 AM, Movie in the gym in the afternoon
- Friday, March 16: Report Cards go home
BIG DATES
- Thursday, March 22: Battle of the Books (lunch in classrooms)
- Tuesday, March 27: Wild About Book All-School Assembly 1:30-2:30 PM
- Friday, March 30: No School – Spring Break Begins!
- Thursday, April 12: Science Fair (More info to come soon)
- Saturday, April 21: PTA Garden Beautification Project
- Thursday, April 26: Art Showcase (Grades K-4) & Music Performance (Grades 1&2) 6:00-7:30 PM
- Friday, May 11: PTA Spring Fling 6:00-8:00 PM
- Friday, May 25: Students & Staff dismissed at 12:10 PM
- Wednesday, May 30: Kindergarten Round Up
- Friday, June 8: Field Day
- Tuesday, June 12: Kindergarten Celebration/Music Concert 1:30 PM
- Thursday, June 14: All School Assembly 10:00-11:00 AM, Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM
- Friday, June 15: Students Dismissed at 12:10 PM
- Monday, June 18: Teacher Work Day (Optional Report)
The Spark of Learning 