Excelsior!

Not long ago, the comic world lost one of its greatest artist, Stan Lee. Before his passing at the age of 95, Stan Lee had been the founder of Marvel Comics and created such characters as Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Black Panther and many more. In addition to his creative genius, Lee was noted for his robust sense of humor. Some of that can be seen in his more than 20 cameo appearances in the Marvel movies. During an interview spanning his groundbreaking career, Stan Lee stated that he never liked spending time on past accomplishments, but rather prefered to focus on upcoming projects and new opportunities (this was when he was in his 90’s). At some point during his career, Stan Lee started using the word “Excelsior!” as his tag line. The word originates from Latin and means “ever upward” and came to be a symbol of his quest for excellence.

Recently, I purchased a comic book that ended with a full page dedication to the memory of Stan Lee with the word “Excelsior!” Now, this would be expected in a publication from Marvel Comics that he helped found. However, the tribute was from DC Comics, the rival company. DC was paying tribute to someone who had made their comics better by raising the bar for everyone. Stan Lee had transcended the world of comics and had become an inspiration to artists and dreamers around the world and the embodiment of continuous progress.

As an educator, I want to follow the example set by Stan Lee. His creativity and originality led to the birth of some of the world’s most enduring comic heroes. I want to use my creativity and originality to make my school a fun and inspiring place for students and staff to grow in. His sense of humor helped put people at ease and made generations of people (even those that never met him in person) feel like they had a friend and mentor. I want to remind my team to laugh and to always take our job seriously, but never ourselves. Finally, his philosophy of continuous improvement is something that I want to model for my staff, encourage for my students, and live each day as an educator. Thank you, Stan Lee for so many great memories, but also for teaching us to always work on creating a better future. Excelsior!

“I think I’ve never stopped feeling like a kid.” – Stan Lee

“Sooner or later, if man is ever to be worthy of his destiny, we must fill our hearts with tolerance.” – Stan Lee

“The pleasure of reading a story and wondering what will come next for the hero is a pleasure that has lasted for centuries and, I think, will always be with us.” – Stan Lee

Betty Rosen-Leacher Emily Sickler

Monday, January 14: Celebrate Monday Assembly 9:05 AM
Tuesday, January 15: Achievement Team (Ringler) 8:15 AM
Wednesday, January 16: PTA Board Meeting 2:35 PM
Thursday, January 17: Building PD (Burke/Jones) 7:50-8:50 AM, Elementary Principals Meeting 1:00-4:30 PM
Friday, January 18: F&P/ELB Data in Illuminate, Building Visit by Marjorie Moore 11:00-1:00 PM (lunch provided in the lounge)

Monday, January 21: No School for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Tuesday, January 22: Achievement Team 8:15 AM
Wednesday, January 23: Data Dive Meetings 9:00 – 12:00 AM (Rotating Subs), Jon to ABC Negotiations 1:00 PM
Thursday, January 24: Staff Meeting 8:05 AM, PTA Meeting 7:00 PM