A Time of Gratitude

Every morning when I look up and can see the Hā‘upu Ridge, I am filled with gratitude for what it means to be an educator and school leader at Island School.

I know the practice of gratitude has been researched by many to identify the positive effects it has on us as individuals, not to mention the impact on the communities to which we belong. And yet too often our daily lives ask us to focus on our deficits vs. our assets. I don’t shy away from the things we need to work on…we’ve got some important work ahead in the years to come for our community. And I am fueled each day through seeing, valuing, feeling, all that serves us as a thriving community.

I am filled with gratitude for our Board of Directors who offered a chance to double the impact each of us makes by December 31 in support of the Annual Voyager Fund.

I am filled with gratitude for our faculty and staff who work hard each day to engage and inspire our students and build a community of care.

I am filled with gratitude for our students whose energy and enthusiasm that allows them to dive into new ways to understand the world every day.

I am filled with gratitude for our families whose choice to partner with us through educating and raising their children to become thriving adults makes Island School possible.

I am filled with gratitude for the beautiful campus and the natural resources Kaua‘i provides that allows us to experience the wonder of our island home.

And before I close, I hope you don’t mind if I offer a bit of advice for the week ahead. Please enjoy the break and may the change in schedule allow you and yours important connection and rejuvenation time. I hope your family is together for the break, I hope the change of pace gives you the opportunity to listen, listen, listen to your children. At times these breaks can lead to more screen time and less supervised time…and I hope you and your children find a good balance for rest, connection, screen time as appropriate, and physical movement and engagement wherever you are. Your intentional choices in these areas will make the return to school easier for all when it’s time.

Mahalo nui for your partnership with Island School. Learning and growing is NOT easy work, nor is it something you can see overnight. And so as we move through both the moments of wonder and the moments of hardship, I am grateful to be doing this important work with this caring community. 

Together,

P.S.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to give AGAIN to the annual fund knowing that my gift will be DOUBLED. Exciting!

P.P.S.

And you may know that I have been away on O‘ahu since Wednesday. If you’re curious about what I’ve been up to, read on…

And then on Thursday and Friday, I joined another IS team at the Schools of the Future Conference. This conference brings together public and private educators from across the state to dive into critical issues facing the world of education today and tomorrow. I was so glad to be doing this important work with colleagues (Christine White-Tzeng, counselor and learning specialist; Emily Thomas, physical education teacher; Jaime Nause, social studies teacher; Teddy Rose, technology teacher, Brad Haugh, 3rd grade teacher, Jenny Lewis, math teacher; Sue Macklin, Early Years Division Director...who is also a presenter!)

I close my time on O'ahu on Friday and Saturday with 16 dedicated high school students and their fearless leader Pat Gegen as they participate in the exciting annual event of the Pacific Model United Nations event. This particular event brings students from throughout the Pacific Rim to take on roles and solve major world problems - going as far into the future as 2057. As I leave them on Saturday, Tina Aiu (AP US History teacher) will complete the weekend with the group through Sunday.