It’s Thanksgiving in just a few days, and, like all of you, I begin to think about the things for which I am most grateful. We all know that 2020 has been a year like no other. However, sometimes it takes working through the difficult things to begin to see what really matters. Here are a few things that really matter to me as the superintendent of this district and a member of this community.
Family. Both my own family (especially my precious grandchildren, Jace and Codi) and the Floresville Family. This year, we saw the community come together to provide food and support for one another. We saw families sharing hopeful messages in chalk on their driveways. Even though at times we couldn’t be together physically, we started to make more time to call, Zoom, or Facetime the ones we love most. We were intentional about connecting with each other even when it was hard.
The FISD staff. School people always work hard, but this year has been a different kind of hard work. During this pandemic, our staff has educated children, fed families, and provided social and emotional support for one another and our students. All of these things had to be done completely differently than we used to do them. Yet, school people put the wellbeing of students first even when it was hard.
FISD kids. I am thankful for the resilience of our students and the grace afforded me and the FISD staff as we learned how to completely change how we do our work. I am thankful that our students think beyond themselves by participating in food drives and celebrating our countries’ veterans. I am thankful that they are resilient and focused even when it is hard.
As you enjoy the next week with your families and loved ones, either in person or virtually, I hope you are able to take a few minutes to reflect on how working through these hard times has helped you shine a light on the things that matter most to you and yours.