In high school and college I participated in a number of interscholastic sports. I know that it is difficult to picture that now that I'm rocking a (Grand)Dad Bod, but I've always loved sports and athletic competition.

That's one of the reasons why I love watching the olympics! It is awesome to see individuals who have committed themselves to pursue excellence competing at the highest level. I especially enjoy the less common sports like dressage, fencing, archery, etc. because they provide a glimpse into pure purpose. Rarely are these individuals driven by achieving fame or fortune. I'm not sure they're selling many Judo champion jerseys. Rather, they compete for the love of the sport and to achieve their best.

As we prepare for the start of this school year, I believe we can learn lessons from these athletes. Especially throughout this COVID pandemic, our focus and energy may have been drawn away from our core purpose. We have needed to address a number of health and safety first, support our kids' learning from home, navigate mask requirements, and try to keep some kind of normalcy.

We are excited that the guidance allows us to focus on our core purpose once again: teaching and learning in school!

Our custodial and maintenance crews deserve a huge shout out for all of their hard work this summer preparing our classrooms and facilities. Our faculty and staff have participated in professional development and planning for the year ahead. And our Administrators have been working throughout the summer to prepare the systems and structures for an awesome school year!

The District 23 Community has demonstrated resilience and responsiveness over the past 18 months. If we learn the lessons from our Olympians, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to focus on our core purpose and strive each day to bring our best.

I am so happy to welcome everyone back on campus for in person teaching and learning and to kick off the 2021-22 school year next week!