"Do not worry if you have built your castles in the air. They are where they should be. Now put the foundations under them." Henry David Thoreau
Worry is the way of the western world it seems. When I was a kid, we worried about nuclear bombs as we sat under our desks during drills at school. Then we worried about fuel shortages, wars (of course), domestic and then foreign terrorism, and crazy public shootings. It seems we are built to worry.
We worry a lot in our business, too. There seem to be endless things to worry about, especially since we're dealing with children.The ski trip is a good example of magnified worry. There were so many situations to anticipate and prepare for from money to buses to rental equipment to lunches to injuries to accounting for every student on the ride back and the ride home.
The office worried its way through most of these and tried to prepare for those events most likely to happen. It's just what we do. We had two staff meetings pretty much devoted to the field trip. Sarah and I blamed ourselves for not being prepared for all the things we felt we weren't prepared for. At Mt. Brighton, we worried about each injured student and the care they were receiving. We worried that students were bored with all the waiting they had to do. We worried that some students ended up not liking skiing and found other ways to spend their time there. And we especially worried about calling parents to tell them we were taking their child to the hospital, not to mention the worry about the seriousness of the issues with the two we took there.
Sometimes worry is not really necessary, yet we continue to worry. Of the 395 students who went to Mt. Brighton, six came to the first aid station. There was another injury that was handled in the cafeteria. None of the injuries ended up being life threatening: one possible broken ankle, one laceration of the mouth. The others were sprains at worse and nothing more. The staff at Mt. Brighton said we contributed about the average number of issues for the size of our group.
But, oh, how we worried! Sarah and I sat in the hospital waiting room worrying about how things were going at school with dismissal issues, while people at school were worried about how we were doing at the hospital. Lots of worry, and that's just a one-day field trip.
We worry other times at school and about school. Sarah and I worry a lot about staff: how people feel, how they are coping with all that's required, how to get the data put where the data need to be put. We even fret over the snow days, canceling subs, getting the Title I data completed. Fortunately, nearly everyone completed the work, got the data in, and communicated the progress to parents. I know most people say that it's just their jobs, but we worry anyhow.
There will be more worry coming in March and throughout the rest of the year. Reading month, BOTB, Symposium/Leadership Day (however that comes to be), spring break, bond renovations, incoming fourth grade preparations, scheduling for next year, two more report card entries, Camp Emerson, Variety Show, Sixth Grade Camp, and staff evaluations.
We also worry about each of you. Are we supporting you as you need? Are we thanking you enough for all you do? What are we forgetting that would make a difference for you and your students? Are we communicating changes and upcoming events well enough?
Yet, as we worry and prepare, we have something unique at Cooper: We have each other. So many people helped make the ski trip a wonderful experience. And you will all help with the rest of year, as you always do. We are so grateful and so fortunate to have a staff that helps each other, makes sure we are all prepared and safe from the natural worry we experience. The staff is the foundation for the castles we put in the air.
In my listing of things still to do, I missed some, didn't I? Now I will worry about that. And then we can worry about what next year will bring...So glad we're all in this together!
Let us know what you think, what you worry about, and how we can help.
The week ahead:
Monday: Presidents Day
Tuesday: PD all day; AM at Cooper for everyone starting at 8:00
Various locations in the PM, including Cooper for 6th grade and Media Specialists
Wednesday: Vision testing day
Center IEP, 8:00
Session 3 of Sports Club, 3:45
Planning Team, 3:45
Thursday: Staff Meeting, 8:00
Bond Mtg. (Terry), 9:00 at CO
EPM, 1:00 at CO
PTA 6:30 in LMC
Friday: Vision testing day
Staff TGIF at One Under, 4:00
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