"Our lives began to end, the day we become silent about things that matter."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
Nineteen years ago, I won the University of Michigan Martin Luther King Jr Essay Contest. I believe the topic was Affirmative Action. (I had to a make a claim and cite evidence to support my argument.) My friends and family came to watch me give my speech in a small room in the Michigan League. The piece was later published in the Alumni magazine.
The University of Michigan has always put on a wonderful symposium. As a student, I attended every year and have spent most years since seeking out some of the wonderful events in the area. I was lucky enough to see Nikki Giovanni, Maya Angelou, and other speakers, authors, and artists.
As a young, white girl from Brighton, the University was diverse and exciting. I had friends from all over the country and world on my hall. I met my first Jewish friend and was naive enough to ask him why he didn't have a Christmas tree! My world became larger and wiser, from my time spent there.
As a mom, I have strived to teach my girls about the world, to have tough conversations about inequities and injustice, and to purposely put them in an extremely diverse school environment. The last few weeks, I have felt unsettled. Are we doing enough? Are we doing what's right for kids? We talk about the obvious issues of standards and testing. However, what about the lack of exercise students get? What about the fact that more boys are suspended than girls? What's our purpose for giving homework? How do we help students manage the stress that transpires from living in poverty?
I urge you to reflect on your mission. We set some priorities for the beginning of the school year: Leader in Me, Culture and Climate goals, and Collaboration. How are we doing? What do we need to continue to work on? As Dr. King said,
"If you can't fly, then run.
If you can't run, then walk.
If you can't walk, then crawl.
But whatever you do, you have
to keep moving forward."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
In Rosa's Seat on the Bus
Great Job Cooper Leaders!
Big Rocks:
Iowas/CogAT ends on 1/22/16. How are you doing? What help do you need? Thank you to our 6th grade teachers for working so diligently to get this done!
We have a School Mall fundraiser starting tomorrow, January 19 and running through January 26. There will be mini-assemblies at lunch tomorrow.
Our Clubs are up and running! Knitting, Robotics, Drawing, Pokemon, and Harry Potter have all been meeting. Thank you to our Student Lighthouse for advocating for student clubs and being proactive in getting parent and staff volunteers. Thank you to Karen Danke who is leading a new Leadership Choir after two of our sixth grade students presented her with a proposal.
The Webster Wildcats invited some student leaders to speak to them regarding the Leader in Me and how they live the 7 Habits last Friday. Four of our Student Lighthouse Leaders (Nura A, Martina R, Quentin P, and Kailyn B) and two of our PTA Leaders (Connor C and Emily W) did a fantastic job!
LEAD time this Friday will have students meeting in their new leadership roles. Please refer to the email that Robin sent out. Kristi and I will have a leadership video to show in the Cafe for students who are not meeting.
Calendar for the Week of January 18:
Monday: No School MLK Day
Tuesday: Lighthouse Meeting 3:45-5:00
PTA Meeting 6:00
Wednesday: IST 8:00
PTA Leaders Meeting 11:15
Thursday: Staff Meeting on SnapRead in Computer Lab 8:00
Elementary Principals' Meeting 1:00-4:30
Friday: IOWA/CoGAT Ends
LEAD Time 8:45
Curriculum Advisory (Sarah) 1:00-4:00
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