Traditionally, this is the busiest time of the school year for our kids. Between golf, track,
music, prom, graduation, state FFA, senior trip, senior supper, spring concert, awards nights,
ACT, NSCAS, and semester test, our kids have a lot on their plates in the next 5-6 weeks. Throw
in the weather getting nicer, daylight savings time, and being able to see the finish line on the
year, it’s easy to see how some of our students are stressed and anxious. I can’t tell you how
much help it is to have parents that are checking on their children to see how things are going. I
truly appreciate those of you that check grades, to make sure that nobody is falling behind in
their classwork. Although your child may not act like it, I assure you that somewhere inside of
them, they really do appreciate you showing an interest, whether it be school work, or in just
how they are doing.
I really feel up to this point that our kids have done a nice job staying the course. It
seems like every year gets busier, and the year seemingly goes by quicker. Through all this, our
kids get through all the ups and downs and adversity, and succeed. That is a direct credit to the
people that raise them to work hard and to do the right things. I listened to a basketball coach
talk the other night about how we have to do a better job of teaching our youth on how to do
hard, better. The main point of the coach was that we can’t lower our expectations for our
students because they feel it’s too hard. In fact, we have to find a way to get our kids to
embrace the challenge of something being hard.
I know for sure that it’s much easier to give in than to make them do it. How do I know
this? Because I’m a grandparent! My four children have told me many times they can’t believe
how easy a mark I am as a grandfather. These are the same four children that will tell you that
they had to work their tails off for everything they got, I’m sure at the time begrudgingly. Now
that they are parents themselves, I see them teaching their own children to work through hard
things. It’s amazing to look back and see how both my wife and I grew up. We both were taught
it isn’t near as important to be right, as it is to do right. And we both grew up to embrace the
hard in life and to take on those challenges.
You know, I didn’t think my parents knew anything when I was growing up. Just like I’m
sure my children didn’t think their parents knew anything either. Funny how things work out!
