The Riverwalk Roar

Happy Sunday, Pride!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The weather was almost beautiful (about 15 degrees too warm), but it was still a nice weekend. Our Lions were busy between our cheer team performing at the Bearcat Invitational and our cross country team running at the Victory Bolt Invitational.

A few weeks back I mentioned the book The Four Agreements and how it's a book that many of our administration and office staff have read and committed to. The message of that newsletter was about the first agreement, Be Impeccable with Your Word. Essentially, the words we choose carry weight, so we should use them with care. This week, I want to look at the other side of that coin: the second agreement, Don't Take Anything Personally. Because no matter how carefully we choose our own words, we can't control the words of others. We can only control what we do with them.

We've all been there. Someone makes a comment that stings, whether it's a coworker, a neighbor, a stranger online, or even a friend. Before we know it, we're replaying it in our heads, telling others about it, and sometimes getting them upset, too. Words that were said in a moment can follow us around for days.

So what does this have to do with these agreements? Let's look at that second one, Don't Take Anything Personally. Ruiz writes that nothing others do is really because of us. What people say comes from their own world: their stress, their assumptions, their bad day. When we take it personally, we pick up something that was never ours to carry. And once we pick it up, we tend to hand it to others, too.

More often than not, those hurtful words come from assumptions that simply aren't accurate. Which is exactly Ruiz's point. It usually isn't about us at all.

So before picking up something someone has said and running with it, or even worse, letting it ruin your day, pause and ask yourself one question: Is this really about me? Most of the time, the honest answer is no.

So here's my challenge for the Pride this week: when someone's words sting, ask the question before you pass it on. Then bring that question home to the dinner table. Our kids hear plenty of comments in hallways and group chats, and learning to ask it can save them a lot of heartache.

Next time, we'll look at the third agreement, Don't Make Assumptions. As you'll see, it's closely connected to the second.

In Pride and Purpose,
~Dr. Compton

This week's photo is of Nurse Donna, who visited Ms. Courtney's related arts class to read I Am a School Nurse. Ms. Courtney was supporting the work of our kindergarten and 1st grade teams as they study community helpers.

September is Attendance Awareness Month, every day matters! Being at school gives students the opportunity to learn, connect, build important routines, and stay on track for success. When students show up, they can learn, grow, and thrive!

Parents, please be sure to regularly check the PowerSchool Parent Portal to stay up to date on your child’s grades and attendance. If you do not currently have a Parent Portal account, you should have received an email from Mrs. Mabey with instructions for creating one. If you need assistance accessing your account, please reach out—we are happy to help!

Link: https://scpcsd.powerschool.com/public

Monday: 9/28/2026

• College Fair @ Winthrop (juniors and seniors)

Tuesday: 9/29/2026

• Chick-Fil-A Sandwich sales during Middle/High School Lunch
• Cross Country @ Northwestern High School
• Volleyball v Midlands Stem (home): 6:00 pm

Wednesday: 9/30/2026

• Tennis @ Lake Wylie

Thursday: 10/1/2026

• Chick-Fil-A Car Line Biscuit Sales
• HS Art Club: 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
• Title I and iReady Information Session: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
• Volleyball @ Buford

• Senior Class Meeting: 11:00 am

Saturday: 10/3/2026

• Swimming @ 4A Region Championships, Fort Mill Aquatics Center

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