Lexington High School

The seniors are feeling the crunch of sprinting to the finish line, tinged with a bit of nostalgia as they look back on their time in the Lexington Public Schools. I share a certain kinship with the seniors as I look back on the year and begin to reflect on progress made and areas in which we are pursuing continuous growth as a school community. Seniors and I have traveled the journey through this year in different ways, but the process of moving forward and learning from the past is similar. I have been spending a considerable amount of time out-and-about, hanging with seniors to see how they are doing. When I ask questions, I am quick to celebrate their successes and let them know how much I appreciate who they are and what they have brought to the LHS community.

As I attend numerous evening events in this busy month of May, I also enjoy spending time with students in other grades, getting to know them through the event itself, or in quiet conversation afterward. I am grateful for the good fortune to be in a profession that allows me to interact with a wide range of people. Human relationships are incredibly complicated, valuable, and always worth the effort it takes to see things from another person’s perspective. Over the course of the year, hundreds of people have shared their thinking and/or emotions with me in an effort to widen my lens, shift my perspective, or simply to help me understand what they need. In particular, I love my daily interactions with teenagers. I love their energy and determination as they navigate the choppy waters prior to adulthood, and I am proud to be an educator, walking with you to nurture a future generation. Thank you for trusting all of the educators as a part of your child’s development and growth.

When I went back to the 2013 June newsletter, I noted that I was able to capture my sentiments well at this time of year: “I share a common goal with students, parents, guardians, and colleagues: to keep students safe and cared for. Although communication between home and school is a continuous process of refinement and expansion, we share a common desire to have your children be healthy, happy, and successful people. . . for whatever guidance I have been able to give your children, I am grateful for the opportunity; for the moments when I have lapsed in providing the support they needed, I will get it right the next time; for the privilege of leading Lexington High School, I am honored and looking forward to the future.”