So here we are, near the
end of our ceremony celebrating an anniversary for an amazing place of which I
am humbled to be the lead learner. I am
celebrating my 10th anniversary as principal of this fine, fine
school and couldn’t imagine it any other way.
You have heard about some of the history of this place. I think that it is ironic that as this school
went into its first year of existence there was a natural disaster that delayed
the opening and caused the community to pull together to educate the children
and get this school opened, a little later than the other schools in 1962, but
open nonetheless.
As we came into our 50th
school year we also had an unfortunate vandalism disaster befall our beloved
school. It was one that brought tears to
many of our eyes and caused us to fear that Bear Tavern may not open in time
for the children. I’ve come to learn
over the course of my life that sometimes the most beautiful things come from
something painful.
John Steinbeck used the metaphor of the pearl
to describe this in his book of the same name.
Pearls are formed when a foreign substance, like sand, gets caught
inside of an oyster and as a defense against the pain, the oyster begins to
coat it with a substance that eventually becomes the beautiful and rare pearls
that we enjoy. This is a simplistic
description; however, I think it is appropriate for how our year began.
Our community was shaken
and had choices to make. We chose to
make something beautiful. I don’t just
mean that we got our school back to its pristine appearance, which we did. What I am talking about is the beauty of
spirit that was shown by this community as it banded together for our children
and our school.
I saw the best in people. I saw families adopting bulletin boards
because teachers would not have time to complete them before school started
with only days to prepare for their school year. I saw community organizations and businesses
offering support through the resources available to them. I saw a community come out for a grand
reopening, not just to rejoice in the fact that the doors were open, but to
roll up their sleeves and work together, yes to work Better Together to get our
school ready and so much more.
Our school theme is “Better Together.” It has also been a theme throughout our
day. During the gazebo dedication this
morning I spoke about how that wonderful structure is the product of students,
teachers, parents, and community organizations working together. During the Art Unveilings I discussed how the
partnerships that we have made with our neighboring corporations, colleges, and
community organizations result in the beautiful works of art that we proudly
create and display on our walls. Better
together really kind of sums up life.
When you think about most areas of your life, aren’t they more joyful
when you can share them with others?
Aren’t the difficult times more tolerable when there are others there to
help you through?
As an elementary school community it is our mission to educate
the children of Hopewell Township; to develop strong minds, strong bodies, and
strong character. This school has been
built on a foundation of community that goes back to the day that it opened. I received a letter yesterday written by a
teacher in the audience today. Her name
is Jeanette Frantz; the letter and the picture she sent with it can be found in
the cafeteria, but I can sum up her whole letter with her final sentence. “Good memories of Bear Tavern School remain
in my mind, but most of all – the people of Bear Tavern School will always be
in my heart.”
The people of Bear Tavern School; that truly is what we are
as a school. Mrs. Frantz’ memories of
her 20 years at Bear Tavern boil down to the people. I would have to agree. My memories of the last 10 years at Bear
Tavern School have been about relationships, community, and the people. We educate the children in a safe and
comfortable environment in which they know we care for them. Prior to my arrival, Mr. Scheetz (my predecessor) and the
staff embarked on a journey to become a Responsive Classroom School. This approach to educating children is rooted
in the idea that children learn best in a place where they feel comfortable and
empowered. We use the acronym CARES to
remind ourselves of the type of environment we wish to provide for the
children. The letters stand for
Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-Control. You’ll find this represented in the cafeteria,
as well.
I don’t want to go on much longer, but I do want to leave
looking forward. As we move further into
the 21st century our world and society is changing. This is a fearful thing for many among
us. We feel comfort in the things that
we had and experienced when we grew up.
Our challenge is to balance the solid traditional foundation that we
have created here at Bear Tavern with the innovative spirit that continues to
make our country great. These boys and
girls before us will live in a world that we can’t even imagine.
If we could go back to 1962 and tell the staff and students
that in 50 years having a telephone in your pocket everywhere you go would be
the norm, what would they say? Or if we
even tried to explain the Internet or Apps? What would someone say if they were
asked to “just Google it?” I think that
they would see it as science fiction, not as fact. As we move forward at Bear Tavern we need to
be sure that we are working together as teachers, parents, and community to
educate the children for their future by learning from the advances of our
past.
I am committed to working with the people of this community
to provide children with the modern education that they require; we will
utilize the technology at our disposal to do so whether it is chalk or an
iPad. Please continue with me on this
journey. Our work can only be Better
Together.
I will end with words from a favorite book that I have read
to many classes over the years. The book
is entitled, A Fine, Fine School and was written by Sharon Creech. Mr. Keene, the principal says, “Oh! Aren’t
these fine children? Aren’t these fine teachers? Isn’t this a fine, fine
school?” Thank you all for working with
me to make this such a fine, fine school!
