Ahhhhh.....Summer!

Summer is change.  Kids grow....quickly.  Temperatures rise. Principals become more efficient.

As I sit at my computer and type my thoughts, I am constantly looking over my shoulder for a student or staff member to come knocking on my door.  For the last nine months, that is what has been occurring.
Don't get me wrong.  I anticipate someone coming in and asking me for help, discussing an issue, or just saying hi.  It's the highlight of my day.  But what develops is a kind of skittish, low level of attention that allows a principal to do his or her job during the school year.  That skittishness is what makes us able to handle many things at once.

With the onset of summer, that hyper-sensitive hearing starts to fade.  A principal is better able to sit at a desk and complete paperwork, finish thoughts, and plan the "next big thing."

But the fading of that super human sense takes time.  Here we are in the second full week of summer vacation and I can still feel my neck wanting to twist and look at my door.  But that desire is not as strong.

Hopefully, by the middle of July, I won't budge when I'm penning my next blog post.  I hope I won't move a muscle when completing emails.  I hope I remain focused reading an education journal.

I have the same hope for all of our staff and students.  May summer grant you serenity and a chance to slow down and enjoy the task at hand.

And not have to see the chiropractor too often. :)

Mr. K

We've Only Just Begun

It's difficult to end a school year and not look back and reflect.  You think about the good things that occurred but you also think about what you would do differently.

Middle school is a lot like life.  You start off very unsure of yourself and your new surroundings.  By the time you're done, you are a seasoned pro.  You know your way around, nothing surprises you, and you feel as though you could call your teachers by their first names.

There is one catch though.  Just as in life, the minute you feel like you know everything, something happens to remind you that there is always the next step.

Our eighth graders are secure, confident, young people who are on top of the world.  That world is about to change drastically.  High school will send them to a place where they may regress to some of those feelings of insecurity and doubt.


Our 7th graders are ready to lead.  They've paid their dues and ready to step up and take OMS to the next level.

Our sixth graders are building their confidence up and are ready to not be the "low men and women on the totem pole."

Whatever the next step may be for your students, always remember that this is always just a beginning.  The next step will be bigger and better than this one.

We've only just begun.

Have a great summer!

Mr. K