We are closing in on the end of another academic year.  It seems that we were just in the renovated auditorium for our opening in-service.  The older I get, the faster time flies by. 

I have a small plaque next to my sidewalk at home that says "stop and smell the roses" that I see each morning and evening.  Unfortunately, I seldom do it.  Instead of enjoying the moment of "right now," I often think of all the things to do tomorrow, next week, next month and next year.  Obviously, there is some wisdom of thinking and planning ahead, but there is also great wisdom in taking advantage of all the current moments we have. I also have a plaque that says "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away."  One of the great challenges of any school district or parent is to plan for the future while making an impact on children in the "right now". 

At our in-service two years ago, we watched a video about a boy named Tommy that lost his mom but grew to love his teacher and looked at her as a mother figure because of the way she encouraged and mentored him.  That teacher was taking care of the "right now" when she was doing her job.  I'm certain that she was probably worried about tomorrow on many occasions, but she didn't let her worries change the impact she had on the students she was serving.  As we work together toward a common purpose of helping students be successful, responsible, trustworthy, caring, fair, respectful citizens, we can't wait until tomorrow to make a difference.  Whether you are teaching, driving a bus, working as a custodian, working as a secretary, or any other position in our district, our common purpose is to help students succeed in the "right now".

Thanks for making a difference in the future and the "right now". 

Bobby Rice

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