Good Day Monticello High School!
I look forward to seeing you all again in September. Every summer is a reminder of how each of you helps to bring life to the building and to set the stage for enriching the minds, hearts, and lives of our students. Your love for our students, passion for your area of expertise, and commitment to focused effort is what will lead us to even greater success this year as a school.
Over the last five years I have written to you about the importance of joy in our life and work. To refer back to my previous letters, joy is, by definition; “The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.” The concept of “flow” is explained; “The hallmark of flow is a feeling of spontaneous joy, even rapture, while performing a task.” We experience joy through meaningful work. We desire to be engaged in meaningful work that will result in joy because we each pursue happiness. As you can discern, joy and happiness is not something that can be given, it is something that you create in your life through effort. Joy may be inspired by others, but it requires you to make meaning of it and to apply it meaningfully to your own life.
I will always reorient our focus back to joy because we give power to what we pay attention to. I bring the concept of joy to the forefront of our thinking because it is similar to love and these are powerful forces that can drive us to do great things in our lives, both for ourselves and for others. This is what is so powerful and miraculous about being in education. We change the lives and transform the futures of others through the gift of education. We equip students with the knowledge and skills to make the world a better, more joyful place. What we do and why we do it is of enormous importance. I am grateful to be here at Monticello High School serving in this effort with you. When we find joy in our effort, the success will happen. Conversely, when we achieve success we generate greater joy in our lives. As is evidenced by our successes, we are generating momentum towards achieving greater joy in our lives and inspiring joy in the lives of others.
Achieving an 85% District June graduation rate for the second year in a row is an indication of how we are equipping our students with the opportunity to pursue happiness and generate joy in their lives while contributing meaningfully to their families and communities. It means that we are strengthening our own lives by the joy that is created through the fulfillment of seeing and celebrating the success of our efforts.
As we continue to strive for even greater success for our students and for ourselves, we will sharpen our focus on our three district core values that are Lead, Inspire, and T.H.I.N.K. We will continue to Lead & Listen, Inspire Boldness, and T.H.I.N.K. in our actions. These are the traits that will result in the development of new ideas, the implementation of more successful plans, and the strengthening of positive and productive relationships. In addition, we will be intentionally infusing the Life Ready traits into our daily practice. The intentionality of our efforts will result in the increased results we aspire to achieve. Most things we desire to happen do not happen by accident. We need to be intentional!
I am humbled daily by the challenge of being intentional to improve my life and the lives of others. Being intentional is difficult and exhausting work. I am intentional because it matters in the lives of others. I understand and accept the responsibility I have to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Each of us has the power to make a positive difference in the lives of others. The magnitude of that difference is in relation to the intensity and intentionality of the effort. In the end, all of our work here is about make the lives of others better. Let us not lose sight of that when we are tired, exhausted, frustrated, and overwhelmed; all of which are feelings that are rightfully felt but are moments between energized, pleased, joyful, happy, and proud.
With time, we grow stronger in our ability to inspire, equip, and empower our students, and each other, to be our best selves. The work we do saves lives and transforms the futures of kids who may look grown up physically but might be years behind socially or emotionally. It has been hard, it will be hard, and it will be worth it. Thank you for the heart and effort you pour into our students and each other. We are in this together. See you September 3rd!
Most Sincerely,
Stephen Wilder
Conference Days
September 3rd (8:00-3:26)
7:15-7:45 Optional Coffee & Breakfast
7:45-8:00 Transition to Auditorium
8:00-8:40 District Welcome Address (Auditorium) 8:40-11:00 Teacher Preparation Time
*9:00-11:00 MTA New Members Meeting in MHS
Library
11:00-11:45 Lunch
11:45-1:00 Teacher Preparation Time
1:00-3:26 Professional Development (Cafeteria)
September 4th (7:05-2:31)
7:05-7:30 Teacher Preparation Time
7:30-9:00 Professional Development (Cafeteria) 9:00-9:15 Break
9:15-10:00 Department Meetings
10:00-10:15 Break
10:15-11:15 Professional Development (Cafeteria) 11:15-12:00 Lunch
12:00-2:30 Teacher Preparation Time
Student Day Plan
September 5th
The Freshman class meeting will take place during 2nd period in the auditorium. The Sophomore, Junior, and Senior class meetings will take place during 9th period in the gymnasium, cafeteria, and auditorium respectively. Additional information to follow in Outlook Calendar invite.
September 6th
Will be a modified schedule for a school-wide assembly with guest speaker Ron James who will speak on kindness and acceptance. An evening presentation for parents.