As Helen Keller observed:  “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”  Such is the message we hope to live daily with learners and their families.  It takes the entire team to assist a learner to personal excellence daily!  My friends pictured here are learning to carefully cut apples to make a batch of homemade applesauce today.  Yum!  The smell of cooking apples, cinnamon, and sugar reminds me of my favorite folk tale character, Johnny Appleseed (based on the real man, John Chapman).  As legends tell it, he was a man of simple values, loved and respected by all he met, always tried to do right by his friends and the environment, and devoted his life to helping others help themselves.  It is said he planted tens of thousands of apple trees throughout his lifetime.  He was a pioneer, probably our nation’s first conservationist, and undoubtedly a great role model.

Being a trailblazer (like Johnny Appleseed) takes a dream, a sense of persistence, and a definite direction in order to achieve personal goals.  From our youngest students to our seasoned veterans, we are all blazing educational trails on our journey this school year.  Here’s hoping we continue to do so much together that we’re never truly alone!