happy new year

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20/20 in 2020

In just a couple of hours, we set our sights on new beginnings for a new year and new decade…the 20s!  WOW; truly remarkable!  While the “auld lang syne” literally offers “old long since” for “old time’s sake,” this new year and decade offer sacred opportunities.  The changes, growth, triumphs, missteps, JOYs, and sorrows of prior experiences bring a fresh and clearer perspective to forgive, to do better, to do more, to give more, and to love more.  As we observe, our traditions are the stories we narrate and write together as family and friends; gratefully, we all begin another year of building on those traditions while continuing our stories.  After all, it is said no gift is too small or simple to receive when wrapped in thoughtfulness and tied in love.  So…I offer this hopeful challenge to us all in 2020 to:  BE in the moment, breathe deep and fortifying breaths, forgive with grace, share softer answers, encourage one another, keep promises, forgo grudges, apologize, work to understanding, walk more, seek adventure, smile at strangers, examine personal demands (this is me preaching to me), think first of others, be gentle and kind, laugh more, learn a new skill, observe the beauty and wonder of the world, ask questions, explore nature, express thanks, welcome others, and speak your love over and over and over and over again and again and again and again!  The spiritual gift of actively living this challenge with grace and gratitude fills my soul with hope as time marches onward, and hope, my friends, constantly prevails in all our daily humanness.

May this new year and new decade bring to you and yours bountiful blessings filled to overflowing with hope, peace, JOY, and love.  Happy New Year 2020!

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STOP in 2015…

Happy-New-Year-2015-balloons-Heart-shapeA group of fifth grade writers meet monthly to ponder life, share ideas, and enJOY general conversation about all manner of topics.  We sat down before the holiday break to reflect on our new resolutions, one word goals, and more…our chance to start fresh, leave the past behind, and move forward in a positive way.  The interesting consensus of the group during this discussion was how a new year takes great courage, strong conviction, and a growth mindset to move forward because the best is yet to come!

During the course of our conversation, we also noted how Happy New Year 2015. 3dimportant it is to STOP doing things no longer in our best interest.  Here are a few of their thoughts to STOP in 2015:

1.  Stop telling everyone everything on social media.  Leave some things to chance and imagination.

2.  Stop comparing yourself to others and worrying about what others think.  March to your own drummer and the positive path you create.

3.  Stop focusing on self and more on others; help others and be good to each other…kindness matters! (#LoveServeCare)  🙂

4.  Stop making everything a competition in life.  Compete with your best self and not with others.  Make your choices, accept responsibly, and deal with the consequences (good and bad) of your choices.

5.  Stop being like others; own who you are, where you are, and tell YOUR story in a caring manner.  There is only one “YOUnique” you…  🙂

6.  Stop fearing failure; no one has it all figured out because nothing in life is perfect, especially on the first time.  Failures bring powerful clarity and change in the most positive way; embrace failure to find personal success.

I think they’re on to something grand as we close out 2014 and move boldly forward in 2015 at LME!  Here’s hoping you create your own STOP list as the new year begins.  Happy New Year!  🙂

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Happy New Year!

“We’re back!”  These were the first words the first student happy-new-year-2014-hd-wallpapers-6said from the first bus as I started greeting the unloading bus students early on this frosty morn.  What a JOY to greet and welcome everyone safely into our warm building–the smiles, new coats, funny hats, and great college shirts.  It was college bowl shirt day today (really, just an excuse for our staff to wear their jeans on the first day back).  🙂  Most importantly, as I completed my first walkabout, classroom morning messages, carpet meetings, circle time, and interesting hallway conversations gleaned fun facts about how everyone spent their break.  Fun observation too:  More parents were smiling ear-to-ear as we unloaded cars in both lanes today than I can remember since the first day of school this year!  🙂 And as one little friend said it best, “If I can just remember to write 2014 on all my work, I’ve got this year made!”  Yes, indeed…we’re back!

Special reminders:  Tomorrow is the 80th Day of school this year.  We encourage everyone to tap into their 1980’s gear and show us your best.  Thursday is Winter Hat Day, so wear those funny hats with pride.  Friday is our annual READ In The New Year, so bring some great reading material for 2014 seconds of silent sustained reading time!