Choosing The Positive Path

Homecoming week is wrapped up, and it was AWESOME! Thank you to everyone who helped in any way with the activities that happened throughout the week. We have a great bunch of students and it was fun to see them enjoying the week. Coronation started us off on a great foot and the dress up days and FFA Ag Olympics carried us through the week to the elementary games and grill out, parade and pep rally. It was great to see our students compete in various sporting events and have some success. With it having been such a great week of positive events and fun, it got me thinking about what I have been trying to focus on as a leader for our school district and on a personal level as well.

POSITIVITY.

I have been reading a couple of books lately by Jon Gordon. Jon writes about positivity in your life and the direct correlation between success and positivity. I was first led to "The Power Of Positive Leadership" from a leadership course I am taking. After reading this book I began to do a lot of self-reflection and wanted to know more about positivity and positive leadership. I came across another book by Jon Gordon called "The Energy Bus for Kids", which I purchased and read with my kids. The reading level of this book is probably middle or upper elementary, but the concepts can be explained to younger elementary students. A couple of weeks ago I chose to read this book to the 5th grade class.  The main focus of this book is making the choice, every day, to be positive and make positive choices. The choices that we make on a daily basis affect everyone around us. We can choose to take a left and head down the negative road, but we all know what that leads to. We need to take a right, focus on the positive, set positive goals, and show our positivity towards others.

While reading this book with the students it was very evident that they know what is right and what is wrong. They know that their actions can not only affect themselves, but also those around them. What this book helped drive home for me was that our students are looking to us as parents, teachers, administrators, school staff and peers for positive direction. We have the choice every day to wake up and either set our course a positive direction or negative direction. Whichever direction we choose to go will determine our successes throughout the day.

Earlier this school year I had our elementary students start this positive bus ride by setting at least one goal. Some chose to do a couple. They wrote their goal on a sticky note and placed it on a poster in the hallway outside my office. As our students walked past these goals I wanted them to be reminded of what they are working towards. Whether their goal is to "Make New Friends", "Work Hard And Never Give Up", "Get Good Grades", or "Reach 100 AR Points" they need to have a positive focus for the year. I would encourage to stop in and look at our students' goals. Ask your student what they set for a goal this year. If they didn't get one written down yet, have them add their goal to the poster.

Every single one of us, adults and students alike, have the choice to set ourselves on a course of positivity or negativity. I say that we make the effort to smile more, encourage more, set goals for ourselves, and help spread positivity throughout our school and community.

Go Trojans!

Respectfully,

Derek Barrios
Superintendent/Elementary Principal