Dear RUSD Community:
Being a superintendent is loads of fun, and that’s part of the reason why, when I had conversations with folks here in the Reed district, that I was interested in coming in to help for these few months. And while a superintendent’s job means spending time in the District Office, the joy is at schools where one sees the magic of learning and growth.
So last Wednesday when Reed principal extraordinaire Dr. Niesyn had to be off campus and asked me if I would substitute for her, I jumped at the opportunity to be with students and teachers. Schools are where the action is!
Upon reflection I’m not sure I added much value as a substitute. There were no emergencies or misbehaving students. The office staff had everything under control and the Wednesday community time was fully prepared. Selfishly perhaps, I wasn’t about providing value but rather looked to be inspired and take in a day at a remarkable, caring school. I was joined by three of the Reed School District Board Members who visited classrooms, talked to students, teachers and staff, and took in the remarkable array of enrichment and support activities on campus. Since all three board members had their own children attend Reed, it was like going home (or being at home) for them. I was reminded again about the advantages of your Pre-K to 2, 3-5 and 6-8 structure – this configuration allows the school community to make every activity and structure – from facilities to assemblies to mission – age appropriate and consequential to the experience of the student. And how remarkable your district is writ large.
This is my last week as Interim Superintendent until May, when I will return for a few more weeks as interim superintendent. Thanks for your hospitality, your charming children, and your collective inspiration.
On we go!
Kevin Skelly, Ph.D. Interim Superintendent
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P.S. Below is something I wrote about resilience that will, I hope, be a source of reflection.
A good friend of mine gave a talk to parents in which he asked what we wanted for our children. The answers circled around definitions of success - a fulfilling job, financial security, a loving relationship, etc.
Then he asked what we REALLY wanted for our kids. The tone in the room turned more somber. Answers turned to hopes that our children can avoid disappointment and failure - that they don't become sick, lose a job, suffer failure, and the like.
Finally, he asked what we REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted for our children. As we grappled with our most fervent hopes for our children, and thought about our inability to control their fates, we agreed that our deepest desire was that our children have the strength to deal with the challenges, failures, and mishaps they will inevitably encounter.
Weren't we really hoping for resilience for our children?
How do our young people acquire the mental equivalent of a strong immune system - resilience? It seems to me that in our efforts to make sure students are comfortable and successful, we may actually reduce our ability to foster their resilience. Just like athletes who punish their bodies in practice so they become stronger for their games, our children need to experience setbacks in order to become stronger. We love our children so much that we want the best for them at all times. But by making sure they have what we want for them, we are ignoring how that affects what they REALLY, REALLY need.
We all know children and adults for whom "success came too early." They "had it all" at a precocious age. And yet some of the most "successful" people we know came from the most humble backgrounds. There was something about their struggle that was a necessary precursor for their later success. Perhaps that's why so many immigrants to this country have been so successful - they had to overcome many more obstacles than others and this has made them stronger and, yes, more resilient.
And so how do schools nurture resiliency? In the same way that life does, perhaps. Our children will not all be first in their class. Their strongest efforts on the athletic fields or trying out for the school play will not always result in victory or the lead part. But these apparent "failures" teach our children how to deal with setbacks and how to persevere. These skills will serve them well as they enter "the real world" where success and failure, recognition and praise, are much more measured and capricious.
We are able to provide our children with many opportunities that were not possible during our own formative years. While my wife and I were never deprived, our children's lives were easier than ours. While this is the essence of the American Dream, I worry about its effect on my children's resilience.
But this doesn't mean that schools and parents have a responsibility to mete out harsh critiques and overwhelming expectations. Just like parents, teachers and staff need to measure our praise, we also need to help our students deal with criticism and failures appropriately. This isn't easy and we won't always do it right, but we must be reflective about how making things easy for our students ends up making ultimate success more difficult.
So, as the year throws successes, challenges, and, yes, even failures in our paths, let's remember what we REALLY, REALLY want for those whom we love so much. Let's match it to what they really need.
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EVENT TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW!
Event details can be found on our website HERE.
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THANK YOU TO OUR FAMILY SPONSORS!
The Anderson Family * The Barnowski Family * Dayle and James Burnes Anson James and Tai Carpi * The Anthony Childress Family Lilian Liu and William Chow * Danielle and Eric Crandall Sophia and Mike Ghaffary * The Graves Family * Allison and Matt Hart The Healy Family * Aet and Christopher Hooper Mickey and Mark Hubbell * Katie and Owen Leary * Toni and Nate Lee The Lepe Family * Wendy and Andreas Martin Kathleen and Justin McCarthy * Dina and Radu Rusu Summer and Sonny Singh * Surf Lodge Stinson Beach The Webb Family * Robin and James Wheeler * The Zedlitz Family
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The SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is happening this week at Reed!!!
March has come, which means one of our favorite events is coming to Reed! Our annual Reed Book Fair is being held in the MPR on the following dates:
After School Book Fair Hours 2:40-4:00 PM
Thursday 3/30
*Second graders are allowed to purchase books during the lunch hour
Family Night TONIGHT -Wednesday March 29th 4:00-7:00 PM Rain or Shine!!!!
Mark your calendar and plan to come join us for books, shopping, music, pizza and more! Look out for more information to come, using our Book Fair webpage to set up an e-wallet for your students or order online!!
https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/reedelementaryschool7
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Thank you and Congratulations to all the PTA Volunteers and Bel Aire Students for a week of amazing performances. BRAVO!
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Please note: if you have multiple RUSD students, you will need separate SchoolPay transactions to purchase each student’s yearbook. If you experience an issue with SchoolPay, please log out of SchoolPay and purchase each yearbook as a GUEST.
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Walk and Roll
Back by popular demand, the JEDI Challenge! The JEDI Challenge is a series of Walk & Roll events hosted over two months to help build excitement for walking and biking to school. Students will be given a card and will earn a stamp for each day they participate. Once the card is complete, it will serve as a raffle ticket and will be entered in the drawing for the grand prize….a custom bike from Cleary Bikes and a helmet from Mike’s Bikes!!!! One bike and helmet will be given to the winner at each participating elementary school in Marin! Here are the dates for the JEDI Challenge. Please note you must participate on at least 4 of the dates to be entered in the raffle.
March 1
March 15
April 5
April 19
May 3
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RUSD Mission & Vision: Each student will be challenged and inspired to reach their fullest intellectual, social-emotional and creative potential to positively impact the world.
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Dr. Kevin Skelly, Ph.D Interim Superintendent
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