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Dear Families,
At my previous school, I was known for writing periodic letters to
families that tended to be non-traditional forms of communication
between home and school. Occasionally, inspired by personal events,
I offer a bit of reflection. Ultimately, meaningful, personal events
become a part of who I am and, thus, a part of how I approach my
students and staff.
Typically, a school administrator is not a sound sleeper most nights.
It is common to wake up periodically and think about the responsibility
that waits in the morning. The teacher in me wants to know every
student. As administrator, I want to make the job of my colleagues
meaningful, efficient, and rewarding. As a parent, I want to see every
child as if they were my own.
This past Sunday morning, I did not feel the same degree of pressure.
Of course, I was to awaken to a day that was more relaxing and filled
with time for family. My night progressed peacefully and something in a
dream empowered me to rise with a great desire to fulfill some
unfinished business. I wanted to complete a piece of a future
tradition. I decided many years ago, when my oldest son was an infant,
to write a meaningful and heartfelt letter to him. It was to be a
reflection of my feelings for him at that precise moment in time. It
will be opened for the first time, twenty or so years later, on the
occasion of his wedding.
This tradition came to me on the occasion of my own wedding. On that
day, my father in-law, Jack Waldorf, raised a glass to toast the
marriage of his daughter Andrea, my wife, and me. But the contents of
the glass contained no ordinary liquid. The bottle was purchased on the
day of my wife's birth, to be saved for the occasion of her wedding and
to be accompanied by a heartfelt speech. Jack delivered that speech
like only a proud father can. That day, rivaled only by the days of the
birth of each of our three children, registers as one of the most
memorable days of my life. Jack and his wife Ellie helped make that
day a very special one, indeed. They did so by orchestrating a
tradition. They planted the seed for a memory to be experienced in a
matter of minutes, but one that had a profound impact on many people.
It was a pre-planned gift and an expression of love that has no price
tag. It is one of those things we will carry forever.
Somewhere in my brief moments to take pause and reflect this past
weekend, I thought of that moment and decided to write the second of
three letters, each to be read on the occasion of the weddings of my own
children. I will soon write the third, for my youngest.
You may wonder what this has to do with education. You might ask what
significance this has in the daily operation of Mariemont Elementary
School. In fact, it has everything to do with my occupation as
principal. Everyday is an opportunity to plant an idea, create a
vision, and lay the groundwork for a meaningful future. It requires
baby steps; well orchestrated, thoughtful progressions towards a
balanced and complete life for our children. Of course, they will be
our children 20, 30, 40, 50 and more years from now.
Some of us will be blessed enough to continue to plant the seeds of
meaningful experiences for our children, grandchildren, and great
grandchildren, in person, for decades. But we all have the
ability now to have a meaningful, lasting impact on what matters
most. As you have time to reflect at some point in the near future, I
invite you to think about what matters most. What gift can you give
your children that will last into their old age? Materials are lost and
broken over time, but dreams, hope, love, and inspiration last
forever.
Steve
Steven J. Brokamp
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