It’s nearly April which means school is humming along at a frenetic pace.  Who has time to reflect?  I do as I sit in my office on a Sunday morning waiting to make sure the leak has stopped.  But we’ll get back to that.

Last Friday, I took the staff to lunch and movie for Staff Development.  We saw “Walking the Camino.”  The documentary details different pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.  Favorite quotes from the movie:

  • “The only baggage you bring on the road is your own”
  • “The only god you’ll find is the god you bring”

The movie served as a great metaphor.  Every one of us on our staff is on a different journey.  Life is full of surprises around each turn, some of which we are starting to face–new babies, new jobs, new assignments, etc.  Some of us have found a niche and are celebrating our place.  Others are still wandering.  It was nice to spend some time in fellowship and thinking of our teaching here like a 30+ day walk across Spain.

After all, each school culture is incredibly unique.  As parents, we all become experts at raising our own kids.  But some of those lessons don’t translate.  And our expertise in education is sometimes tied to our place.  Certainly as a principal I have become an expert in directing this community.

Take yesterday, for example.  On one hand, it was the best of times.  We had 20 parents come for a Work Day and the amount of work we accomplished was staggering.  We now have a more usable (and organized) stage that can be used as our band room.  We even carried a piano up the stairs to the stage.  Awesome!  Of course, it helps having a C-17 Loadmaster in your parent group.

But then it was the worst of times as I mopped up a busted water heater.  Spending the rest of the day cleaning up a mess and arranging for a plumber on Monday morning was less than ideal.  But I really had no other choice.  Our budget is razor thin and we could not afford overtime rates.  Frankly, I’m not sure we can even afford a new water heater!

So where else can you get 20+ parents show up for work…and then spend the rest of the day mopping up?  It’s my journey.  It’s the baggage I carry.  And I love it.