The long-standing tradition of excitement for the start of a new school year means something different for most people. There is the excitement of connecting with friends again after a summer break. There is the excitement of taking one step closer to graduation. There is the excitement of meeting new teachers and new students. And let’s be honest, there is the excitement of getting the kids out of the house and back to school. Regardless of the extent of your excitement level, the staff of your NRHEG School District strives to provide our students with an exciting, safe and welcoming learning environment.
John Dewey, an American philosopher and educator is quoted as saying “ Education is not the preparation for life, education is life itself.” This statement is one of my favorite quotes and is true for all people, not just school-aged children. Life is full of learning and no matter your age, learning is always taking place. Students across the globe engage in some sort of educational process based on the concept of learning, growing, and maturing. The students of the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva School District are promised an education that meets state standards and benchmarks, local priorities, and are designed to include a wide range of subject areas. In the education world we use terms like; growth mindset, empowering, interventions, comprehension, assessment, and so on. While these are important words and concepts, words like these can be misunderstood and can seem to be words that we use in attempts to make us sound like we know what we are doing.
Here is the bottom line: As the Superintendent of Schools, it is my job to make sure that we educators do know what we are doing and we do take our profession seriously. We can teach math facts and geographic locations. We can teach welding and agriculture. We can teach students how to play an instrument and how to carry a note in Choir. We can teach students scientific theories, how to write a proper sentence, what business concepts drive our economy, and how to live a healthy and active lifestyle. Besides all of that, we can, and do, model how to respect one another. We can, and do, model how to listen, care and show compassion. We can, and do, model how to be gracious and appreciative. I believe that the modeling of these life skills helps develop the whole person and establishes a strong character that ripples into the communities that we live in and benefits those for generations to come.
Education is life itself!!
Never stop learning!
Never stop being excited to learn!
Never stop being a role model to the others around you!
Never stop being excited for the start of a new school year,
And never stop taking pride in being an NRHEG Panther!
Have a great school year.
Sincerely, Mr. Meihak