This week the media reported the particulars of President Obama’s vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, a surging wildfire, a tropical storm and at least one hurricane. We get so used to reports of the foibles of celebrities and athletes along with reports of catastrophes around the world that the news becomes easy to ignore. But every once in a while a story comes along that is both unexpected and shocking. Such is the case with the recent recovery of kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard in Antioch, CA.
It is difficult to fathom that a person could go missing for more than eighteen years and then be found in almost any circumstance. The conditions by which Ms. Dugard and her daughters were discovered will be the subject of many news reports in the coming weeks, conversations in offices all over the world, and fodder for researchers and psychologists for many years to come. Recent reports of the failure of “the system” to uncover Jaycee’s whereabouts will serve as the tip of the iceberg in an examination of opportunities that existed to free this young woman from her captor.
The officers* at UC Berkley who broke this case will be heralded as heroes in the final analysis of any case study. The actions of these officers go hand in hand with a lesson that we try to instill in our students – one in which we ask them to be “active bystanders” if they witness an event that calls into question the safety of some other person. Somewhere, right now as I am typing this blog entry there is a person, maybe two, or maybe dozens who watched the finding of Ms. Dugard and her children in horror. Every person who says, “I knew it” is a person who could have ended the agony in which Jaycee and her daughters lived for many years.
Not long ago citizens were called upon to look out for one another in airports and on planes. Post 9-11 alertness put a stop to a would-be shoe bomber and the flood of phone calls to the FBI stopped terror plots in locations all over the country. These events should not be forgotten and along with what we witnessed this week in Antioch, CA should serve as a reminder of what we ought to be doing for one another. If you question the safety of any person, it does not hurt to take out your phone and make a call.
* To UC Berkley Officers Allison Jacobs and Lisa Campbell…Nice Job!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Reduced Energy Consumption = Cost Savings Now!
Over the last couple of months I have had many discussions with local leaders and other school administrators about next year’s budget. It seems apparent that preparations for the 2010 – 2011 school budget will be equally as difficult as the process we engaged in during the Spring 2009. Having incurred cuts to our students’ transportation, school staffing, and supply budgets, I would be remiss if I did not communicate my worries about what is to come in the next fiscal year. I began communicating about the budget with our staff at our Opening Day for Teachers meeting on Tuesday.
The superintendents for whom I have worked for on my way from teaching in Western New York State to becoming a Superintendent in Western Massachusetts have taught me well. Dr. Namin taught me to avoid negativity after I already learned from a couple of former superintendents that “Doom and Gloom” just doesn’t sell. The position of superintendent was not bestowed upon me so that I can tell everyone how bad things are. I believe that I was given the position of superintendent so that I can say how things are going to improve and how we are going to be better.
I recall an ESPN segment in which Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said something about the “5 P’s.” I think it means, “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” Someone please correct me if I am wrong via the comments section on the blog. This is the philosophy that I adapted in working with the budget that we have in place and in planning for the one that is to come. I would like to talk about one endeavor that appears to be working…and it is only school day number two.
At our first faculty meeting I displayed a PowerPoint slide that provided what our district paid in electric each month during the 2008 – 2009 school year. I explained how unused funds at the end of this year can be used to offset next year’s budget and then stated what I would do to save funds now in an effort to avoid crisis later. I explained how we removed more than 60 light bulbs that use a minimum of 24 watts per hour and how areas of the building that are lit by sunlight through large windows would go with the lights turned off. I pointed to the ceiling in the media center in which the meeting was held to illustrate how I only needed to turn half of the lights on.
I asked the teachers to participate in energy savings with me. If the learning process is not disrupted by turning off some of the classroom lights, I asked them to feel free to do so. Unsure of what the outcome would be to my suggestion I took a walk around the building today and looked in each and every classroom. As I would expect I saw teachers interacting with students all over the place. I also noticed that business as usual was being conducted in 43 classrooms with some of the lights turned off. The lights in the gym were almost completely turned off because of massive windows and very few lights were on in the openness of the Eileen Perkins Media Center.
At the end of the day we are turning off all of our computers and some unnecessary electrical appliances have been removed from classrooms. Some of the teachers have sent messages with suggestions to change the temperature control in air conditioned areas to further diminish our energy consumption. Last year we spent in the neighborhood of $200,000.00 on electric. I am not sure how much we will save through our efforts this year, but will communicate via a monthly report the results of this endeavor. When it comes to keeping what we have to provide educational services to our students, everything counts, and we have to do all that we can to keep these services in place.
The superintendents for whom I have worked for on my way from teaching in Western New York State to becoming a Superintendent in Western Massachusetts have taught me well. Dr. Namin taught me to avoid negativity after I already learned from a couple of former superintendents that “Doom and Gloom” just doesn’t sell. The position of superintendent was not bestowed upon me so that I can tell everyone how bad things are. I believe that I was given the position of superintendent so that I can say how things are going to improve and how we are going to be better.
I recall an ESPN segment in which Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said something about the “5 P’s.” I think it means, “Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.” Someone please correct me if I am wrong via the comments section on the blog. This is the philosophy that I adapted in working with the budget that we have in place and in planning for the one that is to come. I would like to talk about one endeavor that appears to be working…and it is only school day number two.
At our first faculty meeting I displayed a PowerPoint slide that provided what our district paid in electric each month during the 2008 – 2009 school year. I explained how unused funds at the end of this year can be used to offset next year’s budget and then stated what I would do to save funds now in an effort to avoid crisis later. I explained how we removed more than 60 light bulbs that use a minimum of 24 watts per hour and how areas of the building that are lit by sunlight through large windows would go with the lights turned off. I pointed to the ceiling in the media center in which the meeting was held to illustrate how I only needed to turn half of the lights on.
I asked the teachers to participate in energy savings with me. If the learning process is not disrupted by turning off some of the classroom lights, I asked them to feel free to do so. Unsure of what the outcome would be to my suggestion I took a walk around the building today and looked in each and every classroom. As I would expect I saw teachers interacting with students all over the place. I also noticed that business as usual was being conducted in 43 classrooms with some of the lights turned off. The lights in the gym were almost completely turned off because of massive windows and very few lights were on in the openness of the Eileen Perkins Media Center.
At the end of the day we are turning off all of our computers and some unnecessary electrical appliances have been removed from classrooms. Some of the teachers have sent messages with suggestions to change the temperature control in air conditioned areas to further diminish our energy consumption. Last year we spent in the neighborhood of $200,000.00 on electric. I am not sure how much we will save through our efforts this year, but will communicate via a monthly report the results of this endeavor. When it comes to keeping what we have to provide educational services to our students, everything counts, and we have to do all that we can to keep these services in place.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
"Hey, Thanks!"
Oddly, the only sound that I can hear right now is the sound of my fingers tapping the keyboard as I type this entry. When I arrived at 7:30 this morning there were students in bunches all over the grounds. I could see the busses pulling away from the building and I could hear all of the chatter that comes with 800 middle school students and high school teens. The sound of the first bell (we call it a bell but it is actually a long beep), the morning announcements over the PA, and the “Good Mornings” going back and forth among the students, teachers, and staff. Now, at 5:45 PM all is quiet as I sit here and type.
As I walked the hall just moments ago, I noticed that new signs already adorn the walls. Our students moved quickly to get the word out that the Children’s Hospital Bloodmobile will be at Mahar on September 8, 2009 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The 11 x 16 signs can be found throughout the high school reminding students who are of age to sign up in the cafeteria during lunch. The teachers have gone home along with the students – but it is quite clear that they were all back in action today. The first day of school is done, and I have to say it went very very well.
Summertime in the administrative offices is probably like any day in any administrative office. Budget work, curricular preparation, human resources management, and networking happen in offices all over the world everyday. There is just something different about it when the students and teachers are buzzing around the building. There is a renewed sense of energy that exists on the first day of school that is hard to explain. My friends who work in the pharmaceutical industry, in hospitals, in law offices, and in sales can never understand this. Their last “first day” of school was so long ago that this is all foreign to them. When the students are here and the teachers are teaching our administrative team is reminded of the importance of our work.
Today I was walking down a hallway in the center of our building when I came across a young man with his schedule in his hand. He had a look of uncertainty as he looked once at the paper in his hand and at the classroom number on the wall. I stopped and asked him if he needed some assistance. He told me that he had to go to his English class in the high school and he did not know where it was. I took a look at his schedule and told him that I would walk him there. As we walked I had the opportunity to ask him his name and where he was from, and so on. He told me that he went to Athol Middle School last year and that Mahar was new to him.
I learned that he liked his middle school, but that so far he likes Mahar too. This young man is a soccer player and he is hoping to be able to make one of our teams. When we got to the door of his classroom I wished him well and just before his face went from conversational to nervous he looked me in the eye and he said, “Hey thanks.” As I walked back to my office I thought about the simplicity and the perfection of that moment. I had the opportunity to meet one of our students on my way from one office to the other. The best part of it was that the young man took a second to say thank-you. Some person, perhaps his parents, or maybe one of his teachers (I hope both) took the time to teach him to show gratitude when someone lends him a hand. To the person or people who taught this young man – please accept a “Thank-you!” from me.
As I walked the hall just moments ago, I noticed that new signs already adorn the walls. Our students moved quickly to get the word out that the Children’s Hospital Bloodmobile will be at Mahar on September 8, 2009 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The 11 x 16 signs can be found throughout the high school reminding students who are of age to sign up in the cafeteria during lunch. The teachers have gone home along with the students – but it is quite clear that they were all back in action today. The first day of school is done, and I have to say it went very very well.
Summertime in the administrative offices is probably like any day in any administrative office. Budget work, curricular preparation, human resources management, and networking happen in offices all over the world everyday. There is just something different about it when the students and teachers are buzzing around the building. There is a renewed sense of energy that exists on the first day of school that is hard to explain. My friends who work in the pharmaceutical industry, in hospitals, in law offices, and in sales can never understand this. Their last “first day” of school was so long ago that this is all foreign to them. When the students are here and the teachers are teaching our administrative team is reminded of the importance of our work.
Today I was walking down a hallway in the center of our building when I came across a young man with his schedule in his hand. He had a look of uncertainty as he looked once at the paper in his hand and at the classroom number on the wall. I stopped and asked him if he needed some assistance. He told me that he had to go to his English class in the high school and he did not know where it was. I took a look at his schedule and told him that I would walk him there. As we walked I had the opportunity to ask him his name and where he was from, and so on. He told me that he went to Athol Middle School last year and that Mahar was new to him.
I learned that he liked his middle school, but that so far he likes Mahar too. This young man is a soccer player and he is hoping to be able to make one of our teams. When we got to the door of his classroom I wished him well and just before his face went from conversational to nervous he looked me in the eye and he said, “Hey thanks.” As I walked back to my office I thought about the simplicity and the perfection of that moment. I had the opportunity to meet one of our students on my way from one office to the other. The best part of it was that the young man took a second to say thank-you. Some person, perhaps his parents, or maybe one of his teachers (I hope both) took the time to teach him to show gratitude when someone lends him a hand. To the person or people who taught this young man – please accept a “Thank-you!” from me.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Which Teacher is the Most Important?
Orange Elementary Superintendent, Paul Burnim and I agreed earlier this summer that we would be working together to build a sense of community across our districts. There is much to be gained by our efforts and working together makes perfect sense when you think about it. Take a look:
For most of our students, the road to Mahar travels through the Orange Elementary Schools.
We work with the same families.
We work in the same community.
We work for the same purpose.
So, yesterday morning I had the opportunity to meet briefly with the teachers from the Orange Elementary Schools and Superintendent Burnim paid our faculty a visit today. We are already working together to secure influenza vaccines for our students and staff and we are working together on a competitive grant that focuses on school safety. We are also having discussions about areas in which the elementary and secondary curriculums could interlock in some project based learning opportunities for our students.
The partnership that we are developing caused me to really think about the education system and those who really make a difference working with children and adolescents. Having worked in high schools I know that it is common for one teacher to see himself or herself as more important than another teacher on the basis of the grade or subject matter that he or she teaches. This phenomenon is even more profound today because the federal and state government bases a school district’s effectiveness on the results of Mathematics, English, Language Arts, and Science examinations. Therefore a teacher of mathematics may see what he or she does very differently than a teacher of art, music, or foreign language.
So, which teacher is the most important? Is it the Kindergarten teacher who teaches children the alphabet, their colors, and how to count or is it the First Grade Teacher who teaches the children to read? Perhaps the Fourth Grade Teacher who teaches the children to write a three paragraph essay is more important than the Sixth Grade Teacher who teaches multiple digit division? Is the Physics Teacher who conducts laboratory experiments on acceleration more valuable than the Music Teacher who teaches a child to play the piano, a trombone, or a guitar?
Truth be told, while the teacher is a solo act in his or her classroom he or she cannot do it alone. The Physics Teacher will have a difficult time teaching the principles of acceleration to a child who has not learned basic math. The Fourth Grade Teacher can’t teach a child to write an essay unless the child has learned how to hold a pencil, how to write letters, and how to read. It is a fact that every teacher in the life of a child is important. Reading, writing and arithmetic are just as important as creativity, problem solving, and respect. The teachers in our high school cannot do the work that they do unless the teachers in the middle school provide the requisite instruction. Just the same, the teachers in our middle school cannot do it without the work of the teachers at Orange Elementary, Petersham Center School, and Swift River Elementary.
The Most Important Teacher: The one who prepares the children for the teacher who has them next.
For most of our students, the road to Mahar travels through the Orange Elementary Schools.
We work with the same families.
We work in the same community.
We work for the same purpose.
So, yesterday morning I had the opportunity to meet briefly with the teachers from the Orange Elementary Schools and Superintendent Burnim paid our faculty a visit today. We are already working together to secure influenza vaccines for our students and staff and we are working together on a competitive grant that focuses on school safety. We are also having discussions about areas in which the elementary and secondary curriculums could interlock in some project based learning opportunities for our students.
The partnership that we are developing caused me to really think about the education system and those who really make a difference working with children and adolescents. Having worked in high schools I know that it is common for one teacher to see himself or herself as more important than another teacher on the basis of the grade or subject matter that he or she teaches. This phenomenon is even more profound today because the federal and state government bases a school district’s effectiveness on the results of Mathematics, English, Language Arts, and Science examinations. Therefore a teacher of mathematics may see what he or she does very differently than a teacher of art, music, or foreign language.
So, which teacher is the most important? Is it the Kindergarten teacher who teaches children the alphabet, their colors, and how to count or is it the First Grade Teacher who teaches the children to read? Perhaps the Fourth Grade Teacher who teaches the children to write a three paragraph essay is more important than the Sixth Grade Teacher who teaches multiple digit division? Is the Physics Teacher who conducts laboratory experiments on acceleration more valuable than the Music Teacher who teaches a child to play the piano, a trombone, or a guitar?
Truth be told, while the teacher is a solo act in his or her classroom he or she cannot do it alone. The Physics Teacher will have a difficult time teaching the principles of acceleration to a child who has not learned basic math. The Fourth Grade Teacher can’t teach a child to write an essay unless the child has learned how to hold a pencil, how to write letters, and how to read. It is a fact that every teacher in the life of a child is important. Reading, writing and arithmetic are just as important as creativity, problem solving, and respect. The teachers in our high school cannot do the work that they do unless the teachers in the middle school provide the requisite instruction. Just the same, the teachers in our middle school cannot do it without the work of the teachers at Orange Elementary, Petersham Center School, and Swift River Elementary.
The Most Important Teacher: The one who prepares the children for the teacher who has them next.
Monday, August 24, 2009
"Work!" and "Study!"
Sometime during the 1950’s my grandfather and grandmother traveled from a town that is located in the Gran Sasso Mountains of Italy to Western New York State. They moved from a town of less than 100 people to a city of more than 60,000 in search what we commonly refer to as “The American Dream.” My grandfather had a formal education that took him to the equivalent of our third grade, and to my knowledge, my grandmother did not even have that. In Western New York, my grandfather made his living building houses with his brothers while raising his four children.
My grandfather instilled in his children and in his grandchildren very simple, yet successful ideas about how to be successful in life. I recall as I grew up that his two key areas of focus were “Work!” and “Study!” These two focus areas can be seen quite clearly in my father and in his siblings. They too traveled to a new country, ready to learn a new language, ready to learn new skills, ready to study, and willing to work.
The next generation (my siblings, cousins and I) were handed my grandfather’s torch at a young age. If my grandfather were alive yesterday he could tell his friends that he has a grandchild who is a lawyer, one who is an accountant, three teachers, one vice principal, a superintendent, and a fireman. If my grandfather were alive today, he could tell his friends that he has a granddaughter who is a College Professor and who earned her doctorate degree on August 24, 2009!
My sister and I agreed that when she finished her doctoral defense that she would call my office and just leave the message, “Dr. Hopkins called.” Today, amidst the preparations for the first day for faculty and staff I walked out of my office and was shown a slip of paper that said exactly that. My sister is now a doctor of education, and once again the values instilled in a family have paid off big.
Our school year will begin for students on Wednesday morning. When I am standing out on the sidewalk watching the parents pull up and the students walk in I will be thinking about this. As each student passes by me I will wonder if he or she is the next lawyer or doctor, fireman, or policewoman, researcher or teacher. Our faculty and administration will call upon them to do the same two things that my grandfather called upon me to do, “Work!” and “Study!” I know that our work as educators will pay off for them, just as my grandfather’s work paid off for my little sister today.
One more thing...
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate my sister for earning her doctorate degree today and send out an honorable mention to my parents, grandparents, and all of the teachers that she had for a job well-done.
My grandfather instilled in his children and in his grandchildren very simple, yet successful ideas about how to be successful in life. I recall as I grew up that his two key areas of focus were “Work!” and “Study!” These two focus areas can be seen quite clearly in my father and in his siblings. They too traveled to a new country, ready to learn a new language, ready to learn new skills, ready to study, and willing to work.
The next generation (my siblings, cousins and I) were handed my grandfather’s torch at a young age. If my grandfather were alive yesterday he could tell his friends that he has a grandchild who is a lawyer, one who is an accountant, three teachers, one vice principal, a superintendent, and a fireman. If my grandfather were alive today, he could tell his friends that he has a granddaughter who is a College Professor and who earned her doctorate degree on August 24, 2009!
My sister and I agreed that when she finished her doctoral defense that she would call my office and just leave the message, “Dr. Hopkins called.” Today, amidst the preparations for the first day for faculty and staff I walked out of my office and was shown a slip of paper that said exactly that. My sister is now a doctor of education, and once again the values instilled in a family have paid off big.
Our school year will begin for students on Wednesday morning. When I am standing out on the sidewalk watching the parents pull up and the students walk in I will be thinking about this. As each student passes by me I will wonder if he or she is the next lawyer or doctor, fireman, or policewoman, researcher or teacher. Our faculty and administration will call upon them to do the same two things that my grandfather called upon me to do, “Work!” and “Study!” I know that our work as educators will pay off for them, just as my grandfather’s work paid off for my little sister today.
One more thing...
I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate my sister for earning her doctorate degree today and send out an honorable mention to my parents, grandparents, and all of the teachers that she had for a job well-done.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Mount Wachusett Community College and Ralph C. Mahar
We begin this school year with our renewed partnership with Mount Wachusett Community College in full swing. First, we are proud to be the partnering high school with Mount Wachusett Community College in the Gateway to College Program. This innovative educational program currently provides educational services to nearly 200 students from all over Central and Western Massachusetts. The program was started by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and some other partners several years ago. There are now 24 Gateway to College Programs in the country – and we are honored to be a part of the network.
The Gateway to College is an educational program designed to reconnect teenagers with education after they have dropped out of high school, or if they are considering dropping out. In recent years, Mahar has touted a very low drop out rate, and this is one of many reasons that Mount administrators would consider our district. We already do much to keep our students in school with our AM and PM Alternative Programs, dual enrollment offerings, and our in house special education programming. Mount Wachusett Community College could have asked any school district in the area to partner with them in Gateway. Mahar is nearly 20 miles away from the Mount, and there are many schools in between Orange and Gardner. The fact that Mount Wachusett Community College chose Mahar to become their new partner in the Gateway to College Program is very very special. Over the last year we have discovered that the administration at Mount Wachusett Community College shares our ideology that all of our students can learn and grow – hence the Mount’s campaign, “Start Near, Go Far.”
The partnership that is now solidified in Gateway has brought us to where we are now. The next phase of our partnership involves our joint effort in creating a prospectus for a “Readiness School.” The Readiness initiative that began with Governor Deval Patrick’s Readiness Report will bring new innovative learning centers to Massachusetts. On September 15, 2009 we will submit our intent to use the 2009 – 2010 school year to plan the Ralph C. Mahar/Mount Wachusett Alliance School. For more information on the Readiness Project you can view the Readiness Report be clicking on the link below.
http://www.mass.gov/Agov3/docs/Readiness%20Final%20Report.pdf
The Gateway to College is an educational program designed to reconnect teenagers with education after they have dropped out of high school, or if they are considering dropping out. In recent years, Mahar has touted a very low drop out rate, and this is one of many reasons that Mount administrators would consider our district. We already do much to keep our students in school with our AM and PM Alternative Programs, dual enrollment offerings, and our in house special education programming. Mount Wachusett Community College could have asked any school district in the area to partner with them in Gateway. Mahar is nearly 20 miles away from the Mount, and there are many schools in between Orange and Gardner. The fact that Mount Wachusett Community College chose Mahar to become their new partner in the Gateway to College Program is very very special. Over the last year we have discovered that the administration at Mount Wachusett Community College shares our ideology that all of our students can learn and grow – hence the Mount’s campaign, “Start Near, Go Far.”
The partnership that is now solidified in Gateway has brought us to where we are now. The next phase of our partnership involves our joint effort in creating a prospectus for a “Readiness School.” The Readiness initiative that began with Governor Deval Patrick’s Readiness Report will bring new innovative learning centers to Massachusetts. On September 15, 2009 we will submit our intent to use the 2009 – 2010 school year to plan the Ralph C. Mahar/Mount Wachusett Alliance School. For more information on the Readiness Project you can view the Readiness Report be clicking on the link below.
http://www.mass.gov/Agov3/docs/Readiness%20Final%20Report.pdf
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Validation
At about this time each day I pull out my list of blog topics (that continues to grow) with the intent of selecting a topic for the day. As I was about to do this today, my E-mail alert went off – informing me that I had a message in my inbox. The message that I received was from a parent who attended last night’s “New Parent/Student Orientation” and in an instant I found yet another topic – which is the subject of tonight’s post.
The parent who wrote to me expressed her satisfaction with our school – which is why she decided to use the School Choice program to come to Mahar from another community. The line of her E-mail that really struck me was, “We are school of choicing our daughter to Mahar because of the caring people and the commitment that we have seen in Mahar's educational community.” I have to say that it is delightful to receive unsolicited messages such as these. When reading this, I am reminded that the hard work of our administrators and faculty is paying off for our students and their families.
So often in schools, administrators and teachers only hear from parents when there is a problem or dissatisfaction about some event. Usually when the phone rings, when the E-mail alert goes off, or when a parent is standing in the office there is a need to resolve some type of conflict. Now that I think about it, this is true outside of schools as well. How often do we go out of our way to tell some person that what he or she is doing is special, how valuable people are in their roles, or provide encouragement for others to continue doing those things we deem “good?”
Earlier this summer Mrs. Ramon (our high school adjustment counselor) told me about a video on You Tube.com that is called “Validation.” It is approximately 15 minutes in duration, and the message that it provides viewers is worth the time. I have posted the link to this video below, and I hope that you will take the time to watch and listen to it. This short film has been viewed more than 2,000,000 times on YouTube, and it has earned the coveted “5 Star” rating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
The parent who wrote to me expressed her satisfaction with our school – which is why she decided to use the School Choice program to come to Mahar from another community. The line of her E-mail that really struck me was, “We are school of choicing our daughter to Mahar because of the caring people and the commitment that we have seen in Mahar's educational community.” I have to say that it is delightful to receive unsolicited messages such as these. When reading this, I am reminded that the hard work of our administrators and faculty is paying off for our students and their families.
So often in schools, administrators and teachers only hear from parents when there is a problem or dissatisfaction about some event. Usually when the phone rings, when the E-mail alert goes off, or when a parent is standing in the office there is a need to resolve some type of conflict. Now that I think about it, this is true outside of schools as well. How often do we go out of our way to tell some person that what he or she is doing is special, how valuable people are in their roles, or provide encouragement for others to continue doing those things we deem “good?”
Earlier this summer Mrs. Ramon (our high school adjustment counselor) told me about a video on You Tube.com that is called “Validation.” It is approximately 15 minutes in duration, and the message that it provides viewers is worth the time. I have posted the link to this video below, and I hope that you will take the time to watch and listen to it. This short film has been viewed more than 2,000,000 times on YouTube, and it has earned the coveted “5 Star” rating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbk980jV7Ao
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