Hope Appears When We Least Expect It

Hope is in the Air: Turning on the television or clicking on a news website these days can be a complete downer. Violence, abuse, crime, pain, and suffering are all common themes in the news. We watch or read about these things and sometimes wonder if there is anything GOOD actually happening out there in the world. It is easy to lose hope.

Hope appeared in Camillus last week. Right in front of the high school, to be exact. Early last week around 3:45 p.m., an elderly gentleman was using a walker to walk up our sidewalk toward our front circle.  He grabbed a light pole for a few moments and then collapsed onto the sidewalk. Within about eight seconds, two students, freshman Connor Macko and sophomore Mikayla Bittel, were standing over the man trying to assess the situation.

While one of them immediately called 911, the other worked to calm him. Both students waited with the man until WAVES ambulance arrived. The ambulance staff came to his aid and they were thankful for the help of the students.

Where was the hope in this story? In two places. The first is that two students did not hesitate to aid someone who needed it. The second was that these two students did not really know each other prior to this incident. They were both just standing in the circle and worked together to help someone in need. I am very proud of their efforts, and I am reminded that hope can appear when we least expect it. 

Changes in Albany: On the lighter side and with a little sense of humor, hope also appeared in Albany last week when the current Commissioner of Education announced his resignation to take the position as the second in command of the U.S. Education Department. I wish him the best, but I now have hope that a replacement will be found with public school experience, someone who has been in the trenches as a teacher and administrator.

Leaders are not leaders if they make decisions that everyone likes all the time. However, in this case I think that most public educators will find it challenging to agree with most of the decisions that have been made from that office over the past few years. I will be actively watching to see who the next Commissioner will be.

Making Gingerbread Houses is Fun! I was invited to Onondaga Road Elementary last Friday to watch all the kindergarten students work with a family member to build gingerbread houses. I had a blast. It is one of the few times that I get to see moms, dads, grandparents, and teachers all working together with children. It was a great networking opportunity for all, and I hope to attend again next year!

The week before a long break is always exciting. I am looking forward to getting around to all the buildings to see all of the students before they head home to you for two weeks.

Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the week!

Chris