Preparing for the future!

When I graduated from Mehlville High School in 1997 I did not have the slightest inkling of where I was going, and there was no way I had an understanding of how much the world around me was going to change. Have you considered that the that the kindergarten children entering school in Fall 2015 will begin retiring (assuming an age of 65) in the year 2075! Even if the rate of change remained constant over the next 60-65 years, this will be a very different world then the one they know today!

Even with all the changes in my own world, education has always been the saving grace. The ability to be a learner, to problem solve, to articulate a critical response and to adapt has been instrumental in navigating this ever changing world. Education from early learning to post secondary, informal and formal, and inside and outside of the school building must continue to be our saving grace. In order for education to lead us through future generations, schools must continue to evolve and teaching quality must always be a priority.

Few of us could have imagined the world we currently exist in when we were in high school. In terms of technology itself, we are miles ahead of any of our dreams from those years(I just wanted to avoid dying of DYSENTery in Oregon Trail). I would venture to suggest that even our current high school students have only the faintest glimpse of how much the world will change throughout their life to retirement. Yet, our role in education is to prepare students for that unknown and unexpected world.

Dylan Wiliam in his article, “Teacher quality: why it matters, and how to get more of it” articulates that schools in the past have been talent identifiers. We sorted students in a factory model based on students’ current talent without any acknowledgement of future growth or potential. Today’s world requires extensive talent and skill and therefore we must work with all students to create potential and that can only be accomplished with high teacher quality.

In essence, teachers need to see the magnificent diamond within each student. They must be able to seek the inner talents hidden within every student and let them grow and prosper. They must be able to recognize that what you see may not be what you get! While we may not be able to bring every student's s dreams to reality, we must never take the potential of dreaming away from anyone. The potential that exists in our students must not remain untapped!

The unknown world of tomorrow will not require students who can simply regurgitate knowledge. They will need to be able to create knowledge. In order to problem solve effectively, they will need to be precise in the identification of the problem. We will need divergent thinkers who challenge the status quo, creative minds who think outside the box and innovative risk takers. These kinds of students will only be developed under the tutelage of high quality teachers and transformed systems.

Even an unknown future can be prepared for through education. Classrooms that engage prepare for that future. Teachers, who question and stretch the box, prepare for that future. Environments that support risk taking and growth mindsets develop potential in our students, a critical competency for the 21st century. Understanding that “if you can’t be wrong, you can’t learn” prepares students to recognize that failure is an essential part of the learning process. Committed learners, who understand hard work and are willing to explore multiple pathways to that learning, not just compliant students will be successful in tomorrow’s uncertain world.  We may not know what the future holds in store for us or our students. But we know that our educational system with high quality teaching will be our best strategy and our saving grace to prepare our students for that future.

Connected Educators

There are times in our careers that we use the term professional judgment as a license to do whatever we believe is right! We’ve earned our degree! We’ve “practiced” our skills! We’ve been inducted into the profession!

The very definition of a professional supports our “right” to trump any disagreement of practice. Quite honestly, a rigorous pre-service program and a Bachelor of Education should allow for some latitude in our ability to deploy professional judgment.

However, the world has changed at an alarming pace and as educators we need to be continually seeking to heighten our own informed professional judgment.  As many of you know I am a big user and supporter of Twitter.  I find twitter provides a terrific avenue to celebrate the MANY success of our students, teachers, and Vianney Community.  It also serves as a valuable professional development tool!  Through Twitter I connect with educators and administrative leaders from all over the world! Twitter allows me to learn what new, innovative, and effective practices are working in other schools and serves as a resource for professional development that never existed before.  It is transformative, powerful, and reliable!

Occasionally I'll see a quote, idea, or conversation and it will spark me to reflect more on my personal practice or our school practices. Recently I was part of a twitter chat that provoked my own reflection on how informed professional judgment is linked to both the art and science of teaching and overall confidence required.

When I began my career, I was convinced that teaching was ONLY an art. Although I “enjoyed” my university experience at Southwest Missouri State, I really didn’t see the direct connection between theory and practice. While some of my professors were highly engaging, others didn’t seem to have a good sense of the real world in the classroom anymore. Those professors may have known the theories, but they lacked the art so significantly that I was often tuned out, disengaged--bored!

Furthermore, I was a coach and teacher. And so, the art of teaching came very close to what I did coaching football or basketball.  My professional judgment was more based on the successes I had as a coach and how I was able to transfer it  to the classroom.

Being nostalgic and looking back at my own experience in school, many of my favorite teachers were coaches. They weren’t necessarily athletic coaches, but they certainly employed sound coaching methods in their practice. I was a relatively average student who, because of my sports upbringing was also fairly disciplined. Today, I would probably be considered as a compliant student because as an athlete back then, you just did what the coach told you. Style or art works well when your players or students are compliant and/or engaged, but what happens when they aren’t? Today, with our correct move towards inclusion and overarching goal of student success for all, we can no longer just “coach” the compliant or engaged.  

The art of teaching must be married to the science of teaching. There is considerable uniformity in the belief that students are very different today as compared to when most of us started this profession. We can provide numerous reasons why or lay blame until we’re blue in the face but it doesn’t change this fact. Given this, educators must become more learned than ever before. The professional judgment we gained in our undergraduate degree is simply insufficient. The soft skills we employ as educators may be an art, but strong, effective and engaging pedagogy is a science. Educators today, now have the benefits of the latest brain research to inform practice. It changes our perspective from “he won’t do his work” to possibly, “he can’t do his work… in this way.” It pushes us away from the factory model of education and truly highlights the uniqueness of each student in our classrooms.

Secondly, the student of today requires far different teaching practices for high levels of engagement and learning. In order for students to develop their own creativity and innovative talents, our educators must demonstrate those same qualities in their classrooms. It is understandable that some educators shy away from those practices for a number of reasons. Often, the barrier of an accountability system that numerically ranks schools, teachers and students can be found to be at fault. When only test scores rather than true learning are measured, there is a disconnect. Additionally, many educators are being asked to engage in practices that initially are out of their comfort zone. It makes sense that until educators build some confidence in a different pedagogy, it is likely to remain on the “practice” court only. Informed professional judgment is defined through actions in the classroom. More than ever before, educators need to be innovative in their practice utilizing a skillful art and science to reflect informed professional judgment. And stakeholders and administrators need to be patient and supportive by creating and/or maintaining environments to allow the development of these skills. 

Informed professional judgment is a non-negotiable for today’s educators. Educators need to stay informed not on a yearly basis but on a daily basis. Schools and districts will never be able to offer the amount of learning opportunities required to keep our professionals up to date. That is the reason why educators must become connected within their school, their department, and with the use of technology. Educators of today are unable to provide informed professional judgment on an ongoing basis without being connected personally or virtually. Connected educators build up their own confidence levels. Connected educators are supported by others who act as reference or sounding boards. Connected educators find ways to ensure that their professional judgment is always informed.

We know that the classroom is very different today than it was even ten years ago. We also know that education is one of the only saving graces for many of our students and for society as a whole. With that in mind, it is critical that leaders and teachers continually strive to provide their most informed professional judgment and in order to achieve, they must be connected!!!

Some Perspective

This extended Labor Day weekend was a GREAT time for me to pound the pavement and increase my running mileage.  These three days away from school afforded me the opportunity to shed some of the pre-Christmas weight I've already put on and help me get over the disappointment I was feeling in myself. While running this weekend I decide to take my route through Jefferson Barracks Cemetery.  It's quietness, herds of deer, and calmness seemed like a good running destination.  It also afforded me a long overdue visit to the graves of my two grandfathers and grandma.  As I paused to catch my breath and pay my respects, I noticed the grave of a young soldier who had lost his life in battle in 2011 at the age of 22.  As I turned I also noticed a young man in a wheel chair praying over a grave and a mother with her small child at another. Perspective!

Often my exercise regime is far less about keeping in shape and far more about clearing my head and aligning my thoughts. In essence, it allows me to regain perspective! During my workout, I reflected on the many gifts that have been bestowed on me and the many reasons that I should be far more grateful. And, I also reflected upon the many times that we as a society are not nearly as grateful for our own blessings. We have allowed our society to value ME over US and MONEY over MORALS. 

Unfortunately, the one place where this thinking should not be commonplace, the education system, has too, fallen under this trend. Too often educators complain about workload issues, work stress, limited budgets and other challenges that we “face!”  I myself at times, get frustrated with managerial aspects of my role, inappropriate actions of staff or students, and unrealistic demands of some parents.  Even with all the challenges we face, it is important to put things into perspective.  Vianney is still recognized as one of the best Catholic high schools in the nation! A 2014-16 National School of Excellence, awarded to the top 5% of Catholic High Schools in the country!  

We receive incredible financial support from our parents and alumni who support our mission!  Our endowment is growing, our facilities improving with the addition of the NEW

$1 million STEM labs and soon to be completed North Athletic Field Complex that will house a NEW all-turfed baseball stadium, with lights, and stadium seating.  A field large enough for soccer & lacrosse to also practice or play games on if they choose.

But, if that is our ONLY perspective, we will always want more! Our perspective cannot focus on the monetary piece of our school or the bricks and mortar that provide our institutional foundation. Our perspective must revolve on the giftedness of each of us and the gift of being in a Catholic, Marianist school. Our perspective must be that we hold the future of children in the palms of our hands each and every day. Our perspective must be that we have the ability to change a world to value “we!” Our perspective must be on knowing that we can make a difference in EVERY young man's life who walks into our room. Our perspective should give us pride in knowing we have highly skilled, innovative, passionate, and dedicated teachers. We have great supports for students. Our technology program is unique to our school and develops students to be critical and creative thinkers in an ever changing world. Our high school is safe and caring and our working conditions are well beyond adequate--they are exceptional! Most importantly, at Vianney we don't just talk about Faith or Family Spirit, we live it and model it! The Living Rosary, the multitude of prayers, making 100's of sandwiches to feed the homeless each Monday, our daily communion services, our retreat programs, our community Masses like this weekend's Grandparents' Mass or the Mother-Son Mass later this fall, and on and on and on.  At Vianney our Faith is lived!

Today we celebrated our Honors Convocation. An opportunity to recognize all that exemplifies Vianney.  Days like today make me proud to be principal as we honor our students for their academic, extracurricular, leadership, and service accomplishments.  The actions of our students model our aim--to develop Men of Character & Accomplishment!

And yet, somewhat poetically it occurred today on September 11th and recants in mind the horrific loss of life that was experienced 14 years ago on our own soil. When I pause to think about Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, the tragedy of 9-11, and the celebration of this morning's Honors Convocation it seems so easy to gain perspective on my own life when I am surrounded by tragedy or celebratory events. During these times, it is quite simple for most of us to recognize that the crosses we bear are far smaller than many others. But what about when those tragedies become only a faint memory? Do we still have the right perspective? What happens when the calendar turns to September 12th or November 15th, or the days just become another day with no Honors Convocation, No lab dedications, or Marianist awards?

In our lives we are surrounded by people who may have sacrificed much, carried burdens for a long time and have suffered silently! If our perspective continues to focus on the “me” we will never recognize those who truly need and deserve our support. If our perspective continues to be on what I don’t have instead of what I do have, we will never be happy.

Today and tomorrow and the tomorrow after that, look at all the blessings we’ve been given not the burdens we face. Welcome the opportunities we’ve been afforded. Seize the gifts of each day because that’s the right perspective!

Increasing Engagement

When I first began my career in education, GREAT teaching was often defined by a classroom where students sat quietly in rows. There was such an emphasis placed on classroom management as an effective teaching tool that as undergrad students we actually had to take a Classroom Management Class!  And while I believe that classroom management is required for excellent teaching to occur, students sitting quietly in rows cannot be the only evidence. In fact, I preach to my teachers that civil disobedience and lack of sound does NOT in fact indicate a successful classroom.  If learning is to be engaging it should be conversational, exploratory, and at times even loud and/or fun!

Thankfully today’s classrooms are shifting from student compliance to commitment and from teacher driven silos to student focused learning environments. This transformation is being driven because of a concentrated effort to increase learner engagement. 

Author Daniel Pink suggests that people are typically motivated through purpose, mastery and autonomy. These desires are not exclusive to adults, students desire those same attributes in their classrooms today. 

The ability to offer students an education that is purposeful, seeks mastery and allows some sort of autonomy equals a high level of learner engagement.

When I attended high school, I too often remember questioning the purpose of why I was learning some of the curriculum at that time. When I talk to students today, they ask the same question, “Why do we have to learn this?” Without purpose or a connection to their current life or future plans, learner engagement is negatively impacted. Students need to be confident that what they are doing in schools today matters! Creative thought and problem solving ability are greatly enhanced when students are engaged in meaningful learning.

When there is a sense of purpose there is a desire to improve. This is not just typical behavior for artists and athletes but for the general public. None of us wake up in the morning hoping to fail at something we truly believe in. Mastery at the school level requires educators to provide specific feedback to students. Students need to be clear as to where they are, where they need to get to and how they are going to get there in their educational journey. It further requires educators to work collaboratively with students to develop a growth mindset that promotes intrinsic motivation.

The last piece of the engagement puzzle requires students to have some autonomy in their own learning. Although curriculum is structured and has its set of important requirements and necessary limitations, students still need to have some choice in their schooling. The key is employing flexible learning groups, having teachers implementing differentiated instruction and allowing students choice in how they demonstrate their learning. Autonomy allows students to build on their own strengths.   

Vianney is generally recognized as one of the best high schools in Missouri and in 2014 we were recognized as National School of Excellence! It is my belief that moving our classrooms closer to student-centered environments has facilitated a positive change in our culture, increased learning engagement and enthusiasm, and ignited the growth we desired in student outcomes! We at Vianney have learned and accepted that quiet compliance in the classroom is no longer sufficient for students to develop the skills they need to be engaged citizens. We need to continue to shift our efforts to active learning that promotes high learner engagement. An emphasis on learner engagement will develop all students’ abilities to learn how to learn and experience success in school and within our knowledge based society. These efforts will help us to continue to develop Men of Character & Accomplishment who are successful leaders now and ALWAYS! 

Exiting Your Comfort Zone

I recently told someone that I wake up most mornings by 5:00 am, even on the weekends. Much to their surprise they asked, “What do you do when you wake up REALLY early on a Saturday morning? The answer of course, is simple….the same thing I do when I wake up at midnight, 1 am, 3 am, 4 am, or any other time my brain frequently can’t shut down---I think about our school!  Sometimes I worry, but mostly my brain navigates to thoughts of how will we get better tomorrow, a month from now, 5 years from now!

This morning’s thought centered on Professional Development as yesterday I announced Vianney would host a Google education summit and boot camp in June of 2016!  While I was initially excited about hosting the summit, my brain could not sustain the thought very long.  It wandered, as it tends to do early in the morning, back to our faculty’s professional development in August of 2014.  I’ll never forget that day!  It was the most self-fulfilling, and personally satisfying professional development session I have ever organized. 

Looking back, I was terrified! The thought of asking my

teachers to become “Purple Cows” and to wear foolish outfits and learn teenage dances, and play, and laugh, while learning and growing closer as a faculty could have easily flopped!

It was a professional development session, I thought to myself, that would either identify and set the course for what our school could become,--no, what I thought it truly was!  Or, it would symbolize that after three years of trying new methodologies, and despite promises and signs of growth, that ultimately our faculty didn’t follow my lead and were content in resorting to their traditional ways of doing business.

I remember the hours leading up to our professional development session where I would challenge teachers to CARE, ENGAGE, INSPIRE, and PLAY and I couldn’t help but think, 

“Comfort zones are roadblocks to reform. Comfort zones kill creativity, stifle imagination, and limit our engagement with students.”

Looking back the day was a success!  The faculty and staff of Vianney didn’t just participate, they accelerated the day’s activities!  Minute-to-Win Games became conquests for institutional bragging rights!  Kickball games heated competitions for supremacy!  The Cupid Shuffle and Wobble training sessions not only filled the air with music, but laughter, enthusiasm, and smiles!  While the “rockstar” videos our Vianney family created showed they were innovative, creative, and not only ready for the challenge, but yearning for it!

And what started as morning of fear and trepidation in my heart, quickly turned in to a day of exhilaration, hope and promise!  I knew we were on the right path to not sustaining excellence, but escalating it!

And as I walk up and down the hallways of our school and see teachers using Plickers to gather student data, dressing as historical figures for “guest lectures” gamifying their classroom, allowing students to teach the class something, creating their own adventure stories, singing vocabulary songs, creating hip-hop videos to explain photosynthesis and a host of other creative learning activities I am overwhelmed with joy!

And now a new question has popped in to my head.

“Why are so many educators constantly seeking to find their comfort zone?”

We all want to find that right flow for our work and our life. And when we find it, we certainly don’t want to move out of it. And yet, I know through my experience that comfort too often kills all that is great in education!

I believe in education, we can ill afford to be overly comfortable in our classrooms, schools and systems. Getting out of our own comfort zone means pushing the envelope, further enhancing our skills and evolving our practice. And believe me, it is uncomfortable! It is uncomfortable because we are far more competent in our current methods. Furthermore, we grew up in a system that has held on to the belief (for far too long) that teachers must know everything and cannot be seen as still learning real time, while in the classroom. And, as 20th century people, we still want to make it perfect before we ever deliver it to our students.

Some individuals can slip out of their own comfort zones and find their new normal with great ease.

For others, the thought of moving beyond what they know and what they do is almost paralyzing. The fact though, is without some movement from our comfort zone, educational reform will not occur. Everybody in the educational system needs to begin (or continue) to get out of their comfort zone. This is certainly an attribute for effective leaders. As the lead learner of a Nationally recognized School of Excellence, I must be prepared to get out of my own comfort zone and lead and facilitate in ways that are new, innovative and creative.  This is something that I don’t relish but I know it has to be non-negotiable in my work.

During this school year, I would encourage that all those involved in the educational world look at ways to move themselves from their own comfort zone. To begin with, it doesn’t have to be a radical departure from your current practice but it does require a departure. Be fully aware that you will feel uneasy, but remember that learning, especially deep learning requires that uneasiness. We crawl, then walk and then run! Don’t expect to be running when you depart from your comfort zone. Expect to stumble and likely fall. But in the end, you will be better at your professional practice and students will benefit as educational reform takes hold.

Good luck getting out of your comfort zone!

Because We Believe...

Because We Believe

As we begin another school year I am overwhelmed with a sense of thankfulness. I’m thankful that so many families have seen the value in a Catholic, Marianist education and have chosen to entrust their son to our care. As a parent, we always want what’s best for our child, – whether that means their health, education, or faith. By choosing to send your son to St. John Vianney High School, you are providing them a unique opportunity to grow in Christ while performing at high academic standards. When you entrust your son to our care we promise to return you a man! A Man of Character & Accomplishment!

At Vianney, we call this Excellence You Can Believe In: an ideal that is exemplified through our students’ Living Faith, Embracing Service, Celebrating Community and Inspiring Achievement.

As the instructional leader of the school I contend that seeing is believing! What follows are some highlights of how Vianney provides the highest quality Catholic, Marianist education that YOU can believe in!

Class of 2015 Achievements

• 99% of graduates pursuing college/post-secondary training.
• College scholarships valued at $8.5 Million.
• High School Hours of Community Service: 15,000 (seniors ONLY).
• 6 Seniors received Bright Fight Scholar status achieving a 31 or higher on the ACT.
• 11 seniors recieved our Campus Ministry Award for achieving a minimum of 150 hours of Christian service beyond their required 100 hours.
• 66% of the class of 2015 received merit and/or talent based scholarships.
• 21 seniors (14%) will attend a Catholic college or university.

Living Faith

Our faith in Jesus Christ is the reason our school exists. Therefore, both spiritual and academic experiences at Vianney enable our students to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, broaden their knowledge of their faith, and connect their faith to their daily lives. The foundation of faith around which we build our academic program permeates every aspect of the school day and continues beyond it. This faith-filled environment instills high degrees of self-confidence, self-respect, and self-discipline among our young men.

Ultimately, a Catholic education should prepare students to be good stewards of God’s gifts and active people of faith who serve others, and participate in their faith and civic communities,and make a difference in the world.

This spiritual mission is carried out in many ways at Vianney—regular school liturgies, daily communion services, prayer experiences like the Angelus and 3 O’clock Prayer, retreats, classroom instruction, service learning, living rosary, and extracurricular activities including our Athletic Apostles Program. And this mission is supported by educators who are committed to fulfilling the teaching mission of Jesus Christ and who offer spiritual guidance in a faith-based environment.

Celebrating Community

If you haven’t visited Vianney lately I encourage you to do so. Once you step foot on our campus you will immediately feel our lived Family Spirit! A hallmark of our Marianist institution.

Many schools talk about an openness or welcomeness, at Vianney, we live it and find tangible examples on a daily basis of how inclusive our community has become.

Once on campus you will notice the spirit of camaraderie among students, teachers, and administrators. Vianney is a family within a family--we have shared values, common goals, and are a thriving community of faith.

Within this supportive environment, your son has the opportunity to grow in many ways. A wide variety of extracurricular activities—from academic and social clubs to athletics and performing arts—allows students to explore and express their individual gifts and abilities. This atmosphere is supported by teachers who serve as role models, coaches, and counselors and who spend many hours outside of school helping with activities, leading retreats, and assisting students with their academic, personal, and spiritual growth.

 Embracing Service
As students mature within the supportive environment of Vianney, they are challenged to take that gift of fellowship and give back to the broader community. Students visit the elderly in nursing homes, purchase Christmas presents for poverty-stricken families, deliver meals to teh homeless on Thanksgiving,give blood for those in need, host one of the areas largest Special Olympics Track Meets, March for Life in Washington, and raise money for a variety of issues. They also visit civic and governmental institutions to learn about systems, how to be good citizens, and how to advocate for their beliefs. Last year, our Vianney seniors graduated with more than 15,000 in hours of community service.


At Vianney we pride ourselves on offering many programs in which students are encouraged to develop leadership skills and civic responsibility, including service learning programs, pro-life organizations, environmental clubs, LIFE program, mock trial and debate team, and of course our leadership classes which we have proudly offered for over 15 years! Just this past year our junior/senior leadership class was approved by Drury University as a college-level class!

Inspiring Achievement

One of the great hallmarks of our school is knowing that students will emerge from Vianney with a strong education that is supported by technology and focused on the skills needed for today and tomorrow. Our students learn decision-making skills, develop high levels of literacy in language arts and mathematics, apply inquiry-based experimentation and problem solving, and build understanding and appreciation for world history and cultures. They also participate in visual and performing arts programs, build lifelong habits of health & fitness, and engage in a variety of high-quality electives and extracurricular activities.

The programs in our school exceed state requirements and are measured through regular testing. These tests show that our young men score significantly better than state and national averages.

Vianney provides a bridge to other life experiences and opportunities. Graduates of of Vianney are well prepared for college and life, and last year, 99% of seniors pursued post-secondary education. The class of 2015 earned more than $8.5 million in scholarships.

Last year we were also recognized as a National School of Excellence! This award represents the highest national honor presented to quality schools by the Cardinal Newman Society. Only the top 5% of Catholic high schools in the country receive this award. It recognizes Vianney’s excellence in the areas of academics, faith, and civic education.

The professionals who teach your sons are well-prepared to provide a rigorous and comprehensive education. Vianney’s teachers are certified, and over 80% have advanced degrees. In addition, teachers regularly participate in continuing education opportunities to keep current with innovations in education and religious instruction.

Because We Believe 

When he was Cardinal of Argentina, Pope Francis said about Catholic schools: “The education of children and young people is such an important task in forming them as free and responsible human beings….And because education truly forms human beings, it is especially the duty and responsibility of the Church, who is called to serve mankind from the heart of God and in such a way that no other institution can.”

Every day, young men at Vianney have the opportunity to learn about the person of Jesus Christ, who is the source of our hope and salvation. They are invited to know Jesus personally, to love Him intimately, and to serve Him wholeheartedly. This “good news” is the reason our school exist. Because We Believe.

It’s a privilege serving the St. John Vianney High School community! I look forward to the many blessings the 2015-16 school year has in store for all of us, because of HIS will! I promise you we will continue to develop young men of character & accomplishment that you can believe in!

Dear Lexi: A Note Before You Start Kindergarten

Dear Lexi:

In just six short days, you start kindergarten. It feels like I have been counting down to this moment since you were born: “Can you believe in three years she’ll go to school?” “Next year at this time she’ll be in school.” “Only two more months until school.” But now, in time that’s felt less like a marathon and more like a sprint, we’re buying markers and pencils, a Princess backpack, plaid jumpers and colored folders.

As with every other step along this parenting journey, friends, family, even complete strangers have offered opinions on how I’ll feel next week. I haven’t a clue how I'll feel, but I do know that when the door closes and I get that last glimpse of you for seven or eight hours, you’ll crowd my thoughts: what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, if you’re okay, if you’re eating your lunch and using your manners, if you're listening, if you miss me and your mom, if you're making friends, if you're happy or scared. Just thinking about it brings me to tears. I had six years to prepare for this moment and now with six days to go I realize you may be ready, but I'm not!

I am sitting here typing through tear filled eyes because I know where this road ends. A parent’s job is to raise children that make the world a better place, to be humans that we wish we could be more like, to fulfill their potential and exhaust their dreams. I will be your biggest cheerleader, no matter where your passions may lead and I will always be here when you need to come home. My heart will ache, it may even break, bursting with pride and love for you. Be patient with me.

We begin a new chapter. Your first day of kindergarten will be one of the hardest mornings of my life but you will never know this. I will not cry in front of you and I promise to keep my collapsing in a pool of snot and tears out of your line of sight.

Being a parent has been interesting, frightening, rewarding, and frustrating, sometimes all at once. I have not been shy to admit that from your very first breath in this world I was completely under your spell! You have been my princess. Some have told me that I'm spoiling you or that you're "privileged." I don't know anything about that. All I know is that people told me becoming a father would change my life forever and they were right! In fact they undersold it! You're my princess! I can count on one hand the things I've done right in my life and you're at the top of the list! I was a terrible athlete, and probably a worse student! I was an average teacher and I'm still trying to figure this principal thing out, but I really love being your dad!

It's why I don't mind wearing a princess crown or dancing in the living room! It's why I marvel at your gymnastics feats, am stunned you can remember the words to EVERY song you've EVER heard! And why I'll chase you up and down the street in dress shoes or flips flops to watch you ride you bike! I'm proud to be YOUR dad!

So I don't know if you're spoiled or what people mean by that, but, yes, your mother and I have tried our best to give you every advantage we could. Has the advantage worked? We have no way of knowing. But like so many parents of our generation, we tried to give you those “must-haves” the experts insisted on: Lots of books: Check. Minimal TV: Check. Early preschool: Check. [Mostly] Healthy meals: Check. Lots of activities: Check. Experiences and Inquiry based learning: Check. Exposure to the Arts: Check. Your whole life, you've had options and choices, a fortunate distinction from most of the rest of the world.

While we've given you advantages and can buy those school supplies and pack your lunch, you’ll have to go it alone, now. I think that's why I'm struggling so much. I won't be there when you fall down. I won't be able to nudge you on that math worksheet or pick you up when you fall playing kickball. It's all on you now.

That’s why as the days draw nearer to the start of school, I hope you'll continue to test the waters, ask questions, imitate imagined conversations, and continue to laugh and run and play.

You've always been just a step to the side of shy, cautious, watching and learning before jumping in. While that trait comes with some limitations, it also has its advantages. Just don't be too shy. It's okay to take risks. I know in my heart you can accomplish anything you desire, so go all in!

Once I expressed my own hesitations about you entering kindergarten to a teacher acquaintance. Her advice stuck with me: The hardest part of releasing you to elementary school — or any new experience — is realizing that I must give you up to the less-than-perfect world that awaits you.

She was right!

While the world has been and always will be imperfect, I too have been an imperfect parent. But I was always willing to learn, to say I was sorry, to try harder the next time. And now I’m willing, though it scares me to death, to release you, with the knowledge that school, like parenting, will be rewarding and frustrating and I cannot change that. Despite all those advantages of your early life, you will have sad days and lonely days and days when you just don’t want to go, when your teacher doesn't notice you or your best friend won’t play with you or another kid is mean to you.

If there are a few thoughts that carry you through, let them be this: While your mom and I have to let you go, no matter what you think or do or become we will always be there for you and listen. We'll be there to laugh and play and help when you need it.

So don't be afraid to dance or make new friends or take
chances. Just be yourself.

And know that in our imperfect world, with all my imperfect ways, I have been given you as a daughter. The most perfect gift one could hope for.

Love,

Dad