I hope your summer break was spectacular as well as restful. As you all get to know me I hope you'll see I always strive to be honest and open in my thoughts and feelings. At times I've been very guarded with my communication and it hasn't always worked out well.
We all understand life has its hard moments and things can change rapidly. We can feel content and happy one day and, due to circumstances in or out of our control, we can feel frustrated, sad, angry and unsure the next. Because of this "human" side in each of us, I am a huge believer in kindness and patience with everyone we come across. I'm also constantly checking and analyzing my own emotions and trying to figure out the possible root cause when I'm feeling anxious, discouraged, uptight, or nervous.
This is my 22nd year in education and 14th year as a school administrator, yet as the school year approached I had some serious anxiety building up. Perhaps some of you felt the same way. I know some of our faculty at South Jordan felt nervous about this school year. Yet, as Back to School Night started, something started to change within me, and then, the following morning when I walked outside to greet our awesome students coming to school, and I saw their smiling, excited, happy faces, my anxiety melted away. It was almost as if I had walked in the front door of my house after a long journey. I was home.
There are times, when life gets a bit hectic in the school office. When I get bogged down with the budget, emails, and other managerial tasks. All important, but definitely not where my passion lies. And in those moments I will often force myself to leave, go to a classroom and just be. Listen to the teaching. See the learning. It's my safe place. Now understand, I try to get into classrooms as much as I can, and most of the time I have a focus and purpose. Something, academic based, I am specifically looking for as I work with the teachers, as we are constantly improving our craft. But sometimes I go visit a class just to recharge my happiness battery.
You have phenomenal children. You've been working tirelessly for years on these future independent superstars. You send them to us for 1/3 of their day and trust that we'll partner with you on this quest to greatness. I'm honored to be your tag team partner in this journey and you've sent your child to a school full of All-Star Adults whose sole focus is to ensure your student is learning in a safe environment. Thank you. This is going to be a sensational year.
Spring Break is right around the corner and I think we all are excited for a bit of a rest. Moving from a year-round schedule to a traditional schedule has been a learning curve for most of us here at South Jordan...students, parents, and teachers. I've been so impressed with how everyone has pushed through these last few weeks even though fatigue started to show up.
Spring time in Utah always plays with your emotions. One day it's sunny and warm and the next you may get snow. So, please watch that weather forecast and make sure your students are wearing warm clothing, especially a good coat, on those cold days.
One big celebration we have at SJE is that our very own 5th grade teacher Mrs. Gotberg was selected as a finalist for the Jordan School District Teacher of the Year! She is a master teacher and strives everyday to do what's best for her students and for the entire school. South Jordan is very lucky to have her as part of our team.
Mr. Eardley
Posted December 29, 2021
