The spring season in Michigan has always served as a time of growth and renewal to me. Many Michiganders spend the winter months anxiously anticipating the arrival of green grass, budding trees, song birds and the triumphant return of blue skies and sunny days. The sense of optimism that usually accompanies these first days of spring is palpable and uplifting. This optimism is reflected in school buildings around the district. The spring season in our school district is also reserved for celebrations and recognitions. I would like to devote this space to recognizing and celebrating several groups of people in our school community.
Community
The famous African proverb of “It takes a village to raise a child” still rings true in the Parchment School District and community today. The Parchment School District is extremely fortunate to operate in a community which supports, engages and advocates for our school district and the children who we serve. The schools and community in Parchment do not serve in “silos” that are mutually exclusive from one another. Instead, we work to foster and support a collaborative and seamless relationship to best serve the children in our district.
Parents
Parents are the first and most important educators in any child's life. You are the most influential person in your child’s development and you should always have a voice in your children's education. We are blessed to have devoted, involved, passionate and caring parents in our school district. We desire to continue to strengthen our relationships with parents to work together for your children.
As a father with a young family I recognize how difficult it has been during portions of the pandemic to balance the many responsibilities in our lives while doing our best to support our children. We simply want to say thank you for your continued support and dedication as we continue to navigate the pandemic and all the issues that come with it. We have worked exceedingly hard to keep children in school and learning through this entire time.
Staff
I can not begin to express the amount of gratitude that we all have for our amazing, dedicated and passionate staff in the Parchment School District. These phenomenal individuals have always worked tirelessly to serve children and our community. The Parchment School District has navigated the pandemic with our children as the priority and focus at all times. This was possible due to the selfless and devoted service of all of our staff. The next time you have a moment, please consider dropping these amazing people a sign of gratitude. They all deserve our appreciation.
Students
It is vitally important that we take time to celebrate the entire reason we are all here- the students in our district. From the phenomenal graduating class of ‘22 to the youngest children in the district, every individual deserves the opportunity to be celebrated. The pandemic has been extremely challenging for all children. We hear a lot about a “return to normalcy” for our society. For many of our children, they may not know what “normalcy” is because this has occupied so much of their lives during very transformational periods of development. I believe that it is our responsibility (school, parents and community) to show our appreciation and support to them. Some have missed out on many opportunities throughout the course of the pandemic. It is also our responsibility to do everything in our power to ensure that they do not miss out on more. We will celebrate our students every day and we ask that you join in the celebrations as well. Our kids deserve it and so much more!
It truly does take a village and I am PROUD to be a part of ours!
Go Panthers!
Jason Misner