Whew!

It's Monday night of Labor Day weekend, and finally, a moment to take a breath and write a little something.  Staff reported back for the start of the new school year on August 11, and students began on August 20.  It's been a whirlwind three weeks.

• Our new high school building was finished on time, with the exception of some "punch list" items, but deliveries and set-ups continue, so settling in has challenged all in the building to the limits of their flexibility and patience.
• The construction of our second phase, the postsecondary technical facility, has required us to make adjustments to foot traffic, food service options, parking, and more, and has led to changes for all of us.  (we have what I refer to now as "East Campus" and "West Campus", separated by the "giant crater in the middle")
• The start date for students was delayed by one day, from the 19th to the 20th, due to the arrival of Tropical Storm Fay.

So here we are.  Every school year opening is a bit crazy and hectic, but add in a brand new building, half the campus under construction, and a literal force of nature - the title of this post, "Whew!", is probably an understatement!

That said, my biggest "whew" is really more of a "wow", and it comes not from the logistical challenges thrown at us, but from the incredible reactions to the opening of this year.  Our staff has been, without exception, phenomenal.  Collaboration, teamwork, patience, and humor have been evident in abundance.  Our adult students have been wonderful - adjusting to some of the facilities issues and showing great patience as we've made changes to meet their needs, during an economic situation which has driven unprecedented numbers of students back to school.  Our high school students are super, as well, thrilled with the new facility they're now in after two years in portables, our juniors in particular happy to have "their building" and to be involved now in the technical programs that mean so much to them.

And most of all, my "wow" comes from the "stuff" happening from the very start of this very special school year.  We took a good hard look at some of our student performance data from the last school year, and I see our faculty celebrating our strengths while at the same time targeting efforts toward our opportunities for further growth.  We've set up a faculty Ning for our professional learning communities, allowing us to extend conversation beyond the limited face-to-face opportunities available due to the press of time. Our students, both adult and high school, were engaged and learning the very first day - even if that day did come the day after a storm swept through our area (and one building on campus had to be vacated because of storm after-effects!). 

Seeing our students and staff singlemindedly focused on teaching and learning despite all the things leading to "whew" have me in a "wow" frame of mind.