“Life is for one generation. A good name is forever.”
-Japanese proverb
Dear Grand Oak Families,
This week our students and teachers again had the opportunity to showcase their talents as we were visited by 14 teachers from around the district that have started their journey with personalized learning. Our kids did a fantastic job answering questions and showing these guests the different ways that they are learning at Grand Oak. I am proud of the teachers and students at Grand Oak for building a wonderful legacy and for being great ambassadors for our guests.
Creating a good name for yourself is something that my parents and grandparents have preached since I was a young child. When I saw this quote it brought back many conversations and memories for me. It is important to build a foundation with our children so they see the importance of how their “name” is reflected in all the work they do at school, the way they carry themselves in the community and how they handle all types of situations. Still to this day I am constantly thinking about how my family name is impacted by the decisions that I will make. I want our children to take pride in their name and work above and beyond to show that in all that they do.
Make sure that our children are showing quality manners, being responsible, showing good teamwork skills and most importantly following rules and always doing their best. These are the types of things that will show their respect for their name and they will represent it (and you) with pride and excellence. It is even more impactful when our children are able to do these things when we are not around. The impression that these things leave with people will stay long after we have moved on.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Respectfully,
Mr. Giovanelli
I will be sharing information and ideas from a book entitled 180 Days of Manners by Forrest and Menger. Our focus will be on good manners and how they should be used in all that we do :
- Use your hands for helping and not for hurting-We work very hard to constantly remind our students of this simple skill. Our goal is for children to always be polite and never to push, shove or hit our classmates. We want to build a caring community and hurting each other does not allow this to happen.
- Parents and Teachers need to here “Thank You” too-This is a habit that cannot be under-valued. Constantly work to reinforce this with children and make it something that they are proud of. To show good manners and politeness in all environments is a testament to their character and will be appreciated by everyone around them .