President's Message

    My eyes can hardly believe what they see when the calendar says February!  Where does the time go? Does anyone else find themselves wishing their lives away?  “Can’t wait for this weekend”, “If I can get to Spring Break”, “Summer is just around the corner”.     There doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get the job done.  Twelve hour work days, sometimes more, become exhausting.  The added stress that we take on from every direction doesn’t help our production rate either.  Education is a most rewarding field, and on the crazy days when I say, “What am I doing?”-- all I need to do is go into a classroom and be reminded of all the wonderful work that is taking place in our schools.

    My family often reminds me that I can’t be everything to everyone.  Isn’t that the truth, but don’t we try?  As a principal, how many hats do you wear?  I know that I have been a: social worker, guidance counselor, parent, friend, teacher, custodian, café worker, manager, maintenance worker, nurse and everything else under our school house roof.  I was once told in my early days of administration, “one shouldn’t ask another to do what one wouldn’t do him/herself.”  I believe it is important for our staffs to see their leaders along next to them doing the “work”.  However, it is also necessary to lead and facilitate our buildings towards growth and academic success.

    Whew!!!  The message here is :  Don’t give up the good fight; Our work is challenging yet rewarding; You will be no good to anyone if you don’t take care of yourselves; Balance the obstacles of our world in education while keeping the balance of your LIFE!!!  Thank you to all my colleagues for all that you do each and every day for the students of Virginia Beach.

Lori S. Hasher