Viking Voice

A Message from Our Principal

Dear Families,

Thank you to everyone who made time for conferences last week. We know it can be an inconvenience to carve out time for these relatively short conversations. National stats show there has been a drop over the last decade in the percentage of parents who see the value in conferences. We still believe in the ability of these face-to-face conversations to produce understandings that maybe OptionC and emails, or even phone conversations, cannot. 

Does anyone have anything to discuss following conferences? Was there anything you came in to say or ask, but did not for one reason or another? Please reach out.

Sometimes parents will share thoughts and opinions about one or more aspects of school life--instructional practices, discipline, etc. Sometimes it's about big stuff. Sometimes about little stuff. Either way, these thoughts, opinions, and ideas are always welcome. Our belief is that good ideas can come from absolutely anywhere. 

At the same time, please understand that most of our policies and practices have a "why" behind them. A number of these larger "whys" are elaborated on in the Handbook--grades, virtues, discipline, communication, growth mindset, etc. (You'll see even more on the new website in January.) There are also many smaller "whys" that staff and teachers are able to explain when asked. 

The fact that most of our larger policies and practices have been considered in light of our school mission means that ideas and suggestions from others may not be readily adopted. When this happens, it doesn't mean we haven't listened to the idea or considered it. Nor does it mean that we don't care. Most likely, it just means that we have a way of doing a thing, plus a strong "why" behind it, especially if it's a "big thing." 

However, there are times when someone else's way is better than our way. A month or two ago, I received a short email making a suggestion and giving a brief reason for it. It didn't take me long to say to myself, "Yep- I think that's better than how we're doing it." I took the idea to a few teachers for discussion. And now we do it this new way because it serves the goal of fairness better than the previous way, which had worked well under older conditions but was causing problems under newer ones.

My hope is that anyone who has ever brought an idea, critique, or question to the table has been met by a willingness to be heard, even when being heard does not mean the idea was adopted, the critique embraced, or question answered in the desired way. 

What exactly does it mean to "be heard"? It means being given an explanation, even when it isn't the exact explanation you want. It means being given a "why," whether you agree with it or not. It means being respected in the interaction, even if you don't get the result you were seeking. It means having your viewpoint acknowledged, even if it the person on the other end does not change theirs. 

Why am I making a point of saying all this? Because conference time can bring out the kinds of conversations that make all these points relevant. Plus, I think it's helpful in general to let everyone know how we think about interactions with parents who have ideas and viewpoints to share with us. 

Christ in Self. Christ in Other.

Josh

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