Superintentendent Dr. Teresa Thayer Snyder

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 17, 2009

As I write this the first quarter is closing, teachers are completing grades, the flu seems to be abating a bit, and the holidays are right around the corner.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving because there is something touching about the utterly simple idea of gathering for a shared meal with family and friends for the single purpose of being thankful. Of course, somewhere between the stuffing and the apple pie, there can be some stress derived from the event. I well remember the one year that my personal stress level was so high I forgot to turn the oven on, and our turkey wasn’t served until quite late that night! The funny thing is now that moment is part of our family folklore and it always makes us laugh—even though at the time it was not the least bit humorous!

That speaks to me of how often the rough spots become polished over time and actually become shared family memories that are treasured moments. So it is with raising children. Often as I was raising my own four children, I was running on empty. The daily schedules, the constant push and pull of kids and dogs and cats and turtles and hamsters, the special events, sports, dramas, concerts—the homework!—put such demands on our family time. Now I look back on all that business and I am amazed that it is absent from my life, but I am even more amazed that I miss it.

Speaking from the other side of parenting, I want to remind young parents everywhere that these days of childhood are fleeting and before you know it, even though you can’t imagine it now, these little people will be grown and be gone. Perhaps that is why I am so fond of Thanksgiving. They return, and for an afternoon we feast, laugh and are simply thankful for each other and the memories of their childhoods.

From all of us to all of you, Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to turn the oven on!

Rachel's story inspires school community; challenges us all

October 8, 2009

We just came off of a very moving day called Rachel’s Challenge which is a movement to turn the tragedy of Columbine to a source of strength and kindness by focusing on the character of the first victim. Rachel Scott, aged 17, was killed on that horrid April day. So many times we teach our children that school is about preparation for life, but this young woman showed us all that growing up is not preparation for life, but it is life. She had spent her too few years making a difference in other people’s lives because she lived according to what she presciently identified one month before her death as her code of ethics. This code was based on this statement contained in a school essay: “I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.”

After the tragedy of Columbine her family and friends decided that the best way to honor her memory was to share this message of compassion. They have been to hundreds of schools across the world to issue Rachel’s Challenge: to treat the people around you with respect and gentleness, to reach out to the lonely or the disenfranchised, to make the world a better place because of your attention to the needs of others. So yesterday, the Challenge team came to Voorheesville with a presentation for grades 6-12 (done in two different assemblies). At each assembly, the students were riveted. There were stark and vivid images of one of the most disturbing events of our time. Of course, for them, Columbine is ancient history, but the essence of the message of reaching out and being kind is something that touches them deeply—they live with it every day as they sort out who they are and where they fit in—they know when it is missing. The adults, for whom Columbine is still raw and painful--in recollection only yesterday not ten years past, the assemblies were moving in a different way. After the assemblies there were break out sessions facilitated by volunteer teachers and administrators who helped the students process the message. I overheard one child coming back to her classroom say she felt inspired. A peer asked her what she was inspired about and the child said: “we can do this, we can be kind, and we can help.” I was also inspired because I heard this little kid process that message and grasp the impact of “paying it forward.” Thus, Rachel’s Challenge has already impacted our community.

This is only the beginning. We will be focusing on these elements of character and courage throughout the year. Thanks to Mr. Pat Corrigan, who organized the day, and thanks to the many volunteers who helped, but especially thanks to Rachel Scott’s family who chose to memorialize their child in a way that has turned the anguish and bitterness of a truly tragic day into a declaration that we can make a difference—just as their little girl intended.

Welcome!

August 27, 2009
 

This note will be the first of many communications from this office and I am delighted to be writing it as Superintendent of Voorheesville Central Schools.

It has been an amazing summer which is rapidly drawing to a close. You know when the student athletes come back for practice that summer days are numbered. Over the course of this summer we have hired two new administrators. Tom Reardon, our new elementary principal, comes to us from Bethlehem and Brian Whitley, our brand new and very first middle school principal, comes to us from Shenendehowa. Both are enthusiastic and energetic leaders who are eager to contribute to our mission of continuing to create a school environment that celebrates the learning process.

One of my personal beliefs is that a primary role of educators is to awaken curiosity. Watching my two-year-old granddaughter figure out how to open a locked plastic box was a clear demonstration that determination to succeed is nurtured by curiosity. Curiosity drives effort. She shook the box and heard something inside. She tried to pry it open with her little fingers. She banged it on the floor. She realized the oversized plastic lock had to be manipulated. She met with failure over and over, yet she was persistent. Her expressions spoke volumes about her feelings. She frowned and she furrowed her brow and she scrunched up her face, then she turned the box a different way and her expression became serious—you could almost see her thinking “There has got to be a way.” At one point she shouted “Daddy,” and my son looked over and said “Look for the key.” She went back to her toy basket and found the large plastic key and then she had to figure out how to fit the key in the lock and how to turn it, etc. This went on for about a half hour before she actually opened the box. I wish I had a video of her expression when she succeeded. She was jubilant and so satisfied with the hard work she had exerted to accomplish her task. Inside the box there was only a little plastic cow, which might have proven a big disappointment for the amount of effort she put in. However, it was not what was inside the box that satisfied her, it was the success of her efforts. Watching my little Olivia developing resilience while developing skills and also watching my son offer just enough direction to encourage her without doing it for her, reminded me that learning is hard work but oh, so satisfying! I believe her little event is a metaphor for what we hope to achieve with our students. People will expend effort and achieve results when they are curious about the world around them. I look forward to meeting and working with the members of this community throughout the year. Thank you for having me!