Dear Putnam Valley Colleagues and Community:
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I want to extend my best wishes to all for a fulfilling and joyful day. Time with family and friends is special; we relax in the comfort of our homes, sharing our offerings of food and good spirits. That warmth is cherished, and for many it is anticipated for weeks ahead. Others may feel the absence of someone who is missed at the table, and we bolster them with our presence and recollections of time past.
In that spirit of caring, Putnam Valley High School, has been dedicated this past month to Rachel’s Challenge, fulfilling the wish of a young woman who was the first to die at Columbine High School in 1999, and who left behind diaries and poetry that seemed to prefigure her role in history, creating a challenge to her peers to spread goodwill, and to play a part in history by “dreaming big” and starting a chain reaction of kindness. Rachel’s challenge has been taken up by high schools throughout the country. Our “Make a Difference Club” has been collecting food for the needy in our area,sending notes of appreciation to our entire staff and pledging to participate in the Kindness “crusade.” Wonderfully, with gratitude to their families, we notice in Putnam Valley Schools that the students are, with very few exceptions, good to one another. Our school leaders and staff are committed to creating an environment that makes our schools safe and comfortable places for all. For me, a guide to my own reflections on this holiday is expressed by Anne Frank, who, at thirteen while hiding with her family through the courage of a neighbor, maintained her ideals and belief in the essential goodness of people, reflecting in her diary, “how wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
If you can, join our music department at the Tompkins Cultural Center tonight at 7:00 pm for the second annual Gratitude Festival!
Wishing all a wonderful holiday!
Sincerely,
Dr. Frances Wills
Superintendent of Schools