Friday, November 16, 2018
Dear OHS Community,
Last Friday, Junior Hans Schiefelbein organized and hosted a
school-wide Veterans Day Assembly as part of his Eagle Scout project. At this
event, our community had the opportunity to welcome over 75 veterans, their
families, and guests from the Oconomowoc area as we paid tribute to those who
served our country. This was our first ever formal Veterans Day assembly, and I
hope it becomes a new tradition!
During the assembly, we had the opportunity to hear from a veteran
named Jerry Stern. Mr. Stern, who served in the Air Force and is a retired high
school principal, shared three pieces of advice to our community. They were
simple: show up, pay attention, and choose well. His
advice is spot on and I could not have said it better myself!
As we move into the second term of the school year, I would
encourage all of us to take a minute to reflect on Mr. Stern’s advice.
Show Up: How is your attendance this year? As
a school, we have made significant improvement. In October 2017, our attendance
rate was approximately 86%. This October, I am proud to say we are at a 94%
attendance rate. We have also reduced unexcused absences by 1,300 incidents as
compared to last October!
Pay attention: It’s one thing to show up, but it’s
another thing to engage in the many different learning opportunities that exist
at OHS. In January, the 2019-2020 Program Planning Guide will be
released. This fall, we will be adding more manufacturing and computer science
courses as well as launching our automotive program. In addition, most
departments have begun the process of tweaking and adding classes so that they
align to our vision of preparing ourselves to be college, career, and life
ready.
Choose well: The behavior of our students at the
Veterans Day Assembly was incredible! My email inbox was flooded with
compliments and I visited with no less than a dozen guests who commented on the
maturity and respect of our students. I was so proud! However, the reality is
that we all make mistakes and slip up from time to time. The true test of
character is how we learn and grow from those mistakes. I invited all of us to
take a minute to reflect on the following questions: How are we holding
ourselves accountable to our community commitments? Are we living our Be Responsible,
Be Respectful, Be Extraordinary mantra beyond the OHS community?
Mr. Stern closed his remarks by reminding us that we are the
legacy of the individuals who sacrificed to protect our freedom. Let’s continue
to honor the legacy of all of the brave men and women and make a commitment to
follow the advice of Mr. Stern and show up, pay attention, and choose well.
Finally, with Thanksgiving approaching, I want to take a moment to
tell you how sincerely thankful I am to work with the amazing staff, students,
and families of our community. I wish you and your families a safe and happy
Thanksgiving! Also, please note that OHS and our offices will be closed
Wednesday, November 21-Monday, November 26.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jason
