Friendswood ISD Mustang Pride Unleashed! Magazine Summer 2018 | Page 6

Making the Cold Your Friend At the beginning of the school year, FISD gathers every employee into the Dr. Myrlene Kennedy Auditorium at Friendswood High School for an event called Convocation. This meeting was my first opportunity to address our entire staff as the new Superintendent of Friendswood ISD. It was at this event that I shared the theme for 2017-2018, Mustang Pride . . . Unleashed. When considering how best to shape the beginning of the year, I felt called to build our year on a foundation of the history, tradition, and the characteristics of our community, city, and school district that we collectively refer to as Mustang Pride. This foundation has all the elements needed to change the world we live in, to a better place for all - something we hope and dream for the graduates of FISD. We are committed to “Unleash” our Mustang Pride on our students and our community. Furthermore, I shared with our staff a story from my youth to illustrate one of the elements that we aspire to provide and to instill in our students - the ability to “Make the Cold your Friend.” As a young boy growing up in Ohio, my dad fixed big, hot breakfasts every morning. However, he served it out on a screened-in porch open to the elements. During the winter, we ate outside as well on this porch. My dad would light a small kerosene heater and put it between my brother and me to keep us somewhat warm while we ate our pancakes, bacon and eggs. While we shivered outside, my dad would tell us to “make the cold your friend, boys.” In other words, embrace the cold and don’t fight it. This mantra became a saying that rings true in the Roher family today when we face something difficult. When difficulties come, you face them and make the best of what you have and what is around you. In fact, learn from them and allow them to teach you and bring out the best. Little did I know that in a few weeks after that speech, that we all would be challenged by one of the most difficult circumstances this community and school district has faced. We all would be truly challenged, for Harve