The Blue Jay Chatter | Page 3

PLATTE h a healthy intellectual, physical, social and emotional ve citizen in a changing society. To “build the future” requires an open mind, as some improvements may first appear counterintuitive and hard to embrace. “Building the future” requires a nimble mind as circumstances and advancements happen quickly. It also requires a critical mind, as new is not always better. The challenge in education, and perhaps a contradictory challenge in some respects, is to ground kids with fundamental and unchanging truths, yet equip them for a world that will always attempt to question,sometimes rightly, many things taken for granted. At West Platte, we look forward to the upcoming 2015-2016 school year. We look forward to sustaining what is great about West Platte and starting the architecture for great days ahead. West Platte is a special place. The community and school district have the rural values and work ethic that, in my opinion, should be appreciated and celebrated much more than sometimes is, in our fast-paced modern society. We are also in a unique, and enviable, position geographically and resource-wise to allow us, as a school, to provide wonderful opportunities to our kids, which are unique for a school system this size. As someone who grew up in a small northwest Missouri community (Grant City), and who wishes to raise a family in similar circumstances, the school and community are an attractive destination. We are excited to be here. Years ago, growing up in Worth County, Missouri, I spent summers working for an uncle, a farmer. He taught many lessons about work ethic, perseverance, and responsibility. Often, after completing the day’s work, he would look over whatever task we’d been engaged in and pronounce the result as “better than it was.” You never know for sure how long you have allotted to accomplish whatever pursuit. You do know what things looked like when you started and you know what they should look like when you leave for the day. The results are either better or worse. The goal here is simple, and quite frankly, borrowed from my uncle, to help the District progress, to be “better than it was.” Or, in perhaps more updated language, to preserve the past, and build the future. Thank you for your support of our school and of our kids. May you all have a productive and safe 2015-2016. West Platte promotes an environment to provide a superior educational system to prepare students to succeed in a global society. Our District provides teachers and students wi Ѡ)