Good afternoon,
The volume and level of excitement at RJ Grey have grown steadily this week. In our classrooms, the halls, and the lunchroom, one can tell that something fun is coming! I bet you are experiencing the same at your home. I hope you are looking forward to next week with the same intensity as our students. If you celebrate a winter holiday, I hope it’s a fun one - even better if you get to have some time away from your own work routines.
I came across the poem below through some of my own professional learning this year. As is the case with most poems, the reader can interpret parts of it how they wish. In light of the vacation and a hopeful respite on the horizon, the idea of creating space in order for our flames to grow stronger resonates with me. Personally, some time away from RJ Grey will help to create the breathing space that will lead to a stronger fire in 2024. I know the same can be said about our staff and our students.
FIRE
What makes a fire burn
is space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flames
almost as surely
as a pail of water would.
So building fires
requires attention
to the spaces in between,
as much as to the wood.
When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel, and absence of the fuel
together, that make fire possible.
We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.
A fire
grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way.
-Judy Brown
I hope you are able to relax with friends and family over the coming days. I look forward to the New Year and the new things that will come our way.
Upcoming Dates
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Friday, Dec 22: Early Release at 11:10 am
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Tuesday, Jan 2: School Reopens for 2024
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Monday, Jan 8: Library closed after school
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Tuesday, Jan 9: Ski/Board Club Session #1 after school
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Tuesday, Jan 9: School Council Mtg in RJG Library
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Monday, Jan 15: No School, MLK Jr Day
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Tuesday, Jan 16: Ski/Board Club Session #2 after school
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Wed, Jan 17: JH Winter Band Concert, 7 pm
Take care and have a great week!
Jim