Dear Seniors...20235/14/2023 Each year on graduation morning, I sit in my office and reflect upon what this year's Senior Class has meant to MHS and me. I write them a letter with my thoughts, feeling, and reflections. This year marks the 11th Edition of "Dear Seniors." You can read them all at the following links: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.
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Dear Seniors...20205/16/2020 Each year on graduation morning, I sit in my office and reflect upon what this year's Senior Class has meant to MHS. I then write them a letter with my thoughts and feelings. This year marks the 8th Edition of "Dear Seniors". I knew this one was going to be hard to write, but never did I think it would be under these circumstances. I hope you enjoy! You can read them all at the following links: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
Dear Seniors 20195/11/2019 Each year on graduation morning, I sit in my office and reflect upon what this year's Senior Class has meant to MHS. I then write them a letter with my thoughts and feelings. This year marks the 7th Edition of "Dear Seniors". I hope you enjoy! You can read them all at the following links: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Today, We Had A Parade!8/20/2018 Today, we had a parade.
A parade? Yes, a parade! August 16, 2018 marked the first day of the 2018-2019 school year. The day was full of “doing”. Trivia, games, competitions, challenges, the charge of #BeKind, and a parade. Dubbed as the “Best 1st Day EVER” it was a chance to create a moment and memory for an entire community. Today was a day of celebrating: new beginnings, open doors, and opportunities. Whether dancing in front of the entire student body, answering teacher trivia questions, participating in the coloring contest, signing up for extra curricular activities, being involved was the theme for the day that couldn’t be missed. And when it was all said and done, we ALL marched in the parade. Today was a showcase of our students’ talents and abilities. A spectacle of one school entertaining all those that lined the streets to enjoy. Young and old took in 350 students and staff marching as one school down Main Street and through downtown. Today, we ALL marched in the parade. For the students and staff, it was a chance to come together for the first time this school year, enjoy each others company, and celebrate the blank page that lies before us. How the chapter unfolds is each individual’s choice. However, we also have a collective story that’s being written each and every day. Teams, organizations, and activities are there for all to be involved. Stories of success, accomplishments, failure, and growth will be written and are worth being told. Part of that story was the parade. And today, we ALL marched in the parade. Today was inspired by two men (Donald Miller and Bob Goff), one book (A Million Miles in a Thousand Years), and a desire to write better stories. Today we held a parade and it was marvelous! Dear Seniors 20185/12/2018 Each year on graduation morning, I sit in my office and reflect upon what this year's Senior Class has meant to MHS. I then write them a letter with my thoughts and feelings. This year marks the 6th Edition of "Dear Seniors". I hope you enjoy! You can read them all at the following links: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
What Are You Consuming?11/23/2017 On a day known for eating gluttonous amounts turkey, cranberries, stuffing, gravy, hamburgers, milkshakes or whatever your family traditions entail, I find it only fitting to blog about the amount of “consuming” we do as a society. While many of us will sit down to consume 8, 10, or even 12,000 calorie meals today, we have probably already spent a great deal of time consuming information from our phones, devices, or computers.
As a society, we have become constant consumers of information. From the minute we wake up to the time we go to bed, we are constantly bombarded with information. Whereas our ancestors from only a few generations ago had to wait to go to town to catch the latest gossip, get their hands on a book, or pick up the newspaper to get the latest news, it is instantaneous in the social media day and age. However, what we are consuming can either benefit us and help us grow or fill our minds with endless garbage. Looking at studies this trend of digital overconsumption doesn’t start with screenagers but even toddlers are getting nearly an hour a day in front of digital screens. And from there the amount of time young kids through adults spend on their phones continues to rise. Whether it is Snapchat, Instagram, or Youtube for children and young adults or Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for adults, we are all guilty of this trend to be constantly “liking”, “snapping”, or “pinning” our favorite content. So as schools and educational communities, what can be done to adapt to this new way of consuming content and information? For starters we need to teach students to be good consumers of digital content. Studies show that teenagers spend on average nine hours a day on social media or other forms of digital consumption. (From a somewhat dated article from The Washington Post, “Teens Spend Nearly Nine Hours Every Day Consuming Media”) If ⅓ of a student’s days is spent on their device why not encourage students to take time each day to close the Snapchat app and read a trusted news site? Teachers can take a minute at the end of each class period and share a blog post, TED Talk, ebook, or inspirational video for them to consume after class. Have them google something they are passionate about and start collecting resources where they can learn something new in an subject that excites them. Never before in the history of humans has so much knowledge been at our fingertips and it is only a simple Google search away. But as educators, it cannot only be about consuming content. Students need to learn how to create content worth sharing. Ask any kid over the age of six where they go to find information on how to do something and nearly everyone of them will say YouTube. Whether it be how to solve a Rubik’s cube, instructional videos on Parkour, or strategies on winning their next Pokemon card game they know how and where to find this information. Our challenge to them needs to be how to create this content to share with the world and not just for “likes”, “views”, or “pins”. Sure we all like it when a picture or blog post is viewed hundreds or thousands of times, but the art of creating and sharing your talent for others to learn from needs to be the true lesson. One would be remiss to write a post about social media use without mentioning digital citizenship and internet safety. Now more than ever this needs to be a constant focus when speaking with students about any of these digital consumption and creation topics. From being kind, appropriate postings, when to post, or when not say anything at all, these lessons need to be continually reinforced with those that are most vulnerable to the dangers our internet world possesses. So as you finish off that last piece of pumpkin pie, settle in your favorite chair, and more than likely pick up your device from some after dinner consumption, ponder how you yourself can become not only a consumer but creator of content. Will it be that long overdue blog you’ve been meaning to start? A new pinterest board with your favorite family recipes? A YouTube channel with healthy living tips? A Facebook fan page with your best photos with tips on taking better pictures? We all have our own skills and talents we can share with the world. No longer can we be just a consumer of digital content but strive to be a creator who gives back as well. Four Little Words11/8/2017 Inspired by Nebraska Loves Public Schools “Feel the Love Friday” I thought I would share a story of LOVE. It reminds me of the impact we can have as educators and that words do matter.
There is no greater honor for me (or many principals) than to announce each individual student by name as they walk across the stage to receive their high school diploma. I work for weeks to be sure I get each student’s name correct although I still manage to miss this up at least once a year. It has been a long held tradition at Milford High School that after we announce the graduate's name we wait and wait and wait until each parent, grandparent, friend, aunt, uncle, etc gets the perfect picture. As soon as they begin the walk across the stage, I say the next name and so on. A few years back, I was announcing the graduates and the previous student stopped behind me at the podium and said four little words, “I love you, Mo!” After being taken aback by the comment, I turned and said, “I love you too, (insert student’s name).” This student wasn’t the most popular, valedictorian, all-star athlete, fine arts superstar, but was a student that was always here grinding away at earning a diploma. This wasn’t the kid that would chat with me everyday at lunch but was one that I would say hi to every morning and ask how he/she was doing. During a student’s senior year at MHS I hold a number of “meetings” for them and we talk about legacy, saying thanks, not burning bridges, what’s next, being a good community member, and the list goes on and on. However, my favorite day of the year, and always most memorable, is the seniors last day in school. We start the day with band and then I get them for about an hour. We hash out all the details for the final week leading up to graduation and then I read them a book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Suess. I wrap up the morning by a few last pieces of “life advice”, tell them what they mean to me as a class, and always, always tell them “I Love Them.” This isn’t a hollow sentiment, but one I truly believe as each and every class does mean something to me and I do love them for who they are and the wonderful adults they have become. Some are taken aback by the comment, some are confused, while others get it! Educators are in this wonderful profession because of our passion for kids. I know at times it can be trying, wearing, exhausting, frustrating but with patience and persistence we are making a difference and hopefully we all get that “I love you” moment. A Simple Shirt10/19/2017 It only takes a spark… The Lone Nut… 212 Degrees Do a quick Google search of “How to start a movement” and one will see similar results to those listed above as well as endless cliches we have all heard thousands of times. But what is it that truly starts a movement and can it be as simple as a spark or an extra degree? Movements undoubtedly start with a passion. Passion comes in many forms and for many different causes. Hopefully, every individual has something they are personally passionate about and will at times share this passion with those around them. But what takes this personal passion and transforms it into a movement. How can your cause become the cause of thousands of other like minded individuals who want to make a difference? It can be something simple and maybe unexpected. Over the past year, a movement has grown throughout the educational community in Nebraska and has brought together those who are passionate about sharing the story of public schools throughout the state. And while this movement continues to spread through the tremendous films and social media campaigns Nebraska Loves Public Schools puts together, the spark has been a simple shirt with three words and a symbol. These shirts are worn with a sense of pride throughout our communities. But what started out as a statewide effort to share the story of strong public schools has quickly blossomed into a phenomena that maybe even the great people at NElovesPS couldn’t even expect.
Over this past spring and summer, I was fortunate to travel from east coast to west coast and many parts in between. In February, I happened to wear my I “Heart” Public Schools shirt to the airport and the spark was lit! I had a number of people come up to me and say “I like your shirt” or “Where do you teach?”. And over the next seven months, I made it a mission to be sure whenever I traveled I packed my shirt. What happened next blew my mind. One simple shirt allowed for numerous high fives, handshakes, “thanks for what you do”, “I do too”, and other interactions that normally don’t take place walking through a terminal. What the shirt allowed is for deeper conversations because of the passion that lies within all educators. Regardless of the airport, museum, ball park, or restaurant I was visiting, I nearly always had someone make a comment about the shirt. I met educators from Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, Virginia, Idaho, Montana, The District of Columbia, etc and the list continues to grow. What was special is that each of these people not only had a story but a passion for what they did, educating ALL students who came through their doors. A simple shirt brought us together. On a train in Philadelphia I had a gentleman tell me, “You’re brave for wearing that shirt” which lead to a 15 minute conversation about his career as a public school teacher in the Philadelphia Public School system and the struggles they have faced. This conversation allow me to understand the needs and challenges of large urban districts which are sometimes unrelatable to those of rural America. A simple shirt… Not every interaction is positive and one was downright bizarre. I have had those who have challenged my views and even asked if I really believe what my shirts says and my answer is (and will always be) a resounding YES! While I had another lady tell me my shirt was creepy and when I asked why she said, “Because it reminds me of my van?” Before I could ask a follow up questions (with a puzzled looked on my face) she was gone. Part of wearing the shirt is being proud of who you are and what public education represents, which makes this last story so special. My family took a trip up highway 101 this summer culminating with a few days in Seattle. We stayed at my cousins house and was able to do some laundry so I washed my shirt and wore it the next day to the world famous “Fish Market”. As we were meandering our way through the crowds, I was grabbed from behind and given a bear hug by a complete stranger who said, “I love the shirt, I do too.” As I got over the initial shock of having a complete stranger hug me, I asked where she was from and where she taught. She was from Montana and was a middle level teacher for 30+ years. A simple shirt and a passion… Ask anyone who wears their I “Heart” Public Schools shirt and they will have a story to tell of similar interactions. Nebraska is blessed to have Sally, Brittany, and the entire team at Nebraska Loves Public Schools sharing the endless stories of public schools making a difference in the lives of our students. Whether intended to be the spark to start a movement or not, the shirts have and will continue to initiate conversation which are vital in telling the stories each of our schools have. Thanks for all you do for public schools but most importantly our students. I “Heart” Public Schools. Check out the great things happening at NElovesPS.org Want to order your own shirt? Order it at https://nelovesps.mybrightsites.com/ Brandon MowinkelMilford Jr/Sr High Principal Archives
May 2023
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