Dear Henderson Mill Community,

Earlier this week, our PTA volunteers provided a soup and salad luncheon for our faculty and staff.  What a big hit this was with all of us!  Thank you for all you did to make this event a success!  A few years ago, the PTA’s Teacher Appreciation Committee decided to expand the Teacher Appreciation Week events from one week in May to many events throughout the year.  Providing appreciation throughout the school year was the aim, constantly reminding our great people just how important they are to our students, our families, and our community.

What a perfect time of year it is for appreciation!  This is the reason for the season, as they say.  Less than one week from now, our international community will gather together with family from around the globe to celebrate a truly American holiday, one that cuts through divisions, goes beyond the cultures that at times separate us, and provides instead, a unifier.  We will all gather around a table with family and give thanks for all of the good that we have in our life.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I love preparing the food, some dishes which have become a tradition in our home and others that are new, that wake us up and make us take notice.  It is these two components that go to the heart of Thanksgiving, remembering those things that are common place, the greatness that is in the every day, recognizing them and giving thanks.  So too, we take time to show gratitude for the new treasures that have recently entered our life, for newness and for the hope that is on the horizon.

Next week school is closed.  As we take this week to focus on our families, I want to thank you for choosing to be a part of the Henderson Mill Family. We are so happy to have you as part of our journey, as a crew member, not just passengers.  For those of you who have been with us for years, thank you for taking on leadership roles, for volunteering, for supporting your children at home.  And those of you who are new to us, we thank you as well for stepping up to join us on our mission to provide meaningful experiences which enhance our students creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and citizenship.  Thank you all for showing your appreciation to our faculty and staff, for supporting us and your children, and for working together with us for the benefit of all.  Henderson Mill is a great place to be.  Thank you for your work in helping us make this a reality.

To quality relationships,

Mitch
Mitch Green
Principal
Henderson Mill Elementary School