Going back to work after a long break always feels a bit odd. The closer I get to the return date, the more thoughts start popping into my head, and if you’re anything like me, your mind might start racing too. I’ve had a great break, and usually, after two weeks, I’m itching to get back into a regular schedule. But there’s also this feeling of, “Wow, it’s here already.”

I did spend some time working over the break, tackling things I needed to get back to, but the real deal starts when staff and students come back.

I recently wrote about how our strategic plan, and its implementation plan, have really dialed in my focus on our way forward. No more sitting at my desk wondering about our next steps. It’s all laid out for us. Every department head knows what they need to do next, and they’ve got it all mapped out. We’ve even nailed down a long-range facility plan, which has cleared up a lot of our priorities regarding our district’s facilities. Seeing all these plans start to come to life, especially with improving our facilities, is pretty exciting.

Like many of you, I’ve been thinking about what I want to achieve in the new year. Maybe you’ve got resolutions, or a word to guide you. For me, it’s always been a bit tough to narrow it down to just one or two things. But what I do know is I want to be better – better at serving, better at leading, and better at giving. And I want to help the people I work with to be better leaders too.

So, this means I’ve got to be laser-focused and intentional this year. There’s a ton of work to do in the school community I serve. The good news is I’ve got a clear roadmap, a supportive school board, and a team that’s all in, every day, for our students. To everyone reading this, set your priorities, stick to them, and push them to the finish line. We’re all in this to improve student outcomes.