What a beautiful spring. My eighth grade students just completed their Lifeplan journey with a wonderful presentation to their Board of Directors.

Members of the class shared their experiences in navigating the Lifeplan program of Choices, Decisions and Consequences. They were inventive by inviting the audience to distinguish between values and behaviors and then taking the entire gathering through the values exercise they had gone through themselves.

They were candid in describing their work on their strengths and weaknesses and were brilliant in reflecting on their work with identifying their dreams and building SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely).

My favorite part of the evening, though, was when one of these brilliant young people described their work on TIME. I had invited the class to consider the concept of time. They Googled it, they talked to each other about it, and they even talked to Mom and Dad about it. One young woman captured it the best when she said in the end, "The bad news is time flies. The good news, though, is we are the pilot!"

This is the first Lifeplan group I have invited to explore TIME. Obviously at this fall season of my life I find it a worthy subject and began thinking, why does it need to be that youth is wasted on the young? Why not get them thinking about this at a younger age and growing that muscle of appreciation for time, and get them to realize they are the pilots of their time, dreams and aspirations?

Add to this a Lifpelan that helps them move more securely on a path to achieve their dreams, and you can see the wonder of it all.

Happy May!
Andy

So as we navigate April Fool's, we embark upon the glorious spring.

My grandfather always shared that the decay of winter is the mulch for spring. With my own zeal for spring, I invited current and past students to share their favorite quote that reflects their feelings for spring. Here are some:

Springtime is the land awakening. The March winds are the morning yawn.
Lewis McDonald Grizzard, Jr.

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's Party!"
Robin Williams

Everything is blooming most recklessly: If it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.
Rainer Maria Rilke

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
Proverb

Spring has returned.
The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
Rainer Maria Rilke

When proud-pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in everything ...
William Shakespeare

A day comes in the springtime,
When the Earth puts forth her powers,
Casts off the bonds of winter
And lights him hence with flowers.
Dora Read Goodale

Spring translates earth's happiness into colorful flowers.
Terri Guillemets

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.
Rogers Hornsby

Yet again, I learn far more from the students working their way through Lifeplan, and they inspire me to remember my own youth and the sparkling hope spring brings us every year.

Happy Spring, and let's play ball!
Andy