Has anyone noticed how busy life has felt this academic year? Instead of getting caught up in the word “busy,” I like to think of it from the standpoint of life being full. Full of people, full of activity and full of fun! I encourage each RCSD family to make November a month of kindness and gratitude. 

With schedules being much more packed than they have been in recent years with sports, events, fall gatherings and more, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. But if we think of how full this makes our lives, it’s a year to be thankful for. Kids are brimming with energy in their classrooms and school sites are full of life. Learning is happening in a big way, and I am truly thankful to see that. 

For many years, kindness has been a core value at RCSD, and it goes hand-in-hand with the concept of gratitude. Take a peek at our Twitter feed and you’ll see what I mean. Students are putting their manners into practice by spreading compassion as Kindness Ambassadors and working to improve their campuses for fellow students through student councils and so much more! I am thankful to see the students excel academically, but even more delighted to see them practicing compassion and gratitude.

There are a couple of housekeeping items to note this month. First, we thank and honor our U.S. Veterans for their service – and we’ll commemorate that on November 11 with a school holiday. Then, of course, we’ll be closed for fall break November 21-25. I hope everyone has an especially memorable break this year. Thank you for making RCSD the special place that it is! 

How can you spread gratitude and kindness this month? Talk as a family at home about this and see where the conversation takes you. If you’d like to share, I would love to hear what you come up with – you can reach me at dgarcia@rcsdk8.org.