As many of you who read my weekly blogs already know, when a quote resonates with me I like to relate it to an educational context. A friend of mine recently shared (and paraphrased) the following parable from a movie that he saw: Two wolves are fighting. One wolf is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. Which wolf wins? The one you feed. There are several versions of this lesson on the internet, but in each the message is the same: we will find what we are looking for. This is also true for experiences at school.

As we begin our learning journey together for the 2015-2016 school year parents, staff and students may feel the emotions of either wolf when school life presents them with new or difficult situations. Experiences in the first weeks of school might bring out feelings of fear, uncertainty, or ambivalence. Other experiences might create feelings of excitement or hope. For example, I have had recent conversations with parents about relationship concerns with classmates.

As you work through all of the unknowns of the first weeks of school and throughout the year I encourage you think about which wolf you will feed. Know that throughout the year the staff at Emily Stowe Public School is here to support you. We are committed to helping students develop confidence, problem solving skills, a passion for learning and the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to reach their fullest potential. We are looking forward to working with you and your child(ren) throughout the school year. I encourage you to contact me or any other staff member to help you navigate through new or challenging situations.