To begin with Thank You Trustee Geddes. Lynette, thank you for your leadership this past year as Chair of AMDSB. It was a year you probably won't forget but maybe you don’t want to. You endured.
What can I offer? Leadership. Readiness, organized, governance, inquisitive, receptive, collaborative, openness, adaptive, reflective. I said can, I wonder if it should be may? I am still waiting for them all to come together. We are understanding more of the importance of the critical/transferable skills within education and the workforce and continue to incorporate them into the learning relm.
I ask myself where is my voice better used, around the table or at the head of the table?
What do I envision? A Board of Trustees unified in the vision and the goals of “I am Prepared. I am Well. I am Engaged.” Unified does not mean controlled or voiceless but empowered. I ask myself where your voice is? The voices around this table are important. I, as Chair need to be able to comprehend and understand what those voices are saying “I am Prepared. I am Well. I am Engaged” does not just apply to our students and staff but also to parents/guardians and the broader community. The saying goes ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’
As we launch our new 2020-2024 Strategic Plan it is important that we see and feel and ultimately live what those words convey to achieve Student Success and Well-Being. This past year has been a challenge as we maneuvered through the Pandemic, now we need to take what we have learned to continue to provide a safe and caring environment for our students and staff. Some of the ideas from Share Your Voice are very applicable here. The Equity needs of BIPOC, social economic disadvantaged and Spec Ed Students will continue to require attention. The Mental Health needs of all within AMDSB will necessitate action. I am looking forward to where the Pathways Advisory Committee will take us. The road ahead of us appears long and challenging, we will travel it and see the rewards within our students and staff. I will stop here but We will continue.
Learning, education and knowledge give you both roots and wings. The broader the knowledge the deeper the roots and stronger the foundation. Being a lifelong learner allows those wings to soar beyond what we may have envisioned for ourselves. But most importantly for the students and staff we serve.
As we revise from Engaged. Inspired, Innovate, let's travel the journey together. Much has been done and more needs to and will be done. Yes, I am Always Learning. Learn with me.
