I keep thinking about Fred Rogers. Yes, that Mr. Rogers.
Specifically, I’m thinking about that magnificent moment in 1997 when he accepted the Lifetime Achievement award from the Television Academy. In his remarks he said: “All of us have special ones who have loved us into being. Would you just take, along with me, 10 seconds to think of the people who have helped you become who you are? Those who have cared about you and wanted for what’s best for you in life.”
The audience of actors, producers, and directors laughed at first but soon were captured in their own reflections.
After 10 full seconds of silence passed, he spoke in his familiar cadence of comfort and joy as he said, “Whomever you’ve been thinking about, how pleased they must be to know the difference you feel they’ve made.”
I am incredibly mindful that when a future generation of young people engage in the same reflective activity, they will think of our collection of people — of teachers, administrators, counsellors, educational assistants, office administrators and secretaries, bus drivers and trades people — who shape their experiences and the people they’ll become.
Inside this school division are nearly 1,000 people who, by skill and by tenacity, are the curators of life lessons, the architects of safe spaces, the purveyors of potential, and the ambassadors of selfless acts. They do the best kind of good: the good that happens when no one is watching.
And this year — these past 12 months — it has not been an easy road to be these things. Classes bounced from online learning to in-person learning (and back again) as we continue to navigate the changing guidance of our provincial and federal governments. Over the past 20 months, we’ve cycled from “stay alive,” to “stay safe,” to “stay well” — and we supported our young people to navigate a course where no compass could be found.
We know that what’s ahead is the culmination of our resilience: to thrive. It’s an imperative that must occur regardless of what obstacles may be on our horizon.
And you can help. In the spirit of giving, if you see a teacher or a member of our school community, please offer your thanks. Tell them the story of the educators and school helpers who helped you become who you are. Because if there’s a lesson this teacher can offer, it’s this: fuelling our work with your gratitude continues to be the gift that keeps us giving.
Chris Fuzessy
Foothills School Division
