A True PDS Welcome

Oftentimes the transition to a new school year is full of excitement and anticipation, but for students new to our community there can be an added layer of anxiety and trepidation. However, what inspires me is the knowledge that I am part of a community that will rally in support of our students when those first days (or any day) are challenging. Today I watched a staff member walk a new student to my office simply to connect her with the appropriate person to help her make a schedule change. So often it is easier to send students on their way to the “correct” office when we are busy with another task, but in this case our staff took a moment to recognize the heightened anxiety of this new student unfamiliar with the process and the personnel and directly connected her with someone who could assist. Going the extra step like this is a hallmark of our school that I have seen many times. A genuine depth of compassion for students and desire to make all feel welcome, new and familiar, is one of the many reasons my colleagues inspire me every day. Hopefully this new student felt the same sense of caring that I saw and will enter tomorrow’s school day feeling better than she did today.

Submitted byKim S. – Faculty / Staff, Parent