Excellence Begins With Me!

As we begin this new school year, I want to take a moment to challenge each of us—teachers, staff, students, and families—to embrace a mindset that will define not just what we do, but how we do it.

We often associate excellence in schools with test scores, rankings, and accolades. But the truth is, those are simply the byproducts of excellence—not the source. True excellence isn’t measured by a single score or spotlight moment. It’s found in the quiet, intentional actions we take each day, often when no one is watching.

Excellence is:

• Greeting a colleague with kindness before the first bell rings.

• Taking the extra moment to listen to a student who needs encouragement.

• Noticing when a teammate is overwhelmed and stepping in, even when it’s “not your job.”

• Finding small ways to improve our systems, our lessons, our hallways, and our culture—day by day.

Excellence lives in our interactions—with each other, with our students, with our parents, and with our community. It lives in the decision to do the right thing, the thoughtful thing, the helpful thing, even when it’s inconvenient or unnoticed.

What sets truly excellent schools apart is not perfection—it’s ownership. It's the belief that this is my school, and excellence starts with me. I don’t have control over what others choose to do, but I have full control over my own choices, my energy, and my mindset. That’s where excellence is born.

This year, let’s make a habit of asking ourselves:

• “What am I doing right now to contribute to excellence?”

• “Am I collaborating with purpose?”

• “Am I encouraging others to rise to their best?”

• “Am I pushing myself to grow beyond yesterday?”

• “Am I creating a culture of care, curiosity, and commitment?”

And ultimately—do I believe that #theHeARTofExcellence begins with ME?

Let’s not wait for someone else to define what our year will be. Let’s live it. Let’s lead it. Let’s own it.
Because the foundation of a great school is not built in grand gestures. It’s built in daily, intentional acts of excellence—one decision, one person, one moment at a time.

Let’s live out the philosophy that excellence begins with ME.

Here’s to an incredible year ahead.