The Communicator - 2012-2013 Fall (pdf) - Pennsville School District

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Communicator Page #1 Summer 2012 The last message from our outgoing Superintendent The Board of Education has given me a last opportunity to share a message with you. I have enjoyed the journey to serve students, parents, staff and residents as an educator. Please read the message below; a message I shared with the Class of 2012 at their graduation in June. It encapsulates my beliefs and feelings as I say good-bye to all of you. I hope you take the time to “seize the day”! Carpe Diem! (Keynote Address on June 11, 2012 at Lou D’Angelo Stadium) This is a proud day for you the Class of 2012. I congratulate you. I’d like to thank all of the Boards of Education that I worked for, with special thanks to Nancy Phillips, Kathy Bodine, Jack Nugent and Mary Herz for your understanding and the opportunity to serve the children of Pennsville. Next, I respect and appreciate the teachers and administrators for their work with our students. I know firsthand because my daughter, son, brother, sisters, nieces, nephews, including Alec Mortarulo, Class of 2012, many relatives, I and my wife Debbie are graduates of Pennsville Memorial High School. I have faith in our school district to prepare the children of Pennsville to be successful in the “real world”. I look forward to my granddaughter Riley attending and graduating as a member of the Class of 2028. I’d like to thank my wife, Debbie. During my thirty years at the Pennsville School District, you have made many sacrifices along the way. I appreciate you and love you! My message tonight is one that shares three things. Pay attention because my message is only about 7 minutes long. These three things are DESTINY, PATIENCE, and GREATNESS. First on DESTINY............. I believe in destiny. Your High School Principal, Matt McFarland quoted Steve Jobs of the Apple Company in your yearbook. Jobs said “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” I realized early on that my destiny was to return to my hometown, live close to my family, and serve the community of Pennsville and in particular, its youth. I would ask members of the Senior Class and all of you attending this evening, “What is your destiny?” We should give it some thought. Class of 2012, maybe staying or returning home is your destiny. Next on PATIENCE....... Lord Byron Nelson, a great golfer and even a greater person said, “Perhaps the strongest ingredient in the make-up of a champion is patience.” In a world dominated by “I want it now”, instant communication, skyping and immediate satisfaction, it’s easy to become impatient. I truly believe good things will happen to those who wait. Class of 2012 be patient.
Lastly on GREATNESS.......... It’s easy to be great because we live in the United States of America and all of us have access to more resources than any other country in the world. But given that, many people won’t even try. Greatness is all around us. It’s easy to be great because people will help you. I’ve seen this time and time again at the Pennsville School District. Teachers helping students, teachers helping teachers, administrators helping administrators and students helping other students. I’ve had many mentors in my life, the most important and impressive was my Father, Woody Jones. I want to publicly thank my Father for all he has done for me. Woody, your sacrifices and lessons have made me the man I am today. Speaking of greatness, I want to mention the examples of four student-athletes who I had the privilege of teaching and coaching, and who have gone on to teach and coach – Mr. JB Cooksey, Mr. Ryan Wood, Mr. Jim Harvey, and Mr. Jamy Thomas. I could mention many more former students. All four are dedicated to the students of PMHS and committed to the success of our student-athletes. Each has become a “student of the game.” All four believe in destiny, have been patient, have studied the game, have gathered information, and have been mentored. JB, Ryan, Jim and Jamy, I am proud of your accomplishments! Class of 2012, where should you go after graduation? What should you do? It takes hard work and many things have to be done…..But first, find a mentor. Great people will help you with no expectations that they be paid or that you should help them. They’ll help you for free or you can access their expertise and life’s work by buying their book. So find your passion; pursue it and along the way, find a mentor or two or three, who will share! In summary, Class of 2012..........Believe you have a destiny; you can control how you get there. If you believe you have a destiny and that there is plan for you, then You will be patient. And, ask for help – find a mentor. The “great ones” will gladly share; all you have to do is ask. I’d like to end with a thought by John Wooden, longtime UCLA basketball coach, who believed that it was never as much about the ends as it was about the means. Coach Wooden said this: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” I wish the best to you the Class of 2012! Mark T. Jones, Ed.D.
Page 1: The Communicator Dr. Mark Jones’
Page 5 and 6: Communicator Page #4 Summer 2012 Fr
Page 7 and 8: Communicator Page #6 Summer 2012 Fi
Page 9 and 10: Communicator Page #8 Summer 2012 La
Page 11 and 12: From Jamy Thomas, Athletic Director
Page 13 and 14: Communicator Page #12 Summer 2012 T
Page 15 and 16: Communicator Page #14 Summer 2012 A

The Communicator - 2012-2013 Fall (pdf) - Pennsville School District

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?