The Stories of Ridgeview

As I survey the lobby at 7:20am, I see parents buying and selling Scrip. I hear elementary students practicing their poetry recitations on the way to the PAC. I listen to high school  students debating about literature one second, history the next, laughing even as they defend their points spiritedly. I see parents fixing their daughters' hair, carpools dropping off their neighbors' children, and a board member smiling warmly as she greets students and parents. I answer an attendance call and talk to a mother excusing her ill child from school, while also asking for something for him to work on at home. We in the front office see all of this, and we cheer on all these teammates.

We hear that many students excel in sports outside of school. Some of them are math wizards. Some of them play multiple instruments, participate in sports outside of school, or prepare for dance performances nightly.

We hear the stories of some parents who work two jobs, while some work long nights. Some are single parents and some have the help of grandparents. Many of them work through their child's homework, learning the material themselves in order to teach it. Parents envy an education they did not know to wish for.

We have heard that students, teachers and parents are tired, excited for family trips and outings. Some of our families have lost dear ones this year and are grieving. And, we grieve with them.

We listen to tales of students who came to Ridgeview from kindergarten, adjusting as challenges come. We know that others found it later as a refuge from unchallenging academics or disadvantageous environments. We, too, see Ridgeview as a citadel of learning.

More than that, people tell us their motives and motivations. Every student, teacher and administrator is not here incidentally, but purposely. Everyone is at Ridgeview because although it is not always the easiest, it is certainly the most worthwhile.

In the Front Office, we recognize the silent efforts of community members who wish to be better, and we hide identities of anonymous donors who wish to better others. Our interactions with both are awe-inspiring and humbling.

I would just like to remind you that every effort is both seen and appreciated. I would like to remind everyone of the community spirit that Ridgeview embodies. While this spirit sometimes seems to hide, it fills the halls and lobby daily. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! I look forward to 2018 and all the new stories it brings with it.