a message from Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones 

 

I received an email last week with a little monograph entitled "Keeping Christmas" that I want to share with you. So often, we (I) get caught up in the moment of "Daring to do Better" that some of the "other things" that make us special get left out. "Keeping Christmas" helps me put things in perspective and I hope you find it helpful also.

KEEPING CHRISTMAS

It is a good thing to observe Christmas day.  The mere marking of times and seasons, when men agree to stop work and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom.  It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life.  It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then, by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.

But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas day, and that is, keeping Christmas.

• Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people, and to remember what other people have done for you;
• to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world; to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance, and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;
• to see that your fellow men are just as real as you are, and try to look behind their faces to their hearts, hungry for joy;
• to know that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life, but what you are going to give life;
• to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe, and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness-are you willing to do these things even for a day? 

Then you can keep Christmas.

• Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and desires of little children;
• to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old;
• to stop asking how much your friends love you, and ask yourself whether you love them enough;
• to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear on their hearts;
• to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want, without waiting for them to tell you;
• to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke, and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;
• to make a grave for your ugly thoughts, and a garden for your kindly feelings, with the gate open-are you willing to these things even for a day? 

Then you can keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world-stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death? 

Then you can keep Christmas.

And, if you keep it for a day, why not always?  But you can never keep it alone.

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And please know that my most sincere wish for you, is for you and your family to have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Hello everybody:

 

We are in the beginning stages of one of the most difficult times of my short tenure as superintendent of the school system and that is to balance our budget next year, and I need your help.

  

It has been said before that the world is changing, and it truly is, especially for us in public education. The budget shortfall we are facing is not of our making, but it is making us face a new reality. A reality that many never believed would come true.

 

I know that the work of the cost cutting committees is challenging, and it is work that does not offer easy solutions. But the work must be done, and we cannot do it without the committee members. I need their understanding, perspective, and wisdom about how we can accomplish what many believe is not possible because they don't believe we will make the tough choices.

 

Our expenses are high, our projected revenues are low, and our students and community are dependent on us. We must give them better opportunities than the ones we had growing up. And I believe there are opportunities for us in the middle of all of this. Opportunities to refine, reaffirm, restructure, and yes improve education in Griffin-Spalding.

 

We must address millions of dollars. We need to do it together. The committees will not do this alone and I can't do it alone.  I will honor the committees' suggestions and responsible acts by considering their recommendations and thanking them. We are in this together, yes we are a team.

 

Just so you know, here is our anticipated timeline for this process.

 

• January 20 - Committee recommendations to Assistant Superintendent Jim Smit
• January 26 - Committee chairs present recommendations to Superintendent and Cabinet
• February 1 - Administrative meeting to discuss recommendations - 10 AM
• February 7 - initial presentation to Board of Education

 So I close by telling you "we need to be strong. Time is of the essence, and I thank you ".

 

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