Quick Update on Football Facilities

Check out what a little paint and a lot of hard work can do!

GREAT JOB COACH WILSON, COACHES, PLAYERS, AND PARENTS!!

Community Gathering in Vermont

This past Saturday, my family and I attended the Vermont Tractor Show and parade. We took the opportunity to meet with as many new faces we could find. I have always felt it was important to attend community celebrations. First, you get an opportunity to meet people and talk about the community and the school. Second, there is usually good food being cooked somewhere. Whether there is a food truck, fish fry, or big grill involved - you know you are in the right place. This event was no exception. The American Legion of Vermont cooked up a choice of ribeye or porkchop sandwiches. I had both, and they were delicious. On top of that, there was popcorn at the Vermont Library and homemade ice cream at the Tractor Show. Last, and most important, there are usually kids/students running around having fun, marching in the parade, or selling this-and-that. It is important to see our students in roles outside of the classroom and school setting. We had students marching with the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. There were girls marching with the Girl Scouts. They were also selling cookies.......yes. There were HS and JH kids driving tractors in the parade. In the end, the weather was awesome, the people were friendly, the food was great, and the kids were outside doing something positive for their organizations and their community.

Football Team Taking Pride in Athletic Facilities

Last night, several parents, players, and coaches from the SFR football team spent a couple of hours painting and cleaning up the game day facility. The group painted the Home and Visitors bleachers, touched up a Rebel spirit sign, and prepared the grounds for football practices and games. We have another final group work night scheduled for tonight. Prior to the start of the season, the coaching staff will be adding some original graphics to the home bleachers. It is great to see players, coaches and families "owning" their facilities and working together to make improvements.

Repair Work at VIT Elementary

Construction Update: As you may have noticed, there has been extensive repair work undertaken at the elementary building this summer. Several thousand bricks have been removed and replaced due to water damage. New tile floors have been installed in the building as well. The new exterior will help to reduce the effects of moisture inside the building, as well as, protect the exterior from outside water damage in the future. The new tile flooring replaced carpet that had a well used and longer than anticipated lifetime. The tile floors will also reduce the effect of moisture in the building and, hopefully, lessen issues for those with allergies. Carpet is notorious for holding allergens regardless of how often they are vacuumed or cleaned. Also, new exterior doors will be installed soon in the elementary building. Also, at the high school, our maintenance director and custodians built a flower box over a problem area of old broken bricks and concrete. The flower box (shown below) is a great visual improvement. "Thanks" to Charlie, Carol, and Bob. There is still a little bit of work to complete and then some repairs to be made to the school yard and playground. We are hoping that all repairs will be completed before the start of school.

Any Evening on the Trail is a Good Evening.

This afternoon, I made a 90 minute drive to meet with old friends and ride our mountain bikes all over Farmdale Reservoir near Peoria. It felt like 100 degrees out today. I was soaked just loading the bikes into the old green truck. By the time I made it to Farmdale, I was hot and drenched. Once on site, we loaded up with water, not near enough, and hit the trail for loop one. 3 hours, Two more loops, and a tricky downhill course later - we were spent! Why do I mention this trip? Well, three things come to mind: Friends, activity, and balance. All three are necessary parts of a healthy lifestyle. My friends drove 90 minutes from Springfield to get together and do what we love. The importance of activity on a healthy mind and body, at any age, cannot be denied. The concept of balance is important in our professional and personal lives. It allows us to be the best we can be in both areas. This long ride allowed me to step away from the superintendency for a few hours. Ironically, it also clears the mind and allows for clarity on issues to just sort of "appear" while on the trail. So, tomorrow it is back to the office and meetings. All of which are great, but taking time for the friends, activity, and balance can only make me a better leader.

Hitting the Links for a Great Cause

I just wanted to thank everyone who attended, worked, and volunteered for the 4th Annual South Fulton Rebel Football Golf Outing. Twenty teams of 4 enjoyed a great day of golf and helped support the FB team for 2013. Outside of the great weather, the course looked beautiful and the food after the golf was amazing. Thanks to those who donated the ribeyes and desserts. It was great to see such a large turnout in support of our athletes. While my team did not win, we gave it our best effort. We finished very near the top. This is quite a feat considering I golf about 5 times a year. I didn’t mind being carried by three friends from my past communities. For the record, we did use a few of my shots, throughout the day, to finish a respectable -8. My friends and I are already looking forward to the 2014 edition. Great job Coach Wilson and the rest of the FB staff.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie from today's fundraiser at the Ipava Ball Park.