Greatness Not Perfection, So Far

During the Winter Holiday Recess, we welcomed 2025, and this past Monday, we welcomed back our Faculty, Staff, and Students. With more than half of our year of Teaching and Learning still left to go, I reflected on the first seventy-five days of our academic year. At our Convocation in August, I shared with our employees that this year, we would be about greatness, not perfection. Here are some of the moments of greatness so far: 

• How this community responded to the needs of the EGPS Families impacted by the Brookside Terrace fire in December. In particular, Andrea Coelho, one of our social workers, has been a consistent presence and an advocate for these individuals, communicating with them regularly and sharing what their needs are. This highlights the work of Strategic Plan Priority 2 (Distinguished Teaching and Talented Staff), Priority 4 (Engaged Community) and demonstrates the importance of Connection (one of the tenets of our Vision of a Graduate). 
  
  
• Helping Hands of EGHS, a student-run group, organized a 5K race in honor of Ryan Casey, who passed away in 2023. Mr. Casey was a graduate of Meadowbrook, Cole, and EGHS as well as a dedicated husband and father. This event was a concrete example of how our high school students are Reflective, another tenet of our Vision of a Graduate. 
  
  
• The Cole Girls Soccer Team raised money for the Women in Need (WIN) program at Kent County Hospital. Led by Coach Steve Shelton, this highlights again Strategic Plan Priority 2 (Distinguished Teaching and Talented Staff), Priority 4 (Engaged Community) and Connection from our Vision of a Graduate. 
  
  
  
  
  
• Michelle Lambert, a paraeducator in EGPS, opened a Fitness Center with her daughter. Ms. Lambert offers a class called "Unified Fitness," particularly for those eligible for special education. This continues to highlight our Distinguished Teaching and Talented Staff and demonstrates that All Means All extends beyond the school day for our employees.  

• Cole Students in Steve Garneau's classes recently participated in Lego Education's project #BuildToGive. For every heart-shaped Lego model built and shared on social media, Lego donated a kit to a child in need. There were a total of thirty-two models built at Cole. Another exemplar of our Distinguished Teaching and Talented Staff, our Engaged Community commitment, and the importance of Connection. 

With more than half of our Teaching and Learning year left, EGPS will provide many more examples of greatness, not perfection. We will demonstrate our commitment to the priorities of our Strategic Plan and our emphasis on the Vision of a Graduate. This is the work of Teaching and Learning in this community. 

Happy 2025!