A definition of pride in my old 1993 hardcopy of Miriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary is "a reasonable or justifiable self-respect". This is a perfect description of what I see and feel in Mound Westonka High School. All of the previous blog entries I have read in MWHS Pride are reasonable and justifiable examples of why hundreds of students, teachers, and parents respect our school and are proud to be affiliated with it.
I, personally, get excited every day when I enter the building. Student Aides in the office always greet me, students and teachers in the halls always say hello, and the display cases for the clubs, teams, and arts remind me that this place holds a wealth of talent and energy. Then as the day goes on, my students consistently prove to me that my expectations for them are only the top of the iceberg. When I challenge them to create and perform, I am always impressed and sometimes surprised by the results of their efforts. I recently assigned my advanced ceramics students to create sculptures in which planes and space are dominant features. They each spent many extra hours in the studio and produced a variety of original pieces that are above and beyond what I would have done in high school.
This leads me to what really impresses me. Our students are not flat, or one-dimensional. Most students pursue several interests and participate in multiple activities. It is not at all unusual for a student to be in Math League, band, swim team, Spanish Club, and more. They are multifaceted individuals who pursue their interests because they have the opportunity to do that here at MWHS. And because of that, we can all feel a reasonable and justifiable self-respect.
Mrs. Blanchard helping her ceramics students
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