One of three major aspects of Rodford’s Rules for Life that I introduced in the SMUS Weekly earlier in the school year is “do what you love,” and these last couple of weeks have highlighted that the fuel of SMUS’s community success is the love of school.
I had the pleasure of attending two alumni events that welcomed seven decades of alumni and former faculty and staff, and the room was completely filled with love; love for the school and especially love for the people and experiences that each person had during their days at SMUS. Each story, regardless of the generation, seemed to contain messages of resilience and grit, but was outshined by enduring experiences and relationships for the storytellers that were seminal in shaping who they are today, and cementing their love of SMUS.
In concert with full days of academics and related homework, these recent days have also been filled with current students competing in robotics tournaments, winning national literature competitions, performing in concerts, preparing around the clock for a musical, competing in provincial sports championships and basically a plethora of other school events that push the limit of each person’s 168 hours in a week. This ambitious pace could be the undoing of many organizations and individuals, if doing what you love wasn’t at the centre for each person and the place in which it happens.
In contrast, my shoulders drop each week with a related sigh when I realize that garbage day has arrived again. Even though I know how important the process is to keeping my home in order and to supporting the future of our planet, I don’t love or get fuel from putting out the garbage.
On the other hand, each day when I make my way to SMUS, I am filled with an inexplicable energy to take on whatever the day brings, with the knowledge that I will be spending the day with inspired people and that we are collectively helping to create an environment for this generation of students and staff that is filled with care and allows everyone to do what they love.
Floreat, our strategic plan, has specific aims, priorities and aspirations and it will be fueled by everyone doing what they love. It means students and staff coming to school each day with springs in their steps to learn, to participate, to lead, to serve and to strive for excellence. It means channeling the love from alumni, friends of SMUS and those who can help to add strength and permanence to our learning environment. And,it means parents encouraging from home and doing all that they can to support the school in creating enduring experiences that your children will speak of when they return for future alumni events.
Doing what you love is nuclear in the world of fuels, so collectively ensuring that SMUS is where doing what you love can happen will create a perpetual power source for our future.
