Portrait of a Graduate Administrator Spotlight: Resilient - GMS/GIS Assistant Principal Josh Quire & GES Assistant Principal Tracy Stewart
May 22, 2023
As we enter the last month of the school year, we find ourselves preparing for new seasons of life. Josh will be sending his oldest child off to kindergarten in the fall. Tracy will be sending her youngest child off to college. These seasons of life stir up mixed feelings: excitement, relief, anxiety, and sadness. As we discussed these transitions for our families, we both shared the same goal of sending our children out into the world as independent young adults. And the big question we asked ourselves: how did we get here? The answer is resilience. |  |  |
Both of our families’ lives have been filled with unforeseen circumstances linked to change, challenges, and adversity. From late-night feedings to late-night teenage conversations. From trying a recreational sport to trying out for a high school sport. From singing the ABCs to deciding who gets to play aux while driving the car. From scheduling well-check appointments at the pediatrician to appointments linked to serious medical surgery. From the death of a hamster to the death of a loved one. Resilience operates within both of our daily lives. Optimism, purpose, problem-solving, and effective coping skills are traits of resiliency that we can see through our journeys. When these resilient traits combine into the lives of our children, resilience builds.
We have both focused on modeling these traits for our children through our roles as Assistant Principals in Granville Schools. Throughout our roles, we see resiliency building. Through the management of small challenges, such as coordinating two building schedules, while prioritizing students, staff, and families at the heart of each of those schedules. We adjust to the different grade level spans of student, staff, and family needs varying from building to building. Most importantly, we focus on maintaining momentum toward each building’s goal of creating spaces for human development.
According to Vivian Komori, “Life is not how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” As the school year comes to an end, both of our families are holding on tight for the next round of bouncing. And while we bounce into the excitement of planning for the 2023-2024 school year, we will all hold on to the truth that we are resilient.