The Chaos of Summer

In his classic book of military strategy and philosophy, the Art of War, Sun Tzu writes, "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity."

If you were to walk into the buildings at Corner Middle School right now, the first word that may come to mind would be "chaos."  Hallways are filled with furniture, boxes, books, and assorted teaching resources.  Classrooms are stripped to the bare minimum in preparation for floors to be waxed.  Carpet that has seen 30 years of foot traffic has been removed from the main office and replaced with new tile.  The competition gym is unavailable for use as contractors install air conditioning into the facility.  Everyone is working out of boxes at the moment.  It would definitely appear as though chaos abounds.

Appearances, however, can be deceiving.  We tend to side with the great Chinese strategist and embrace the opportunity that presents itself to us as we use our summer to the fullest to prepare for the opening of school in August.

Much is being done here at the school to prepare for what we plan to be one of the most amazing school years in the history of our school.  During our summer chaos, we are planning professional learning, reviewing student performance data, enrolling new students, hiring new staff, preparing for registration, attending summer training, leading professional development for other educators inside and outside the state of Alabama, coaching at summer camps, conducting summer workouts, writing curriculum, offering open music practices, upgrading technology, painting offices and classrooms, setting up lockers, deep cleaning and cutting grass, and . . . well, the list goes on and on!

I chuckle (as do most committed educators) when asked about having summers off.  If you are a parent of a student at Corner Middle School, I want to tell you that you have some of the most committed classroom teachers, coaches, sponsors, office staff, cafeteria staff, custodians, and bus drivers ANYWHERE.  I am so proud to be able to work with them every day.  They take the chaos each summer and turn it into a special opening of school for the best students on the planet each year.


In the 53 days we have until students return, we will continue to take advantage of the opportunities we have to improve our facilities, work with our students, and plan for the new year.  I am SO EXCITED about the possibilities the 2018-2019 school year holds!  We have exciting things in store for our academic, athletics, fine arts, and STEM programs.

It is my hope to share the stories of the summer with you, new information, and summer updates as we march closer to the opening of school.  Enjoy each day of your summer, and look for the opportunities you can take advantage of each day!!!