After a tearful and bitter sweet goodbye at Velasquez, my second home for the past 7 years...and my all time favorite school family... the week before Spring Break, I had decided that I was gonna have to "cowgirl up" and MAKE IT HAPPEN!
So....in living up to my positive petunia attitude, I hit the ground running on day ONE of my newest adventure of opening my district's 4th sixth grade campus, Polly Ryon MS. I'm thinking we are going to be the Longhorns...maroon ones...like the Jr. High and High School next door...hence the coffee cup) Since the building will not be ready until June, we (my secretary and I...the only two official employees so far) are housed at the admin building in a couple of small offices in the back forty.
So picture this...armed with a few supplies, some glittery pic frames, my signed copy of the Energy Bus by Jon Gordan, my GIANT handmade glittery zebra "SPARKLE" banner...yes banner...it's huge, my going away book "Keep Calm and Stay Fabulous", a VES "family" pic, a 40 oz bag of gummy bears, and my sunshiney attitude...I was ready for my new ...scary... and exciting adventure! (Notice my "sparkle" sign is so big...that's the light switch below it...that the "LE" is hidden behind my door when it is open! (So in hindsight, I think it was really a "subliminal message for the "spark" I was gonna have to bring...I just didn't know that yet! haha)
I am THE ONE...yes "that ONE"...that boss that always pushes my peeps out of their comfort zone, a place where the ripest fruit is...a place that is BEST for kids...and possibly uncomfortable for adults! In taking this position...opening a new school...a secondary campus...and creating another HP culture I KNEW it was going to be a major challenge...and I wasn't naive to the fact that I would be out of my comfort zone A LOT! But what the heck...I didn't expect it BEFORE I got in the new building! I started questioning what I was thinking...I just left a place where people came to work...even on the toughest days and still smiled and gave 110% for kids...and had fun doing it! So what did this Positive Petunia decide to do??? SULK! That's right...and to add insult to injury...as I was sitting there letting "Negative Nelly" invade my mind...my friend Lupe walks in. He came to see how my first day was going and tell me he was sorry he didn't get to stop by on my last day to wish me well. He may never come back...since him being nice to me created the tidal wave of tears....way more than he came by for...I'm sure! But like a trooper he reminded me that I had made the right decision and it would get better...to give it a chance. He told me that he was sad when I told him I was leaving Velsaquez because it was such a cool place because of me and that I can do it again, so just give it some time. He basically reminded me of the quote above! Poor guy! If I was him... I would have never come back..but for the record...he did...not sure if he was really having to "fix" things...or was thinking I was about to have a nervous breakdown and he didn't want to have to witness that! Whatever it was...it was def appreciated! That's a friend right there...and that kind of thoughtfulness was just what I was looking for to light the fire...still just a small "spark"..right under my booty! (I took his pic...right next to my glitter sign) lol
Shortly after that, I received a text asking if I had lunch plans...I was still in my sulking phase and replied no. The message that came back was...."Well now you do! Pick where you want and I'm buying in honor of your first day on the new job!" It was Dave "Speedy" Squires, my new CITS for Polly Ryon...he has been such a huge help with all my ordering...especially with my technology plan and getting me organized...I am SOOOO a work in progress there...I should be buying him lunch!! He claims to be allergic to glitter...but just to prove my point I have placed my guest chair right under the "sparkle" sign...and he hasn't busted out in glitter hives as of yet. I keep reminding him it is an acquired taste...and he will get there eventually...took his pic...I think we are progressing, don't you? ha-ha
The rest of my first day was uneventful...I did have to bust into my gummy bear stash...a couple of times (my stress reliever) and I went home still wondering if I had made the right decision. What I would later find out is...I have.
So here was my day 2 motto...as a campus principal I have learned that no day is EVER the same...and it is def NEVER boring...so you have to be able to roll with the punches and be willing to change directions at any given time when it comes to your campus. I do love that about my job...that and getting to have fun with the kids and staff! Most of all you ALWAYS have to remain calm and at least ACT like you know what your doing. So that's one of my issues...I am in uncharted territory, even though I have opened a campus...I haven't done it as a principal on DAY ONE of planning stage. So one thing that I need is to feel busy...little ADHD HP must keep moving...sitting idle is no bueno for me!
Researchers say that one negative person can suck the energy and productivity right out of an organization...so this is going to be my motto for life! Right Ana...aka little Cutie!?!?!
This day started off slow again for me...and I felt that "Negative Nelly" trying to sneak her way back in..that is until a bubbly little "family"down in the "community relations" department invited me down again for coffee! If you want a shot of positive energy...that's exactly where you need to go...they are pros! It will be a daily stop for me for sure! After I filled my cup of joe and my energy tank, I headed back to my office. What to do...what to do...UGH...I DON'T know what to do!!!!! Again I questioned what I was doing here...and then the phone rang...
It was the "HUGES" Principal...at least that's what the caller ID said! Ahhh Dougie...my voice of reason. He asked how things were going and of course the water works were right on the brink of another Niagara Falls moment. I told him my sad...sappy...woe is me story about how it was so different and how I wasn't sure I could do this. Basically he listened...probably he was multitasking...and pretending to listen...but what actually happened was an "ah ha" moment for me. He reminded me that VES didn't START the way I left it...I created it (7 years worth) and I needed to understand that in ONE day's time...I cannot expect to walk into someone else's creation and have it HP's way...this isn't "Heather King". This is the first thing that made sense and I can't tell you how appreciative I am to have him as a friend and colleague! (Don't tell him..it might go to his head!) In the end...this was the pivotal SPARK that motivated me to keep going and take responsibility for myself and the energy I am bringing in each day...it's going to be...positively GLITTERY...I can't help it...it's in my veins! :)
Then Julie and I were treated to homemade Ruebens for lunch...first time I ever had one...but Squires was cooking and I must say he did a great job. They were yummy...of course SOME people would say he was kissing up...(umm right P-daddy?) I prefer to call it "building a productive work environment" We have to eat right!??
As the week went on...I had a lunch invite from my new "community relations" family....below is the ring leader, Mike and def one funny guy! No, that's not his EPI pen...it's hand sanitizer...doesn't everyone carry that in their front pocket!? Got a few belly laughs with this bunch for sure!
Ana...aka cutie pie...aka scentsy rebel....aka smiley...made Julie and I laugh at least 100 times this week...wouldn't want to be up there without her for sure!!! Who can resist this smile???
So in the end...my START wasn't as strong as my finish! But what do know is I am choosing to take responsibility for the energy I bring in each day...and I'm gonna use my little HP "SPARK" to leave a trail of everlasting "SPARKLE" when I walk out of the building in June! Tune in next week...to see where my glittery adventure bus takes me!
Wow, this week should be called your "Tornado" week with all the whirling around.
ReplyDeleteHowever, knowing you as I do I believe you have already learned from the past and are ready to do it all over again; only with even more style.
Keep growing, Petunia!