What does winning mean if you have to be mean to do it?

Last night the Boys Varsity Basketball team won its' first round playoff game against Nashua South.  It was a good game, we were the number 8 seed and Nashua was the number 9 seed.  It was a back and forth game just like it should have been and we came out on top. It was a great night.

A parent asked me on the way out, "Why won't  you let students chant 'It's all over' at the end of the game?"  My response was simple, 0-23.  We heard that chant many times when our football team was struggling.  We heard that chant last year when we lost in the playoff game for Boys Basketball at UNH and over my years here, I have heard many schools do it, but we won't. The question is still why not?

Do we have to make someone else feel bad to make ourselves feel good?  If that is the case we are all in big  trouble.  Last night there were seniors from Nashua who were playing in their last game.  With less than a minute left and down by nine, they knew it was over.  With all that emotion of being your last game and having put your best effort  out; do you think that chanting "It's all over" is the right thing to do?  Any player who  has given everything they have and comes out on the losing end of a competition of any kind deserves respect for their efforts. To chant negatively toward them is just wrong. 

Fans from other schools behave poorly many times. Do we have to  lower ourselves to their level? I don't think so.  I want us to scream, yell and support our players as well as our school.  I want us to do it with a sense of class and respect.  If people think I am wrong, I can live with that.  The next time we are on the losing end of a game and the other school starts chanting "warm up the bus", "it's all over" or something of the kind, think of how  it makes you feel.  Do you really want others to feel that way because of something you did? I hope not.

The Holidays aren't always a jolly time.

In this politically correct world we live in I never say to anyone, have a great holiday or ask how their holidays were when we come back from break.  It is not that I don't want to know or that I am trying to be politically correct. It  isn't that I dont' care, my worry in asking is that I  might bring up a bad feeling for that person. 

December 21st 1969, a policeman came to our home to tell us that my Grandfather had died while he was at work.  My Grandfather was the only Dad I had ever known and we had lived in his house since I was a year old.  While it is more than 40  years ago, I still take a moment to pause on the 21st and remember Hans Charles Witte.  This was the man who had ensured there was a roof over my head, clothes on my back and that I was given a wonderful place to live. I remember not knowing how to feel on Christmas Day.  This was supposed to be a time for friends and family to gather with a  great spirit.  Things were different and they always would be after that year.  It is not that they weren't good but they were different.  It wasn't just that Dad was not there, it was little things that only he did that helped make the holiday special that would never happen again.

My holidays are now filled with my children and my family.  We have created our own traditions and it has become for friends and family to gather with that great spirit again.  It would have been great for Dad to know my wife, to meet my children, and to know that I turned  out OK.  I have solace now that my wife and children didn't have the privilege of knowing this man and that I can hold his memory just for me, it is my special way to make things right.

For many of our students and staff, the holidays are a tough time.  Whether it is dealing with the memory of someone who is gone from their lives, someone who is sick, or the fact that school might be the only place they know they will get a good meal and have a safe place to be.  For some students, school is their support system and the thought that they will not have that support for two weeks can be a bit scary.  Most of the time these students don't tell us what is wrong or that they are afraid.  Most suffer in silence, find a way to cope and get by.  The year my Grandfather died I remember kids and teachers asking me how the holiday was. I replied great and spoke about the presents I received.  I couldn't tell anyone my heart was breaking and each time I was asked the question, it hurt a little bit more.

So if you see a student or a co-worker who does not seem to be in the spirit take a moment to approach them with care.  They may be struggling with their own holiday situation that they don't feel comfortable talking about.  They may feel that they should be feeling jolly but just can't.  Be there for them, support them with a smile and maybe you will be the reason that they are able to find some spirit as they get through their day.

Dad, December 21st is Wednesday,  I will be thinking of you.

If it's Thanksgiving, what is the Principal thankful for?

Thanksgiving has always been about the three "F's", football, food, and family. 

I am thankful that we don't play football on Thanksgiving Day anymore.  I really enjoyed the games but is was hard on my family since we usually travel out of town.

As far as food goes, I am thankful for the food service staff here at AHS who have worked to bring a better product to our students.  The addition of the deli sandwich line along with different kinds of  options really has made it better.  Elaine Dauber is dedicated to bring our food service above and beyond, I know she will do it.  Checkers Restaurant, enough said.

Family is something that abounds for me. 

I am thankful for my Alvirne Family who helps to bring a great educational environment together for our students.  I am thankful for those experienced teachers who are the support for everything that we are doing. I am thankful for the new teachers who bring new energy and ideas to light.  I am thankful for the people who reach out to students to try to help them even when they make it hard to extend that hand.  I am thankful for our office staff who work hard and from time to time put up with some grief that they should not have to.  They do it with a smile and a kind word.  I am thankful for our custodial staff who take great pride in keeping this school running well.  I am thankful for the parents who  support our efforts and are working with us  to create the best educational environment.  I am thankful for my 1407 children who make me feel that I am doing something important each day.

I am thankful for my family at home who supports me in everything I do.  My children were 7 and 8 years old when I came here.  They have sacrifice many a night  when I was at school attending to my other family, thanks Matt and Allie.    I am thankful for my wife for putting up with me how I feel that the job of Principal needs to be done.  She has been willing to let me  spend countless hours with my Alvirne Family because she knows it is important to me.

Looking at all the things I can be thankful I guess I am doing pretty darn well.

Have a great holiday with football, food and family!

Spirit Week, why do we do it?

When I was hired for this position in 1998 I received an unsigned letter in the mail within two days.  It was a list of things the staff wanted to be done,  called it the manifesto.  Many things made sense to me and I am happy to say most were accomplished within two years.  The one thing that was on the list that I have not  done  was to "Eliminate Spirit Week". 

The reason to have Spirit Week is to help create a more involved student body in the events of the school and to bring unity within each class.  You  may ask how  does wearing pajamas to school or creating a dance video skit help to do this.  In my mind, it is the camaraderie and the memories that really make the difference.  High School is  a time to find yourself and see that the sum of the whole is always greater than its' parts.  Together, students do great things.  We have change the focus of Spirit Week so that it is more palatable to the staff and the community.  We have eliminated some events and added others.  In the past  14  years over $20,000   has been collected to give out as scholarships for students in the form of pennies, nickles and dimes. Student have donated tens of thousands of canned goods to local food pantries and soup kitchens. More than $5000 has been collected to help families who would not be able to have holiday meals or presents.  We have instituted a community service component to rake leaves and students have put in thousands of hours helping those in the community. 

Does Spirit Week create some abnormalities in the school day, yes.  Is it a distraction  for many, yes.  Have some things happened that I would have preferred not happen, yes. These not with standing, Spirit Week helps to create a positive atmosphere and bring about a feeling of togetherness among our students that can not  be created any other way.  This makes it truly worth it.

My favorite place to be is in the middle of a gym with a thousand screaming teenagers just wanting to have fun.  It is a special place to be.  Wednesday I am going to get duct taped to the wall.  I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

GO BRONCOS!

It's been too long and I am sorry

To all of you out there in Bronco Country, I am sorry that I have neglected to update this BLOG.  Thank you to Caroline who has reminded me that I have been delinquent, I really do appreciate it.

Well, where are we.  Things at AHS are moving along pretty well.  One of the new initiatives I wanted to put into place was creating more positive communication to parents.  Teachers have started to send e-mails home about good things and there has been some really great feedback.  For too long the only e-mails or phone calls that have gone home have been about negative things.  I want to focus on the things that are good as often as we can.  The BLC, Bronco Leadership Council, ( It was going to be Bronco Leadership Team but I just couldn't do BLT) is meeting to come up with a way to document this without creating a lot of work for teachers.  Students do so many great things here and it is important that we let people, especially parents, know what is happening,

Tomorrow everyone wear  purple to stamp out bullying and harassment.  Don't forget the Haunted Hayride starts this weekend and if you go to the football game on Friday (last home game) you can taste some of my most excellent chili, I call it "The Principal Chili".  Hope to see  you there.

I promise I will keep up with this.

There are great things to celebrate at AHS!!!

Two week ago our school took a moment to salute the efforts of our Director of Guidance Bill Hughen as he was recognized as the High School Guidance Counselor of the Year by the New Hampshire Association of School Guidance Counselors.  This is a great honor and it is well deserved.  For those of you who know Mr. Hughen he is a man of compassion, strength, and sincerity.  He is a great colleague to us all and a strong mentor to his students.  Bill serves not only as the Guidance Director for Alvirne HS but for the Hudson School District as well. At every turn he does a job that is second to none and he is a key to the success of our school.

Yesterday we gathered as a school again and were recognized as the High School of Excellence in New Hampshire for 2011.  This is a great achievement that shows that the school environment we strive to create is one that truly makes a difference.  After an initial application, about 15 students and five staff members went to Concord to determine whether or not we would move on in the process.  From there Alvirne was one of three schools in the state that would receive a visit from the selection committee of 18 people.  This effort was headed by Mark MacLean, Academic Dean, who coordinated almost 80 students and 30 staff persons whose responsibility it was to show the committee what Alvirne High School is all about.  This four hour visit included presentations by students about our co-curricular activities, the committee visiting over 30 class rooms, student presentations about our curriculum and a round table discussion with staff members.  After all this, Alvirne was the unanimous choice of the committee for this honor.  This is the second time we have earned this honor the first time was in 2001.   This brings a great satisfaction to me as Principal because it recognizes a consistent dedication to excellence in a changing educational world.  We are creating a tradition of strength of instruction and environment that creates a special environment for learning.  We are not perfect and we still have things to work on but this gives us the motivation to continue to move forward to make these changes and continue to make things better for our school community.    Bottom line for me, this is just a really great place to be!!

Cabaret is a wonderful thing!

For anyone who has ever had the chance to go the Cabaret performances at AHS you know what I am talking about.  This afternoon I watched more than 200 of our students bring many weeks of practice to a glorious culmination.  The hard work and talent that has been put forth in these last few weeks was really worth it.  The show that lasted more than  two and a half hours flew by.  There was one great showing after the other.

This is not just the work of our students.  The many volunteers really are a key part of the success of this venture.  Many are parents and some of those who put in countless hours don't even have any students at Alvirne anymore.  They have become part of the machine that helps to create this wonderful event and no one can ever thank them enough. 

Liz Beaton, our choral director, has done a great job in bringing out the talent in her students.  This year, the number of solo's, dance routines and coordinated songs by mixed groups was more complex and detailed than ever before.  At every turn, the students answered the call to give their best.

Gerry Bastien is the MUSIC MAN.  He takes his mantra of want to, choose to, love to and ingrains it into our musicians.  The quality of the music has been consistent year to year and somehow things just seem to be getting better each year.  Gerry is one of those rare educators that can find diamonds in the ruff and bring them to their full shine, it is wonderful.

This year marked 20,000 people who have come to see Cabaret over the past fourteen years.  This is a great accomplishment.  Each year my in-laws travel two hours to come to see this show and each year they go home with a smile.  For us, as with many, it has become a family tradition to attend.  I am so proud to be part of this school community and of those who choose to be part of this great program.  Alvirne High School's music program is second to none and I know it will be that way for years to come.  Thanks to all!