Archived - Stories of Us 2018-2019

Stories of Us - June 6, 2019
06/06/2019
Partnership Educators, When I was a young boy growing up on the streets of Redding, I would never have dreamed my path would lead to the Superintendency of Redding, Shasta, and Igo Districts. The city at that time had somewhere around 28,000 people and everyone seemed to know everyone. My family has long roots in the area and that has always been a source of pride for me. My grandfather was a construction worker and came from Nebraska to help build Shasta Dam. My grandmother was a cook and bus driver at Toyon School outside Shasta Lake City
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Stories of Us - May 31, 2019
05/31/2019
Partnership Educators, In 1964, 14-year-old William was rising for high school and getting ready for his first day at his new school. He was a sophomore. Arriving that morning was like any other day going to school except that West High School didn’t seem to want him.
Read More About Stories of Us - May 31, 2019
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Stories of Us - May 24, 2019
05/24/2019
Partnership Educators, As we move into this Memorial Day weekend, contemplate those brave men and women who serve or have served for us in the military. It is a day of remembrance for those that have died in that service.
Read More About Stories of Us - May 24, 2019
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Stories of Us - May 17, 2019
05/17/2019
Partnership Educators, This month is always a series of great events all over the partnership. Having the opportunity to attend Open Houses, performances, socials, and award ceremonies are the greatest. I can't always make all of them but I really try to make it work in my schedule as much as possible.
Read More About Stories of Us - May 17, 2019
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Stories of Us - May 10, 2019
05/10/2019
Partnership Educators, One might have called it love at first sight except that when they first met Marie was blind. Those that knew Ralph and Marie before they were together, marveled at the mutual attraction. The attraction persisted, the relationship blossomed, and in fact, Marie’s blindness brought the two closer than they would have been otherwise. Ralph became Marie’s eyes.
Read More About Stories of Us - May 10, 2019
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Stories of Us - May 6, 2019
05/06/2019
Partnership Educators, You can image my shock and confusion when my friend pointed out to me that we were actually heading south. Being a sophomore in high school and finally having the freedom to drive in your own car was a wonderful thing. I wasn't actually driving but I was arguing with him that we were heading in the wrong direction. We said we had to head south and so I couldn't understand why he turned the way he did.
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Stories of Us - April 26, 2019
04/26/2019
Partnership Educators, As Carter played on his scooter and moved from ramp to ramp at the skate park, his mother kept vigil for others to arrive. Carter was a five-year-old autistic boy who struggled with personal interactions with large groups. Big groups of older kids can make him nervous, so Kristen, Carter’s mom was fully prepared to get him out of there if others arrived.
Read More About Stories of Us - April 26, 2019
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Stories of Us - April 12, 2019
04/12/2019
Partnership Educators, Driving to the annual family Easter Egg hunt that day seemed ridiculous. The wipers swooshing the rain off of the windshield as we traveled along the highway told of a canceled event to my wife and I. The kids were busy talking about the eggs found earlier in the house living room and speculating about the treasures that might be inside as we pulled into my brother and sister-in-law's driveway.
Read More About Stories of Us - April 12, 2019
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Stories of Us - April 5, 2019
04/05/2019
Partnership Educators, I want to tell you a story about stories. Sometimes the stories we tell each other are more than just tales, entertainment, or narratives. They are also vehicles for selling ideas and inspiring others across our society. Many of the most advanced achievements of this modern era has its roots in stories.
Read More About Stories of Us - April 5, 2019
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Stories of Us - March 29, 2019
03/29/2019
Partnership Educators, In the heart of corn country in the 1890s lived a boy of a small town where trains didn’t even stop. This boy had something that many at that time did not have in such a place. He had a grandad who was seven million dollar’s rich. When you are a man of such stature, you can afford to be somewhat autocratic and so he often would dictate his grandson’s future. He told the little boy that he was to attend Harvard Law School and he was to become a lawyer
Read More About Stories of Us - March 29, 2019
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Stories of Us - March 22, 2019
03/22/2019
Partnership Educators, I am so proud of working for a partnership that always cares enough about the students and families that it serves to take the time to continuously learn. Thanks for the efforts to look for solutions to learning for all of our kids.
Read More About Stories of Us - March 22, 2019
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Stories of Us - March 8, 2019
03/08/2019
Partnership Educators, Riding your bike around the neighborhood is freedom for a kid. My red chopper bike was my pride and joy. Chopper like handlebars and banana style seat along with the sissy bar in the back made me king of the roads.
Read More About Stories of Us - March 8, 2019
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Stories of Us - March 1, 2019
03/01/2019
Partnership Educators, Some three thousand years ago, an iceberg broke off of Greenland proper and fell into the Jakobshavn Glacier Fjord. Its destination was the open sea. There were about ten thousand such icebergs swarming in Baffin Bay at the time. One particular iceberg wasn’t especially large in comparison to the brothers and sisters floating alongside. What was visible about the iceberg was its size. The dimensions were about 100 feet tall and 300 feet long. Most of it was beneath the water reaching some 500 feet below the surface
Read More About Stories of Us - March 1, 2019
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Stories of Us - February 15, 2019
02/15/2019
Partnership Educators, One winter morning I woke to see snow falling from the sky and it piled high on the ground. The feeling inside a six-year-old is one of pure joy and excitement. I mean, as most of you know, even way back in 1968 snow in Redding was not something that you see all the time. As a young child, it was magical and wonderful to play in the snow in your front yard and to walk to Sequoia School and play games with your friends. The snow drifts created by the plows in front of my family home seemed so large.
Read More About Stories of Us - February 15, 2019
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Stories of Us - February 8, 2019
02/08/2019
Partnership Educators, During the fall of 1982, Chicago experienced seven mysterious deaths by cyanide poisoning that originally couldn’t be explained. The discovery came later that all seven had taken Extra Strength Tylenol Capsules just before they had died. Upon further investigation, the police had found cyanide in the medicine bottles in the victim’s home.
Read More About Stories of Us - February 8, 2019
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Stories of Us - February 1, 2019
02/01/2019
Partnership Educators, Adam left his latest gig in downtown San Francisco as he did every night staring out the cab window. He was the son of wealthy parents who were convinced that he wouldn’t amount to anything more than a ditch digger. He hadn’t been a good student in school. Bored and inattentive towards most of his studies in high school. He earned an A and six F’s one semester. After barely managing to graduate high school, he did study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston for less than a year but he dropped out. He was scraping by while playing his bass with his endless no-name bands every night.
Read More About Stories of Us - February 1, 2019
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Stories of Us - January 25, 2019
01/25/2019
Partnership Educators, With the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics only weeks away, attention was focused on Evanston, Illinois. Northwestern University was hosting a track meet that would serve as the AAU Women’s Championship and the trials for the upcoming Olympics. Dozens of teams converged from all over the country. The Illinois athletic teams were favored to sweep it all. The meet was made up of ten separate contests. There was another unknown team from Dallas who entered in eight of those ten contests with little fanfare or notice.
Read More About Stories of Us - January 25, 2019
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Stories of Us - January 18, 2019
01/18/2019
Partnership Educators, Like many athletes, Simon likes chasing that runners high and sense of accomplishment. He leaves each day, kissing his two little boys goodbye, and heads out to the open road near his home. Each mile is shared in solitude with passing traffic as he trains for his next event. Simon isn’t just a runner but a marathon and ultramarathon runner.
Read More About Stories of Us - January 18, 2019
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Stories of Us - January 11, 2019
01/11/2019
Partnership Educators, What a fantastic first week back. It was great seeing many of you this week at the schools and connecting with you about your time off. Loved spending time with many of you on Monday as well. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to spend time with you and catch up because you all make a difference in my life. I truly appreciate knowing you.
Read More About Stories of Us - January 11, 2019
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Stories of Us - December 20, 2018
12/20/2018
Partnership Educators, Gillian was only eight years old, but her future was already at risk. Her schoolwork was a disaster. She turned in assignments late, her handwriting was terrible, and she tested poorly. Not only that, she was a disruption to the entire class, one-minute fidgeting noisily, the next staring out the window, forcing the teacher to stop the class to pull Gillian’s attention back, and the next doing something to disturb the other children around her.
Read More About Stories of Us - December 20, 2018
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Stories of Us - December 14, 2018
12/14/2018
Partnership Educators, Old Rip was born in Eastern Texas and led a normal life but in his early thirties, he became a star. One day no one knew he was alive and the next, because of a solitary accomplishment, he was being cheered by thousands. He was front page news in the local paper. In the entire existence of that paper, the amount of attention given to Old Rip’s coverage had only been exceeded by Lindbergh’s Transatlantic Flight. Soon after the amazing accomplishment, the local celebrity became national news. Andrew Volstead, former Congressman from Minnesota, was the first national politician to suggest, “Old Rip should be heartily commended.” Paramount News Reel Company came asking if Old Rip would reenact the feat in which he had accomplished this national fame.
Read More About Stories of Us - December 14, 2018
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Stories of Us - December 7, 2018
12/07/2018
Partnership Educators, These particular producers of a particular program were exhausted after their meeting with the network executives. They were trying to convince the executives that they had come up with a sure-fire hit even though they had pitched their show to every network available without even a smidgeon of interest. Many of those meetings were brutal. Full of arrogant indifference and implied insults. The producers tried the broadcast networks first and then moved on to cable networks but with no interest at all.
Read More About Stories of Us - December 7, 2018
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Stories of Us - November 30, 2018
11/30/2018
Partnership Educators, Grandpa Doolittle and Grandma lived in Custer, a small town in Washington State near the Canadian border with their four children. Grandma was a sweet shy woman and in fact, if a stranger would try to talk with her she would turn away rather than engage in conversation. She was also talented, by her husband's recollection. Many evenings he would stand by his children's bedroom door eavesdropping while mommy would sing her children to sleep. Such a voice should be shared with the world he thought.
Read More About Stories of Us - November 30, 2018
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Stories of Us - November 16, 2018
11/16/2018
Partnership Educators, It is the time of year where we reflect on what it is that we are thankful for. We often hear answers like family, health, job, and faith. In light of our tragic beginnings and the more recent events in Paradise, I can say that I am thankful for the privilege of working with some great folks across our partnership. We have so many caring and giving individuals that literally serve others over themselves. Our district family is the clear definition of selflessness.
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Stories of Us - November 14, 2018
11/14/2018
Partnership Educators, As the young boy approached the desk, he kept his eyes transfixed on the worn out shoes that were given by the neighbor who knew he needed them. The day doesn't always start the way a most nine-year-olds start. No cartoons or pleasant encouragement to get ready for school. Usually a lot of yelling and hurrying to get out. Once at the counter, a kind voice rings through the morning fog and he lifts his eyes to catch the smile of a familiar every morning friend. "Good morning! So glad you are here."
Read More About Stories of Us - November 14, 2018
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Stories of Us - November 9, 2018
11/09/2018
Partnership Educators, In addition to the obvious hardships and horrors, war can be a lonely business. On a dark night in the Pacific in 1945, the marines started singing. One man at a time at first. Tunes that glowed of happier times. Every marine on that supply barge knew that the others were there, but it was their joined voices in the song that let them know of the presence of all the others. The loneliness of war was fought back during those tense terrible hours.
Read More About Stories of Us - November 9, 2018
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Stories of Us - November 2, 2018
11/02/2018
Hello Partnership Educators, It was a spring exhibition game in Florida’s Payne Park. The game was between the Boston Red Sox the Milwaukee Braves. They used to say that Payne Park was rightly named, at least from a batter's perspective, because it was a big ballpark. It was most difficult to hit a home run. The Red Sox and the Braves were going at it that day. Pitching for Boston was Ike Delock, a big right-hander. Nothing spectacular except that he threw a lot of fastballs.
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Stories of Us - October 26, 2018
10/26/2018
Partnership Educators, Dorothy and Ernie sat in the waiting area at the children’s clinic enduring the painful anguish to which they were very familiar. After a long wait, the doctor appeared in the doorway and announced that the tests are finished. Unsmiling, the doctor spoke in a calm even tone “The boy had been tested for everything imaginable,” he said. “One of the tests had come back positive. The test for Cystic Fibrosis.”
Read More About Stories of Us - October 26, 2018
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Stories of Us - October 19, 2018
10/19/2018
Partnership Educators, The intelligent fourteen-year-old boy knew that his mother wasn’t coming back. Still, Jimmy sobbed himself to sleep asking for some kind of miracle so he could have his mother. She was taken away so suddenly.
Read More About Stories of Us - October 19, 2018
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Stories of Us - October 12, 2018
10/12/2018
Partnership Educators, This week was designated as Administrative Appreciation week and so I would like to personally thank all administrators, administrative assistants, and classified management for their untiring commitment to our school community. The Appreciation item given this week doesn't offer enough to say thanks fully for the work that you do.
Read More About Stories of Us - October 12, 2018
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Stories of Us - October 5, 2018
10/05/2018
Partnership Educators, In 1979, Super Bowl XIII in Miami between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys. Within that game, one play deserves a small replay. During the see-saw first half, time was running out and the score was tied. To go to the locker room with any kind of a lead would give any team a psychological lift going forward. Steeler quarterback, Terry Bradshaw with an injured shoulder, connected with Lynn Swann to drive the team down within seven yards of a touchdown. But it was here where the Dallas defense stiffened and the first two downs went nowhere
Read More About Stories of Us - October 5, 2018
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Stories of Us - September 28, 2018
09/28/2018
Partnership Educators, It was 1952 and Bill was a partner at Gibson, Dunn, and Crutcher. That was a law firm in Los Angeles. One morning a woman walked into his office who was seeking employment. Bill greeted her warmly and asked her to please have a seat. Slowly the woman, smiling, did have a seat where she was asked. Bill proceeded to have her tell a bit about herself. The young woman began to do just that. She was born in El Paso, Texas.
Read More About Stories of Us - September 28, 2018
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Stories of Us - September 14, 2018
09/14/2018
Partnership Educators, Joanne takes the long walk to the second floor bleak apartment and thinks to herself, “How did I get here.” The deep depression that she is feeling as she considers her circumstances just makes the vision of her living conditions that much more depressing. Everything had gone wrong for Joanne for her entire life she lamented. Her father had been impossible to grow up with and not speaking with him now only made it easier. It was her mother’s death after 10 years of suffering from multiple sclerosis that had contributed greatly to her spin out of control.
Read More About Stories of Us - September 14, 2018
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Stories of Us - September 7, 2018
09/07/2018
Partnership Educators, Alistair Cook, a journalist, and broadcaster, said it well, "A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it." Thanks to the many professionals that stepped up today and just took care of our students and families and made sure that they made it home safe. I wish I could have recorded the number of personal calls all our office staffs made to our parents.
Read More About Stories of Us - September 7, 2018
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Stories of Us - August 31, 2018
08/31/2018
Partnership Educators, Dr. Kevin was enjoying a cup of coffee and shooting the bull when the light tone of the front door opening made its way to the back office. The signal meant that a new patient had made their way to the office and it was time to get to work. As the intake personnel went through the check-in procedures the patient quietly sat in the light brown shoe box in the hands of a tall dark haired twenty-year-old whom seemed calm but concerned. You see, Dr. Kevin is a veterinarian and so having a patient who comes to the office in a shoe box wasn't an unusual occurrence.
Read More About Stories of Us - August 31, 2018
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Stories of Us - August 24, 2018
08/24/2018
Partnership Educators, A Sense of Hope, Educators, at least the ones that I know, have always held the premise that educational attainment is the great equalizer. People from all walks of life can get where they want to go by using learning as the vehicle to get them there.
Read More About Stories of Us - August 24, 2018
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Stories of Us - August 17, 2018
08/17/2018
Partnership Educators, Disembarking from the delayed flight helped to raise my spirits for the trip. The four-hour delay was taxing for sure. Waving goodbye to the attendants and pilot, I slowly made my way the baggage claim. The anxious moments watching the variety of colored bags fall down the ramp kept me on edge. I hate waiting for the bag to arrive. I am always afraid that it won’t arrive.
Read More About Stories of Us - August 17, 2018
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