By Dr. John E Chapman, III
Over several hundred years ago, the Pilgrims found themselves in a world without the freedom to worship as they chose. Therefore, they made their way to Holland from the area of England, where life was better, but as time wore on, they saw their children reverting from their own ways to those of the Dutch people. In order to keep their children within their circle, they decided to make the trek from Holland to the New World, present day America. Originally, they were to land in Virginia, but as their journey was wrought with storms and strife, they finally landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The first winter in the New World wasn’t all they thought it would be… but with persistence and an overwhelming faith, the next autumn proved to be bountiful. As they befriended the Indians, they learned how to do many things that helped them survive. They also taught the Indians things from their own culture. After the first harvest in the New World, they had a huge feast and invited the Indians. The Indians brought several things to eat such as deer, turkey and wild game. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the feasting lasted approximately three days. What a party that First Thanksgiving probably turned out to be!
Several lessons can be learned from this monumental experience that happened long ago. The first lesson learned was the way the Pilgrim people changed their entire life because of religious faith. They chose to move, not just one family, but several families to a new place, not one, but two times. This is an example of how change, although not easy, is sometimes required in order for things to improve—much like our school system. We have to allow ourselves to step out of the box, out of our comfort zones, in order to give things a chance to work and productivity to increase. The Pilgrims and Indians forged a positive relationship which in the beginning was probably not that easy.
During the autumn of the first year in the New World, the Pilgrims harvest yielded a bountiful crop. Their hard work paid off, but they suffered losses along the way. Much like our student success, things will not always be perfect, but we have a lot to be thankful for because our staff puts academics and ethics first. I will tell you that I love to be successful as much as the next person, but as an educational system, it is our job to love and care for our students as well as ensuring character education within the realm of academics.
As the Indians and Pilgrims reaped the reward of plenty of food and a positive camaraderie from all of their hard work, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD is on the path of many academic student successes that are changing our students’ lives and generations to come.
I am thankful for having the opportunity to serve Carrollton-Farmers Branch and to all the wonderful people that have touched my life. I have been blessed with such a hardworking dedicated administrative team, not to mention administrative staff. These administrators care deeply for our students and staff and work extremely hard making sure every student receives a top-notch education. I feel very fortunate to work with these people on a day-to-day basis.
I appreciate the hard work of each individual from bus drivers, maintenance, custodial, paraprofessionals and office staff as well as our teachers that work countless hours before and after school. Each person has a hard job to do, but does it well. As we remember all the things we’re thankful for this season, let us also remember the service men and women who will not be able to be with their families this Thanksgiving. To all the CFBISD employees… please be safe and have a very restful holiday.
The post Happy Thanksgiving appeared first on Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.