IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2019

A MESSAGE FROM Dr. Randal A. Lutz Superintendent of Schools, Baldwin-Whitehall School District Honor our Veterans by Daring to Live Our Values Dear Friends and Families of Baldwin-Whitehall, I’ve mentioned before how inspired I am by the idea of daring to dream big, especially when it comes to education. Each year on Veterans Day, I’m also reminded of a different type of daring, as we honor the brave men and women who have served our nation in the armed forces. Dreaming big means taking risks, and few careers involve as much risk, optimism, and perseverance as working in the military. Our veterans spend years away from their families and friends, sacrificing their own safety and comfort in order to protect the ideals that unite us all as Americans: trust, respect, dedication, and teamwork. These brave volunteers dare each day to improve, advance, and achieve their goals. Their drive to succeed helps them find ways through challenges far greater than what most of us can typically imagine. One way we can show our veterans how much we appreciate them is by thanking them for their service. This year, in partnership with Veterans Breakfast Club Pittsburgh, our District is proud to offer a free breakfast for area veterans on Tuesday, December 3rd, from 8:30–10:30 A.M. at W.R. Paynter Elementary School. We are both humbled and honored to host and learn from these selfless men and women who have worked so hard and given so much. Another way we can thank our veterans is by following their example, and living our values through our actions. To be daring is to push yourself beyond the limits of what you think you’re capable of, in pursuit of a greater goal. This describes what our soldiers, sailors, pilots, marines, coast guard, and military support staff do every day to defend our nation. It also describes the opportunity that each of us has when we look ahead to the new year and ask ourselves a very big question: If you dedicated yourself to pushing past your own limits, and dreaming bigger than ever... what could you dare to accomplish in 2020? Sincerely, Dr. Randal A. Lutz Superintendent of Schools Baldwin-Whitehall School District A LETTER FROM David J. Solenday School Board President Let’s Make 2020 a Year of Steady and Sustainable Improvement Dear Baldwin-Whitehall Community Members, Can you believe it’s almost time to make your New Year’s resolutions for 2020? Now, I know that many of us have a love-hate relationship with resolutions: we love to make them, but we hate to keep them for more than a few weeks. All those big ideas that seem so fantastic when we write them down in December can feel like dreadful obligations by mid-January, as we try to drag ourselves to the gym despite all the snow drifts and the seasonal gloom. If we lose our momentum, it can be very tempting to just give up on the idea of pursuing our goals altogether. Organizational change works the same way. No matter how well- intentioned a new proposal may be, it rarely leads to a complete transformation overnight. But here’s the thing: you don’t need to be a superhero when it comes to making resolutions or pursuing goals. The truth is, making a few incremental improvements each day can really add up over time. It’s a real-life case of the tortoise and the hare: while the rabbit bounces all over the place trying to do everything all at once until 66 BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL he burns himself out, the turtle makes steady and sustainable progress toward the big finish. This same commitment to long-term improvement is what helps guide the Baldwin-Whitehall School Board in our decision-making process. As much as we might like to, we know that we can’t just wave a magic wand and fix every challenge that our District faces academically or financially. Instead, we keep our sights focused on responsibly and efficiently supporting the big-picture goals that our students, teachers, and administrators are working toward every day. As you think about your own resolutions for 2020, try focusing less on establishing those “picture perfect” habits that will collapse the first time your schedule gets thrown off by a snow delay, and focus more on the little things you can do each day that will add up to a big change over time. Then, once your turtle is headed in the right direction, give him an espresso every once in a while to help speed him toward the finish line. Yours from School Board HQ, David J. Solenday Baldwin-Whitehall School Board President

IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2019 | Page 68