LWSD Administrator Jane Todd holds Town Hall Meeting at Evergreen Junior High

RHS Principal Jane Todd at the podium w/ associates
 addressing the LWSD Board, 2009.  Her speech topic:
"Building culture at RHS" 

from the desk of  RHS District Principal Jane Todd to the Redmond High Community...

I had the pleasure of meeting with all the 8th and 9th graders at Evergreen Junior High School a couple
of weeks ago (don't worry, RJHS, your turn will come in early 2012.) Other administrators from both
EHS and RHS participated with me in a Town Meeting format. I have to first tell you I was absolutely
charmed by all their questions, but my favorite was: Student: "So, tell me about the parking lot
situation at Redmond High." Me: (after a significant pause in which I tried to determine the seriousness of the question) "Well, if you can drive - with a license to do so - you can get a parking pass." The student was in the 8th grade. Never let it be said these students do not plan ahead.

At the end of each session, we were asked by Jan Olson, Principal at EJHS, to give one piece of advice
that students could act on now. Mine was, "Reflect on who you are, what you have done to date to
meet the goals you have for yourself and what changes you may need to make for the future because
you will have a fresh start next fall." I went on to mention that there are only a few times in our lives
when we have the opportunity to start over with a fresh slate. Read More >>
I wanted to impress on students that they have the power to choose a different path if the one they are on is not leading them to a good place. I said what I said for effect, but the truth is that I really believe getting stuck is an illusion. We have an opportunity with every decision we make to start ourselves on a different course, to have that fresh start. That is what I believe. Acting on what I believe is a different thing, of course.

You will get this letter in January, the month of resolutions. It seems fitting then, with the world feeling
upside down, out of control and overwhelming, that we try to remind ourselves that the difference
between making a resolution and keeping a resolution is often just one small step. And then another.
And another. To me, that resolution making vs. resolution keeping thing is analogous to what we
are experiencing with our reconfiguration. We will get there by small steps and a clear view of our
destination, not by grandiose plans that feel too big to accomplish, or at least not all at once. When
staff members look at me with desperation and fear in their eyes, born out of concern for students more
than for themselves, I have been saying, "Take a deep breath and then take one manageable step." And
I mean it.

Here's to you and yours in the New Year! May it be peaceful.

Sincerely,
Jane
425-936-1800 (new RHS number)

Ms. Todd's letter was published in the RHS PTSA newsletter, "Mustang Weekly"   According to the December Weekly, she will hold a Town Meeting at RHS (PAC) on Jan. 18 (Soph) and Jan. 25 (Frosh) for the families of these students.