April is here! April 21st through April 27th is National Volunteer week; a week dedicated to recognizing the contributions made by volunteers in schools. I want to express the gratitude that Rochester Public Schools has for our volunteers. Last school year alone we had more than 2,000 volunteers, contributing over 23,000 hours of service. Just think of the positive impact these individuals made.

How many people does it take to make a difference?  One!  One act of kindness, an encouraging word, one helping hand, one listening ear, one smile.  The little things aren’t little, everything matters.  No act of generosity, kindness or service is ever wasted, no matter how small.  It’s the little things that make life so big!  Sharing your gifts, your time, your talents helps students discover their potential, helps students discover their purpose, helps students discover their passion, helps students discover themselves. 

One of my favorite quotes is “To the world you may be one person but to one person you may be the world.”  You may never know the profound effect that you may have made on a person’s life.

To all of you that make a difference, as a parent, teacher, friend, or a volunteer, thank you. I appreciate all that you do for the Rochester Public School District.

February is a short month, but an important one.  During the month of February,   "Random Acts of Kindness" Week is recognized. Have you ever participated in a random act of kindness? Have you helped a stranger because it was the right thing to do? If not, why? Is this a risk you would be willing to take today? This week? This month?

I'm proud to say that teaching values such as kindness and generosity is a key component of the Rochester Public Schools' culture. 

The wise Maya Angelou so eloquently stated what life is all about; "The best part of life is not just surviving, but thriving with passion and compassion and humor and style and generosity and kindness." It is a series of events. A string of opportunities. It's what you make of it that matters. We are defined by our actions toward others, not others' actions toward us.
 

I encourage you to think about all of your generous acts of kindness. Share those with your children, your colleagues, your friends, your families and start a trend of random acts of kindness this month.