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District 54 staff work to inspire students

Given my positions as an elementary school district superintendent and former teacher, you won't be surprised to find out that one of the things I love to do is read books.

This summer I have shared a couple of great books with our staff that I hope will inspire them as they work in partnership with parents and our community to ensure the academic success, as well as the social and emotional well-being, of the 15,000 students in our care.

The first book, "The Happiness Advantage," written by Harvard researcher Shawn Achor, focuses on how happiness and optimism fuel performance and lead to success. All District 54 staff members attended the District 54 Happiness Summit before school started in August, and will continue to explore the principles outlined in the book throughout the school year.

Our work in the area of positive psychology not only supports our staff, but provides staff with another tool to serve District 54 students.

The District 54 leadership team also read "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek. "Why" represents the thing that inspires us and inspires those around us.

The book shares stories of great leaders who have inspired millions, from Martin Luther King Jr. to Steve Jobs to the Wright brothers. In District 54, our educators are motivated by the desire to help children. This is our "why."

While I shared these books with the goal of inspiring District 54 staff, I also know that our employees come to work every day with a passion to serve our students. Time and time again, I've seen them go above and beyond, acting on their belief that all children can learn and that it's our responsibility to help them succeed academically, as well as socially and emotionally.

I look forward to sharing with you, through this monthly column, stories about the amazing individuals working in District 54. I also plan to highlight some of the board projects for the 2017-18 school year, including the following.

• Engage in a strategic planning process to identify districtwide goals, priorities and practices associated with redefining whole child student success.

• Monitor and support the implementation of the district's newly adopted comprehensive core literacy curriculum.

• Establish a Fifth-Sixth Grade Digital Learning Task Force to examine the use of Chromebooks across elementary schools.

• Provide intensive training on the impact of positive psychology in the work and learning environment surrounding staff and students.

One of the suggestions in Achor's book is to write down three daily gratitudes to develop a more positive outlook on life.

1.) I am grateful for our 15,000 students, who show up every day eager to learn.

2.) I am grateful for the amazing employees of School District 54 who are committed to our students.

3.) I am grateful to work in a community that values education and wants what's best for children.

I highly recommend you check out "The Happiness Advantage" and "Start With Why," and I look forward to another year of working together to ensure student success.

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