AWSP Blog

On Wednesday, January 20th, we witnessed the inauguration of a new president. Speeches, pageantry, fireworks, oaths, and traditions were on display as the symbolic exercise of welcoming a new president was on full display.   Of the noteworthy dignitaries and celebrities that were a part of the inauguration, maybe the most discussed was 22-year old Amanda Gorman. Amanda was the inauguration poet and read her poem, 'The Hill We Climb.' She was the youngest inauguration poet in our nation's poet. With poise, grace, power, and emotion, she captivated the country and the world as she invited us in to think, reflect, and look forward to what is possible.

Each year, the staff at AWSP signs up to sponsor two or three families for the holidays through the Tumwater Lions Club. it's a tradition we look forward to annually as each year draws to a close. We started our staff tradition about 10 years ago. It used to be that we bought gifts for each other. We'd draw names for a secret Santa exchange, then purchase a surprise gift for the person whose name we chose based on their list of hobbies and interests. While the internal gift exchange was fun, we all agreed that none of us actually needed those gifts, and that the money would be better used shopping for families in need.

How are you going to speak about the year 2020? There has been so much that has occurred this year. It can be challenging to synthesize how to articulate our feelings, thoughts, and moments from this year. As I begin to reflect, I wanted to recontextualize the year and provide some opportunities for us to talk a moment to reflect and dig into our realizations. If we speak our realizations, we can learn and grow from them.

The 2020 AWSL Virtual Fall Conference was a smashing success with over 5,000 attendees. Yes, we can celebrate the number of participants, but the success of this conference lies in who was able to attend. With the need to switch to a virtual format, we invited and encouraged schools to bring as many students as they wanted. Focusing on equity, becoming while doing, and the belief that all students can lead, we hoped that students who had never attended a conference of any kind, especially a 'leadership' conference who could learn, grow, connect, and see the leadership abilities within them.

Rolling up in front of Liberty High School in Spangle, Washington was not like the traditional experience of which I was accustomed. For decades, if you pulled into any typical high school parking lot, you’d find cars parked everywhere and a busy scene filled with students moving about socializing in small groups. Not today. It was eerily quiet. Instead I found a half-full parking lot, void of typical activity. What I knew however was that Liberty High School opened in a hybrid model and that students were definitely on campus, but only half of them. I also knew that Principal Aaron Fletcher, a 12 year veteran principal (22 years in district), was somewhere inside principaling. What I didn’t know exactly was what “principaling” meant in our current COVID reality.