For 17 years, I have loved the home and the family I have built at South Plantation High School. I have the best students in the world, a parent group who has my back and is always selflessly here to help with whatever is needed, some of whom have become close personal friends, a principal and administration who has trusted me and supported me without ever wavering, and a community that has embraced me and values the work that we do here.
My heart will forever be in the theater at South Plantation high school. But life is a lot different today then what it was like when I came to South.
I have an amazing husband of 28 years, who has supported me unconditionally and without complaint my entire career. And he now has a career in which he is impacting the lives of others in amazing ways. So much so that he was recently promoted as a supervisor to the very on-site foster care program that we help start with Kids in Distress some 10 years ago.
And I have an incredibly smart, strong, kind, funny, and resilient daughter whose very existence has made me want to be a better person. And whose entire life I am missing. As any parent will tell you…the time that we have with our kids is precious, but it is also fleeting. In the blink of an eye, it is gone.
As Piper is getting ready to make the move into middle school next year, she will soon be in high school. It is such an exciting time for her, but it is also so very formidable. And I have to be there for her. I need that, but more importantly, she needs that.
A few months ago, we discovered that there is a brand new high school that is in the final stages of construction literally 5 minutes away from our home in Lake Worth. It is the high school that Piper will be going to. And next door to that high school is the middle school that she will be attending next year. I have been asked to be the founding director of the theater program at this new school. At the high school that Piper will be attending. How could I not accept?
So it breaks my heart to say this but…. This will be my last year at South Plantation, the school that I so love. I struggle to put into words how this makes me feel. But the only thing that can come close is to compare it to the loss of a loved one. Sometimes…. The pain of that loss seems as if it is going to be unbearable, but you know when it is time.
As I sat and told my students and parents the news this evening, Mrs. Henschel, our principal, joined me. I know how important this program is to our school, our community, and to all of my students. It is as equally important to her. She is as committed to the continued success of this program as anyone, including me.
If there is one aspect of this program that I am the most proud of… it is that it is student directed. THEY are the ones that do this. THEY memorize the lines, gloss the text and make our shows accessible for our deaf audiences. THEY build the sets. THEY design and layout the playbills. THEY design and build the costumes and the props and create amazing hair and makeup effects for the actors.
And I am going to do everything that I can to make sure that they are able to continue to do all of that. While I may not be in this space, I will still be here for the students I will be leaving behind. As they prepare for productions, college interviews, and auditions, I will continue to guide them every step of the way. It is important for them to know that they only need to call on me.
And to my Friends of The Theatre… Know that as the dust begins to settle and things begin to unfold, I will be working side by side with you to make sure that all of the work that we have done together and all that we have built together remains strong through the coming transition. As always, your input and your guidance will be needed and more than welcomed.
So while I can’t tell you exactly how this will play out, here’s what I am committed to:
First…. My leaving South will not impact the rest of this school year. We are going to have fabulous time at the Florida State Thespian Competition next week, Matilda is going to be amazing, we are going to have the best end-of-year banquet ever, and our summer camp will be even better than it was than last year.
I refuse to be the person that has one foot in and one foot out.
I debated on when to share this news. However, I want to immediately start looking for who will come in to take the reins and continue to grow this program next year and my kids needed to hear it from me rather than one of their peers at another school.
So… if you know anyone that might be up to the challenge, please put them in contact with me. This can be a current teacher at another school, a recent graduate, or someone in industry that is wanting to move into the field of education.
The program they would be joining is a fully functional program with principal that promotes arts in education, a flourishing parent booster organization that is unconditionally supportive and raises A TON OF MONEY for scholarships and in support of the functions of the theatre program, and a summer theatre camp that has been running strong for the last 15 years!
As I transition from South Plantation to my new school, I am committed to making sure that whoever it is that replaces me will be set up for success and will want to work with them over the summer so that they are oriented to the space, the people, and the program is it now stands.
As a final note to this posting…. To say the words “Thank You” don’t even come close. But for now… thank you to those of you who have blessed me with allowing me to be your teacher, your mentor, your friend. Thank you to those who have trusted me with your children. Thank you for those who have allowed me to push you and have graciously pushed me in return… to do more… to be more… to be better.
I have been honored to get an intimate peek into the lives of so many families who have “gotten it right” over the years. I’ve been inspired by parents who have shown me what unconditionally supporting their children and what truly investing in their lives looks like.
And to that end… while professionally there isn’t a reason in the world why this “makes sense,” for the most important reason… it is time.
