I've never...

I've never been eulogized.

I've never stopped my heart by overdosing.

I've never made bail.

I've never had relatives come visit me in jail.

I've never been arrested for theft.

I've never had the police looking for me.

I've never stolen anything to get money for drugs.

I've never been so desperate that I'd break the law.

I've never hurt my family with bad decisions based on addiction.

I've never had friends say they were done with me because I'm always high.

I've never let friends down by choosing drugs over them.

I've never lied to my kids or my boss because of drug use.

I've never craved drugs so bad that I've not taken care of my daily responsibilities.

I've never asked around for where I could get drugs.

I've never wanted more powerful drugs in order to keep me higher longer.

I've never hurt myself or damaged property because I was high.

I've never been embarrassed about something I did when I was high.

I never tried to fit in or zone out by doing drugs.

I've never looked for my second hit.

I've never tried drugs for the first time. Ever.

No marijuana, no meth, no heroin, no unprescribed narcotics, no tobacco. Nothing. Nada.

I hope you join me in "Neverland."

PS: For those that have loved ones that have struggled with parts of this path, remember that YOU do NOT have to go down this road. You can take the road to Neverland. We'll help you and cheer for you every step of the way!

Help Wanted

As the school principal, I have many responsibilities. One of the most important tasks is to promote a safe and secure learning environment.

Researchers clearly state that kids can't learn if they don't feel safe. Kids worried about being hurt or humiliated won't be able to concentrate on their teachers, their class discussions, their iPad content, or any of the things they should focus on at school. If kids are stressed out about what other kids (or adults) might do to them, they've got more problems besides not learning. Being consumed by stress or fear is not healthy (physically or emotionally.)

In a bullying situation, the person that is being bullied is called the TARGET. It is my job to help targets and to do all we can to prevent future targeting.

But it is also my job to help people who bully. Did you know that people who bully are likely to have social problems as adults? Did you know that people who bully have high chances of losing jobs, losing relationships, and going to jail? I don't want this for any of you!

And what about people that see bullying? What about the kids that see bullying in the hall or the bathroom? How does bullying impact witnesses? You guessed it. Being a witness to bulling increases stress and distracts from learning.

Getting bullied is bad. Being a bully is bad. Seeing bullying is bad. And being the only person trying to prevent bullying is bad. Help wanted.

I call upon each of you to help prevent bullying at SMS. Over the next few months, we're going to have a series of activities during Connect. We'll look at our school climate survey results, bullying prevention research, and most importantly, we'll work TOGETHER to prevent bullying at SMS.

Image is Everything?

The Cannon camera company had an "Image is Everything" commercial that was pretty popular in the 1990's. It featured tennis star Andre Agassi who was known for being flashy. While the commercial was popular, it was also pretty controversial. Was image everything? Weren't people more than just their looks? Shouldn't you get to know someone for who they are and not just judge the 'book by the cover?'

According to BusinessInsider.com, image is very important.  According to their blog, "the way you present yourself has a profound impact on your career. And it's not just your body language or how you dress, the Internet has presented folks with countless new ways to bolster their personal brand -- or completely ruin it."  (Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-your-image-is-everything-12-2011?op=1#ixzz2grX2ubxF)

I share this quote with you because of the last four words... 'or completely ruin it.'

Technology affords us many opportunities. Just one of which is the opportunity to share our image with the class, school, community, and world. As we are learning to be good digital citizens, it is important for us to remember that our image isn't everything... but it is a very important thing. A positive image is helpful. A negative image may be disastrous. Business Insider goes on to say

• it takes 0.1 seconds to make a lasting impression on a stranger.
• 45% of employers use social media when making hiring decisions.
• your reputation impacts others that share your name (your family).
• if it's on the internet, it could be there forever.

As you select images to use in web profiles (like MBC or other social media), post in photo galleries, or use in presentations, ask yourself if the image will help or hurt you. Think about this every time you post an image. Every time you post an image your are creating your brand.

And just in case you don't know this already, sticking out your tongue in a sexual manner, holding a camera above your head to take a picture of your cleavage, pulling up your shirt to photo your belly, posing with smooch lips, and flashing gang signs will NEVER get you a scholarship. These photos do not enhance your brand. These photos can embarrass your family and likely embarrass your children when they see them in 30 years! For all of these reasons, these photos should not be used in MBC or in your PST Conference ePortfolio.

I challenge each of you this week to think about your Conference ePortfolio cover shot. Your task is to capture a picture of yourself as a learner. Be creative. Make a quality brand. And don't stick your tongue out.