Look for the Helpers

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to tell you that it's PRIDE Month!   If you don't know what pride month is, here is a little info .  But basically, it is a month set aside for   the  world's LGBT communities to  come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves!  How cool is that!  A month set aside to celebrate exactly who we are!! So often in this blog, I post about celebrating you - the special, unique, and wonderful you.  The you that you get to choose and/or celebrate.  I hope that this month is a catalyst for any of you, LGBTQ+  individual or Ally, to celebrate your authentic self.  I hope that you will also support others that are living their authentic lives as well.   Please be kind and compassionate with yourself and others as you figure out who you are in this world.  The process isn't always easy.  Loving yourself, and being proud...

Happy Friday Everyone, Yesterday, Blogger wasn't letting me upload the pictures I needed to make my post complete, so I took some of my own advice and added: "for now."  The system wasn't working "for now."  So I set my post aside and tried again this morning.....and it worked.....sometimes we just need to give things time to sort themselves out.  Once they do, we can move ahead as planned.   So today, you get a "two-for."  As in a "two for the price of one!"  Two blog posts today.  Two ideas to ponder.  Two things to learn.  Two things to make your day a little brighter!   For Today's big idea:   Before this holiday weekend of remembrance commences, I wanted to take a moment to remind you about self-care as we all make the final push to the end of the school year.  Self-care is anything positive that you do to recharge your batteries.   I like this little self-care menu reminder... It's important to re...

Happy Thursday Everyone,  (It's actually Friday now, but Google wasn't letting me add my pictures yesterday, so I saved my post and tried again today!) For your consideration:   Here are a couple of words/simple phrases you can try when the chips are down... "Yet," and, "For now"  For example, I am not good at this...YET.   This small little word gives you the freedom to try again, to fail without giving up, and to evaluate what you've learned so that you can regroup with a new plan.   The Power of YET...it's amazing! "For now is a good reminder that nothing lasts forever, even the bad times.  We can outlast "for now." We can out last it knowing that things will change in the future and that there are brighter days ahead.     Give these words a try next time you need to encourage yourself, and see if they help put a grow mindset perspective in place.   Have a great day everyone! Mrs. Hempey

Happy Wednesday Everyone! Recently I was thinking about my time at Crossett Brook.  I am finishing up my 16th year here, and it struck me, when I was reflecting, that each year I continue to grow in my own personal journey - getting older (and hopefully a little wiser) but that sometimes it feels like you all are a bit frozen in time.  In reality, you aren't of course, 'cause you are all growing, learning, and changing each day too... but...maybe it's hard to explain... ...every June one group of students leaves, and come August, the cycle of 5th-8th grade starts all over again.  There are new names, and new faces in new roles, but the constants of how tweens and teens develop and grow haven't changed too much over the years, hence the feeling of time standing still around me while I continue to move forward.   I have to be careful...I have to remind myself often of how unique you all are, and of how each of you comes to me - to us - for this short time in your ...

Happy Tuesday Everyone, Have you ever thought about the ripple effect that you have?  You know what I mean, right?  You know...when you throw a stone in a body of calm water and the water ripples out from the center affecting a larger and larger area concentrically outwards?  Would you believe me if I told you that your (our) connection to others in the world has the same kind of ripple effect?   Well, it does.  We've kind of seen this effect as we've learned about COVID and how germs spread.  Spreading COVID was definitely NOT a positive ripple, but it a goog visual.  If you have one infected person, they might infect two others, who then infect two more others, and then those four infect two more others and now we effectively (and in this case negatively) have affected the lives of 15 others people.   Imagine having that same effect on 15 people, and scores more, in a positive way.  With the big and small ways we are in the world,...

Happy Monday Everyone, Do you all know the story of Ebenezer Scrooge?  He is the character who originated from an old Charles Dickens Novel.  At the beginning of the story, Scrooge only loved money and power.  By the end of the tale, Scrooge had learned that what really matters in life are the relationships you create.  He learned that by spreading kindness and by caring for others you make yourself truly rich.    This story is often told at Christmas which is when Scrooge was visited by the ghosts of Christmas past and one from the future.   However, the general story is told over and over in many different formats and versions (watch just about any Hallmark movie where the "self-centered" main character learns that there is more to life than money, power, or being constantly overworked and that a life lived without compassion for others is not a life well-lived).   I know, I know you're wondering why I am bringing up a Christmas tale n...