Heartfelt Moments at School

I will fight for you…I always do.

Sometimes I hear a song that tugs on my heartstrings. I’m a fan of Andy Grammer’s music, but I was shell shocked when I heard his song “Don’t Give Up on Me” which he wrote for a movie called Five Feet Apart. While the content of the movie itself is moving and heartbreaking, I was particularly moved when watching this video from his website. Please take a moment and listen.

I love to see PASSION and JOY coming from students, no matter if they are here at Presbyterian School, or if they come from somewhere else. The kids in this video are from PS22, a public elementary school on Staten Island. Not only can you hear the joy these students have in sharing their musical talent, but you can feel the emotion when looking at their faces. I am sure that this video was taken after a number of practice rounds. Further, I am confident that there were plenty of mistakes made along the way.

How much rehearsal time do you think the kids in this video experienced before they got to perform with Andy Grammer? Think about the various expressions on the faces throughout the performance. How much practice does it take to look genuinely emotional while singing? You’ve really got to feel the music and believe in the lines you are singing. For you all who participate in choir here at School, think about the number of times you have practiced a song before finally performing it. How many times has Ms. Holt or Mr. Harrison drilled you all on a single measure, over and over, to make sure that the sound is juuuust right? I’m sure you can relate to the happiness these kids show when performing. After all, the road is long, but it’s worth it. I mean…they got to sing with a rock star! That’s pretty cool.

Eighth graders: think about the hours and months of rehearsals for the three shows you performed. When did you finally see the pieces start to come together, and how awesome was it to perform in front of a large crowd of people, the largest group ever to watch a PS event. They stood and cheered for you! Like the choral director in this video, think of the teachers, directors, and so many others present at every rehearsal – never giving up on what you could do when you put your heart and souls into your work. It makes me think of the line from the song:

‘Cause I’m not givin’ up, I’m not givin’ up, givin’ up, no, not yet
Even when I’m down to my last breath
Even when they say there’s nothing left.

What is my foundation?

Take a moment to think about your greatest work throughout the year. Was it the Old West production that you fifth graders accomplished last week? Sixth graders, will it be that special thing you will present during the upcoming Genius Hour? Seventh graders, perhaps it was the Westing Game activity or science research paper, or the Talent Show? Eighth graders, I would like to think that every activity, from the musical, to the trip, to your RIDEE project, and even today’s Manifesto Museum is the product of great work, lots of practice, and learning.

I’m not givin’ up, I’m not givin’ up, givin’ up, no, not me
Even when nobody else believes
I’m not goin down that easily.

This year, countless times, all of you reached towards something that was there…but you just couldn’t see it yet. You trusted, you took a leap, and you found your footing…somewhere – maybe exactly where you had hoped, or, maybe not. But you stood up and presented, sang, spoke, defended, competed, or whatever the verb needed to demonstrate your guts, your passion, and your capability. As we have been using all year, the Essential Question, What is my foundation?, was apparent in each effort and every day…whether you realized it or not.

Matthew 7:24

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Of course, the Bible got it right when Jesus proclaimed that His words serve as the foundation for which all other things can stand. I hope your trust and your sure footing finds a home in His words. I’m certain that there were times when you felt like you were in free fall without any sign of support. But but support is always there – it just takes a little trust, and a lot of patience. So let’s talk about both the free fall, and the foundation in further detail.

And I will hold, I’ll hold onto you
No matter what this world will throw
it won’t shake me loose

Failure and Support

When you think about something from the year that you are proud to share with classmates, family, and community, I want you to think about two key concepts surrounding that effort: failure, and support. Let’s walk through these two compenents.

Failure

How many times have you tried and messed up, received a school paper that was all marked up with red pen, or worked as hard as you could only to come up short? I got to see an example of this type of effort when our varsity lacrosse team competed in their semifinal playoff game. They had never worked as hard as they did in that game. In the second half, the players fought tooth and nail for every goal, cutting into the lead before running out of time and falling short. But what I saw that day, what I hope that they have gained, was the experience of lifting each other off of the ground and showing true grit as they competed. Sure, the outcome was not in their favor – but the effort was. Another coach from the later game came up to me and commended our team on their effort – he said he’d never seen a team fight so hard. That acknowledgement is worth its weight in gold because it’s laced with respect – and respect is life’s most valuable commodity.

Support

In all you have accomplished this year, how many teachers have stood behind you or next to you, for better or for worse? Who has challenged you to give it one more try, or take one more risk to accomplish something you’ve never done before? How many times have you heard a teacher talk about “next time,” or the fact that success is not about the grade, but the effort to get that grade. How often are you encouraged to achieve more, extend that lead, or improve your results? Your teachers will always be there for you. This group of educators will never stop encouraging and celebrating you. It’s not only their job; it’s their mission. In the moment, you won’t always like what you hear…but when you stop to reflect, I’m confident that you will see the true intention of your teachers – because their expertise isn’t in math, or history, or some other content area. Their true gift is seeing your potential – and getting you to see it, too.

I will fight.
I will fight for you.
I always do until my heart is black and blue.

To close, please remember the struggles, successes, and failures you have experienced this year. Think of the magical moments, and the awful ones. Think of the people from Presbyterian School who stood by you, fighting until their hearts were black and blue. Let’s start with the very beginning – you are known…your are loved…and you are wonderfully made. Thank you for a fantastic school year. Let’s finish strong, making beautiful music, until that last breath; until there’s nothing left.