Embracing Challenges

After much coercing, he reluctantly agreed to include an open mic as part of the evening’s festivities. After a few good stories but an equal number inside stories that were only funny for a handful of people in the room, the microphone was discreetly unplugged.

 

This was such a contrast to the positive open mic experience that I had at Greenwood last week. A variety of student acts were welcomed to the stage by the Greenwood community to genuine cheers and excited peers. The acts varied from stand-up comedy, freestyle hip-hop dancing, sing-a-long Neil Diamond and original compilations sung and played on guitar. It takes courage to perform in front of peers and the school community and I commend all the students who put themselves forward and allowed the audience to enjoy their talents. I will look forward to our next Greenwood open mic and expect our Greenwood community to continue to get behind every act, encouraging performers, including those whose best performance is yet to come.

 

Putting oneself out there is a common theme at a school where we encourage students to venture further. I see it here every day—students who venture further in themselves, in their classrooms, in their artwork, athletics performances, being open to new ideas or trying something new. While this can be a challenging time of year academically, especially for our Grade 12 students, it’s wonderful to see the students embrace the challenges that every new day at Greenwood brings.