A Sincere Thanks

Well we have survived the first week and a half and it seems that everyone is finally settling in. The first week or week and a half is a little different than what the home schools have to deal with. At Vantage we may get quite a few students who at the last minute decided that they do want to attend here. This is fantastic but it does cause a lot of last minute scrambling. Schedules have to be created so that we are not overcrowding a teachers classroom. The students have to be measured for their uniforms which will arrive a few weeks from now. We also have to make sure that all important forms are turned in, such as emergency medical, internet agreement and the signature stating that the handbook has been read.  And finally, make sure that the student has their student ID ready and that they are set up for lunch.

I mention all of this not to show how busy we are in Student Services, but to say a special thank you to all the people involved and who have had to put up with the chaos. I want to thank the teachers who never complain about adding students but welcome them into their class and make them feel so comfortable. The lab instructors who may have to sit down with that student and go over the safety rules one on one, and try to get them caught up as soon as possible. Not once have I had a lab instructor turn down a student. All the office staff, both up front and in student services, who have to get the student into the system, get the student ID, gather all the forms and complete these tasks all in a few hours. The supervisors who measure the student and then try to "rush order" their uniform so that the new student can get it as soon as possible, once again, never complaining.

This is just a small list of people to be thanked. So many of you have greeted the new students with smiles and big welcomes when I walk them around the school. I want to say thank you. I can't tell you how much that means to them. They often tell me how nervous they are because they are late comers and they feel everyone else is already settled in. A warm welcome and a gentle smile goes a long way. We have an awesome staff here at Vantage with some great leadership. It is times like this past week that make me realize this. I for one am truly grateful and thankful. I hope the students, both new and second year, appreciate and will come to realize that they are in a awesome place. I hope the University of Miami doesn't mind me using their slogan, but I have always liked it and feel that it applies here at Vantage:

                     TO THINK THAT IN SUCH A PLACE I LED SUCH A LIFE