August 24, 2009

Dear Staff and Board:
Today’s got to be one of the prettiest days ever!
The sun is shining, the temperature is in the low eighties, and there’s hardly a hint of that famous river humidity that can make Kansas City in August simply unbearable.
It almost like summer ended today, and fall began.
And, in a certain sense, a whole new season began today at the DeLaSalle Education Center, where we started our 39th school year early this morning.
Staff began arriving just after 6:00 am today. Even though the building had just been repainted, and all of the bathrooms renovated over the summer, there were still last-minute touch-ups that needed to be checked. Many of us were here by 7:00 am, lining up by the front door to be the first to welcome the students who came by bus or car or foot, eventually filling the building with their energy and youth and vitality.
This is what it’s all about in education: the challenge and wonder of preparing young people to be our future leaders, in the belief that they will change the world for the better.
First days are optimistic and hopeful. Everyone is excited and renewed. Tomorrow may be a little harder. There will be less sunny weather as the weeks and months progress, and the rain comes and then the bitter Kansas City cold pushes its way into our lives.
But today everything came together and went as well as it could possibly go. Our enrollment is already over its maximum. (We had prepared for an enrollment of 140 but went slightly over that in case students moved or transferred over the summer. Unbelievably, 144 students showed up - an “opening-day” record at DeLaSalle!)
And like great sports teams that start the season with high expectations, I think that this year will be our best ever at DeLaSalle. We have a great staff and an involved Board and committed contributors. We’ve got exciting plans for the year and for our students.
Thank you for being part of the DeLaSalle story, for making this first day of school possible for the many young people who may have lost their way or who may have encountered difficulties in their previous schooling.
There’s something in the air, in the climate and in the halls of DeLaSalle. Maybe it’s that purple paint in the trim and on the steps of DeLaSalle that reminds us of our regal possibilities, and our lion-ly heart. I believe it’s the stuff of greatness!

Best,
Jim