End of Year Blue Jay Bulletin

As our students transition to the next grade level, I thought I'd share my 5th grade graduation speech. I think it's a message that's applicable to all of us.

"As I was trying to figure out what I was going to say to you all this morning, I was reminded of the "Game On" class t-shirts y'all chose this year. I don't know about y'all, but when I hear "Game On", my mind automatically goes to football. I love football…Texas Longhorn football to be exact, but I've also always loved watching High School football, too. And I don't know if y'all know this or not, but Westlake football is kind of a big deal. In addition to winning… A LOT, they have produced some pretty notable professional quarterbacks. Just a few months ago, former Westlake quarterback, Nick Foles won the Super Bowl. What a huge accomplishment! What success, right? Winning. Success. Accomplishments. These are words that many of us in this room are very familiar with. Sitting in front of me right now are a group of 108 bright and exceptional students. Sitting behind them is a group of successful and supportive parents. All around us are brilliant teachers. We are all very fortunate to be in this community. But this doesn't happen by accident. We all follow a similar playbook. 5th graders, this is a playbook that I hope you continue to use as you leave us for West Ridge Middle School. At this point, you know it very well. Use self-control, be kind to others, be respectful, stay on task and work hard, be honest and tell the truth, and do your best. But there's one more very important thing I want you to add as you move forward. Persevere when you fail. I'm going to say that one more time. Persevere when you fail. You see, even super bowl champions are not immune to failure. Let's listen to what Nick Foles had to say about this:

Nick Foles Speech

Embrace the opportunities for your character to grow. Well said, right? Smart guy. He's clearly a Westlake graduate. 5th graders- The game is on my friends. You've been trained by the best coaches. You know the playbook. The ball is in your hands. Now run for the end zone and score!"