Dear Leader,

As I sit here in the quiet of the morning, surrounded by the soft sparkle of Christmas lights (probably for the last time this season), I’ve been reflecting on the first half of this school year. With the New Year fast approaching, I find myself doing what I tend to do best—reflecting and turning things over and over in my mind letting my thoughts wander a little longer than planned.

I’m an overthinker. It will come as no surprise to those who know me well and are reading this. If you are too, you know exactly what I mean. Your mind tries to shield and protect your heart by staying alert. You notice patterns. You read body language. You replay words spoken in agreement and yes, even in disagreement. You file things away, just in case they may matter later. Sometimes it feels like being a hamster on a wheel, moving constantly, but not always to new places. Just spinning.

If you’ve felt like that too, you’re not alone. Like me, you may have settled into a pattern of survival. Not because you wanted to, but because it felt necessary for a season. At some point during the first half of the school year, simply getting through the days may have become your goal.

Late-Lee, I’ve been thinking about decisions I have made. I think about the people I’ve met this year and how each person added something to my life. I’m grateful to the people I love and walk alongside each day in this thing we call life whether it’s in person, via messages, or calls. I’ve been thinking about moments that felt heavy and moments that seemed to come out of nowhere, surprising me with their goodness.

As we step toward 2026 and into the second half of this school year, I wonder if this is our moment to loosen that grip. Maybe it’s time to pivot how we go about our work, but not be in a rush. We need to do so with the intention of moving towards something steadier, perhaps with more purpose. We may need to move towards a thriving environment that leaves room for rest, makes room for clear decisions in the best interest of students, and supports our teams as they live out the vision of educating those in our care.

There’s a moment in every game when the whistle blows, and everyone steps off the field. Not because the work is finished, but because it’s time to regroup. That’s where we are right now. The first half of this school year (and 2025) is behind us. The second half is quickly coming, but it hasn’t started yet. This space between the two halves shouldn’t be wasted time. If you take the time to pause and reflect, it’s where clarity forms, where small, but meaningful adjustments begin, and where leaders decide how they want to show up when the second half begins. Leaders decide how they want to welcome their teams back!

While the ball will drop at midnight on New Year’s, we must remember clarity doesn’t always arrive with that same sense of speed or glamour. Sometimes it comes quietly, after we’ve stepped off the field and allowed ourselves to see things as they are and acknowledging the reality of it all. The second half will come soon enough. For now, let this pause do its work. January will soon ask a lot of us. But not today.

Warmly,

Rhonda

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