Opening Chapel Remarks Endless Possibilites - August 14, 2024

Welcome to the 2024–2025 school year!

It is a real pleasure and a genuine privilege to be with you on this incredibly exciting---and beautiful—”First Day”.

Today we usher in a new school year, welcoming 805 students, and 136 Faculty and Staff. For 183 of you, everything is literally “new”, and while I won’t read aloud all of your names today, please know that we are all excited to have you join our Community...You have chosen well, and Palmer Trinity has chosen well---a perfect match! Again, welcome.

We have been busy this Summer getting ready for all of you…Upgrades to existing spaces, new learning areas, fresh paint…Yes, we are ready to get started!

Today, we “kick off” what promises to be an outstanding year…We have much to celebrate, and so much to be grateful for…

We celebrate The Official First Day of School, a “fresh” beginning…

We celebrate our 53rd year as a learning Community…

We have accomplished much in our storied, and diverse history, and our future is very bright!

We celebrate that we are a Community that is constantly evolving---and in every way. A School that has grown from “humble roots” and 23 acres to a sprawling, 60 acre campus, filled with nearly 1,000 individuals crossing paths every day!

We celebrate the chance to learn, to grow, to be part of something greater than ourselves.

We celebrate the simple fact that we are here, in person…Side by side, arm in arm, hand in hand…Supporting one another, caring for another, and working as one….

We are the Palmer Trinity Falcons. We are proud, we are eager, and we are ready to take flight!

And, so again, I welcome you to what promises to be an outstanding Year at Palmer Trinity.

As some of you may know, I am a “morning person”. I wake up early, and no matter how hard I try, I simply don’t sleep in…I haven’t set an alarm in years, and on most days, I am sipping my first cup of coffee around 4.30 a.m. and arriving to School by 6.30 a.m.---which, I know, is easier for me to do, since I live right here—but, it is usually quite dark when I arrive.

For me, this time of the day is a real gift---a genuine blessing. I embrace the chance to pause, clear my head, and begin the day with a fresh approach…During the busy and hectic school year, I use this quiet time to read a devotional, check the news, and oftentimes, simply think, soaking in the quiet morning hour.

Summertime offers me the added bonus—the opportunity not only to have my regular routine, but also to exercise in the morning…To walk, and to get out and explore a bit.

And, so, as we begin this year, I’d like to offer a few brief thoughts—and, if you’ll allow me—some photos taken from my very own Summer Vacation in the beautiful Northwestern region of our country, in upstate Washington and Seattle, where I spent nearly two wonderful weeks…I hope you’ll enjoy these photos and take away something helpful, and I am encouraging you today, to do just 4 Simple Things…

#1.

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Embrace the possibilities before you. 

Whether you are an early riser or not, you are given the gift of each day. Remember the good advice of the noted American author, Ursula Le Guin, who tells us,

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Morning comes whether you set the alarm or not.

 

Yep—that’s right! Every day is a new beginning…A real blessing. 

Today is Day One of your Palmer Trinity Year.  

Today is yours for the taking….Don’t forget that YOU are bringing your own unique talents, fresh eyes, and lessons and experiences already learned…And while Palmer Trinity may be new to you, you are more than ready for this journey.

So, jump in! 

Be ready to learn. Be ready to experience new things. Be ready to make new friends…In short,

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Embrace the possibilities before you.

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Beach shot, wide open

#2.

I encourage you to pause; reflect; make time regularly to think about how you will “set the course” as you move forward, and how you will approach each day—each challenge.

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Photo of seagull

As you begin your day, I hope you’ll also make time like our friend the seagull here, whom I spotted early on my walk around Pike Place Market, in downtown Seattle, to ponder just a bit…Visualize, if you will, just how this Year may unfold for you…Make time to think and to consider the Endless Possibilities that are yours. Think about how you will succeed, and how you will move forward, knowing that you will have unforeseen challenges.

At this point, on Day One, you should have at least a few basic ideas—if not more—of what you hope to achieve this year…Of what you’d like to accomplish, or be…Many of you may have already written your Goals down, and if you have not, I am, sincerely hoping you are at least thinking about your possible Goals, Wishes and Dreams for the Year. Remember, too, as you ruminate, and, as we are advised by the wise philosopher, Yung Pueblo, to:

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Be honest with yourself 

About where you are going

How you want to feel 

While you are heading there

And who you want to be 

When you arrive

Every moment is a destination,

An opening, a space for growth

The end goal should not distract you 

From taking each step with intention

#3.

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Don’t be afraid to fail.

As you already well know, there will be challenges ahead…There will be times in which you will not have an easy answer, or a clear way…You will fail. 

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Blocked path

There will be hills to climb, steep steps at times, and you will be tested.

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Steps up beach path

Do not despair! Oftentimes, it is from those seemingly impossible obstacles that we learn the most. Noted anthropologist Margaret Mead tells us that:

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We are continually faced with great opportunities brilliantly disguised as unsolvable problems.

Great opportunities, indeed!

In order to navigate your way, you’ll have to adapt…You’ll need to be flexible…Use your wits, your smarts, your resources…You’ll need to adjust accordingly.

But, please, remember, too that you are supported. We are ALL taking that  “first step” today…You have an entire community behind you—your family, your friends, and new acquaintances to be made. Look around you…We are all on this journey together.  And, we are all part of something greater than ourselves.

Finally,

As is our School Expectation, I ask each of you to:

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Lead with Love.

As a student and an Ambassador for Palmer Trinity, I am counting on EACH OF YOU to step up…To be a person of integrity; that is, someone who can be counted on to do the right thing. Someone, whom I dare say, will be kind, compassionate, and committed at all times, to help others and make a positive impact. Someone, ultimately, who will LEAD WITH LOVE.

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Sunrise shot on beach

And, so, fellow Falcons, I am eager for our Year to begin. The sun has risen, we have a beautiful day before us, and our future is bright. It’s going to be an incredible year…We are sure to have many wonderful adventures in the coming days...We will celebrate our triumphs together, and we will work through any of those challenges or unexpected obstacles. Remember, to:

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All the very best for a healthy, happy and most rewarding Year! And, as always,

 

Go Falcons!