We may have lost but we won big time!

After last week’s Thursday night boys’ varsity basketball game, Athletic Director Rick Johns told me, “You saw, arguably, the best game in the school’s history!"

He went on to commend the students on both benches. “They kept the game on the floor and between the lines. Both teams played their hearts out. I will only say that it is unfortunate when the behavior of an adult or two takes the focus away from the students’ hard work,” he added.

As I watched the game and witnessed the actions of a couple of parents from the opposing team, I have to tell you how proud I was of the way everyone from USM conducted themselves. Without exception, throughout all the chaos, our players, our parents and students in the stands, our coaches – all exemplified the high standards of community behavior that prevail here. Certainly no one could ask for more stellar role models for our students than our basketball coaches that night.

I also would like to thank our parents who served as the physicians for the game who so calmly and efficiently provided immediate medical attention to an injured player from the other team.

Even though the outcome of the game was not in our favor, it was clear that USM scored a win.

Faculty and Staff Open the Door

I often write about impressive student achievements but this week I would like to share a different type of statistic with you. By the end of January, USM achieved 100% faculty and staff participation in the 2011-2012 Annual Giving Program. To celebrate, we all enjoyed a “jeans day” – even though it was the first time in 20 years that I had worn jeans to work.

This demonstration of support for the School is truly appreciated and shows how all who work here recognize the importance of the Program and how these dollars impact the quality of the educational experience we are able to offer every student.

This willingness to give back to the School exemplifies the commitment of our faculty and staff, and represents just one of the many ways everyone here goes above and beyond to contribute to ensuring the very best USM experience for every student.