Cardinal Weekly 

May 3

 VVE.EanesISD.net

VVE Staff Appreciation Week – May 7-11

Earlier this year, Tiffany Phelps, principal at Barton Creek Elementary, shared the following with Barton Creek parents. The message spoke to me last fall and it resonates with me now. With her permission, I am sharing her experience and words, hoping that they spark a wave of appreciation as we celebrate VVE Staff Appreciation all next week (May 7-11).

Dr. Leonard tweeted a picture of a quote he saw on the wall of Gallup headquarters: "What would happen if we studied what is right with people versus what is wrong with people?" I thought about this quote throughout the day; what would it be like if we took as much time to acknowledge positive things as we do the negative things? For example, I recently received a ridiculously high water bill. I spent over 45 minutes of my day arguing with the utility company, insisting there was a mistake. I was frustrated, deflated, and at times irrational. 

That very day, I had to swing by the grocery store. The cashier was fabulous: conversational, friendly to my kids, and maintained a smile throughout the entire transaction. Something about her stood out from my typical grocery store experience. Did I stop and take the time to tell her how wonderful she was? Did I stop to tell her manager about her exceptional service? Nope. I was "too busy" and just wanted to get home. Now, I pause to reflect. I managed to find the time to complain about my water bill, but I couldn't take less than a minute to give praise? What an "a-ha" moment! I missed an opportunity to make someone's day. I'm going to attempt to not let these opportunities slip by anymore. I'm hoping you will partner with me in this initiative by taking a moment to recognize a staff member. Is there someone that you would like to praise? I would love to hear about it. Here's a link to simplify the process by sharing a link that allows you to praise and recognize ANY staff member. I will make sure that the deserving staff member receives your positive message. Thank you for joining me in creating a culture of positivity.

With this encouraging message in mind, I would like to ask that ALL Valley View parents join me in lifting up and recognizing any and all teammates who have contributed to your child's life this school year. All next week I am encouraging parents to shower staff members with kindness, making them feel celebrated, recognized and appreciated. There are two ways to really personalize and simplify the time and energy you put into honoring ANY Valley View Staff Member.

• Begin with the VVE Shout Out Link 
• Simply open, type and submit. 
• Open up the Staff Favorites and have fun treating any staff member to something they listed. 
• Offer to buy breakfast or lunch for any staff member (just email them to set up day/time)
• Have your child write a kind note
• Leave a kind, supportive voicemail

Ultimately, I hope you will take the time to communicate through words or actions that the VVE staff makes a positive difference in your child's life.

Thank you in advance for lifting us up, putting a skip in our step and smiles on our faces.

Excitedly,

Jennifer Dusek

Proud VVE Principal

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