by Superintendent Mitch Wainwright
In twelve weeks, Mineral Point will once again honor a group of hard-working students. We will hold a graduation ceremony and hand out diplomas to deserving young people. Twelve weeks!
How is this possible, and how did we get here? I would suggest that our perspective when looking at how we got here makes a huge difference. When searching for a way to define perspective, I ran across the following. Perspective is “an accurate rating of what is important and what isn’t.” This fits well when a parent is having a discussion with their child after a heart-breaking experience. “My boyfriend, or girlfriend, just broke up with me.” At some point during that conversation, a parent may try to help put things into perspective. “Chances are, you will not be with this person for the rest of your life.” “My friend was just spreading rumors about me.” “Well, this person must not be the friend you thought they were because a true friend would not do that.” As a parent, you try to help your child see the situation from a different view; you try to change their perspective.
What have these senior students experienced during their time in school this year? They have been in the classroom, participated in a musical, sporting events, co-curricular activities, had a homecoming dance, and contributed to the community with a variety of activities like food drives, ice lanterns, and household supplies. They have had tests, quizzes, homework, and semester exams. In other words, they have had an almost normal school year. I would also say that they have learned how to overcome any obstacle that may present itself, whether that is during the remaining time here in Mineral Point High School, or in the future when they leave us.
Mineral Pointers are champions! They are willing to get up more times than they have been knocked down. There have been tragedies that Pointers have faced head-on, and have found the courage to get up and continue fighting the next day. We see great examples of athletes that are injured and yet find the strength to go back on the mat. Students that fail on their first attempt, yet dig deep and turn failure into the motivation for their next success. That’s what makes this community and district so special. Every day, we get to see people change their perspective, rise up, and take on whatever challenge lies ahead of them. It’s all part of #PointerNation!