Message from the Principal

 Meet me at the wall!

The next time you are in our school, take a moment to come to the wall.  Come see our wall of commitment that has now been constructed in the grand stairwell just outside the main office.

At the beginning of the school year we invited each staff member to add their name to a brick as a sign of their commitment to our students, our school and each other. The bricks have now been constructed into a wall that represents how we will:

- Work together to build a wall of support for our school and focus on positive influences in our school

- Work collaboratively to keep our students best interest in mind

- Build a foundation of success for our students and our school as a whole

- Help each other through acts of - Support, Teamwork, Encouragement

One stage in the brick signing activity was that of asking each staff member to write three words on the top of the brick that they believe best describe what Traughber means to them. Those words act as an additional sign of commitment to our school and represent the mortar that holds the wall (and our school) together.

As an example of the message within the three words concept, I’d like to offer three words that come to my mind when I think about the impact Traughber Junior High has had on the thousands of students that have crossed our path since I joined this school many years ago.

The Wall  ~  In Three Words

Learning   Life is all about coming to understand we never stop learning.
Our number one purpose and goal, as a school community, is to instill in our students, and each other, the desire to never stop learning. To never stop wondering  ~ how and why?

Caring   A nurtured soul will bring life’s fulfillment to others. We learn by doing and we help others to learn by caring. When all else around us makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever and life is tossing moments of frustration all around us, the one thing that will get us through is knowing that someone in here cares.  This is a place we can come to, knowing someone cares about us.

Growing   Junior high is all about coming in at a certain stage in life and leaving at an entirely different stage. Our students, our parents and staff all grow:  socially, emotionally and academically.  We grow individually and collectively when we focus on what is in the best interest of our students.

Those three words also help to solidify my conviction in the power of education and for the belief’s I maintain in our school. I believe in the power our school community possesses to use creativity and initiative. I believe in the collective strength of our students, our parents and our staff. I believe we can accomplish what we set out to accomplish and that we can keep going – long after we can’t. I believe in the power of education our students receive in this school. I believe that our history and traditions may have influenced who we are, but ~ we are responsible for who we will become.

I believe that heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I believe our school is full of heroes. I see our students, parents, and staff bring this thought to life – every day.

I want to take a moment to thank our students, our parents, our school community and our staff for all you do to inspire me to believe in the words of our school and all they represent. I believe in Traughber Junior High and I believe in you!!

Dr. Ralph P. Kober
Principal