Dearest Bobcats and Community Members,

Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets. She writes beautifully about our place in the natural world and the connections between each of us. Recently, as I have reflected on my own place in this world, this poem has given me the clarity I needed.

In Blackwater Woods

By Mary Oliver

Look, the trees are turning their own bodies into pillars of light,

are giving off the rich fragrance of cinnamon and fulfillment,

the long tapers of cattails are bursting and floating away over the blue shoulders

of the pond, and every pond,

no matter what its name is, is nameless now.

Every year, everything I have ever learned in my lifetime leads back to this:

the fires and the black river of loss, whose other side is salvation,

whose meaning none of us will ever know.

To live in this world, you must be able to do three things:

to love what is mortal,

to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it;

and when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

The time has come for me to let go of my role as secondary principal. This was no easy decision. Each one of you, our incredible students, has completely captured my heart. I have loved watching you grow this year, as individuals, as learners, as athletes and artists, and as Bobcats. I have loved watching you welcome new Bobcats to our community. I have loved watching your confidence grow as you tackled new recipes, new compositions, and new problems. You showed the grit, determination, and patience that this year’s Valedictorian spoke of, and not just our seniors. But they have been incredible role models for us all, and we…I, will miss them. I will miss each of you. There is nothing easy about being a teenager, this time of transition between your childhood and your adulthood, but it is joyful to watch you meet the challenges. Sometimes we all struggle, but you are learning to get back up and try it again. That’s the secret, just keep getting up because that’s how we learn and grow. Much of this role has been my soul’s work: watching you engage in learning, cheering you on at athletic events, celebrating your performances, and simply delighting in being of service to you. This is what I have loved, even when I sometimes needed to be the stern one asking you to take off your hat in the hallway. ;) Thank you for being my teachers, as well. Always something to learn from the young, in order to stay young at heart and in mind.

Bobcats, know that you are the most important part of this school. We do not exist without you. You are the reason we get up each day and do everything we know how to do, and then some, to help you thrive. Thank you for being our raison d’être. 

We do so much good work here in this small, rural community, and I want to say a special thank you to the people who make this village thrive. To Our School Board: Thank you for being thoughtful, caring community members who are deeply invested in our school, always keeping the focus on teaching and learning. You have been an absolute blessing to work for and with, and I will miss this partnership with you. To Our Community Partners and Volunteers: To those who keep our extracurricular events running, write grants for extra student support, Kobe and the Posse, all of our volunteers—truly, you are our village.

A part of me is deeply saddened to let this role go, but I know in my bones it is the right decision. I am nearing 70—which I can hardly believe when I see it written down! My own sons are growing older, and I want to help them build their own homes and gardens. I can’t do that and be a principal at the same time. 

And most importantly, my soul needs to be teaching, and I will find a way to do that again. I am not sure when or where, but it is my right fit — the perfect bookends to a long and happy career. A wise man once told me that I was never happier than when I was teaching. Annoyingly, he was absolutely right. ;)

Thank you for allowing me to serve you this year, and thank you for your understanding. We will get through this transition part together, too.

Forever a Bobcat, your principal…

Ms. Olson