A Letter From the Superintendent

A few months ago, I was at one of my regularly scheduled professional meetings at John A. Logan College. This is a group I meet up with on a monthly basis, along with a dozen or two of my colleagues from other schools across the region. I almost always get something of value from this regular gathering of my peers, but this particular meeting changed me in a way that others just hadn’t. There was a man who spoke at this meeting, and his words resonated in a way that really moved me. He spoke about the importance of ‘moments.’ Instead of counting down the time until our professional days were behind us, he encouraged us to flip the script on that idea and, instead, consider how many lives we could positively impact with the time that remained. That might sound simple but, to me, it was a profound point, and one that’s reinforced throughout this issue of Fusion.

The man who spoke that day, was Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of School Administrators— the IASA— which is the organization that supports people, like me, who serve as school superintendents across the State of Illinois. Dr. Clark has been in his current role for 16-years and is widely respected and in very high demand, so when I asked if he’d be willing to be interviewed so we could share his story in this issue, I was thrilled when he accepted. Dr. Clark’s story is a reminder of how much we all have in common, but also how much seemingly small moments in our lives actually matter for the long haul. As I reflect upon the school year we’ve just completed, I’m struck by just how valuable our ‘moments’ together have been.

To the Meridian Class of ’22 Graduates: I am so proud of your hard work and the plans you’ve laid for your future. To the Meridian Faculty, Staff, and Administrative Team: Your good efforts on behalf of our students honor all of us. And to the entirety of the Meridian School Community: Let’s continue to find ways to make the most of each small moment we have together, as Dr. Clark admonishes, for our kids, and for one another. #bobcatsrising

Enjoy your summer!

Jon Green, Superintendent

Meridian CUSD #101