Vision Statement
My name is Patrick Quast and I’m extremely lucky to be a part of Cohort VI with, the North East Leadership Academy, or NELA, which is a group training principals to turn around rural schools in high poverty areas in Northeast NC. My goal is to be a principal of a school where children and staff take pride in coming each day to our community based school, where we have high standards for students and staff, where we use humor and joy to strike wonderment into a child’s life.
NELA is a part of NC State, whose famous basketball coach Jimmy Valvano delivered his powerful speech while stricken with cancer. He implored everyone to do three things each day- to laugh, to think, and to have your emotions moved to tears, hopefully with happiness. I think that’s a beautiful model to have in the school system. We want our students to learn, laugh, and love life as they go throughout their day here. Research has proven that when students are laughing, they are better engaged in the content we teach. Research has also shown that we have a great role model, a great leader, an inspiring figure in the classroom, our students have the greatest chance to learn.
How many of you ever had your parent pick you up and put you on their shoulders so you get a better view? For me, the 1st time was at a Sabres parade in 1995. I knew why we came and were there, but all I could see was knees and backs of those in front of me. But when my dad lifted me up, and I saw the poster in my room come to life with Hasek, Peca, and Audette, it felt as if I was a part of something special. Our job is to lift our students up onto our shoulders, so they can have a better view, a view beyond Roanoke Rapids. We love our town, but know there’s a huge world out there. Our kids struggle to see that view, beyond those “knees and backs” of tough streets and the cycle of poverty. We can be those shoulders, with passionate teaching, focused leadership, & inventive lesson plans. We want this school to be a place of joy and unrelenting passion, infused with humor and hijinks. Learning can be fun, let laughter ring out through the halls, while we still focus on delivering the best instruction possible. I want our school to have the highest teacher working conditions survey, and in turn, allow our kids to feel that they are lucky to be a part of a school that values enjoying learning. Let this school, your teaching, be the way for these children to lift themselves up.
My vision of a school is where we constantly are embracing the fascinating challenge of creating the best classrooms possible, where students laugh, think and are moved emotionally each day, and where we use a common-sense approach to educate the mind, body, and soul of each child.
NELA is a part of NC State, whose famous basketball coach Jimmy Valvano delivered his powerful speech while stricken with cancer. He implored everyone to do three things each day- to laugh, to think, and to have your emotions moved to tears, hopefully with happiness. I think that’s a beautiful model to have in the school system. We want our students to learn, laugh, and love life as they go throughout their day here. Research has proven that when students are laughing, they are better engaged in the content we teach. Research has also shown that we have a great role model, a great leader, an inspiring figure in the classroom, our students have the greatest chance to learn.
How many of you ever had your parent pick you up and put you on their shoulders so you get a better view? For me, the 1st time was at a Sabres parade in 1995. I knew why we came and were there, but all I could see was knees and backs of those in front of me. But when my dad lifted me up, and I saw the poster in my room come to life with Hasek, Peca, and Audette, it felt as if I was a part of something special. Our job is to lift our students up onto our shoulders, so they can have a better view, a view beyond Roanoke Rapids. We love our town, but know there’s a huge world out there. Our kids struggle to see that view, beyond those “knees and backs” of tough streets and the cycle of poverty. We can be those shoulders, with passionate teaching, focused leadership, & inventive lesson plans. We want this school to be a place of joy and unrelenting passion, infused with humor and hijinks. Learning can be fun, let laughter ring out through the halls, while we still focus on delivering the best instruction possible. I want our school to have the highest teacher working conditions survey, and in turn, allow our kids to feel that they are lucky to be a part of a school that values enjoying learning. Let this school, your teaching, be the way for these children to lift themselves up.
My vision of a school is where we constantly are embracing the fascinating challenge of creating the best classrooms possible, where students laugh, think and are moved emotionally each day, and where we use a common-sense approach to educate the mind, body, and soul of each child.