By Gail O’Mara

Have you ever heard of the “Fish Philosophy”?  It’s an almost true story that started on the west coast. As the story goes, there were several men who worked as sellers at Seattle’s Pike’s Fish Market on the pier. They were hard workers. They worked long hours. They were dedicated to good service. They believed that work should be neither frustrating, boring nor a time void of enjoyment. Rumor has it that they created a new and exciting work environment for one other and their customers. (Don’t let the point that this  has a logical and natural application to school life and learning and to home and the difficult job of parenting escape your notice……….)

Enter the creation of the “Fish” Philosophy. There are only 4 important points to remember. The message goes like this:

1. Be There. (Show up and be there to help and support your co-workers and learning peers in class, your family, friends and community)
2. Choose Your Attitude. (Make it a good and positive one and keep it going all day, with everyone you meet.)
3. Make Their Day! (Just do something, anything, tiny or huge, to compliment, celebrate, help or  honor those who work shoulder to shoulder with you every day, your family and friends.)
4. PLAY!!!!!!!! (Imagine it, playing, smiling and even laughing during the day. And we thought we had to wait until the weekend to have fun. This is not true if you are a “Fish”.)

As the motto on the Fish poster says “Catch the energy, release the potential.”
We talked to the students on the first day of school about these messages and they get it.
It is up to us work ,as a community, to create the positive energy of hope, confidence and respect every day in our lives, in school, at home.

So welcome to a new school year!  We look forward to seeing you all at the Parent Meetings later this month. And if you want to read about the “Fish” you can explore www.fishphilosophy.com