After almost 2 years of disruption, the collective desire to return to some level of normalcy is completely within the realm of what would be considered expected.  But if reverting back to the status quo is all we hope for in our schools, it’s an opportunity lost.  in the Japanese language, the characters that make up words have specific meanings associated with them?  Take the word “Crisis” for example.  In Japanese the word crisis actually has a hopeful message embedded within it.  The first character means ‘dangerous’, while the second means ‘opportunity.’ Such simple wording but with a powerful meaning, because that is what a crisis is after all. It is a dangerous, unpredictable, and frightening circumstance but in the midst of this uncertainty we should be open to opportunity, or a chance for change. Now especially, we must write a better story, one in which we strive to create a community rooted in compassion for one another.  To create a better future. To transform school culture, students, parents and staff must be equally invested and committed. Students need and want meaningful opportunities to voice their opinions and to be involved in making decisions that affect them. I recognize that without solidarity, equity and inclusion are difficult to achieve.  Equity and inclusion requires that we recognize our common humanity and our common goals. Begin making a positive impact in our school by completing the following school climate survey.  Your responses are anonymous and will be used to create a future based on the principles of compassion.