At this time of year, when the days are shorter and the leaves begin falling off the trees, we often get too wrapped up in our school work and extracurricular activities; we forget to appreciate the little things we are so fortunate to have. It’s important for everyone to remember to pause and take a moment each day to appreciate our world and our KO community.
It is time for us to stop and truly enjoy our last days of warmth for the next few months. Take a walk outside by yourself or with your family or your dog or your friends and enjoy the green plants and full trees without worrying about slipping on black ice. While it is sad for some to see the pretty fall trees lose their colorful leaves we have the first snowfall to look forward to. And remember that with snowfall comes snow days!On a more serious note, we should all remember that we are lucky to live in a community that encourages us to be our true selves and express our beliefs.
At some points, more often than not, KO feels like our second home, so we tend to take a few things for granted. Each morning Sage Dining comes in bright and early to prepare breakfast and lunch for the community. We are given plenty of options which certainly surpass the average school cafeteria quality. Also, next week KO can look forward to celebrating Thanksgiving at school with the themed lunch that Sage Dining always prepares.
We also have the most kind and dedicated Buildings and Ground crew. At the moment they can be seen around campus blowing leaves and cutting grass, and soon they will be working long and cold hours shoveling snow to provide us with a safe campus. The Buildings and Grounds crew does so much behind-the-scenes work such as maintaining all the buildings, preparing the athletic fields and providing campus security. With this devoted group, the KO campus is always looking its best and remains very secure.
To the student body: remember to thank your parents or guardians. This sounds cliche but they are the ones who have provided you with the opportunity to attend KO and help you get up each time you are knocked down by one of life’s many struggles. Recognizing that they are our champions who never leave our side even when we scream at them and are simply looking out for our futures is sometimes easy to forget but really all too important to remember.
With midterms approaching, it can feel like our teachers are out to get us by testing us on such a large amount of content; however, it is important to remember that teachers are simply working to educate the student body to become their most intelligent and best selves.
Many of our teachers do so much for us out of the classroom that can often be taken for granted. Our advisors and teachers become our mentors, always offering an ear to listen or a helping hand. Thank you, teachers, for always providing a safe space for us to learn, express our beliefs and remain true to ourselves.
Within the busy culture of KO, we all have very hectic schedules involving academics, athletics and extra curriculars, which sometimes leave us feeling overwhelmed. In these moments, it is important to turn to your peers for a laugh and a bit of pressure release. Our friends are the ones who have seen us at our best and our worst and still appreciate us, so remember to return that and show them how much you too care for them.
We at the KO News just want to remind everyone to stop and smell the roses –or pumpkin pie– and say thank you to the people around you. So the next time you see a faculty member, student, parent or anyone that has helped you or made you smile at some point, just tell them how much you appreciate them.
