We're All on the Same Team

Yes, this is a Verizon commercial, but there are elements that illustrate some of the things we want to achieve this year at Pleasant View. At first, our theme was going to be “We’re All in this Together” but it was decided that this saying could be negative just as much as positive. If we’re all on a sinking ship, we’re all on it together. Pleasant View is not a sinking ship, and we know that, but the theme was changed anyway. Now, our theme is “We’re All on the Same Team.” Teamwork is important in any community hoping to achieve great things. And we hope to achieve great things at Pleasant View this year.

In the commercial, characters mention that they make “communities,” “tomorrow,” and “lives” (among other things) better. How do they do it? They bring together “information,” “people,” “devices,” “machines,” “perspectives,” “expertise,” and “ideas.” Notice that many different things must come together, to work in tandem (or on a team) for one purpose, in order to make even a few things better.

At Pleasant View, and especially on the 8^th grade team, we strive to bring people, perspectives, ideas, information and expertise together. Many times that involves devices and machines available to us through eMINTS. Almost all the time, the devices and machines must come together with the people for the learning community, the lives involved, and our tomorrow, to be better.

I realize this is maybe oversimplifying things, and maybe I’m being a bit clichéd and maybe commercializing education by using Verizon’s commercial, but I think there is a message to be gleaned. I’m looking forward to this coming school year. I’m looking forward to working with new 8^th graders, and helping them connect and collaborate with one another. I’m looking forward to seeing their expertise come out, and for them to share their perspectives and ideas. And I’m looking forward to all of these things making each and every one of us, and our tomorrows, better.