Principal's Page – Coffin Elementary School

Good morning Coffin Community,

This is Mr. Ciembroniewicz and I’d like your attention for one minute
on this Monday morning as I share a few thoughts with you.

I’d like to begin by sharing part of a translated poem entitled Ode to Thanks written by my wife’s favorite poet, Pablo Neruda from the country of Chile.

Thanks
to the word

that says thanks!

Thanks to thanks,

word

that melts

iron and snow!

The world is a threatening place

until

thanks

makes the rounds

from one pair of lips to another,

soft as a bright

feather

and sweet as a petal of sugar,

filling the mouth with its sound

or else a mumbled

whisper.

This week we’ll be celebrating the holiday of Thanksgiving and I hope that you’ll
get many opportunities to think about and share the things you’re thankful for
in your lives.  Since we’re in school together, I ask that you take a few minutes, either on your own or as a class, to talk about the things you’re thankful for at here Coffin School.

A few things of the many that I’m thankful for include…

Our talented Coffin teachers and staff – they devote their lives to helping you succeed

Our diverse Coffin families –  their positive involvement makes school a richer place for all of us.

Our wonderful students – that’s all of you – who bring your joy and enthusiasm to
school every day.

As Baxter Bear would say, be kind, be gentle, be safe, be thankful, speak your thanks
– and, do good work.

Have a great week.

Good morning Coffin Community,

This is Mr. Ciembroniewicz and I’d like your attention for one
minute on this Monday morning as I share a few thoughts with you.

As I’m sure you know, tomorrow is voting day in Brunswick, Maine
and across the entire United States.
Citizens will be fulfilling their civic responsibility and casting
ballots for the men and women they want to represent them in government.  That word ‘responsibility’ is an important
one and I’m also sure Continue reading →

Good morning Coffin Community,

This is Mr. Ciembroniewicz and I’d like your attention for one minute on this Monday morning as I share a few thoughts with you.

If you’re like me, the weekend is a time when I can do some extra
reading.  On Saturday I began reading a book called, “Learned Optimism:  How to
Change Your Mind and Your Life”.  Optimism is one of those big words that is worth taking the time to understand.  One definition of optimism
is, “expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it.”   The
author Napoleon Hill once wrote, “If you can conceive it, and believe it, you
can achieve it.”  If you can imagine good things happening, if you can believe that they will happen, and if you continue to work hard to make them happen  – they will happen.

I hope you take a few minutes this week to think about Mr. Hill’s
quotation and to practice optimism.  It
takes time and hard work to practice this important skill and that’s why we’re
all here  – we help one another and grow together.

As always, it makes me proud to see all the joy and enthusiasm that each of you bring to Coffin School. As Baxter Bear would say, be kind, be gentle, be safe – and, do good work.

Have a great week.

Good morning Coffin Community,

This is Mr. Ciembroniewicz and I’d like your attention for one
minute on this Tuesday morning as I share a few thoughts with you.

Last week we talked about our Coffin value of kindness. This week
I’d like to share some thoughts on the third word in our triad – gentle.
The word gentle as we know it is about 900 years old and has always Continue reading →