Weekly Update from the Secondary School

Dear parents, 

Thanksgiving week is here again and while I know that ruminating on gratitude this week is cliche, it is also too powerful to resist. So, for this week’s Leopard's Tale, a (non-exhaustive) list of the things that make me grateful in 2021.​​
1. My Family 
​Couldn’t do ANYTHING without them. They are my rock and every day I wake up grateful that I have them. 
2. My Family Back Home
Being so far from home, it is sometimes difficult to stay in touch and connected with those we love. We of course try our best, but life often intervenes and we get too busy to maintain those  relationships. However difficult this can be, it’s still important, and I am enormously grateful to my family, who understand this difficulty and support us from afar.
3. My Health (as it is)
After going through the ordeal of COVID last summer, and all the frustrations of its lingering after effects, I have to say that, while I may not be in the best shape in the world, it could’ve been a lot worse, and for that I am grateful
4. The Students and Parents at AISL
We are blessed with some of the most intelligent, interesting and good-hearted kids on the planet. Every day I see or hear something from these kids which positively surprises me. AISL parents also deserve a lot of credit for the quality of the school. I’ve worked in a lot of places and rarely do you find parents as dedicated to their childrens’ success to the level found at AISL. 
5. Our AISL Faculty and Staff
When I first took this job back in Spring of 2020, one of the things that I was told was that the last thing I would need to worry about was the quality of the teachers. Everyday this is proven correct. We are enormously blessed with some of the finest educational professionals in the world. 
6. My Leadership Team
All I can say about these wonderful people is that their compass is absolutely oriented towards the true north of student success. They are a great team and amazing educators each and every one.
7. My Friends
I have made some great friends here in Zambia, and I am very appreciative of their support through what has been a challenging couple of years for everyone. 
8. Zambia
What can I say about this beautiful country? Every time I think that I’ve got the full conception of its beauty, I happen upon a previously unseen animal, or cloud formation, or a flower of such unrivalled perfection as to make me doubt its reality. It truly is a land of wonders. 
9. Home Cooking
Part of my health journey since moving to Zambia has been decreasing my consumption of processed foods. All of the successes I have achieved in this is due to the quality of home cooking I experience at home, none of which I am responsible for, and all of which I am grateful of. 
10. The Weather
Sure, now that the rains have finally come. I like the ominous skies and distant rumblings. 
11. The Holidays
I have yet to hear Mariah Carey this year, and I hope this remains true at least until the end of Thanksgiving. I am a big fan of the holiday season, and a bigger fan of keeping them separate. So, no Halloween before October, no Thanksgiving before November, and absolutely no Christmas before December. So, Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your time away before the home stretch. 
 
Also, if you want to join us for our Secondary Assembly, this coming Monday morning at 8:55, please go HERE to view. 

Thanks to you all. Have a great  weekend!
Dr. Rick Odum