April 22, 2026
Gorilla Gathering message for the week:
I saw a video this weekend of a marathon runner. He was winning the race by a LONG way. He came around the final corner and was in the lead by at least 100 yards. As he got closer to the finish line, he slowed down. He raised his hands in triumph. He clapped and smiled. He even took the time to give a few high-fives.
Far off in the distance you see another man come around the last corner. But this man is in a full-out sprint! He is running for all he is worth! At the very last second, the second man overtakes the first and wins the race!
You see the same thing in the NFL EVERY year. Someone breaks a run and walks into the end zone, only to get caught by a defender or drop the ball too early because they started celebrating too soon.
There's an old expression that says, "The temptation to quit will be the greatest just before you are about to succeed."
With only 4 weeks of school left, there is always the temptation to let some of our responsibilities slide. This is true for teachers AND students. I imagine it's true for everyone when it comes to summer or projects or some other finish point.
It's easy to let grades slip the last few weeks. It's easy to not finish a project very well, even if you've been working very hard on it for a while. We all just want to settle for, "That's good enough!" We just want to get to the next thing.
I urged our students and faculty, and I urge all of you reading this: Stay the course! Finish the school year strong! Don't fall into the temptation to just "slide by." Your future self will thank you for a job well-done! Stay on top of your grades, responsibilities, sports, music, and tasks, all the way through to the end!
Challenge for the week: Stay the course! Finish strong!
Every day is a great day to be a Gorilla!
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the warm weather!
I saw a video this weekend of a marathon runner. He was winning the race by a LONG way. He came around the final corner and was in the lead by at least 100 yards. As he got closer to the finish line, he slowed down. He raised his hands in triumph. He clapped and smiled. He even took the time to give a few high-fives.
Far off in the distance you see another man come around the last corner. But this man is in a full-out sprint! He is running for all he is worth! At the very last second, the second man overtakes the first and wins the race!
You see the same thing in the NFL EVERY year. Someone breaks a run and walks into the end zone, only to get caught by a defender or drop the ball too early because they started celebrating too soon.
There's an old expression that says, "The temptation to quit will be the greatest just before you are about to succeed."
With only 4 weeks of school left, there is always the temptation to let some of our responsibilities slide. This is true for teachers AND students. I imagine it's true for everyone when it comes to summer or projects or some other finish point.
It's easy to let grades slip the last few weeks. It's easy to not finish a project very well, even if you've been working very hard on it for a while. We all just want to settle for, "That's good enough!" We just want to get to the next thing.
I urged our students and faculty, and I urge all of you reading this: Stay the course! Finish the school year strong! Don't fall into the temptation to just "slide by." Your future self will thank you for a job well-done! Stay on top of your grades, responsibilities, sports, music, and tasks, all the way through to the end!
Challenge for the week: Stay the course! Finish strong!
Every day is a great day to be a Gorilla!
Have a wonderful week and enjoy the warm weather!