Gratitude Part 6 - Get people thinking in a certain way.

Year 6 - Get people thinking in a certain way.

Frank,

I just have to tell you that last night’s event was spectacular. The kids, the staff, and the parents seemed to function as one unit having a great time. The lobby area, the game, and the crowd were all great.

I hope that you are feeling better. Your team made a decent comeback near the end, but the young guys were too tough. Keep up the great work and all the wonderful projects that you do for our children and school community.

Richard

 Hi my name is Olivia,

I just wanted to tell you that you are really a great principal and I think you are doing a great job. Also, thank you for being so nice in the hallways. You inspire me to want to try harder and do better in school.

Have a nice day! Good bye and thank you!

Handwritten:

Frank,

You are amazing! Thank you for all you do! Thank you for how much you care! Thank you for rekindling a fire of passion for this wonderful profession. I can go on and on but I won’t.

Thank you,

John

Dear Dr. Rudnesky,

My wife and I wanted to thank you for your efforts revolving around Renaissance Student of the Month. Our daughter was recognized in March.

We recognize the collective efforts and appreciate the many nice touches revolving around this award when considering each of: picture in the lobby, announcements, the actual award including certificate and medal, the presentation at the meeting and even the special pizza lunch.

We also think it is terrific that there is recognition for something other than just our academics or athletics and emphasized that point with our daughter.

I’d also like to share a personal observation about the award. I noticed the award on the local cable program in the fall and thought, “wow, that would really be something if my daughter could be considered.” Candidly, I did not think it realistic with her being a new student to the area/school this year.

Thank you again and we consider the entire 7th grade team our “staffulty of the year.” thank you for making a positive difference.

Handwritten card:

Dr. Rudnesky,

Thank you for opening your school to Stockton students. My fieldwork experience was incredible in numerous ways. Your enthusiasm and dedication is contagious and the staff is smart, caring, and dedicated. I hope to return to complete my student teaching.

LE

“One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much money you had in your back account or what your clothes looked like but the world may be a little better because you were important in the life of a child.”

Frank,

Thank quote is exactly why I got into teaching. I saw in my father the difference that he made in kids’ lives and that steered me toward my career. I see the same things in you. You make a difference in the lives of children and you lead us as teachers in that direction through your hard work and the Renaissance program. I am very proud to work with you and once again would like to thank you for all that you do for me. If there is anything I can do, do not ever hesitate to ask. Thanks for a great year, and I look forward to next year. I’ll see you soon.

Brian

Handwritten card:

Dr. Rudnesky,

Sincerest thanks for taking the time to speak with our daughter regarding the positive opportunity to take part in an upcoming creative project. We recognize and appreciate your genuine care and concern for the well-being of the students at Belhaven.

Sincerely,

A Thrilled Parent  

Dear Dr. R.,

I am most impressed and appreciative of your commitment (and the teachers) and can see how much of your personal life is absorbed with the school. I thought it was very nice of you to ask for an encore of the guitar performance the other night to give all involved another moment in the spotlight.

See you at the upcoming functions!!

MS

Dear Dr. R.,

I wanted to thank you so much for a great experience at Belhaven Middle School! It was a great honor to come here and experience so many awesome things. Do Hugs Not Drugs, the Holocaust survivor, and the Last Bridge were three of my most inspirational days of my life. I will never forget what a great principal you were and will always be. I will think of these sad and joyous moments I had here at Belhaven. I would also like to thank the staffulty for their dedication and hard work put into Almost Anything Goes, the dances, and their long hard hours thinking and wondering of many more ways to make Belhaven a better school. I do hope that the tile wall comes out awesome so that the children entering Belhaven will be inspired to make this school and world better. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Erica

Dear Dr. R.,

I just wanted to drop you a line to say thank you for a wonderful four years at Belhaven. I remember the very first week  of school in fifth grade and how you personally introduced yourself to our son and made him feel welcome. For a kid that is not the biggest, middle school could be a nightmare. Your enthusiasm with your incentive program most definitely influences kids in a positive way. I can honestly say that I am not looking forward to my son leaving. I seriously doubt that there will be someone like you ensuring that kids are safe and happy. We pray every night that our son will grow soon.

Have a happy summer!

Handwritten note:

Dear Frank,

I saw your picture in the paper for having received your doctorate of education degree and just wanted to drop a fellow Bridgeton High School classmate a note to say Congratulations!!! I was glancing through the Bridgeton News, saw your picture, and said, “Hey, I graduated with him.” My kids, Shelby and Gable said, “Who?” I said, “The guy in the picture who’s now a doctor of education. I got out my yearbook and showed them your picture. My daughter noted that your caption indicated that you were a “mischief maker.” I told them that that was the part of your personality that would make you a great principal - always keep them guessing, wondering, and smiling!

Congratulations, again!

KKS

Year 7 - Get excited about the endless possibilities that occur when people are grateful in your organization.

Thank you for the Belhaven WOW Award. It’s great to be part of a team that gets things done. I was truly surprised, humbled, honored, and appreciative.

Hi Frank,

You are welcome….. We were so excited to present the award to you and think so highly of you. You are a wonderful inspiration and role model, for me at least. I truly admire you for your hard work and dedication in helping to make Belhaven what it is. The kids are as excited as I am each day to come to school. If I am ever having a bad day, just being here at Belhaven with such wonderful colleagues cheers me up. Thanks for all that you do for us!!

Amy

Dear Dr. Rudnesky,

As you probably know my family and I are relocating out of state over the summer. However, I did not want to leave Belhaven without giving you the recognition you deserve for being the great principal that you are.

I can tell that you enjoy your work and want the best for all your students. Another wonderful thing about you is that you inspire your students to do the right things and teach them to be proactive and responsible for themselves. ( I enjoy your proactive talks very much!)

To be honest I don’t know how else to say thanks for being a great principal and teaching me to be a leader.

So I will conclude this letter with a quote from Renaissance: “Learn Now, Soar for a Lifetime.”

P.S. thank for giving me support after surgery.

Julie

Frank,

Thanks for investing in Building Connections for your school and in contributing to the Scharenbroich College Fund, I lover your PowerPoint presentation. Like you, a lot of passion and a lot of fun. It’s easy to see why you were named to the Hall of Fame. Thanks for the kind words and for all you do for kids!!

Mark

Handwritten letter:

Dear Frank,

Thank you for creating a culture where everyone wants to be. You go above and beyond to make our school the best.

We appreciate all you do for the staffulty, students, and community.

The Belhaven Staffulty

Frank,

U were AWESOME!! You have the fire!! I would love to have one of your pins. Keep rockin’ your school.

Fired up about Renaissance,

Sindi

Frank,

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for all your time and wonderful presentation on Saturday. I was so charged up about the program that I had to meet with my principal first thing this morning.

Thank again for your time.

MC

THANK YOU!!! I just love your enthusiasm… too bad we are so far apart. I would love for you to visit our school. Looking forward to seeing the Rocky tape again and I’d love to see your finished Project Superhero when it’s done. Keep us posted!
Thank you for being so inspiring! You inspire us newer eagles to reach beyond.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

Card:

FED,

I thought about you and your trademark saying, “Work Hard, Be Successful, Have Fun!” That is what I wish for you as you begin another adventurous year as the “superman” of the school. Always remember how very loved you are…I had a great summer with you and our family.

Love,

Kimberly

Dr. R.,

You are the best at making people feel good and always ready with the warm fuzzies we all need. Thank you for being you. I will miss your caring enthusiasm….It has been my pleasure working with you.. There are moments when you have restored my faith in principals….

Gayle

Frank,

Thank you for your kind words; they are truly appreciated! But more importantly, congratulations on an award that you so richly deserve. It was an honor for me to go through the letters of recommendations that you received and pull out some nuggets to use in the opening and at the awards banquet. Frank, that was honestly one of the easiest things that I have ever done. The only difficulty that I had was in narrowing the quotes to use-there were so many! I have never seen as many letters of recommendation as glowing as you received. And in talking to your faculty members, it was so easy to see the love and respect that they all shared for you, as well as the pride they felt in having you be inducted into the Jostens Renaissance Hall of Fame.

I believe that Jostens is truly committed to Renaissance for all the right reasons. But as much as our company believes in the program, the successes come because visionaries like yourself see the difference that it can make in the lives of kids.

Renaissance is successful when people who care about kids choose to embrace the program. It’s been my good fortune to work with renaissance and in doing so, I’ve never come across an individual who cares more about kids than you do.

Frank, it was humbling and a great honor for me to tell a very small portion of your story in the opening session. You attributed Renaissance with making a difference at Belhaven. This is a tremendous compliment to the program, but I know that Frank Rudnesky is responsible for the difference that Renaissance is making. You deserve all the credit.

I know that Belhaven is a remarkable school because of your leadership. Should you ever have an opening for an old, fat social studies teacher, please let me know because I would love to come to work for you.

No one here has ever had the idea of putting an email list together for Hall of fame individuals - it’s a great idea and something we can easily do. If there’s anything else I can do for you, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’ll be in touch, so take care of yourself.

Charley

Good Afternoon everyone,

I cannot thank you enough for the kindness that you have demonstrated. It was quite an honor to obtain such a prestigious award from an exquisite staffulty (Staffulty of the Month). You are all very special, dedicated people, and I am the better for having served you. The words that Frank read were so humbling and much appreciated. Thank for the votes of confidence and support.

Sincerely,

Elaine

Handwritten note:

Dr. Rudnesky,

Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me. You’ve really boosted my confidence this year. You’re always smiling, and you always stop to say hi to me.

KD

Dear Belhaven,

Thank you for a wonderful 4 years. You guys really did a great job preparing me for high school and other obstacles that are waiting for me to come. I will never forget my time at this school because of all the people that I’ve grown to know and love and all the fun Renaissance events we did. It was such an honor to have the Belhaven falcon Award to be awarded to me. Thank you because that is something I will never forget. I will make sure that I come back to visit everyone in the school because they made such a huge impact on my life. I will never forget this school or anyone that taught me.

Love,

EE

Thank you for making our school an awesome place. We look forward to coming to school each day. You’re the biggest superhero we have! J

3 students

Frank,

Thanks for listening during our discussion about all the fantastic things happening in our school. I will continue to add to our positive culture of our school, and go above and beyond as an energetic, effective math teacher. Your leadership and encouragement has helped me grow to be a better person each day.

JB

Card:

Frank,

I want to thank you for the gifts for secretaries’ day. You have a way of making people feel appreciated and needed. I thank you for your support, kind words, patience and uplifting way!
MH