Look up, change your perspective, you may be surprised! The other day while driving to work, I was in deep thought about the financially difficulties our country, state, and schools are currently facing. As I was driving, and to be honest, not paying attention beyond the space beyond my car and thoughts, something caught my eye. It was one of those days after a heavy rain, and as I changed my perspective beyond my immediate view, I saw the most beautiful snow covered mountains off in the distance. At that movement, I realized that I had many opportunities to see the mountains, but I had limited my own view or perspective. I realized that the mountains did not change, I did. Albert Einstein is quoted as saying, “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” If you have turned on the news or opened the newspaper recently, it seems that we are truly in difficult times. It is in the difficult times like these that courage, character, and creativity will be tested. Although I can not predict the future, I am assured that Camino Grove and the Arcadia Unified School district will continue its commitment to providing a quality education that is meaningful and engaging to students. In times like these, it is very tempting for us to only focus on the negative and things over which we have no control. This perspective is like my recent drive to work, it results in limiting us to see the larger perspective and opportunities. This is not to demean in anyway the hardships many of our friends, neighbors, and families are experiencing. The fact is we all will need to make some difficult decisions in the near future. We must be even more conservative with the resources we have, find ways to support our core values, and work together to find the opportunities in the future. Because of Arcadia’s continued commitment to students and their academic success, the tremendous commitment of our staff, parents, and students, I can not imagine a better school district or school I would rather be affiliated with during these times. Together we will have many opportunities to make a difference.