LBA UPDATE

Greetings 大家好！!

My name is Michael Partain and I am the in-coming Head of School for the 2017-2018 school year for Learning Beyond Academy. 我的名字是Michael Partain，我是2017-2018学年LBA的新任校长。

Throughout my educational career of more than forty years, I have had many privileges: classroom teacher, headmaster and/or principal for pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools; I have started two private schools and one charter public school; I have successfully guided more than a few schools through the accreditation process as administrator, accreditation chairperson, and accreditation commissioner.     在我过往40年的教学经验中，我担任过不同的职位：班主任、幼儿园／小学／初中／高中的校长。我建立了两所私立学校和一所特许公立学校，我作为主管、认证负责人和专员成功协助了一些学校的资格认证流程。

Despite all of these wonderful opportunities and experiences, I consider the opportunity to serve Learning Beyond Academy to be the single greatest privilege, and the highest calling, I have ever known.  I daily give thanks to Him as I prepare for the challenges ahead.不仅有这些非常有价值的机会和经验，我将就职于LBA看作我人生中最大的殊荣和最高的呼召。在我预备未来的挑战中，我每天感恩。

The 2016-2017 school year for Learning Beyond Academy, has been, and continues to be, a very successful year of adjusting to change and preparing for the future.  In my experience, this only happens when school leadership, staff, and families have one unshakeable focus:在调整变化和为未来做准备方面，2016 - 2017学年对于lba来说都是非常成功的一年，也将继续保持下去。根据我的经验来看,这样的结果只会发生在当学校的领导,员工和家庭都有一个不可动摇的核心就是:

"What is best for our students?""什么是对我们的学生最好的?"

When I visited Learning Beyond Academy back in January of this year, I noted the obvious passion and instructional expertise of the educators serving LBA. I was greatly impressed by the attitude, diligence, and evident character of the students at LBA. And I was so wonderfully encouraged by the parents I met. 当我在今年1月份参观LBA时,我注意到这里有教学经验丰富的教育者们用他们的激情服务着LBA。而LBA学生们的态度，勤奋和品格也给我留下了深刻的印象。所遇见的家长也给了我莫大的鼓励。

I met parents who were very welcoming and who, at the same time, communicated a clear understanding of what they loved about LBA, why their children were enrolled, and what their hopes were for the future of LBA.  With all of this in my thoughts, I left Shanghai knowing that, despite change or challenge, LBA will continue to provide children and young people with the opportunity to have "hearts burning" and "minds shining".  Every day, I wake up and look forward to my return!  我遇到了很多热情的家长，他们清楚地向我传达了他们喜爱LBA的原因,为什么让他们的孩子来这里上学,以及他们对LBA未来的期望。带着这些想法我离开了上海,尽管会有改变或挑战,LBA都将继续为孩子们和年轻人提供"燃烧心灵"和"闪耀想法"的机会。于是每天我醒来之后，就期待着我回来!

So, as we prepare for, and when we begin, the 2017-2018 school year, what can the families of LBA expect from me?  The families of LBA may be assured that I will:当我们准备并开始2017 - 2018学年时,LBA孩子的家人们会期待我做些什么呢?我可以对LBA孩子的家人们保证的是：

1.  Respect the Past 尊重过去. 

Learning Beyond Academy was built on a very solid foundation and is the product of love, dedication, wisdom, and talent.  The school exists today and continues into the future because of this strong foundation. While every school (just like every family) goes through change, we must be careful to recognize, and preserve, the non-negotiables that define who we are as a school.  LBA是在爱,奉献、智慧,人才等坚实的基础下成立的。今天学校的存在和未来的发展,都是因为有这个坚实的基础。虽然每个学校(就像每个家庭)都会经历改变,但我们必须仔细识别并保留什么是不可动摇的，将定义我们是怎样的一个学校。

 2.  Maximize the Present 最大化现在.

 What an amazing opportunity is given to us every day at Learning Beyond Academy! Every student matters. Every staff member has impact. Every hour counts. When I consider that, in His ultimate wisdom, each staff member and each student have been placed here, together, every day, I am in awe of both the opportunity and the responsibility before us. The opportunity and the responsibility, is to daily provide an academic expression of love; an environment wherein every student knows they are loved in all circumstances and wherein every student has the opportunity to grow in grace, in character, in knowledge and the opportunity to take hold of their potential in every aspect of their lives.   在LBA的每一天都是个多么了不起的机会啊!每个学生都很重要。每个员工都有影响。每一小时都是至关重要的。当我这样认为时,在他的终极智慧下,每个员工和每个学生被放置在这里,一起度过每一天,我既敬畏的这个机会也看到在我们面前的责任。机会和责任是对日常的爱学术性的表达，一个环境让每一个学生都知道不论他们在什么情况下都是被爱的,让每一个学生都有机会在恩典，在性格、知识上有长进,提供机会去发掘他们生活中方方面面的潜能。

  3.  Create the Future 创造未来.

Learning Beyond Academy has been, and will continue to be, strategic and intentional about the future. Every day we ask the question "what is best for our students?".  Every day, however, we also consider what will be best for our students in five years, in ten years, and beyond. What must we do at LBA to equip our school, in every sense, to continue to provide the instructional and character driven environment our students will need in the years to come? LBA一直以来都对未来有战略和计划并将继续下去。我们每天都问这个问题"什么是对我们学生最好的?"。然而每一天我们还要考虑什么是对我们的学生五年,十年,甚至更远是最好的。为继续提供具有教学指导性的和性格发展的环境给我们的学生，LBA必须做些什么来装备我们的学校去迎接未来?

Respecting the past, maximizing the present, creating the future. This is what the families of LBA can expect of me in the years ahead.尊重过去,最大化现在,创造未来。这就是LBA家长在接下去的一年可以期待我的。

How about you 那你们呢?

What can LBA expect of you next year and in the years ahead? Have you made your re-enrollment commitment?  Remember: it is not really a commitment to the school, it is a commitment to your child's future.  在接下去的一年和未来几年里，LBA期望你们做什么呢?你们是否已经完成了重新注册？记住:这并不是对学校的一个保证,这是对你们的孩子未来的承诺。

In the months of May and June, I will be in Shanghai on the campus of LBA. I will be working with Mrs. O, James and Christina Weidner, and the rest of the team, as together we ensure that the leadership transition is well-planned, seamless, and implemented in a manner that asks, and answers the question:在5月和6月,我就会在LBA上海的校园里。我将会和Mrs.O ,詹姆斯和克莉丝塔娜*怀德夫妇及其他团队成员一起合作，一起来确保领导层换届是精心策划的,无缝的,并用一种可以实现的方式去回答这个问题:

"What is best for our students? "什么是对我们学生最好的?""

I look forward to returning, meeting more families and making myself available for any conversations you might wish to have! 我期待着回来，期待着遇见更多的家庭，我也将预备好自己来回答你们可能希望了解的问题！

Michael E. Partain, M.Ed.                                                   

Learning Beyond Academy

Incoming Head of School                                                                                                                                                             "hearts burning. minds shining."