Volume 4, Issue 11

Dear Huron Academy Families,

I don’t always write a newsletter during the month of July, but we are having such a great time, I can’t not share some of the great things I’ve seen.

Our Summer Academy program is the biggest it’s ever been, with roughly 1/3 of our students participating – our largest cohort in the school’s 25+ year history. From building bridges, racing cars, and reading books to exploring Greenfield Village and going to a Tigers game at Comerica Park, we are keeping things educational while still having lots of summer fun. With more events, including barbecues, a trip to the Toledo Zoo, and lunch on the Detroit Princess Cruise Ship, I anticipate a summer full of memories and kids that are charged up and ready for more this fall.

Of course, the big event this month is Independence Day, the Fourth of July, America 250, or whatever you choose to call it. As a former social studies teacher, I’m always fascinated when reading and learning about any civilization or country’s history, and America’s history is certainly an interesting one. To say we’ve had a complicated past would be an understatement, and to say things are fine & dandy today would be an outright lie. Still, I love this country. From its incredible natural resources and its innovation in various industries to its culinary options and influence on music and other art forms, there is much to celebrate, even with imperfections. What I love most about this country, however, is its potential – a potential that I see every day I walk through the doors of our school.

Every time I go on the internet, read the newspaper, or turn on the TV, I read about division and conflict based on skin color, political preference, or even sports. However, at the school, I see students and families from a dozen different religions, speaking over 30 different languages, and having wildly different perspectives on everything from politics to family values all working together, exhibiting kindness, collaborating on problem solving, eating, drinking, laughing, and loving together every single day. Coming to work reminds me that what we see on the TV is not the real America for 99.9% of us – or at least, it doesn’t have to be.

If our school can be 4 Houses, 1 Family, then it is my hope and prayer that our nation does the same.

I hope you all have a lovely holiday, and I look forward to seeing you all at Open House this coming August.

Sincerely,

Joshua Sobczak,
Superintendent