2024-2025 – Gaining a New Perspective!

Dear Panama Families & Friends,

In Stephen Covey’s book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Covey puts forth as one of these
habits the idea of “Seeking First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” It is within this stream of
thought that we begin a new year here in Panama and welcome you all back for an exciting year of
learning which will be filled with many new perspectives!

We begin in excitement and anticipation with an emphasis on thinking in different ways. As we start the
year, our professional development focus will be to gain better understandings of how poverty challenges
many people and is cause for very difficult decisions every month. Our faculty and staff will be working
through understanding these challenges by participating in a simulation which will bring some of these
realities into perspective. Our goal is to seek to understand. Our goal is also to build deeper pathways
to assist all of our students in their learning.

Another new perspective this year will be that of a new front entrance, cafeteria, and kitchen area. We
will begin to see some significant perspective changes starting in the spring and throughout the summer.
We are looking forward to a new view of these areas in the new year.

As we travel through the year, I would like to challenge all of us to see the world through the eyes of
others. It has been said that perceptions are reality. While this is a difficult skill to develop, it is one that
we seek to develop in children as we teach them and one that we as adults frequently need reminding.
This skill is called empathy. Covey said to be effective, we must seek first to understand, then to be
understood. Thank you for all you do for children every day. To get down to the level of a child and see
the world is a wonderful thing.

Please always reach out with questions or concerns. Enjoy the year!

Looking Forward,