~ Farewell Message to My LBC Family ~

As I walk out of the Leonard Brautigam Center, named for my mentor and dear friend, for the last time on June 27th, I will carry with me the memories we have all created together since we opened our doors to welcome students for the first time in August 2019. Many of you were with us for that red carpet moment!

Our 2019-20 inaugural year was immensely difficult because we had many students who were formerly Windfern High School students who were used to an open campus at lunch. Changing to a closed campus with on-campus Student Union lunch was quite an adjustment for them which they expressed with aggression we had never seen at Windfern. We had three physical fights during the first fall semester at LBC whereas we had only two that I can remember at Windfern from 2001 to 2019! 

Our LBC staff and I were at a complete loss, but we were determined to figure it out. 

Then, in the middle of our spring semester of our inaugural year, on March 16th, all CFISD schools were declared closed due to the pandemic! We were supposed to have had the school’s dedication ceremony the following weekend, but of course, that did NOT happen until a full year later.

Then during Memorial Day weekend 2020, we tragically lost our amazing science teacher Kendal Laskowski, talented not only with his ability to meet students lost in themselves, but also in his facility with guiding students to unlock the mysteries of science. I will miss Kendal and his compassionate and brilliant mind every day for the rest of my life. My hope is that the bench dedicated in his memory we have had planned to place in our outdoor area with the help of our church partners at The MET will happen in the near future.

During that inaugural year, 2019-20, we felt we just couldn’t catch a break, but our Lord had a plan for our school.

I have always believed it, for our students, for YOU. our remarkable teachers and staff, our parents, and those who support us from the community, most importantly from Cy Fair Christian Church and The MET Church.

We have made remarkable strides in the five years since we first welcomed students through our LBC doors. We have grown our students into respectful students with, YES, admittedly, occasional crazy outbursts of frustration. We have implemented schoolwide policies that have created a positive flow of student activity. Most importantly, we have infused a class-to-class and schoolwide culture of a sense of belonging. There are NO throw-away kids. Please never forget that!

I know you will each make your contribution in supporting Craig Pliskin in his new role as principal of our campus. Help him be his best! In so doing, you will make our campus be its best! It must be your mission from this point forward!  Do it for the young adults who count on YOU!

My warmest hugs to each of you every day going forward…

<3 Martha

 

PS: The most important message I want to send to each of you as I leave is …

You have enriched my life in ways you cannot imagine.

You have made me a better person, beyond my imagining.

You have made me think in better and more creative problem-solving ways.

You have made me want to pursue pathways I have not imagined for myself before knowing you.

You have given me hope for new directions I never dreamed to pursue.

I will forever be thankful that our lives intersected in a significant way. You have given me the gift of YOU in your special way!  You each have a place in my heart that can never be replaced by another!

Reach out to me any time: Marthastrother2003@outlook.com