TWO short STORIES: DUNKIN DONUTS AND A.I. LETTERS IN THE MAIL
THANKSGIVING 2024
Dear Watertown Public Schools Families and Faculty,
One of the most enjoyable parts of my day and my job is to write to all of you. Some might consider me ‘old school’ but I’ve always found such joy in writing letters to pen pals, friends, my journal and to all of you. And so, I share two quick stories as we get ready to kick off this Thanksgiving weekend as if I were writing to you on scratch paper with my favorite pen….
A Story About Dunkin Gratitude
Has this ever happened to you? I was at the Dunkin Donuts drive thru across from Adams the other day and as I pulled up to the window to pay for my large tea with almond milk, the lovely employee at the drive thru window handed me my cup and said, “the car in front of you took care of your drink. We hope you have a wonderful day”. I was so surprised! I wanted to know who it was that so kindly picked up the tab? I asked, “But who? Why did they pay for it?” And the woman just responded, “I don’t know who it was, but I guess they wanted you to have a good day!”
I was genuinely curious about the mysterious person who so kindly brightened up my day. I also wanted to repay them somehow, but there was no way to know who it was. I was immediately disappointed in myself that I was not paying enough attention to catch the license, make, or model of the car. And then it dawned on me that perhaps, I should stop trying to figure out who it was and just take a moment to feel gratitude that someone so generously made a gesture to make someone’s day a little brighter.
After that visit, I’ve tried to pay a little gratitude forward when I can.
Changing Times with AI Letters in the Mail Will Never Replace a Good Ol' Thank You
The other day I received a letter from an organization in the mail talking about the upcoming holiday season and in very small print at the bottom of the letter, the subscript read, “this letter was not generated by AI”.
It took me a second to try to understand why this company had decided to include that phrase at the bottom and I came to realize that in this day and age where AI, also known as artificial intelligence, is becoming more prevalent, they had to somehow notify the public that their communication was generated by a real person.
I paused to process and reflect what this simple phrase meant to me as an individual who loves to write letters and as a Superintendent. I paused to wonder what it would mean to our educators and students in this business of teaching and learning. It made me think about how dearly I appreciate the conversations, the passing moments in the hallways, the times when I can send a note out to our faculty or our community, or our local paper.
These are the opportunities to say ‘thank you’ to teachers and paraeducators who are moving from class to class and creating amazing experiences in our classrooms.
These are the few seconds to ‘acknowledge’ our custodian, maintenance, tech and cafeteria staff for working when nobody’s looking to keep our buildings looking beautiful, safe, and accessible.
These are the quick quips between ringing phones, answering doorbells, and helping students with questions to ‘give a look of appreciation’ to our secretaries, nurses, and school security personnel who seem to be able to multitask 100 things at the same time, all the time.
These are the ‘moments of understanding and reassurance’ that we have great leaders in our district when our administrative team is always accessible and committed to our district 24/7.
These are the times of ‘relief and gratitude’ when you know you can depend on our substitutes, volunteers, bus drivers, and the many other hands that make our district work.
And there are so many times to 'proudly' look upon the achievements of our students and ongoing support from our families to 'feel thanks'.
In short, thank you WPS community for all that you do, everyday, to make this district the special place that it is.
And I humbly say…
“This message was not generated by artificial intelligence. Rather, it comes from the desk of your biggest WPS community advocate in service of an excellent education…also known as your superintendent”.
Message of the moment: Even with changing times in the world of AI, there continues to be timeless kindness. That one cup of tea was a powerful reminder that anyone can bring a moment of happiness and gratitude to someone else even if they don’t know who they are.
Whether you are with many this weekend or remembering special ones who can’t be with you, I hope you have a wonderful, warm, and restful Thanksgiving Watertown.
With gratitude,
Dr. V
Pictures from Homecoming below!
