From My View - Dr. Jim Wipke

At the beginning of each school year, we gather as a district for our Opening Convocation —a time to reconnect, take a deep breath before the halls fill with students, and set the tone for the year ahead. It’s a special moment. We enjoy breakfast together, celebrate our students’ talents (shoutout to Viva Voce for their incredible performance this year!), and have a little fun with giveaways. I also get the privilege of addressing our staff, sharing reflections, and setting the direction for the year. This past year’s theme was Back to the Future —yes, straight from the iconic movie trilogy. We took a trip through time, reflecting on the past five years, and I connected the theme to a previous blog I wrote about Staff Sergeant Dwight Johnson and his remarkable story. I also got personal, sharing my thoughts as my son prepared to leave for college in Chicago. It made me ask myself: Had I spent my time wisely? Had I taught him enough, given him enough, prepared him enough for life? The ...

Dennis Currier is not just a good friend—he’s a great friend, even though throughout our friendship, we’ve gone through a year or two without speaking. I know that might sound strange. How can you call someone a great friend when so much time passes without a call or check-in? I get it; I really do. But I’ve always known that if I ever needed anything, Dennis would drop everything to be there for me. And you know what? I’d do the same for him. I hope he knows that. Dennis would undoubtedly sit on my Board of Directors if my life were a company. I bet each of you reading this blog has a Dennis in your life. Dennis is a year older than me, and we went to high school together. Back then, he was a soccer star—one of those rare athletes who seemed destined for greatness. He played at the highest level and was often the top scorer on his select team. Meanwhile, I was your typical jack of all trades but master of none, dabbling in baseball, basketball, and soccer without standing out in any o...

Well…I bet that title grabbed your attention! Selfies – they seem to evoke strong opinions, don't they? People either love them or can’t stand them. For some, it’s like, "Oh no, here comes that guy again with the selfie!" But for others, it’s a rallying call, "Heck yeah, let's get a selfie!" So, what's all the fuss about? Why do people take them? And more importantly, why do I take them? For me, it's simple. I love selfies because they capture a moment in time that I want to remember. There’s no better way to freeze a memory than with a selfie. It's like hitting the "pause" button on life for just a second and being able to revisit that exact moment down the road – a year, five years, or even 20 years from now. A selfie allows you time to reflect and say, “I remember that day, and wow, it was a great one!” They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a selfie? Well, that’s worth at least 100,000! Now, I want to take this a step fur...

It is hard to believe how quickly the summer snuck up on us. Each year feels like a sprint when I look back on it, one full of milestones and reasons to be proud of our students. Perhaps no milestone is bigger than Graduation, held this year on May 19. Row upon row of Ladue blue caps and gowns surrounded by their families and friends is an image I look forward to seeing each year. If you haven’t seen one of our graduation ceremonies in person, it always ends with the ringing of a bell, followed by 300 caps soaring skyward. The bell signifies the end of one journey and the start of another; after this moment, as our high school motto states, our seniors “go forth to share." This motto – “Enter to learn, go forth to share” – ties in with the message I shared with the Class of 2024 at their graduation. We encourage them to go forth, move forward out into the world, and create a legacy. I told our seniors that life from this day on will not be about only success and victories and that...

It's been a while since I've sat down to share a few thoughts via the From My View blog.  However, recently, I received a gift that almost brought me to tears. Yes, I — a 52-year-old superintendent of the Ladue School District in the state of Missouri – was on the verge of tears because of a gift. Before you start imagining a trip to Hawaii or a brand-new car, let me set the record straight: it was a pen. To be precise, the gift was a wooden pen snugly encased in a leather holder. Yes, a pen. Your natural reaction might be, "Why would a pen bring you to tears?" Years ago, when I worked in another school district, a guest speaker named John O’Leary shared his remarkable story with us. I use the term remarkable because, in reality, John’s story is remarkable but came about through a horrific accident. Many of you know John — he burned 100% of his body at the age of nine. He grew up in the St. Louis area, living in an area very close to Ladue. During his visit, I was pr...

It all came into focus at the top of South Mountain. A recent trip to Arizona with my wife, Jennifer, and children Jacob and Jordan was fantastic for spending precious time together, and also came with its share of meaningful moments. As we stood at Dobbins Lookout, gazing over the Salt River Valley – the Phoenix metro and the many miles of desert extending outward – I thought about all of decisions and opportunities that life affords us. The drive up the mountain had been slow at times as we snaked back and forth, gaining altitude little by little. With careful navigation, we arrived at our lookout point, and I thought about how we often encounter winding roads in life. These roads will throw different turns and obstacles our direction, and sometimes it might feel like you aren’t making much progress. But the hope is that if we approach each obstacle with thoughtfulness and persistence, we can take one small step after another, eventually leading us to where we want to go. Once we’re ...

It’s interesting, isn’t it? Time seems to go by so fast, and we look back and wonder where it all went. Pre-COVID, my son Jacob was 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and two-and-a-half years later, he stands about 6 feet, 2 inches (by the way, I stand all of 5 feet, 9 inches, so don’t ask me where he gets his height from). The point is, that not only has his physical appearance changed, but he has changed in so many other ways that might not be as obvious. Jacob will continue to change, and I am sad that time with him at home is running out. Jacob will be our last child to graduate from high school and has just begun his senior year. As many of you know, I am blessed with four children: Jamison, Jordan, Jill, and Jacob. Just like fine wine, Jennifer and I have gotten better with time in parenting. As I reflect on being just 24 years old and bringing Jamison into the world, I remember thinking, “I don't know what I am doing. Thank goodness for my wife, Jennifer!” Things have come full circle a...