
Superintendent Weekly Update
from the desk of Kathy Amos
May 24, 2024
Class of 2024
Congratulations!
The Mountain Heritage High School Class of 2024 is full of enthusiasm, dreams and intelligent young adults. I have enjoyed watching each of you learn and grow in so many ways over the last several years. Parents and family members, I know you are extremely proud of your children. Please know that I am honored to watch them receive their diplomas next weekend after so many years of hard work.
As you begin your new journey, I have a few words of advice:
This past college men's basketball season was filled with surprises. The NC State Wolfpack won the ACC Championship and went on to the NCAA Final Four. The team reminded many of us of the 1983 Cardiac Pack who won the NCAA National Championship game 40 years ago.
When I think of NC State's basketball team, I automatically think of Coach Jim Valvano. He was an exciting, fun-loving, hard-working college coach. He gave numerous motivational speeches through the years, but his most memorable speech was on March 4, 1993, at the ESPY Awards at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Coach Valvano had been diagnosed with cancer and he was announcing the start of the Jimmy V Cancer Research Foundation. During this speech, he reminded us of the following: “To me, there are three things we all should do every day. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think, you should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears. Could be happiness or joy, but think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day.”
I wholeheartedly agree with Coach Valvano's words of wisdom. You should laugh everyday. Surround yourself with positive people - people who make you smile, energize you and help you to be the best person you can be everyday. Choose your friends wisely.
Coach Valvano also believed, “Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought everyday. I always have to think about what’s important in life. To me, it’s three things: where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be. Those are the three things that I try to do every day. I remember where I came from. It’s so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal you have to be willing to work for.”
Coach Valvano closed his speech with the following words: “I just got one last thing. I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have to spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going, to be enthusiastic every day. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Nothing great can be accomplished without enthusiasm to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems.’ Whatever you have, the ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.”
The Class of 2024 is full of graduates who have been given a heart full of love and laughter, a brain full of wisdom, thoughts, dreams and critical thinking skills and emotions of enthusiasm and gratitude. You are awesome young people, and I cannot wait to see how you use laughter, thought, and emotions everyday as you go forward and do great things in your lives!
Congratulations to you and your families!
Godspeed,
Kathy Amos
Superintendent of Yancey County Schools
Happy Summer!
Wishing you all a fantastic summer break! Take the time to enjoy the outdoors, dive into a good book, and create fun memories with your family and friends!
We will see you in August on the following dates:
Wednesday, August 14 - Elementary School Open House 2:00-6:30 pm
Thursday, August 15 - Middle/High Schools Open House 2:00-6:30 pm
Saturday, August 17 - Back To School Bash on Town Square 10:00 am-2:00 pm
Monday, August 19 - First Day of School :)
Memorial Day
Monday, May 27, 2024
"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices." — Harry S. Truman
PATH Summer Sizzlin Series
All events are located on the Burnsville Town Square and are FREE and family friendly and generally speaking events are every Saturday from June 1st-August 17th from 10am-2pm with some variation of time!
See the full list here
Yancey County Schools
Email: kathyamos@yanceync.net
Website: www.yanceync.net
Location: 100 School Circle, Burnsville, NC, USA
Phone: (828) 682-6101