By Luke Trimble
Staff Writer
As the school year winds down, students everywhere ask the question: “What are we doing here?” For the answer, we turn to the internet, more specifically, the Principal’s Message section of the Mira Costa website.
What is a Principal’s Message, one might ask? Exactly what it sounds like: a designated space for the educational leader to address the school. The topics cover a wide range of themes, but the overall message is always clear: Principal Dale is proud of the student body he guides.
“I hope that it’s always school-related, but there have been a couple that haven’t been,” Dale said. “It’s just what’s going on at school. It’s to get a feeling from me.”
In his March message, Dale attempted to establish a more personal connection with the Mira Costa family and shared stories of his adventures in New York City.
Almost anyone would groan at the idea of listening to a friend drone on about a vacation, but through these brief messages Dale creates a sense of familiarity.
“Doesn’t every school have one?” Dale said. “It’s good to know that Costa is keeping up with the Joneses.”
Under Dale’s leadership, Costa has sought to become the Joneses. New technology plans have followed up with the continuation of Dale’s many technology-themed sermons.
While most students would agree that Edmodo is useless and agonizingly slow, Dale shows support for the program and promotes similar educational apps like Evernote and Penultimate.
“Generally, the Principal’s Message is something that is on my mind at the time,” Dale said. “I talk about our standards and values of our school.”
In his February message, Dale dabbled into ancient Greek philosophy and spoke of sound values that could be impressed upon pupils by wise teachers. He then questioned what sort of values Mira Costa strives to impress upon students.
“As educators we are here to teach English, math, science, social science and the arts,” Dale asserted. “We can, though, model responsibility, accountability, redemption and other virtuous qualities.”
In another message, Dale describes the qualities necessary for success at Mira Costa. These traits are toughness, courage, excellence, valor, resoluteness, vitality, honor, devotion, focus, liberality, industriousness and dependability.
Through exposure to these qualities, Dale believes every student will have the ability to succeed both at Mira Costa and in life.
Largely unbeknownst to the student body, the page can be found by visiting the school’s website and scrolling over the “About Us” section. The first tab down contains a log of Principal’s Messages. New messages are posted monthly. Dale encourages students to actually take a moment each month and read his message and allow him to impart his knowledge; it will be worth it.
While Dale’s anecdotal boasting might seem irrelevant at first, it ultimately seeks to unite the school and creates a sense of community. Dale’s post for May included a list of the top ten things you should know about MCHS and MBUSD teacher of the year Linda Gesualdi.
“She’s a vampire. Go look at the 1986 Costa yearbook staff page…she hasn’t aged,” Dale wrote.
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