Special to The Leader

As the rain pounded the roof of the Vidor High School auditorium, the Vidor Independent School District faculty and staff were high and dry, having a celebration inside.  Motivational speaker Aric Bostick (www.aricbostick.com) told the over seven hundred assembled there, “This is ‘Change Your Life Day!'”  He exhorted the crowd to get fired up, playing peppy music and having staff ‘high five’ each other, reminding everyone that teaching school is a risky business, but after all, as he said, “It isn’t about you. It’s about the kids.”

The group of teachers, administrators, cafeteria staff, maintenance staff, and paraprofessionals clapped, laughed and cheered as the afternoon wore on and Bostick reminded them, “You are meant to be here this year.  Kids make bad choices but are not bad kids.  The kids you get are meant for you.  You have no idea what these kids may be going through, so you have to keep giving.  After all,” he said, “It’s in the giving that we receive.”  He reminded them that, “When you receive, you give more. And when you give more, you receive more.”

Bostick painted the whole picture, leaving staff small posters where each person can write the story of why they do what they do and what they love about their school, students, co-workers, and their lives.  He reminded everyone that in order to be fired up, you need to sleep and eat properly and get some exercise.  There was even a place to document what you do for fun.  The poster concludes with goals and how to make connections.

As he concluded his presentation, Aric Bostick ripped off his shirt and tie to show a Superman shirt with a tiny red cape, eliciting peals of laughter from the crowd.  “Kids won’t remember what you taught them, but they will remember how you made them feel,” he said in conclusion. The VISD staff was excited to get fired up at this presentation, presented by VISD Child Nutrition Director Gracie Clark.  “He is an awesome person,” said Clark.  “I’ve been to hear a lot of motivational speakers, but he’s at the top.”

The gathering also heard from Dean Granger of Granger Chevrolet in Orange, joined by Ida Schossow and Lacey LeMoine of the Greater Orange Chamber of Commerce, as he presented his Shop Orange County campaign.  Granger urged the assemblage to keep their tax dollars in the county and shop locally so that businesses will be attracted to the area.  He also handed out coupons from Orange County businesses.

Principals introduced their new staff members at the convocation as well.