Balloon filler-upper or pin-poker?

This is my question for you today.

Balloon-filler-upper or pin-poker?

Which one do you strive to be?

I’m sure we both intend to be balloon-filler-uppers instead of pin-pokers when we wake up in the morning, but this isn’t always easy to do, is it?

Sometimes a life’s circumstance or set-back can knock us off track.

But the point artist Hannah Wilson makes is a good one for us to ponder.

While she created this visual to draw attention to a  common obstacle individual growth, I think Hannah’s point also applies to families and schools, all settings where there is an intentional focus on the growth of others.

We can’t let the pin-pokers rule the day.

Our world needs balloon-filler-uppers more than ever.

Now, if you’re wondering what some balloon-filler-uppers look like – I’ll showcase a few of them here.

I couldn’t be more proud of our 3rd graders at List Elementary for participating once again in List’s Annual 3rd Grade Arbor Day Celebration last Friday.

The Latin word “arbor” literally translates to “tree” and our 3rd graders were excited to roll up their sleeves together and show their appreciation for trees and all they provide.

As part of the celebration students raised money for the Frankenmuth Beautification Committee. The large scale check you see represented an actual check for $150 given to the committee.

Our high school also has more balloon-filler-uppers than you and I could count.

The National Honor Society at FHS plays a big role in promoting service to others.

Along with their commitment to Character, Scholarship, and Leadership, I’d be shocked if our students in the FHS NHS Chapter would even have time for “pin-poking!”

Let me introduce you to this year’s four NHS officers.

Senior Kylee Zehnder (Treasurer)

 “NHS helped me to achieve getting into Michigan State due to being able to showcase being in the National Honor Society and the benefits and rewards such as my community service. I’m going to MSU to study Applied Engineering Sciences.”

Senior Kate Hetzner (Secretary)

 “Being in NHS and doing community service really helped me experience new things. Having a background in German helped out when I volunteered at Oktoberfest, which was another fun way get involved. I plan to go to the University of Michigan to study Biochemistry on their pre-med track while minoring in German.”

Senior Levi Wascher (President)

 “I enjoyed being in NHS and especially liked the service component. I was able to experience helping people in various projects throughout the Frankenmuth community. I’m now looking forward to attending Michigan State University for Animal Science.”

Senior Dylan Abke (Vice President)

 “My favorite part about our National Honor Society has been connecting with not only my peers but with so many people in the community as well. I will be attending Penn State University this fall and majoring in Architecture. I hope to one day have my own Architectural business.”

So, there you have it!

Today I’ve highlighted some 3rd grade and Class of 2023 balloon-filler-uppers for you.

And as you can imagine, there’s more to come!

I know you’re a balloon-filler-upper too!

As always, thanks for supporting our wonderful students and staff.