Laguna Elementary School New Book Published by Scottsdale Ranch Resident

Laguna Elementary School

By Brooke Williams Principal

Laguna Eagles are Soaring High

Happy Fall from Laguna Elementary School! This year has certainly been a unique start, but still very special for all of our students! We started our year with virtual learning in our homes and we couldn’t be prouder of our amazing students, families, and staff for their hard work, perseverance, and support.

At Laguna, we provided over 450 chromebooks, books, and workbooks to students, so they could continue learning at home. We have always strived to give every student equal access to education and this school year has been no exception. We continued learning through live streaming, small groups, and videos at home. All of our teachers remained connected to their students through individualized attention and help.

Laguna’s mission is still to provide students with a “STEAM,” (Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts, and Mathematics), focused education. The Arts have always been important to Laguna and we are fortunate to include them on a daily basis at our school. We offer Visual Arts, Music, Orchestra, Band, Drama, and provide Arts Integration in all classrooms. We are especially lucky at Laguna to have the District Lead Elementary Art Teacher and the District Lead Elementary Music Teacher as part of our team. We are also proud to have a Makerspace, Science Lab, Computer Lab, and Discovery Lab at Laguna.

During our time at home, many of us have developed a deepened appreciation for our families and our teachers. Although our teachers have had the pleasure of seeing their students online, they are eager to see them in person. We are forever grateful to our families and the entire community for their continued support of our school and our programs. As we begin to embrace our “new normal,” we hope you are staying safe, remaining healthy, and taking care of yourselves. Be sure to wash your hands, drink lots of water, and take time to read to yourself and your family.

As we continue our school year, we’d like to remind everyone to be kind to one another. Do something kind for your neighbor, friend, or family member. Most importantly, be kind to yourself! Kindness is contagious and is one of the four-character traits that we teach at Laguna.

We look forward to another great school year at Laguna Elementary School where our Eagles are soaring high!

New Book Published by Scottsdale Ranch Resident

Intended as a practical guide for finding inspiration through your life’s work, Destination: Inspiration! Charting Your Career During Turbulent Times is a new book packed with stories, advice, and action steps based on the 25 years that Scottsdale Ranch resident Paul Schnabel has spent speaking, coaching, and working with individuals and organizations to create breakthrough performance.

A consultant, speaker and author on leadership and individual development, Schnabel shares lessons he’s learned from inspired, fulfilled people as well as those from his own life to make his book a treasure trove of proven, practical tools and ideas for finding your calling and building a career.

But Destination: Inspiration! is also a definitive guide on how to be a good human by creating a fulfilled, inspired life.

The book is arranged around a “path to fulfillment through the Seven Cs” – calling, character, capability, curiosity, connection, centeredness, and commitment. They are the foundation for success, which in the end means nothing without the most important things in life, among them our connections to others and how we show up for them.

It’s a quick read with memorable stories, including what he learned from swimming his first triathlon with his wetsuit on backwards or how one of life’s key lessons became clear to him at the funeral of a close college friend.

You can finish the book and grasp its concepts from casting off to going full sail in as little as 2 hours. But Schnabel promises that none of his ideas will work for you. “YOU HAVE TO WORK THEM,” he says. “It’s taking the actions that will produce your desired results.”

As most of us know all too well, life is especially hard these days. The world needs inspired people, now more than ever, Schnabel writes:

“Inspired people stand out in a crowd. They stand out at work. they show up differently than others because they have a spark, a passion, a desire to make their workplace better, to be a leader in their families, to laugh easily, and lift others. In other words, they are engaged. Companies spend lots of time and money trying to measure and improve employee engagement; it’s one of the hot topics in organizational development today.”

A business/life book reminiscent of those by Napoleon Hill, Destination: Inspiration! is one you’ll want to keep for yourself but paired with a beautiful journal for working on the action steps, it’s a perfect gift for young adults starting out their careers.

“This book has been 25 years in the making and is a product of what I’ve learned by working with amazing leaders and salespeople across the globe,” Paul says. “Additionally, the tools and approaches detailed in the book are ones I’ve used successfully with others and myself, so I can say that I eat my own cooking!”

Paul and his family have made Scottsdale Ranch their home since 2014 and love it here. “I wouldn’t think of living anywhere else in the Valley”, Paul says. “It’s got great amenities, activities and the people who live here are friendly and welcoming.”

Destination: Inspiration! is available on amazon.com in paperback or Kindle formats.