Stephen Plum

  • CONTACT MR. PLUM

    plums(at)kmsd.edu
    262.968.6300 ext 5301

    ______________________________

     

    PUBLIC OFFICE HOURS | 2-4 PM | MONDAYS

    Come talk to Dr. Plum! Please call 262.968.6300 x5305 to schedule an appointment.

     

     

  • Seeing Them For Who They Are

    I didn’t want to bore the class of 2022 with the customary administrator speech at their June graduation ceremony. Instead, I talked to them about movies - specifically “The Breakfast Club.” When I asked for a show of hands for all who’ve seen the 1980s classic about five high school students who have to spend their Saturday at school for detention, I was pleasantly surprised. So many hands shot up in the air! 

    So, the storyline...five students are stuck together for an 8-hour Saturday detention at school. It gets worse. Their thoughtful principal gives them an assignment: write a 1,000-word essay defining who they think they are.

    Through the course of the movie, they learn about the fantastically unique perspectives and experiences within their “club” and use this odd experience to redefine their identities and open their minds to new possibilities. 

    And, that’s really what life is all about - the constant definition and evolution of you. You may walk down the hall and be seen through many lenses, but you’re always so much more than any opinion or essay could ever explain. 

    You’re a brilliant scholar-athlete headed to MIT. You’re a selfless soldier serving in the national guard and a brilliant artist off to Minneapolis College of Art and Design to major in animation. You’re on your way to Madison to study interior architecture and you’re heading into the trades as an apprentice electrician. Or, you’re heading to Vanderbilt University to double major in music composition and sociology. What a fantastic and eclectic mix in our class of 2022! 

    At the end of the movie (sorry about the spoiler), a paper is written which states “You see us as you want to see us: in the simplest terms, the most convenient definitions.” 

    Well, we - your teachers, your families, your friends - are here to tell you we see you as graduates who have accomplished amazing feats at KM. And, you’ve become adults with an incredible future ahead. We are extremely proud of you, class of 2022. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your club.