Jill's Journal: An eye witness to a Lynx Way moment
Five years ago, when the greater Brandon Valley community was asked to embrace a new character traits program, “The Lynx Way,” I quickly latched onto the idea. I bought into this way of thinking, so much so, that’s the heading we use in the Journal to announce achievements of past and present BVHS students who make the dean’s list or are awarded a scholarship, for example.
This new line of thinking was championed by our then “new” superintendent, Dr. Jarod Larson and his team of administrators, and it didn’t take long before not only the kids and staff inside the walls of our school buildings to buy into it, but soon you could hear them quoting “The Lynx Way” in their everyday conversations.
So, just what is “The Lynx Way?”
Basically, it comes down to implementing five positive character traits into our everyday lives and actions. The traits are: Respectful. Safe. Responsible. Kind. Active Learners.
As our sprawling school district enrollment numbers continue to climb, it’s been important that all of our students – no matter which grade they are in or the address of the school building they attend – know they are a Brandon Valley Lynx from the very start. It’s also important to embed “The Lynx Way” of thinking across the district, again, no matter which grade a student may be in or where their school building is lies within the district.
Last week, I got an up-close view of a “Lynx Way” moment.
It took place on the links of Hidden Valley Golf Course, where our Lynx boys’ golf team were hosting Harrisburg. Although the bulk of our varsity team didn’t play that afternoon, the dual still counts in the varsity standings and gave some of our underclassmen golfers a chance to shine.
And shine, they did, in both their scores and in their actions.
While there snapping photos for this week’s sports section, I happened to catch wind that a Harrisburg golfer was still in his summer mindset of “gimmes,” essentially, picking up the ball on the green when within close proximity to the hole. In high school golf, that’s not allowed, as student-athletes are required to finish the hole by actually putting the ball into the cup.
As a foursome of golfers – two from Harrisburg and two bearing the Brandon Valley logo – were going from the green to the next tee box, I overheard the Harrisburg player question the Lynx players if they “had ratted” him out to their coach.
The BV boys didn’t shy away from admitting that indeed they had mentioned what he’d done toCoach Lockner. It was, after all, “The Lynx Way”.
He then went onto mumble something about expecting a talk in practice the next day regarding ethics of the game, and continued with some “jabs” at the BV boys as tp why it was really “no big deal.”
“No big deal,” I thought to myself, “It’s a rule of the game.”
And then, before I knew it, I blurted out, “That’s how the game goes, buddy.”
While most would expect the BV boys to retaliate from the comments the Harrisburg teen was throwing their way, they didn’t. They simply kept their focus on the game at hand and they did it “The Lynx Way.”
