Monday Moment:

In the spirit of giving, I wanted to share a little bit about the amazing Christmas Angel Program we have here at Perry Central Community Schools.  This program started in the late 70's by Joyce Williams when she started fixing up gently used toys for needy students.  In the 80's, Karen Kelly, Mary Jo Carter and Sheila Lamon-Borden started shopping for needy families with money from an anonymous donor. Today, this program continues to grow.  Our own students, faculty & staff and community members raise enough money to make sure our program is a success.  I think you will be surprised by these numbers:

 - 159:  The number of students who will benefit from the Christmas Angel Program at Perry Central
- 150: The number of Clarksville TJ Max employees that donate $100 to make sure each student has a nice bag for their gifts
- 159: The number of tooth brushes and tooth paste tubes donated from a local dentist.
- 240:  The number of individuals benefiting from a food basket from the Perry Central Community thanks to the food drive and donations from Kiwanis and Perry Central FFA.  Families receive toiletries, canned foods, packaged foods, cereal, peanut butter, potatoes, fresh fruit,  etc.
- $15,000: The amount of money donated (either through gifts or cash) to help provide gifts and necessary items for needy families.
- Immeasurable: The gratitude and love felt by everyone because of your kindness.

Perry Central Community Schools is a true family; taking care of each other in times of need.  As the history of the program suggests, the culture of generosity runs deep among many generations.  Truly, giving to others is a way to find true happiness.  I know we have a lot of happy, full hearts this Christmas!

Important Dates:  
December 12 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. / Fed-Ex groups and parents invited to Pour Haus 6:30 p.m.

December 15th - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Orleans  5:30 p.m.

December 16th - Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home vs. Springs Valley  5:30 p.m.

December 17th - Girls Holiday Tournament @ South Spencer

December 19th - Christmas Coffee & Conversations 6:30 p.m./ Final Exams

December 20th - Faculty Meeting 7:30 a.m./ Faculty/Staff Lunch/ Final Exams

Monday Moment:

Did You Know by 2028?

This fall, I had the opportunity to attend the National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Conference in Indianapolis, IN.  One of the speakers shared the video that is posted below called Did You Know in 2028?.  These types of videos are not new to me.  Honestly, when I started as guidance counselor, we were showing  Did you know 2.0  It was a look at how our global economy is changing so rapidly.  Did You Know 2028 shares information that is concerning to me, such as:

• The most valuable sought after resource will be water. 
• Depression will be the 2nd largest disease to the middle class to diabetes 
• Technology will over power our lives.  
• The need for servant leadership will be strong.

Even though these are only predictions, I think as educators it is a clear message that just as the world is changing, the students we are teaching are changing.  Our task is to not only teach them how to read, write and perform basic math principles, but we must teach them how to think critically and survive in this technology driven world. The future leaders of this world must know how to use creativity to solve problems, work together in teams, understand each others social/emotional states and be able to effectively communicate.    

If you have an extra three minutes, I would encourage you to view this quick video. Remember, it is not a time to be discouraged, but a time to embrace change!! 

Did you Know by 2028?

Promising Practices:

According to Peter C. Brown, author of  the book "Make it Stick.  The Science of Successful Learning," re-reading text and providing a massed practice of a skill or new knowledge are by far the preferred methods for learners and teachers.  Even though these are popular methods in and out of the classroom, it has been proven that they are the least productive.  The Retrieval Practice of recalling facts, concepts or events from memory is the most effective and can be done by a simple quiz after a reading or classroom discussion.  In fact, John Hattie tells us the book "Visible Learning for Literacy," that daily formative assessment is a chief way for teachers to make instructional decisions about what will occur next in the learning process.  Checking for understanding by using exit tickets and providing ways for students to self-assess are highly successful ways to help the learning "stick"!

Daily formative assessments work best by setting learning objectives for each period (what do you want students to learn today in this period) and then quickly assessing their learning at the end of the 48 minutes.  Using this information to inform your instruction for the next day is where real learning can take place.    

I know you feel like if you hear the words "daily formative assessments" again, you may throw-up!  But these quick assessments have been proven over and over again to improve the learning happening in the classroom.  What are some ways new formative assessment ideas you have tried in your classroom?  If you haven't already, I challenge you to make a commitment to add one new method a month.  Research shows you will be glad you did!!!

This week, I will share "A&D Statements" in your mailbox as another FACT idea!  If you try it, let me know how it works!  


Important Dates:  
December 5 - Varsity Girls Basketball @ West Washington  5:30 p.m.

December 6 - Varsity Boys Basketball Game @ Home  (Crawford County) 5:30 p.m.

December 7 - Candy Cane Carnival

December 8 - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Home (Tecumseh) 5:30 p.m.

December 9 - Varsity Boys Basketball Game @ Wood Memorial  5:30 p.m./ Christmas Angel Gifts Due

December 10 - Christmas Dance






Have a Great Week!

Servant Profession

Monday Moment:

"Education is a servant profession." George Couros    

 Servant Leadership can be described as putting your students first and yourself second.  Couros' observation of the education field really describes how noble our profession is.  Being a good listener, helping each students achieve their individual success, catching students being good and giving respect are all strong qualities of this type of leadership. Being a servant leader is a humbling experience that creates a caring and accepting culture - a place where we all want to be.

I feel fortunate that servant leadership is the core Perry Central Community Schools (in my opinion.)  I see this leadership style everyday in our building. Faculty, staff and students go above and beyond to ensure that each and every student has what it takes to learn; whether it is food on the table, clothes on their backs, a good friend or a helping hand. I am proud that my own children get to be apart of a community that continues to give and put others first.  A sincere thank you to all of you for giving so much of yourselves everyday and making everyone feel they matter.

Promising Practices:

The RTI team has been reading an interesting book called "Causes and Cures" by Margaret Searle .  It is a book based on brain research that can give us a lot of information about the behaviors and academic stresses our students face everyday.  Here are a few quick facts you may find interesting:

• The term executive function is used by neurologist to describe the brain processes that drive our ability to focus, solve problems, organize ourselves, remember information, learn from mistakes and manage impulses. 
• Executive skills such s planning, attention span and organization show a spike in development at the age of 5, but do not peak until late to mid-20's!! (THAT explains a few things!!  :-) )
• Genetics, disabilities, stages of life, gender, quality of family life, self-concept and stress levels all affect the natural timeline for the development of executive functioning. 
• Understanding how executive skills develop can help us figure out the best responses to academic and behavioral problems that are often mistaken for laziness, carelessness or lack of motivation. 

Stay tuned in next week for more information!  

Important Dates:  
- November 28 -   Girls Varsity vs. Lanesville  5:30 p.m.

- November 29 - 

- November 30 - 

- December 1 -   Girls Varsity Vs. Crawford Co.  5:30 p.m.

- December 2 -  Boys Varsity Vs. Cannelton  6:00 p.m.






Have a Great Week!

Thanksgiving

Monday Moment:

Thanksgiving is always one of my favorite times of the year.  Getting together with family, watching the big football game and planning our Black Friday shopping strategy is always exciting.  The conversations at the dinner table include a little bit of politics, education topics,  farming anecdotes, and of course the yearly joke that when my mom was in college, she asked if Thanksgiving would be on a Thursday again.

Most of all, this time of the year reminds me of how lucky I am to work at Perry Central.  Perry Central is more than just a place to work, it is a place I call home.  I am amazed each and every day about how much all of our faculty and staff care about kids and will go the extra mile to make sure our students have what they need.  Our Perry Central family makes me proud and I am so grateful that I get to work with each and every one of you.

What are you grateful for?  Share in the attitude of gratitude and feel free to comment at the end of this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Looking forward to your posts.

Promising Practices:

This past week, Tara has been working hard to write a grant that would help us embed our Work Ethic Certification deeper into our school culture.  Through the grant process, she had to share some data that speaks to the changing student body at Perry Central.  This data, along with the challenge of teaching the millennial generation reminds me of the importance of quality classroom instruction that meets the needs of our students - and these needs are changing rapidly.  This is one of the most challenging times in education as we have to understand the executive function of student brains, make sure we are providing interactive lessons that keep the short attention span of students focused, and building relationships with each and every student!   Shew!!  I am sure glad that all of you are up to that challenge!!

Below you will find interesting data for you to look at and a chart that shows millennial needs in the classroom:

Data: 
* 35.4% of the students at Perry Central Jr-Sr High School qualify for free or reduced lunch.
* Free/reduced lunch rates have climbed in the last 15 years from 21 to 37.4% corporation-wide.
*15.5% of the county’s children live in poverty, which is higher than the Indiana average.
*Perry County was ranked 71st in per capita personal income in 2014 at $33,752, nearly $6,000 lower than the state average.
*The monthly average of persons issued Food Stamps in Perry County has risen from 662 in 2000 to 1,752 in 2015.

Chart:


Important Dates:  
- November 21st - Varsity Girls Basketball @ Cannelton

- November 22nd -   Mid-term reports go home!

- November 23rd - First day of Thanksgiving Break/ Boys Varsity Basketball @ home against Tell City

Enjoy your short week!

Monday Moment:

"We can choose to be grateful, no matter what."  Deiter Uchtodorf

This quote caught my eye this week.  I have found that the simple process of gratitude can really change a person's perspective on life.  Even in our darkest moments there are glimmers of hope.

It reminds me of losing my dad to cancer.  Obviously, it was one of the most devastating times for our family. Seeing a man who lived for working on the farm, supporting his kids and grand kids and giving back to the community he lived in, being forced quit was a heart wrenching time.  The man I was always able to lean on was suddenly relying on his family to keep him going.  Watching him leave this world and enter into his eternal life still leaves our family with an emptiness that is hard to describe.

But, I am still grateful for these times and memories of my dad.  He never complained one time about being sick and always tried to be happy when we were there.  We were able to have some great conversations and spend some of the best quality time together as a family.  I had no idea how many people my dad touched in his life until his funeral.  The number of people who stood in line just to pay their respects was heartwarming and touching.

Focusing on these positives experiences through my dad's death is uplifting and peaceful.  And even though I would do anything to have him back,  I am grateful for these experiences.  I have found having a grateful attitude can change one's perspective in life.

So my challenge to you this week is to be grateful.  Our lives can be so overwhelming at times but if we can focus on the positives and pass along the attitude of gratitude, I believe we can overcome anything.

Promising Practices:

We have a great school filled with great kids.    I know I do not need to say that out loud, but sometimes I do not think we say it enough.  This week I was able to attend a few events with our students that just made me proud.  During FedEx Day, I was reminded of how thoughtful our students are.  Every FedEx project came from the heart and they all gave back to the school or community in one way or another.  Even though this election year can make us worry about the future of America, I know the future of Perry County is bright with the leaders we have in our building.

Tuesday night were our Fall Athletic Banquets.  Our athletes accepted their awards and accolades in the most humble ways and exhibited traits of what true team spirit looks like.  They were quick to congratulate their team mates and show appreciation to the coaching staff and their parents.

And, Saturday night I traveled to the University of Louisville to watch our band students participate in the U of L Band Days.  They got to play under the big lights with over 1100 other high school band students.  They always  represent Perry Central so well by their politeness, strong work ethic and pride.

These are just three small examples of the impact our student body made in just one week!  I know they are always successful because of the role models they have as teachers, sponsors, assistants and parents.  Thanks for all you do! Hope you have a great week!

Important Dates:  
- November 15th - High School Faculty Meeting 7:20 a.m.  McDonald's Breakfast!!/ Girls Varsity Basketball @ South Spencer

- November 16th - Vocational Meeting with Jarred Howard  7:20 a.m.  (He is bringing donuts!)

- November 17th - RTI Meeting 7:20 a.m. (Finishing sharing the book)/ Girls Varsity Basketball hosts Forest Park

-


Have a Great Week!

Election Day!

Monday Moment:

Election week is finally here.  I think we are all tired of hearing about the election at the local, state and national levels.  I can't say that I will miss the controversial adds, statements, newspaper articles and conversations.  Although, I have enjoyed my own kids' perspectives on the election.  They are definitely opinionated about who I should vote for, which is refreshing that they want to be apart of the process.

Even though this time of year can be exhausting, it is also a proud time to be an American.  We live in a democracy that favors equal rights, freedom of speech, a fair trial and tolerates the views of minorities.  Men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives just so we can have this right.  Voting is a fundamental process that keeps our system of government working.  It gives all of us a voice on who we want to represent us on the local, state and national level.

So, whether you are a democrat, republican, independent, libertarian, etc.  I hope you make time to vote on Tuesday, November 8th.  Franklin D. Rossevelt said, "Nobody will ever deprive the American people the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting."   So please, do not deprive yourself of that right, make sure you vote.   Whether your candidates win or lose, your opinions matter and it is the best way you can exercise your rights in this democracy.

Kid President has a great message for all of us this time of the year! Pause... Breathe... LOVE.   I am just going to stick with STEP 6. . . . . .  Click here for video.

Promising Practices:

I hope you had a chance to take a look at some of the formative classroom assessment technique (FACT)  ideas in your folders last week.  I will be adding a new one to your mailboxes today called "No-Hands Questioning".  You have probably heard this one before.  If you are looking for a way to stimulate thinking and provide an opportunity for all students to share their learning and be accountable, this is an easy one to do!!  You could even do a little turn and talk prior to the no-hands just so everyone has had a chance to think about some type of answer.

Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam define formative assessment classroom techniques as all activities undertaken by teachers, and/or students, which provides feedback that modifies teaching and learning activities.  I am always amazed at the impact FACTs have on the learning that is taking place in the classroom.  Teachers are provided with information that impacts instruction in real-time, students are highly engaged during the learning process and as a result student achievement is high.

It was exciting to see this first hand this week in the Math 7 Block class, led by Cheryl, Heidi and Jenny.  Students were using white boards to answer math problems, 3x5 cards to put numbers in order from greatest to least, small group problem solving with immediate feedback, no-hands questioning and more.  Students were engaged, happy, and enjoying the learning process.  Even though students did not always have the correct answer the first time, students and teachers were getting timely feedback that allowed the teacher make real-time adjustments to their instruction and provide support to students that allowed them to be successful.  I am looking forward to seeing more formative classroom assessment activities in the weeks to come!

Important Dates:  
- November 7th - Time Change Breakfast!  High School Library 7:20 a.m.- 8:00 a.m. (you are welcome to come and go as you please.)/ School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m.

- November 8th - Election Day!!    PBIS Data Committee meeting/ Girls Varsity Basketball Home Game 5:30 p.m.

- November 9th - Millennial Training for entire corporation- High School Library 3:00 - 4:00 p.m./ ASVAB Testing for Juniors/ FFA Crops, Entomology CDE

- November 10th - RTI Meeting 7:20 a.m./ Fall Athletic Banquets

- November 11th - Veterans Day/ Girls Varsity Basketball @ Mitchell 5:30 p.m.

- November 12th - Perry Central Band playing in U of L Band Days


Have a Great Week!

The Power of Reflection

Monday Moment:

Well, here it goes.  My first entry to a weekly blog.  I am very nervous about starting something like this because I am not a good writer nor am I good and keeping up with this type of work.  I have had a constant battle between my head and my heart - my head says it is a bad idea but my heart believes it is time to move into the 21st Century!

George Couros sends a challenge to all of us to take time to be reflective, so I want to try to accept that challenge.  I do believe in being reflective.  John Dewey says, "We do not learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience."  I believe in this fast paced world we live in that it is crucial to take to look at where we have been and where we are heading.  It is also important to make sure we provide time to our students to be reflective on the information they have gained and make connections to their learning.

There are many benefits to taking time to reflect on life.  I have found it to help me learn from my mistakes (boy, are there a lot of those!), find ways to help others, provide me time to put a stressful day into a different perspective and sometimes taking time to reflect can help me think of some pretty good ideas!!  I think being reflective by nature also just helps us all be happier.  Reflection for  me can come everyday by reading a devotional, staying an extra few minutes in the shower, or walking to the barn through our beautiful Hoosier National Forest.

So, in the weeks ahead, I hope all of you can find time to reflect.  Reflect on your relationships at home and school, your community, your own teaching practices, and your spiritual wellness. Make a commitment to reflect a little bit each day - just 5-10 minutes of quiet time. George Couros says that without looking back it is impossible to move forward.  I believe these are good words to live by.


Promising Practices:

Calling all Formative Assessment Ideas!!!!   We know that formative assessments are ways to offer activities that provide teachers and students with information about their factual, conceptual and procedural understandings of a topic.  They allow teachers to continuously gather information about student thinking and learning in order to make data-informed decisions, monitor the pace of instruction, identify misconceptions and common errors and engage students!

On Monday, you will receive a folder in your mailbox with a couple of formative assessment ideas.  Each week, I will add ideas to your mailbox so you can add to the folder and the options you have to gather information about student learning.  Keep this folder and keep adding to the ideas of ways you can find a higher level of engagement with your students and learn more about their thought processes in the classroom.  I challenge each and every one of you to try at least one of these activities twice a week!   I look forward hearing more about your experiences with Formative Assessment Classroom Techniques (FACT)!

Announcements: 
- November 2nd - Early College High School Visit  (CELL will be here to evaluate our dual credit program)
- November 2nd - Discussion Meeting   7:20
- November 6th - United Way Youth Day of Caring


Have a Great Week!  Wanted to share this video with the teachers I LOVE!  (Click Here for video)