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!