Graduation Pathway Panel

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to sit with Vanessa on the Indiana State Board of Education Graduation Pathways Panel.  This panel has been challenged to create a new system (different than the current GQE system) that would determine if a student has met the requirements of high school.  I think we all would agree that the current system of ISTEP 10 or ECA does not indicate if a student is ready for life after high school. Our current testing system is meaningless as no one believes the test is a true indication of what students can do; not to mention it is not recognized by anyone beyond high school. At the meeting there were many, many conversations about how we should pull from student strengths, teach professional skills that are currently embedded in our Work Ethic Certification and prepare our students for college and/or career.   

At Perry Central, I think we all know our students are more than a test score and teaching students those secret rules of life are very important parts of making sure our students can be successful.  We do believe that all of our students have a purpose and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to help students figure this system out.   I am so thankful that our state leaders are taking the time to have this conversation.  It is exciting to know there are individuals who are ready to be innovative and create an out-of-the-box system that is good for students, their families and our economy.     

Vanessa is in the unique position to provide input on what the recommendation should be to the Indiana Department of Education.  Please feel free to share any ideas you may have with her!

School News: 

*  SLOs are due October 20th for Jr./Sr. High School teachers.  Please see Jody or Phil if you have questions or need help with this process. The data wall has been updated with the scores we currently have!  

* We are already getting to the end of our first quarter!  Grades will be due in the system by Wednesday, October 18 and report cards will be distributed on October 20th.

* RTI Referrals - If you have an RTI referral, please remember to fill out the form on the high school web page!

Important Dates: 

Monday, September 25 - College 101 Night 6:00 p.m. High School Library

Tuesday, September 26 - Varsity Girls Volleyball @ Home vs. Mitchell  5:30 p.m.

Thursday, September 28 - Varsity Volleyball @ Jasper 5:30 p.m.

Friday, September 29 - Varsity Football @ home vs. West Washington 6:30 p.m. - Homecoming!

Monday, October 2 - College Fair @ Ivy Tech TC (list of students to will be attending during the day will be posted soon)

Friday, October 6 - Tour of Opportunity - all 8th grade students will be out of building/ Pep Session for Cross Country/Volleyball sectionals

May The Force Be With You!

Growth Mindset is always a topic worth reminding ourselves about!  Darth Vader and Yoda have a very empowering way of reminding us what a growth mindset is all about!  (This is in honor of Ty Guillaume!)

This summer, we attended the American School Counselor Association Annual Conference in Denver, CO.  At the conference, we had the awesome opportunity to hear Carol Dweck speak about her research on the Growth Mindset.  The research is remarkable!  Did you know they studied 10th grade students in Chile and the students who leaned towards a growth mindset were out performing students with a fixed mindset?  They found that a growth mindset was the biggest predictor of success for students - more important than economic status!  Sometimes the idea of growth mindset is so simple, I think we forget it's power!

Teaching our students to change the way they approach rigorous work can change their lives! Reminding them our brains have plasticity and we can transform and grow is so empowering!!  I loved the way Abbie Brockman presented this to her students about reading: Reading is like lifting weights - the heavier the lexile and the more we practice (repetition) the stronger our brains become - BUT, it is okay that we are all not lifting the same amount!  It is all about working to make ourselves stronger!   What a great analogy!

May the force be with all of you as you continue to embrace a growth mindset culture in your classroom!

Language stems you can use with your students to promote Growth Mindset: 
* You may have missed the question, but look at what you learned!!
* I know this is a struggle for you, but I can see you are making some improvements in ____!
* I admire your persistence and hard work!  It will pay off!  
*Of course it is tough!  It gives us the opportunity to learn! 

You can find other great research/ideas at: http://www.growthmindsetmaths.com/


School Notes: 

* Parent-Teacher Conferences: September 19th from 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Students will be released at 1:00 p.m.)   We will be providing you with Subway for  supper.   Please look over your class list and try to reach out to 8-10 families that you would love to meet and invite them to schedule a time with you.   

* Faculty Meeting - Tuesday, September 19th 7:20 a.m. High School Library

* Family Fun Night-   Has Been Cancelled!  :-)  

* Reminder:  Students can stay in 8th period on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday afternoons.  Mr. Barnett also offers a morning session at 7:15 a.m. on Wednesdays  (This are great resources to share with your families!)  

* SLO Due Date - Remember your SLOs are due Friday, October 20th  If you need help with this process, please see Jody or Phil. The data wall is up-to-date if you are looking for specific data.  

Important Dates: 

Monday, September 18 - Varsity Volleyball @ Home vs. Lanesville  5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, September 19 - Faculty Meeting  7:20 a.m./Early Release (1:00 p.m.) for Parent Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, September 20 - Walk to School Day!

Thursday, September 21 - Varsity Volleyball @ Heritage Hills  6:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 23 - Varsity Football @ Home vs. Eastern Green  1:00 p.m./ Marching Commodores Participate in IU Band Days - Kick-off at 2:30 p.m.  (Yes, I do attend this game to watch our band - NO, I do not wear an IU shirt!  Lol!!!)  

September 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences
October 6 - 8th Grade Tour of Opportunity (all 8th graders will be out this day on field trip)/ Pep Session
October 9-13 - Fall Break
October 20  - SLO's Due

Embrace the Struggle

This past week, we held our first virtual day for professional development.  I must say, it was a great day filled with great conversation, learning and growing.  As we all know, education is changing at a very rapid pace and it is sometimes hard to keep up.  Making changes in the day-to-day pedagogy can be overwhelming and I don't know about you, but when I see all of the great ideas on pinterest, face book, twitter, etc. you just wonder how people have time to do it!?! 

Even though change can be tough, it is important that we do move forward because the world we live in is changing so rapidly. People that seem to do the best in the classroom embrace this struggle and have a growth mindset that allows them to be willing to make small shifts and adjustments to their day.  These teachers are always on the search for new and better ways and are willing to experiment with new practices and are not afraid of failure.  Just as Maria Sweat says, "you have to be willing to jump into a new practice the very next day and not worry if it is going to be a failure or a success!!"

At Perry Central, we are lucky to have classrooms full of individuals who are always willing to jump in!  This year, our math and special education teachers are working on providing math instruction in small groups for greater differentiation and engagement.  Josh Craney and Julie Berkhouse are embarking on a cutting edge program with Commodore Manufacturing, taking project-based learning to a new and innovative level!  Our 8th grade science teachers are partnering with the agriculture department to develop curriculum that is cutting edge.  These are only a few examples of the work that is going on in our building.

When we focus on the small, doable parts instead of the big overwhelming end, great things can happen!  We are so fortunate to have a building full of individuals who are always willing to grow and change!


School Notes: 

* Parent-Teacher Conferences: September 19th from 1:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. (Students will be released at 1:00 p.m.)   We will be providing you with Subway for  supper.   Please look over your class list and try to reach out to 8-10 families that you would love to meet and invite them to schedule a time with you.  This practice has worked well in the past.   Also, when you have down time during the evening, it is a wonderful time to send positive emails to parents about students.  When you can talk to parents about positive experiences, you are building a very deep relationship - even by just letting them know you enjoy having them in class.  We will be sending out an email to parents from the building encouraging all parents to schedule times soon.  I will keep you posted.

* Wednesday, September 13 is our first after school PLC meeting from 3:00 - 4:00 in the high school library.  Please make sure you have given your 4.5 week assessments and if you have them graded, it will help you move along faster. We will be spending the hour looking at data and creating a plan for students as a team.  You will want to bring your tests, data, computer and a smile!  We will have food!  :-)

* Family Fun Night- September 22nd at Mulzer's Camp! Bring a covered dish, drinks and your family!  It is a great evening to kick back and enjoy each other's company!

* SLO Due Date - Remember your SLOs are due Friday, October 20th  If you need help with this process, please see Jody or Phil.

Important Dates: 

Monday, September 11th - School Board Meeting  6:30 p.m. High School Library

Tuesday, September 12th - Varsity Volleyball @ home vs. Paoli 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday, September 13th - After school PLC meeting  3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 14th - Varsity Volleyball @ home vs. West Washington  6:00 p.m.

Friday, September 15th - Varsity Football @ Tecumseh  6:00 p.m.

Saturday, September 16th - Varsity Cross Country @ Crawford County 9:00 a.m.

September 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences
September 22nd - Family Fun Night, Mulzer's Camp
October 9-13 - Fall Break
October 20  - SLO's Due

The Smartest Person in the Room

The Perry County Professional Skill of the month is Team Work.  Helen Keller describes team work so eloquently, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."  We have also heard the saying, "The smartest person in the room, is the room."   Both of these notions remind me of our PLC teams.  We know that it is important for anyone involved in instruction to be a part of the collaborative process.  It helps us take the shift from one teacher taking responsibility for a student's success to the team working together to ensure that students are learning.  By pulling from each other's strengths, learning from conversations/experiences and sharing the responsibility of teaching ALL students, we can accomplish so much more. When we work as a team, the answers are truly in the room, and it is important for all of us to be apart of this process.   

School News: 

After School PLC Meeting - September 13 - After School Meeting  3:00 - 4:00 p.m.  We will be looking at at data and creating remediation plans together!!  Please remember to give your 4.5/9 week assessments!  


Parent - Teacher Conferences:It is not too early to start thinking about Parent-Teacher Conferences, September 19th.  We will release at 1:00 p.m. and conferences will run until 7:00 p.m. Remember, we ask you to please think of at least 10 students that you would really like to meet their parents and send them a personal invitation.  This is also a great evening to take time and send some positive emails out to parents.  Catching your students "being good" and recognizing even the smallest accomplishment can help encourage positive behavior and build relationships!  

8th Period/Tutoring - 8th Period and morning tutoring will begin this week.  8th period runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:00- 4:00 p.m. and Wednesday mornings from 7:15 - 8:00 a.m. with math support.  

Commodore Table: Luke Bishop is starting the Commodore Table.  This is a free, hot meal for community members. Please help spread the word about this wonderful service.  The first meal will be served on September 5th.

* You can find several important documents in the Teacher Resource Folder on your Google Drive.   

Important Dates: 

September 5 - Commodore Table  5:30 p.m./  Professional Development Day/ Varsity Volleyball @ Crawford County  6:00 p.m.

September 6 - Shifting the Lift in Math Webinar  6:00 p.m.

September 7 - Varsity Volleyball Home vs. Tell City 6:00 p.m.

September 8 - Varsity Football Home vs. Paoli  6:30 p.m.

September 9 - Varsity Cross Country @ Brown County 8:30 a.m.

September 13 - After School PLC Meeting  3:00 - 4:00 p.m.
September 19 - Parent-Teacher Conferences  1:00 - 7:00 p.m.
September 22 - Family Fun Night @ Mulzer's Park