Relationships Matter

It is hard to believe we have finished another school year!  If you are like me, you are excited to see the end come but at the same time will miss many of the smiling faces in your classrooms as you have built strong relationships over the last 180 days. 

Brittany Harth shared an article with me this week.  It was a reminder about the importance of understanding the stresses our students face daily and the power of a meaningful relationship.    One of my favorite parts of the article reminds us how we sometimes expect so much out of our students.  They sit in classes 7 hours a day and many work or play sports through the evening or go back to homes full of other stresses, like wondering where they are going to get their next meal.  While we still want to encourage students to do their best, we cannot forget that they are human, just like us, and exhibit the same emotions and struggles that many of us face daily.  Taking time to learn about students can be one of the most valuable investments you make in their learning, as we are reminded that students cannot learn until all their needs are met.  

This week, Abbie Brockman shared a story about a student in her STEAM class.  This young lady wanted to learn how to sew, but she needed a sewing machine.  Another student (older) in the class brought in one from home and gave it to this young lady.  This seems like a small act of kindness, but Abbie talked about how it was life changing for the girl.  Abbie could see the how that small investment gave this student hope as she realized that people really do care.  Her attitude changed towards others and the class. She suddenly wanted to work hard to be successful. 

Luckily, there are many stories just like this at Perry Central.  We are fortunate to have such kind teachers, students and community members.  I encourage you to read the article below as we continue to work together to empower our students and meet their ever changing needs.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/high-school-kids-are-not-all-right

Important Information:

Locker Clean Out:  Locker Clean Out will be Monday, May 21st at the following times:

12^th Grade – Last 15 minutes 1^st period

11^th Grade – First 15 minutes of 2^nd period

10^th Grade – Last 15 minutes of 2^nd period

9^th Grade – First 15 minutes of 3^rd period

^7th Grade – Last 15 minutes of 3^rd period

^8th Grade – First 15 minutes of 4^th period

Scheduling: Lou Ann and I will be calling out students by last name to answer questions about schedules, starting on Monday.  We will try to keep the interruptions at a minimum.  If you have students working on a project or testing and they cannot leave during that time, we will catch the student later.  Thank you!

Computer Pick-Up:  Computer pick-up will begin on Tuesday for seniors and will continue throughout the week.  If you have finals that require computers, that is okay.  Students will be encouraged to turn in their computers after their last final. Please remind students this week they need to bring their computer and chargers to school!   Here is a rough schedule: (we will be making announcements)

Seniors: Tuesday 6th & 7th periods

7-12:  Thursday 6th & 7th periods  (after last final)

Teachers:  We will pick your computers up at the end of teacher day on Friday.  Remember to back up all of your documents to a hard drive or H: Drive.  We are hopeful to have computers re-imaged by the first or second week of June if you need one for the summer.  

Seniors:  Monday and Tuesday will be the final days for seniors to be in your classrooms.  Wednesday, they will be going to Holiday World for their senior class trip and Thursday is graduation practice.  On Wednesday at 9:30, we will have our Senior Walk-Through.  Seniors will begin in the elementary and work their way up through the high school.  We will hold bells at the end of 2nd period until all of the students make it through the halls.  We will announce when we are going to start.  We would ask that all classrooms come out to the halls and wish our graduates well.  

End of Year Notes: Please make sure all of the following are completed by the end of the day on Friday: 

 - Dual Credit Grades uploaded in Ivy Tech website.  Also, please make a copy of the grade rosters and turn them into Mrs. Backer so we can update transcripts

 - Make sure all of your grades are finalized and correct in Skyward.  Please also make sure you do not have any incompletes.

- Please make sure you take inventory of any textbooks you may have given students.  Textbooks should please be stored in your classroom for the summer. 

- Leave your laptop in the tech room before you leave!

Hope you have a GREAT summer!!  Enjoy your time off - you deserve it!

Important Dates: 

Monday, May 21 - Varsity Baseball @ Heritage Hills  4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 23 - Seniors to Holiday World/  Finals for students in periods 2,4,5,6/ Baseball Sectional @ Tell City - PC vs. Mater Dei @ 5:30 p.m.  / Softball Sectional @ Forest Park  PC will play the winner of Tell City/Tecumseh at 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 24 - Finals for students in periods 1,3,5,7!   

Friday, May 25 - Retirement Breakfast @ 8:00 a.m./ Teacher Last Day

Our Town

This weekend, our students performed in the school play called, "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder.  "Our Town"  is a timeless drama that explores the meaning of life, love and death in a small town in New Hampshire in 1937.  Even though this play was set back in the 1930s, it still reminded me of our own quaint community.  Many families working hard to make a living, raising children and supporting each other through the ups and downs of life.  It is a place where neighbors help neighbors and everyone is willing to serve others for the greater good.  We may not have the rich and famous living among us, but we quickly make up for what we do not have in love and kindness towards each other.  I feel so blessed to live in "Our Town", here in southern Indiana. In the play, Emily Webb, who recently was deceased was allowed to go back and visit one day of her life. She realized that she never fully appreciated it all until she lost it,  "Oh, earth, you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you."   I think we often take for grated how lucky we truly are.

Our students did an excellent job this year. We are very proud of their efforts and look forward to another production this coming fall!  

School Notes: 

* This week, our College and Career Counseling program will be a part of a case study used by University of Indianapolis to help train new principals.  Several members of our high school will be interviewed on Monday as they learn more about our comprehensive counseling program.  Thank you to all of our counselors, teachers and students for making Perry Central's program a success!  

* Tuesday, May 15th. Laurie Ferry will be here to work with our math departments.  She is going to work the first half of the day in the elementary and second half with junior/senior high school!  We are excited about this opportunity!

* Wednesday, May 16th is our annual scholarship banquet.  This year Stephanie Epple will be our distinguished alumni speaker.  We are very excited to have her back to Perry Central!  Thank you to Lou Ann Backer and Mary Jo Hagedorn for making sure everything is prepared for the event!  We are anticipating around 220 guests!  Congratulations to the Class of 2018!

* Friday is our annual Commodore Pride Celebration!  We will have a cook-out for grades 9-12 on the front lawn during lunch/WIN  (grades 7 and 8 will get to be on the track during this time).  Students will be released during 6th & 7th periods for the celebration in the gym.  Looking forward to another great event!  Thanks to the Commodore Pride Celebration Committee for all of their hard work!

* 7th Graders will be taking a field trip to the Perry County 4-H Fairgrounds on Tuesday, May 15th  to learn more about science!  Thank you to Stephanie Walsh for making the arrangements for this trip!  

Important Dates: 

Monday, May 14 - AP Biology Exam/ Case Study Interviews/ Varsity Baseball and Softball games @ PC 5:00 p.m.  Senior Night for track, baseball and softball/ Preschool Graduation 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 15 - AP Calculus Exam/ CNA Certification Exam 9:00 a.m./ Laurie Ferry Math meetings/ Girls Track Sectional @ Perry Central/ Varsity Golf @ Tell City 4:30 p.m./ 7th Grade Field Trip

Wednesday, May 16 - Education Profession Certification Exam/ Discussion Committee Meeting 7:30 a.m./ Walk to School Day/ Scholarship Banquet 6:30 p.m. / Varsity Baseball @ Springs Valley

Thursday, May 17 - Boys Track Sectional @ Jasper 4:30/ Varsity Golf @ Springs Valley 4:00

Friday, May 18 - Grandparent's Day 8:00 a.m./ Commodore Pride Celebration/ Varsity Softball @ Home vs. NE Dubois/ Varsity Baseball vs. Forest Park 5:30 p.m. 

Saturday May 19 - Unified Track Sectional 3:00 p.m. Central High School

Final Exam Schedule:  

            Wednesday:  Periods 2,4,5 (one period), 6 

            Thursday: Periods 1,3,5 (one period),7

    Reminder that periods will be a double block, except for 5th period each day.  It is important to have meaningful work for students to participate in the last two days of school.  Students need to be busy and stay focused.  

Thank You Teachers!

      Teacher Appreciation Week is always a special week! Teachers play such an important role in everyone's life.  I was fortunate to have super teachers in my career here at Perry Central, including Mr. Linne and Mr. Reese!  Even though all teachers work hard to teach standards, I am sure if you think back to your most inspirational teachers, you do not remember very many standards they taught!  Most of us remember the jokes they told, support they provided in our extra-curricular activities, and the genuine relationships that were developed.                                     This week, I was reminded of the saying, "Where your treasurer is, your heart will also be."  I feel so blessed to work with a group of teachers who truly have a heart for students. We know that learning is the goal, but building deep relationships are the priority.  

         A special thank you to all of you this week!  Your hard work, dedication and caring concern for all of our students make each and every one special in my eyes.  You are truly making a difference!  Hope you feel special this week, you deserve it!

Teacher Appreciation Activities this week: 
All Week:  You can wear jeans!
Monday:  German American Bank
Tuesday: Bagels from Athletic Department
Wednesday: Bill and Dave's from High School Office
Thursday:  Student Council Lunch
Friday: Lunch from Corporation - Fiesta Grande

Important Information:

Senior Presentation:  Toyota Manufacturing will be here on Tuesday, May 8 at 9:00 a.m. to speak to seniors about opportunities in their manufacturing facility.  A location will be determined at a later date.  We will release students by intercom.

AP Exams: Now that ISTEP is over, we get to move into AP Exams!!  Below you will find the the AP Exam dates: (rosters will be emailed out soon)
    Tuesday, May 8 - AP Spanish/ Wednesday, May 9 - AP Literature/ Friday, May 11 - AP US History/ Monday, May 14 - AP Biology/ Tuesday, May 15 - AP Calculus/ Wednesday, May 16 - AP Language

Academic Honors Award Night - This Wednesday, May 9th will be our annual Academic Awards Program!  It is always nice when all of our teachers are there to present their awards to the students.  Like last year, pin presentations will be made by department teams.  We will send the agenda out a little later this week!  Please arrive around 6:15 p.m.  We will have special seating for teachers in the high school gym.

School Play - Over 20 students have been working very hard the past 5 weeks to pull off a production called "Our Town" this weekend.  Shows will run Saturday, May 12th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.   We are very proud of our students!!  Hope to see you there!

Elementary Track Meet/Health Fair - Friday is the annual Elementary Track meet.  Please make sure that junior high and high school students stay in classes, they should not be attending the meet.

Book Studies:  Please do not forget to post on Google Classroom in your Book Study Page.  I think we will begin scheduling lunch meetings with each team so we can talk about what we are learning face to face!  Phil and I will reach out to you soon!  We are ready to move on to the last few chapters of the book!  Happy Reading!


Important Dates: 

Monday, May 7:  School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. High School Library/ Unified Track @ home 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Baseball and Softball @ Crawford County 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 8:  Varsity Softball @ Wood Memorial 5:30 p.m./ Free Athletic Physical Night!

Wednesday, May 9:  Academic Awards Program 6:30 p.m. High School Gym

Thursday, May 10: Varsity Softball vs. Mitchell  4:30 p.m./ Varsity Golf @ Christmas Lake Village 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Track vs. Mitchell 5:00 p.m.

Friday, May 11: Elementary Track Meet/Health Fair/ FFA Banquet 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12: School Play 7:00 p.m./ Varsity Softball @ West Washington 11:00 a.m./ Varsity Baseball @ West Washington 11:00 a.m.

Sunday, May 13: School Play 3:00 p.m./  Mother's Day!