What is the Purpose of Education?

Many of you probably remember George Curous, the gentleman that kicked off our school year a few years ago.  He is an education consultant that focuses on innovation, learning and leadership.  This week in his blog he asked a questions that I grapple with everyday, "What is the purpose of education?"   Have you ever sat back to reflect on this question?

From our legislator's viewpoint, both federally and at the state level it apparently basic math and ELA skills.  We know what we assess drives our teaching.  The government continues to put focus on high-stakes testing in math and English for students in grades 3-10.  Even though there have been efforts to limit the testing for accountability in high school, the efforts died.  Many schools across the state could not see the power of a different accountability system.  It is not their fault, since they have lived in this antiquated testing system for so long.  It makes me sad because we will continue to be stuck in a win-less system, narrowing the focus of what school could be.

What if changed what we assessed?  What if we defined our success by measuring student engagement, authentic learning tasks, student autonomy?  What if our students had the opportunity to excel in their own strengths, were allowed to be creative and problem-solving real-world problems?

I can tell you what would happen if our education system would measure success in a different way.  We would find happy, successful students who would value their education.  I hope at Perry Central we can continue to push the envelope and find ways for our students to engage in their education in innovative ways; looking for purpose, agency, strong skill sets and mind-sets that lead to deep knowledge!  To me, this is when education can truly change the world!


Important Information: 

ILEARN Testing - ILEARN testing starts on Monday during 2,3&4 periods.  As you know, testing takes a team effort, so please be familiar with the schedule.  You can find a link below.  I also sent out a few emails about coverage to some of you this evening.  Looking forward to a great week of testing!  (Also, you may see a few familiar faces in the building this week as Jackie Wright, Nancy Wright, Rebecca Etienne, Nan Dupont and Becky Hubert have offered to help us with testing!)
        Test Schedule HERE.

   Monday, April 29 - ELA Test 1 (Computer Adaptive), Periods 2-4
   Tuesday, April 30 - ELA Test 2, Part 1 (Performance Task), Periods 2-3
   Wednesday, May 1 - ELA Test 2, Part 2 (Performance Task), Periods 2-4

   Monday, May 6 - Math Test 1 (Computer Adaptive), Periods 2-4
   Tuesday, May 7 - Math Test 2 (Performance Task), Periods 2-3

ISTEP 10 Testing  - Thanks to all of our teachers who helped with ISTEP 10 Testing!  That test is finished!  

Suicide Training - Just a reminder that the 2nd option for Suicide Training will be Tuesday, April 30th from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the high school library.

Ron Clark Movie - Even though Spring is really a busy time, I did have a few people respond back and say that they could watch the Ron Clark Movie after school on May 7th.  We will tentative set the movie for 3:10 - 4:40 p.m. in the high school library.  I think the movie is going to be great!  More information to come as we get closer to this date.  It is my goal to utilize some of Ron Clark's work in our junior high next year.  Everyone is invited!

Signing Day - Perry County will be hosting a Signing Day on Wednesday, May 1st at 6:30 p.m. for students that will be going straight into the workforce after high school.  Signing Days have been gaining a lot of traction as we celebrate all aspirations and goals after high school.  Students that will be recognized have worked hard to position themselves to have full-time employment already lined up; many utilizing their internships as a spring board.  Hope you can join us!


Important Dates:

Monday, April 29 -  Varsity Baseball @ Paoli 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30 -  Suicide Training 3:05 p.m. - 4:00 p.m./ JV Golf  @ SV Course - and Varsity @ Lucas Oil 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 1 - Signing Day  6:30 p.m. Tell City Depot/ Varsity Baseball @ Home vs. TC 5:00/ Varsity Softball @ Lanesville 4:30

Thursday, May 2 - Varsity Baseball @ Springs Valley 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Softball @ Heritage Hills 5:00 p.m.

Friday, May 3 - PLAC Track Meet @ PC   4:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 - Perry Central Jr./Sr. High School Prom - Grand March 7:00 p.m.

Hope

Spring is my favorite time of the year.  After a long, cold, dark winter, (or two days of pure rain) the spring time starts to make me feel warm and renewed again!  Right now as the trees are blooming, grass is greening up and the flowers popping out of the ground, it is the perfect time to be reminded of the hope that we can share with others.   

Everyday, all of you provide hope to all of our students in so many ways:
* Utilizing research-based grading practices and academic supports that do not allow students to make the decision to fail.
* Learning how to implement brain-aligned classroom work by Lori Desautels helps students who have had so much trauma in their life shift their brains to the academic work - providing them with hope for learning.
* Utilizing Industry Challenges and engaging students in authentic learning opportunities provides students with a purpose and an opportunity to know they can learn when they are engaged!
* Loving, caring, smiling faces greet students each and every day, never giving up on the toughest student! 

Just like the warm sun and beautiful sights and smells lift our spirits; caring adults can lift up children and make an impact on their lives forever! 

Hope all of you had a wonderful long, Easter Weekend!


Important Information:

ISTEP Testing - 10th Grade students will continue with ISTEP testing this week for English!  Most of the testing will happen in the English classrooms, but there are a few changes.  Please find the link to the ISTEP schedule HERE.  Thank you for your flexibility and help during this important test!

ILEARN - ILEARN testing will begin the following week.  We will be finalizing the testing schedule very soon.  Below you will see a rough estimate of testing days and times.  ILEARN is a little tricky as it is an un-timed test, so we are doing our best to create a schedule.  Flexibility is going to be important as we move through the next couple of weeks together.  Again, we will post more information as soon as we get it. 
   Monday, April 29 - ELA Test 1 (Computer Adaptive), Periods 2-4
   Tuesday, April 30 - ELA Test 2, Part 1 (Performance Task), Periods 2-3
   Wednesday, May 1 - ELA Test 2, Part 2 (Performance Task), Periods 2-4

   Monday, May 6 - Math Test 1 (Computer Adaptive), Periods 2-4
   Tuesday, May 7 - Math Test 2 (Performance Task), Periods 2-3

Junior High Teams - Thanks to all of the teachers for their help in our Pinning Ceremony on Thursday.  I think it was a great first start.  I know we are all feeling our way through this, but it was nice to see the students excited.  This Thursday will be our first team meeting during WIN.  Janet was able to type up the teams for us, so I will be sending out your group lists on Tuesday.  I will also send a "suggested" agenda for your meeting time - but please know your creativity is welcomed!  Our goal is to get the students excited and working together as a team!  More information to come soon!

Ron Clark Movie - Even though Spring is really a busy time, I did have a few people respond back and say that they could watch the Ron Clark Movie after school on May 7th.  We will tentative set the movie for 3:10 - 4:40 p.m. in the high school library.  I think the movie is going to be great!  More information to come as we get closer to this date.  It is my goal to utilize some of Ron Clark's work in our junior high next year.  Everyone is invited! 

Junior Interviews - On April 25th and 26th, Mike Bishop has arranged for 12 individuals from the community to come in and interview all junior students.  Interviews will not only be great practice for students, but some students will be interviewing for the Work Ethic Certification and Internship positions for next school year.  Maria Sweat taught students how to create a resume and be prepared for an interview.   We will have a schedule for interviews posted by the end of the day on Tuesday. 

Signing Day - Perry County will be hosting a Signing Day on Wednesday, May 1st for students that will be going straight into the workforce after high school.  Signing Days have been gaining a lot of traction as we celebrate all aspirations and goals after high school.  Students that will be recognized have worked hard to position themselves to have full-time employment already lined up; many utilizing their internships as a spring board.  Invitations will be sent soon!

End of School Dates - Just a reminder to check the end-of-the year calendar.  You can find a link HERE.  There are many field trips, testing, etc. that will be starting soon! 

Suicide Training - Just a reminder that the 2nd option for Suicide Training will be Tuesday, April 30th from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. in the high school library.

Band Concert - Perry Central Band will host a concert on Wednesday, April 24th at 6:00 p.m. on the stage.  Come on out and listen to our awesome musicians! 


   

Our Conscious Selves

As the end of the school year approaches, we all start to feel the pinch!  Testing, athletic events, end of the year celebrations and the list goes on and on!  It can honestly cause me to get into the stress mode of my brain, which is not always the best place to be when working with students.  I found myself there on Friday with a student. 

A student had been sent out of a classroom that had a guest speaker for the day.  This student wasn't  new to this type of behavior.  After speaking to the teacher, I was honestly just ready to throw him in ISS.  (Because that would fix it!  Insert eye-roll towards me here.)  I asked the student to come in my office and asked him what happened.  He immediately started blaming the teacher and didn't want to take any responsibility.  We told him he was just going to hang out in ISS and he refused to go.  It was a tense and stressful situation at the time.  After a moment of silence and me just looking at the student for a minute, I took a deep breath.  The student was right, a day of ISS wasn't exactly going to fix the situation and my own attitude wasn't helping teach him how to meet our              expectations. 

Instead of continuing down this negative road, I took a deep breath, and asked the student if he wanted to start over.  I calmly talked to him about the importance of owning up to our part of the mistake and how he is representing himself and others in the classroom - especially with a guest speaker.  I could see the body language of the student change from a stress-filled, angry human-being to a calmer version of himself.  He did admit that he could have handled the situation better and was able to tell me what he would do differently next time.  Instead of hammering him in ISS, I remembered that Ross Greene tells us that we should make plans with students and that "kids do well if they can."  I told the student that I appreciated his honesty and reflection and that I was sorry for my tense moments.  We then talked about consequences and we made that plan together - because there are consequences for getting sent out of the classroom.  He agreed and we all went on our day! 

My training with Conscious Discipline saved me a relationship with that student.  I caught myself in a moment where I was in my Emotional Brain State hijacked my executive functioning.  Conscious Discipline empowers us to maintain a sense of connection during upsetting situations, therefore strengthening relationships instead of damaging them with our constant power struggles, which transforms difficult moments into life lessons.  It helps our students fell safe and loved. 

Here is to a few more deep breaths this week!  :-) 

Important Information: 

ISTEP Testing - This week, we will begin ISTEP testing for 10th grade students.  You can find a copy of the test schedule with the link provided HERE.    Some of the testing sessions are over 48 minutes, so students may be a few minutes late to class.  We appreciate your flexibility.  Math testing will be this week and English next.  Thanks to all of our teachers for preparing our students so well for this test! 

Junior High Choosing Ceremony - Modeled after the Ron Clark Academy, this week our junior high teachers are going to have a little fun with our students!  On Thursday, April 18th, PC will have a "Choosing Ceremony" for students in the 7th and 8th grade!  Students will be put on teams that will be competing on Commodore Pride Day, May 10th.  Thanks to Mary Jo Hagedorn for working with the Junior High Student Council.  The students are VERY EXCITED about the opportunity! I know you are going to see some fun pictures as we make the event enjoyable!  More detailed information will be sent out this week. Please note that junior high students will not be available to code out during WIN on Thursday. 

Art Show - Congratulations to Mrs. Poehlein's class on a WONDERFUL Art Show!  Their work is simply amazing!   Hope you can catch Alice and Wonderland this week before it ends! 

Ivy Spark - On Thursday, April 18th, Craig Jefferson from Ivy Tech will be speaking to senior students who could possibly be looking for employment after high school and would be interested in some free class at Ivy Tech that would help them "skill-up" for the job.  The meeting will be from 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.  More information will be forthcoming. 

PC Visitors - We had a great visit with John Weschler and Mick Hetman this week.  Our teachers prepared our students so well!  They were very impressed and we will continue to partner with these two gentlemen in the future.  Also, this week on Tuesday, Commodore Manufacturing will be hosting George Washington Community High School from Indianapolis this Tuesday.  This is an IPS school.  We are very proud of all of our students and staff.

Important Dates: 

Monday, April 15 - Varsity Baseball @ Home vs. Cannelton 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Softball @ Forest Park 5:00 p.m./ Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil 4:15 p.m.

Tuesday, April 16 -  First day of ISTEP/ Varsity Baseball @ Home vs. Boonville 6:00 p.m./ Girls Varsity Track @ Home vs. SV/Dubois 4:15 p.m.

Wednesday, April 17 -  Jody will be out to a meeting in Indy/ Varsity Baseball @ Orleans 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 18 - Junior High Choosing Ceremony - WIN/ Varsity Softball @ Home vs. Southridge 5:00 p.m./ Varsity Track Boys @ H vs. Tell City 4:30/ Varsity Track Girls Away 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Golf @ Christmas Lake 4:30 p.m. 

Friday, April 19th - NO SCHOOL  Happy Good Friday!/ Varsity Softball @ Home 5:00 p.m./ Varsity Baseball @ Mitchell 4:30 p.m.

Monday, April 22 - NO SCHOOL

Upcoming Summer Dates - Mark Your Calendars! 

PowerED Up - June 4th
Back To School Retreat - July 31, August 1st 
Back to School Cook-Out - August 1st

Industry Challenges

Perry Central Community Schools has always been a place of innovation, caring, learning and fun!  As I prepare for a week full of activities in our junior-senior high school, I am reminded of all of the wonderful things we have going on within our walls; not just this week but everyday.  Perry Central continues to strive to be not just a school that covers standards, but an environment that supports students growth and development while ensuring they have opportunity to gain experiences that help foster a high quality of life.  As Ted Dintersmith points out in his book, "What Schools Could Be", that schools should foster learning environments that provide authentic purpose, agency, essential skills and mindsets and deep knowledge really get at the heart of a well-rounded education.

Perry Central is considered an Early College and Poly-Tech High School.  This innovative approach allows for students to earn valuable dual credit and work-base learning opportunities.   One approach we learned from the Poly-Tech schools in New York this winter, was the idea of Industry Challenges.  Industry Challenges provide students with an authentic problem that a local business or industry is facing and allows the students to work in teams to provide solutions to the challenge.  Students present their solutions to authentic audiences, such as representatives from the company. 

This week, we will have several students sharing about our first Industry Challenge to our School Board this evening.  Several months ago, Agriculture Power, Construction, Engineering and Biomedical students were asked to create a solution to an unsafe set of stairs on the Agriculture side of the Vocational Building.  Ag Power students presented their problem to Construction students, who designed a set of stairs for the shop.  Once Construction students sketched out an idea that could work, they sent their ideas up to the Engineering classes in hopes of seeking a CAD drawing of the stairs.  Engineering students even presented their CAD drawings to local Engineers to gain valuable feedback about ADA codes and details in the prints.  Construction students took the final CAD product and used the information to price out the stairs.  Biomedical students presented health and safety concerns through OSHA to make sure our students are safe during the building process. 

Great project, huh?  Authentic, Agency, Skill Based (designing, building stairs/team work & communication), Deep Knowledge are all apart of a project like this.  Student engagement was high and students utilized math, English and science application to complete the project. No longer were we teaching these skills in silos, but allowing students to work across several curricular areas.  This is what school should be about! 

We will not stop here!  We have been working on collecting Industry Challenges from local companies for more students to participate in.  Perry Central was also a recipient of a Digital Learning Grant from the Office of E-Learning to continue this work and train others on project-based learning.  I look forward to developing this important work with all of you! 

Important Information: 

Suicide Prevention Training:  This Tuesday, April 9th, will be one of the offered dates for Suicide Training.  The training will be in the high school library from 3:05 - 4:00 p.m.  If you cannot make this date, the alternative date is April 30th.  Remember this training is required by state-law so please make arrangements to attend one of the dates.  Thanks to Kelly Cash for leading us! 

Book Club:  What School Could Be Book Club will meet during 2nd WIN on Friday, April 12th.

Commodore Pride:  Thanks to all of the teams working to pull Commodore Pride together for our students on May 10th.  This year, we are going to add activities for our junior high students as well.  The students are VERY excited and providing a lot of insight on what they would like.  Commodore Pride is always a great day of fun and celebration for a successful school year!   

Ron Clark Academy:  Mary Jo Hagedorn and myself visited Eastern Pekin Middle School earlier in the school year with our junior high student council.  This Middle School has had a transformational change by increasing engagement, excitement and rigor by integrating in what they have learned from the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, GA.  If you are not familiar with the Ron Clark Academy, you can learn more about it by viewing this 4 minute video clip.   It is worth your time - I promise!  Our students would LOVE us to learn more about the philosophy of the Ron Clark Academy. 

To gain some background, we are going to host a movie opportunity after school one day soon!  The movie is called the Ron Clark Story and is about an hour and a half long.  We would LOVE to watch the movie with anyone who is interested!  Below you will find a link to a Doodle Poll with possible viewing dates and times.  Please let us know if you are interested in joining us by filling out the link.  We may decide to have a summer viewing as well since I know many of you are busy this time of the year! 

Doodle Poll: https://doodle.com/poll/vnp2fz76eq58pquh 

Top Ten Seniors: Captain's Club Top 10 Senior Banquet will be Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at the Patio in Tell City.  This is always a special event for our students, their family and our teachers.  We want to thank the Captain's Club for their on-going support of our students.

 Special Visitors:  On Thursday, April 11th, Mayor Scott Fadness and Entrepreneur John Wechler of Fischers, IN will be at Perry Central to visit Commodore Manufacturing, learn about Industry Challenges (our stair project) and Entrepreneurship. Several students will be involved in this exciting day.  We look forward to sharing the awesome things we have going on here!




Important Dates:

Monday, April 8 - School Board Meeting 7:00 p.m. High School Library/ Varsity Baseball @ Cannelton 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Softball @ Tell City 4:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 9 -  Suicide Prevention Training 3:10 - 4:00 p.m. High School Library/ Varsity Track @ Home 4:45/  Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 10 - Captain's Club Top 10 Banquet  6:00 p.m. Patio

Thursday, April 11 - Visitors to Perry Central  9:00 - 11:00 a.m./ Varsity Baseball @ Crawford County 4:30 p.m./ Varsity Track @ Paoli 4:45

Friday, April 12 - What School Could Be Book Club 2nd WIN/ Varsity Softball @ Jasper 5:00

Saturday, April 13 - Varsity Softball @ Jasper 9:00 a.m./ Varsity Baseball @ H vs. South Central 11:00 a.m./ Varsity Track @ Tell City 9:00 a.m./ Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil 8:00 a.m.