Teacher Appreciation Week

 

This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week.  I am not a person who uses their words well and especially on such an occassion as this - reaching out to people who I watch give their all each day and serve the children and families in our community.  There really never seems to be the right words for an occassion such as this. 

SO, in 21st Century fashion, I asked ChatGPT!  Here is what AI had to say: 

Teachers play an invaluable role in shaping the minds and futures of their students, and their contributions to society cannot be overstated.

Teachers inspire, educate, and mentor their students, often going above and beyond their job descriptions to make a positive impact on young people's lives. They are dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing learning environment where students can grow, learn, and thrive. They are patient, compassionate, and committed to their profession, and their hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated.

This week, and always, let us honor and appreciate the hard work and dedication of teachers everywhere. Thank you, teachers, for all that you do!

I couldn't have said it any better! Thanks to all of you (faculty and staff) for enduring the hard days, celebrating the good days and always coming to work with a smile and the heart for kids. As a parent and administrator - you are all heroes in my book!

Appreciation Week Treat list was placed in your mailboxes last week. Hope you enjoy the goodies!

Important Information:

ILEARN - We had a great week of testing and this week, Tuesday and Wednesday, will be finishing up with math! HERE is the schedule if you need it again! Thanks to everyone for help with these important days! Notice on Tuesday we will be testing periods 1-3.

Mock Car Crash - Thursday, May 4th @ 1:00 p.m - We will call students in grades 10 - 12 out to the parking lot for this pre-prom event. Please accompany your students.

Important Dates: HERE is the page with important dates coming up! We only have 3 weeks of school left! Some other important dates are:

Friday, May 5 - Junior HIgh Houses Community Service Day

Tuesday, May 9th 7:25 a.m. - Faculty Meeting

Wednesday, May 10 Awards Banquet, 6:00 p.m. (Please be there by 5:45 p.m.)Everyone should plan to attend. If you cannot attend, please let Jody know

Early College Week

 

Once again, we are getting ready for Early College Week!!  College, as we know, means any type of training beyond high school (4 year degree, 2 year degree, industry certification, military, etc.).  We also know that education opens doors and our goal is to teach our students to be life long learners and to take advantage of as much education as they possibly can!  

Not only is Early College Week about celebrating college, but also about celebrating all of YOU.  You are the teachers/support staff that help provide students with not only academic skills, but you are encouragers and believers that all students can learn and help students see their potential!  I often think about my husband during this week.  He was one of the students sitting in your classrooms today that was a first generation student, smart and hard working.  His ag teacher saw that and made him bring an application to Purdue to the classroom and made him fill it out in front of him and helped him along the way.  His path to Purdue wasn't easy, but it was his ticket and he did it because someone else believed in him and encouraged him along the way!  (He was REALLY lucky that he met me, too!  Lol!)   

As educators, you are creating life changing opportunities for all of our students!  Thanks for all you do!

           To help us celebrate Early College Week we have several surprise and delights this week, please see below: 

JEANS WEEK!!!!

Monday: Chick Fil-A Sandwiches to celebrate all teachers & support staff for preparing all of our students for our Early College program!

Tuesday:  Student celebration - Ice Cream for students in grades 10-12 during lunch!  Everyone wear their Black Early College Shirts for a picture!  

Thursday: Early College Mentor Meetings (Pizza for Mentors and students)

Friday:  Sweet Treats for our teachers and our day to celebrate Laura Purcell and our Ivy Tech partnership!

Important Information: 

ILEARN - This week we are starting the ILEARN test for students in grades 7 & 8.  Please take a look at the updated schedule HERE.  We will be testing 2-3 periods Tuesday and Wednesday and 1-3 on Thursday!  Please help the other students stay quiet during passing periods as much as possible.  

ILEARN PEP Session:  We are going to use WIN on Monday for a short pep session for students in grades 7 &8  to celebrate learning before the ILEARN tests.  Teachers are going to perform a short skit and we are going to recognize students that grew their scores from the prior years of testing and students who earned Pass +.   Please do not code junior high students for WIN on Monday.  

END OF YEAR:  If you haven't noticed already, the natives are starting to get really restless as we start to enter the end of the school year.  This is a really, really important time to keep students busy in meaningful work these last 23 days.  Here are some ideas: 

           * If you want to give students time to study - don't give them time on their own, structure their time into a game (we know games are very engaging to students.)

                     Marzano's Academic Game Ideas

           * Create authentic learning opportunities for students - how can you connect to the community to empower students? 

           * Create opportunities for movement in your classroom: (Gallery Walks, 4 Corner Activity,)

                                                                         Marzano's Corner Activity/Body Representation Ideas

   Updated Grades:   I know it is super hard, but please make sure your gradebooks are up to date as we move forward through the end of the school year.  We want to make sure students are getting adequate feedback and parents know where their students are at!  Please let me know if you need help with this!           

      Some Things Going On Around HERE:  

AVID - You will be hearing about a new program that we are going to start in the junior high called AVID.  This program is designed to help students who are 3.5-2.0 students (middle students) that sometimes get overlooked because they make pretty good grades, they complete their work and fly under the radar.  The program is designed to give these students the skills they need to push forward so they can be better prepared for college level courses.  12-15 students in grades 6,7,& 8 have been identified and will have a class period for AVID next year.  We are excited to have Jessie Bryant, Brennan Malone and Abe Schwartz teaching a section next year!

NAPE/PIPE Process:  This school year a team from the high school and elementary have been participating in the PIPE process sponsored by Toyota.  PIPE (Program Improvement Process for Equity) is a process to help ensure that we are using research based practices to provide equity in education.  We had to pick a project to work on and try to improve our practices.  We decided to focus on trying to get girls more comfortable in non-traditional career fields, such as construction, ag, welding, diesel, etc.  This week, Jane Goffinet has been leading our team to activites for 6th grade students around this idea.  On Monday, high school girls in non-traditional career fields will be meeting with 6th grade girls and talking about their career pathways.  Friday, we have 4 women professionals in non-traditional careers to come and talk to the 6th grade girls as well.   Our goal is to expose students to the possibilities and see that anything is possible for them!  Thanks, Jane, for your leadership!

Congratulations:  Congratulations to Josh Craney's Enterprise team of Bowdie Cronin, Jacob Wagner, Noah Benjamin and Jackson Wallace presented a problem in Commodore Manufacturing and how they solved it!  The judges were so impressed with their process and data driven approach - they said their engineers in their company do not solve problems that well!  They won $6,000 for their program! 

 

Art Show: Once again, Mrs. Poehlein and her studnets have put together a wonderful art show centered around the Prehistoric World!  If you haven't had a chance to stop by, I would encourage you to do so.  It will be open to the public Tuesday evening from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m.  Bring your family!

Band Concert - The final band concert will be this Thursday, Aprils 27th at 6:00 p.m.  Hope to see everyone there!!

FFA Banquet - The PC FFA Banquet will be Sunday, April 30th!

Power of Positivity

As we approach the end of the year and we embark a season of testing, I am reminded about the importance of a growth mindset and positive thinking.  Science proves that when you believe in yourself or have others believe in you that your outcomes change for the better!  Whether you are shooting a basketball blindfolded (in the video clip below) or taking a test, the way you approach life and approach each other can make all of the difference in the world.  

Below is a short youtube clip that proves this scientific fact.  It is a great reminder about how much of a postive impact we can have on each other.  Thanks for always believing in our students and cheering them on in every aspect of their lives.  Our students acheive great things because of you!

       Power of Positivity - Here is the short video that explains the research.  It may be a great piece to show your students before they start testing in the next few weeks!  

Important Information: 

Assistant Lunch and Learn:  Teaching assistants, I would like to invite you to the library during your lunch time for a little lunch and learn opportunity on Wednesday, January 19th.  After our last PD day, many of you were interested in some activities to help students engage with the work more.  We would just like to take a few minutes to share with you some of those strategies so you have time to practice what feels comfortable to you from now until the end of the school year!   Since it will be a working lunch, I will have lunch for you.  This should not affect your WIN.  Let me know if you have any questions/concerns.  See you there!

ILEARN Proctors:  HERE is a copy of the ILEARN schedule.  If you are a proctor, we will have a meeting on Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m.  We will talk about the important parts of proctoring, go over the schedule with details and talk about a small ILEARN pep session (I emailed out earlier).  See you Tuesday morning for this important meeting!  

House Leader Meeting:  We will have a House Leader meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at 7:30 a.m. in the High School Library.  This is a very important meeting to discuss our Community Service Day on May 5th.  Please be there.  

Perry County Trades Fair:  On Tuesday, April 18th, juniors and a few seniors will participate in the Trades Fair at Ivy Tech from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m.  It is going to be a great day for students to learn about all of the opportunities in our region.  Dana will be sending out a list of students soon!  

Education Pathway - Jane Goffinet will be taking the Education Pathway students to Ball State on Friday, April 21st.  Perry Central is luck to be a part of a grant to promote Education Apprenticeships - a new and innovative way to grow our own teachers!  Jane is leading this pathway and doing a great job!  They have even started a teaching club!  

Enterprise Competition - Josh Craney and Michael Jarboe have two teams participating in the Conexus Indiana Enterprise Competition this week.  Student teams will give a virtual presentation about a problem they have encountered in their student ran business and how they solved it.  Good luck to our students!

STEM Challenge - Stephanie Walsh took 7 students to the STEM Challenge at Oakland City University on Friday.  They didn't come out with any cash prizes, but they learned a lot and had a great time.  Thank you, Stephanie for taking the students!

Workplace Challenge - Carol's business students prepared a business plan for a t-shirt company.  On Tuesday, the top 4 groups will present their plans to the Small Business Develoment Center representative for authentic feedback on their proposed business.  The goal is for hopefully their business plan to come to fruition and be a plan for the business enterprise program! 

Legislative Updates

 

We are nearing the end of this legislative session.  It is a budget year, so it is always an exciting ride.  They always remind us that the legislative process is a marathon, not a sprint!  I do believe that.   :-)  

Below are a few notes out of the Senate Education Committee you may be interested in: 

* 1002 - High School Redesign Bill        

- Removed the requirements for Career Fairs, Career Class in high school and the 30 minute meeting requirement with an "intermediary

- Redefines Intermediary as any non-profit organization that strives to provide career advice/counseling for students and connect them to opportunities in the region.  It also adds a grant opportunity for intermediaries to gather some funds to support this work.  (I think it could help bridge the gap between school and work - I just hope that person is good and has the best interest of our students in mind!)  

- States that new diploma requirements must be in writing by December 31st 2024 and new requirements would begin 2024-25 school year and the first cohort of students to go through the new diploma requirements for Class of 27-28

- Career Saving Accounts would be available for students to use for career coaching, post-secondary training, transportation/equipment, certification fees, etc. 

* 1635 Education Matters Bill

- Would cap graduation waivers - 9%, 6%, to 3% or less over three years.  If we have waivers over this percentage it would go against our graduation rate - students could still earn the waiver.  Legislators think that waivers do not allow students to gain skills they need to be successful in the economy

- Will bring back an A-F lettergrade as early as this school year  

SB 6 - Regulatory Relief Bill - received a LOT of (hours of) negative feedback.  This bill currently has language that supports teachers/media specialist could be "charged" for disseminating materials harmful for minors.  Also gives parents a lot of control over what is in the library.  They are not sure who is really for this bill, so hopefully it will disappear!

Most of these bills have been through the committee work and will be going back for a second reading on the House or Senate floor.    If you have quesitons about these bills or others, I am happy to share the podcasts that I listen to.  The bills I am listing are bills the Indiana School Principal's Association is following the most.  There are other updates about other bills I can share as well!

Important Information: 

Professional Development Day - HERE is an updated version of our Professional Development Day Agenda.  I have added some links for you to have, etc. 

       * Teachers - Please bring your computers to the Faculty Meeting in the morning - this will be in the library after the safety meeting at 8:00 a.m.

      * Assistants - you will need your computers as well (or it will be nice to have).  I will meet with you and get you started in the Flex Room after the Safety Meeting in the main cafeteria

Early College Survey - PLEASE:  Our High School General Account can earn $400 for surprise and delight items if we get good participation in the Early College Survey!  This survey is also very important as we look at how we can improve our Early College program, etc.  We are asked to do this through our RECN grant.  This is for ALL teachers.  If you could fill this out by Friday, it would be appreciated!    

https://uncg.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6lLG2a4As65GPlk?sc=1886

ILEARN Schedule: I am still working on coverage plans for the ILEARN schedule, but you can see changes on this live document. I will send out a final document once all details have been put into place. We will test the last week of April and first week of May (specific dates and times are on the link). This test is for 7th and 8th grade students. ILEARN SCHEDULE We will have a meeting for proctors very soon!

RISE - Just a reminder that Domains 1 & 3 are due this year. We only require that these are updated every three years. Please try to have them finished by the end of the week. If you need an extension on this due date, please see Jody or Phil. Also, don't forget that you have a professional goal in the SFS system as well. Your PLC team picked a strategy you wanted to focus on. You may want to remind yourself of your 2nd semester goal!

STEM Grant Meeting - On the agenda for Monday afternoon is a STEM Grant meeting. If you feel you will have a workplace challenge or PBL finished by the end of the year and would like to make sure you have documentation for the $400 stipend, please attend the meeting!! A lot of great projects happening this month:

* Carol Schwoeppe - Business Plan Presentations to the Small Business Development Corporation

* Vanessa Johnson - Chemistry in the workplace - students will visit Waupaca and see some chemical reactions happen in the industry and understand different careers around this topic!

* Adam Stowe is starting a new PBL this month in his World History classes that connect students to local heroes

GOOD LUCK!!

* We have two teams traveling to the STEM Challenge at Oakland City on Friday!

* Conexus Indiana is sponsoring a virtual competition for Enterprise programs. Josh and Michael have two teams competing - students have to present a problem in their company they had to solve and how they solved it! It will be a great experience for our students.

* Mrs. Schwoeppe is taking Ace Emerson and Ali Thomas to the National BPA conference in California to compete!! Good luck!

Heartwarming Tidbits

 My body was exhausted but my heart was full after last week.   So many great things happening: 

Vanessa Johnson invited Kaydyn Jarboe's grandfather into their medical class to talk about his Kidney transplant.  To their surprise, the donor made his first public appearace to share his experiences with our students.  I wish all of you could have heard their story and witnessed the most geniuine and loving smile that Mr. Jarboe shared when talking about this experience.  What a great opportunity for our students to not only learn about the medical side of a kidney transplant but also about what community love looks like - when a community comes together (not only the donor, but all of the people that helped them harvest crops, etc.) to save a neighbor's life.   My eyes were not dry during this!  Thank you, Vanessa, for providing this community learning opportunity for our students.  

Senior Top 10 Banquet was last week.  PC Alumn, Bryce Lain, gave the talk at the banquet.  It was so great to watch one of our graduates talk about how Perry Central prepared him for college and life.  He even quoted his cross country coach, Jason Barnett!  He remembered during a time he was worried about going to college that Mr. Barnett gave him great advice and he shared that with the students - because he still uses the advice today.  As a teachers and coaches, just remember ALL of you have such a powerful influence on our students.  Great event!

 This week, because of a spare washer and dryer, I got to visit a couple of our students who really had a tough life while at PC.  They lived in high poverty and while in school lost both their mom and dad over a period of time.  Our school family really wrapped their arms around these kids as they worked hard to make it on their own.  Because of welding/manufacturing classes, internships, dual credits and relationships at Perry Central - both kids have been able to purchse their own homes and are doing so well.  One is even starting to train others in the company he works in!!!!  What all of you do matters - this is just one example of the many that happen every year!  

Thanks for making a difference!!!!

Important Information: 

PLC Meetings: We are finishing up PLC meetings this week.  The feedback I get from all of you will help shape our PD day on April 10th!  Four Day Work WEEK!!!

Learning Lunch Reminder:  Just a reminder, if you sign students up for Learning Lunch you did it because they have late work.  Even though we do not punish students by giving them zeros on the work they don't turn in or doc them for it being late (because we want their grade to reflect what they know), it is important to hold them accountable for being late.  The accountability comes from them having to serve the Learning Lunch.  If students get work finished before they serve their Learning Lunch - that is GREAT, but we want them to serve at least 30 minutes of their time since the assignment was late.  Our goal is to help students learn to not turn in work late.  This is important for Billie Sue and Debbie as well because they are working hard to hold that line for all of us!  Thank you!

Important Spring Dates:  You can find the Spring Date list HERE.  We will keep adding to it. 

Commodore Pride - If you are interested in helping with Commodore Pride, there is a meeting Tuesday morning, April 4th, in Vanessa Johnson's room.  

Community Service Projects:  Junior High Houses will be working on deciding where they want to conduct their Community Service projects soon.  We plan to have our big day on Friday, May 5th.  If anyone knows of someone in the community that needs something or a non-profit organization that could use some help, please share with Lauren or Jody.  We like to let the kids decide, but sometimes they need to know what needs are out there!    We know that as humans, when we have the opportunity to serve others, we create our own happiness.  We hope that we can instill this into our students! 

 

Meet At the TRACK!

Ashley Hubert shared this meme with me.  It is so true about all of us!  To help support our mental health the next few weeks, I would love to start a Walking Club.  Anyone that is interested can meet at the track at 3:15 and we will walk for 20 minutes together!  We can meet by the ticket booth by the CTE building!  Bring a friend!!!!  

We will walk 2 days a week for sure - Tuesday, April 4  and Thursday, April 6 this week.