Everyday Heroes

Earlier this week, Bill Amos shared with me that he had stopped at the nursing home to see his 1st Grade Teacher.  He said he would have never recognized her, as she was over 90 years old,  but how great it was to see her and remember his days of grade school.  What a touching thing to do; to not only remember someone who has impacted your life, but also take the time to visit her.  What an impact she must have made on him as a young child.  

His story warms my heart as we embark on National Teacher Appreciation Week. This is a week that we can recognize our teachers and the impact they made on our lives.  Teachers that not only taught us science, English, math, etc. but taught us how to have grit, believe in ourselves and helped us find purpose in life.  Teachers that provided opportunities to learn and grow as a person. The teachers who have made a tremendous impact on our world and community. 

This week, we will celebrate our teachers at Perry Central Jr./Sr. High School with a LOT of food and praise.  I would like to express my appreciation for their dedication to our school and our students. I want to thank each of them for working so hard to reach students, for spending countless hours to make sure that ALL students are learning and feel supported, for the numerous times they have taken time to stop in and discuss a student they are concerned about, for being a cheerleader when students are down, a role model to follow and for providing students with experiences that will change lives.  There are not enough words to truly express my appreciation. Each of them make Perry Central a very special place.  

I would like encourage everyone to take time this week, like Mr. Amos, to reach out to a teacher who has impacted your life.  Teachers are our everyday heroes and it is important they know just how special they really are!!  

School Notes: 

* ISTEP testing is almost over!  This week, Biology and Social Studies will be testing during their classroom periods.  We have a handful of students that need to finish up.  Thanks to all of you for your help with this process!

* We are very excited to offer several opportunities for our students and families during summer school this year.  Some special activities include Dual Credit Courses, Drone Flying Workshop, STEM Camp/Math Enrichment, French Lick Field Trip, Downtown Indy Experience, College Visits and more.  If you have students that you would like to have a special invitation to some of these opportunities, please send their names to Jody.  

* You can find a master calendar in the Teacher Resource Folder on your Google Drive.   

* Several AP Exams will be given in the next two weeks - thanks to Lou Ann and the AP teachers for providing this opportunity to our students!

* Perry Central will host the PLAC Track meet Friday night!  Good Luck Commodores!!

* Don't forget about all of the food that will be served this week!  Thank you for all you do!

Important Dates: 

* Monday, May 1st - Varsity Golf @ Sprigs Valley 4:00/ Varsity Baseball @ Paoli 4:45

* Tuesday, May 2nd - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. HS Library/ Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil 4:00/ Varsity Softball @ home vs. North Harrison  5:00/

* Wednesday, May 3rd - High School Band Banquet 6:30 p.m./ Varsity Baseball @ Home vs. Tell City 5:00/ Varsity Softball @ Lanesville 4:30

* Thursday, May 4th - Varsity Baseball @ Springs Valley  4:30 p.m.

* Friday, May 5th - PLAC Track Meet 4:30 @ Perry Central

Carrots and Sticks: Student Motivation

Motivating students can be one of the biggest challenges in education.  Students come to us with many different backgrounds, interests, and experiences.  Jennifer Gonzalez writes about motivation in her blog, "5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Unmotivated Students."  (You can click here to find the article or go to www.cultofpedagogy.com for her podcast.)  Jennifer tells us that we cannot make excuses about how technology, home lives, or millennial work ethics are the problem. As professionals, we must embrace our society and take a look at ourselves and what we are doing in schools and in the classroom that stifles the motivation.  She suggests that research talks about the importance of building strong relationships, offering choice in a lesson, how grades really are not motivating, but growth is, and the importance of relevance to students when learning.   I highly encourage you to read the article!  

We are fortunate, at Perry Central, to be providing opportunities for students that help motivate them. Programs like Commodore Manufacturing, Project Lead the Way, Internships and Problem Based Learning lessons all help foster motivation in our classrooms by providing real-world experiences and choice. In individual classrooms,  I believe our teachers are finding ways to collaborate, build relationships with students and continue to work on developing a growth mindset everyday. 

But, we cannot stop here.  As professionals in the field of education, it is our job to teach each and every student and to motivate them to want to be life long learners.  We need to be consumers of research and blogs like Jennifer Gonzalez to help us continue to find ways to reach all of our students!  What are some ways you have found to motivate your students? 

School Notes: 

* ISTEP Testing Week!!  Please remember students will be testing Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.  Thank you for your flexibility and patients during this testing window.  

* Exciting opportunities for summer school will be posted soon!  

* You can find a master calendar in the Teacher Resource Folder on your Google Drive.   

* Thank you to those who have turned in your 4.5/9 week assessments for the 4th Quarter!

Important Dates: 

* Monday, April 24 - Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil/ Varsity Softball @ Paoli 4:30

* Tuesday, April 25 - Varsity Track @ NED invitational/ Varsity Baseball @ H vs. Paoli 4:30

* Wednesday, April 26 - Varsity Baseball @ Lanesville 4:30/ Varsity Softball @ H vs. Cannelton 4:30

* Thursday, April 27 - Varsity Golf @ Paoli  4:00/ Boys Varsity Track @ Home 4:30/ Girls Varsity Track @ Southridge 5:30

* Friday, April 28 - Varsity Baseball @ Home vs. Wood Memorial/ Girls Softball @ Home vs. Tell City/ 

Golden Opportunities

It is hard to believe that I have been out of 4-H for twenty years and even harder to believe that my own children are old enough to participate!  4-H was a very big part of my life.  Showing cattle, spending time in leadership camps and learning how to give back to my community became a favorite past-time of mine.  I had the opportunity to travel, learn leadership skills, meet people from around the state and developed my passion and interest in youth development.  Through my many trips as a high school student to Purdue's campus, I found myself feeling at home and desiring to further my education there. I owe a lot to this program and hope  my own children gain as much as my husband and I did.

I think sometimes, we forget the value of organizations like 4-H, Key Club, BPA, Student Council, FFA, etc.  When we think of teaching professional skills (or work ethic/soft skills) and how to work hard, these organizations provide real-world opportunities and foster the growth of a child.   I think we are fortunate at Perry Central to have a long list of clubs and organizations that provide these opportunities for our students.  Students have the opportunity to be involved in Business Professionals of America (BPA), FFA, Math Club, Student Council, Commodore Manufacturing, Art Club, Commodores in Christ, Band, Literature Club, Robotics/STEM, and the list goes on and on.  We all need to encourage our students to get involved.  I believe that it is a very important component in developing the whole child.  

While in 4-H, I was privileged enough to earn the I Dare You Award.  The award allowed me to travel to California for a leadership seminar, and also gave me a book on how to be a leader by William H. Danforth.  One quote I will always remember from this book is " You have a four-folded life to live: a body, a brain, a heart and soul.  To use and develop these is not a task, but a golden opportunity."  

At Perry Central, it is our goal to fully develop these parts of life for all of our students.  Let's help all of our students take advantage of these golden opportunities and get them involved!  

School Notes:

- ISTEP testing - An email was sent out this week with the ISTEP schedule for the end of the month.  Please review it!  Our first test will be Thursday, April 20th!

- End of School Year Calendar - Click here to find calendar.

- PLC Data - Just a reminder about your PLC Data being due on April 14th.

- PLC Assessments - reminder to turn in 4th quarter 4.5/9 week assessments by April 20th in google classroom

- Faculty Meeting - Tuesday morning at 7:20 a.m.


Important Dates:

Monday, April 17: Varsity Boys Baseball vs. Cannelton @ home  4:30/ Varsity softball @ Forest Park 5:00/ Varsity Golf @ Lulcas Oil 4:15

Tuesday, April 18: Faculty Meeting 7:20/ Varsity baseball vs. Boonville @ home 6:00/ Girls Varsity Track @ home 4:15

Wednesday, April 19: Varsity baseball @ Orleans 5:00

Thursday, April 20:  ISTEP Testing - first ELA session!!/ Girls varsity softball @ home vs. Southridge 5:00/ Boys & girls varsity track @ Tell City 4:30/ Varsity golf @ Christmas Lake 4:30

Friday, April 21: Varsity baseball @ Mitchell 4:30/ Varsity softball @ home vs. Tecumseh 5:00

Dependability

This month's county Work Ethic theme is Dependability. Dependability can be defined as the quality of being reliable and worthy of trust.  In the workplace, we know that having a staff of dependable employees and managers helps a business run more smoothly and ensures that tasks will be complete. Learning how to be a dependable individuals is important for ones own success.    Perry Central Jr./Sr. High School is full of dependable teachers who are role models for students everyday.  Parents trust all of our teachers with their most precious gems, their children and depend on our teachers to help them educate their child so they can be successful.  We are fortunate to have so many dependable individuals working at Perry Central that ensure learning is taking place.   Just the other day, we received a thank you note from a parent: 

I want to Thank you all sooo much! I love that when students even Juniors in high school don't complete an assignment they must attend learning lunch and then 8th period if they still don't get it done. I love that if the student doesn't come prepared to class like have jeans for welding they have to do other work to replace what is being taught in the shop. Or that the PE teacher takes time from his day to email me and let me know when my student is not dressing out for class. I appreciate a teacher who takes time out of his busy schedule to check up on my student who in Flex time is not getting anything done and willing to discipline him to teach him what inappropriate behavior is. 

Thank you all for your help with my student. For the first time in his life he has a bunch of people caring for him and holding him accountable! Together, we are making a difference and hopefully developing a productive adult for society.

Thank you all at PC for everything you do!  

It is important to be dependable.  Thank you to our teachers and staff for being a great role model of this work ethic skill.  

School Notes:

- ISTEP testing - An email was sent out this week with the ISTEP schedule for the end of the month.  Please review it!  Our first test will be Thursday, April 20th!

- End of School Year Calendar - Click here to find calendar.

- PLC Data - Just a reminder about your PLC Data being due on April 14th.

- Thank you to everyone for turning in their Domain 1 & 3!


Important Dates:

Monday, April 10 - Boys Varsity Baseball @ Cannelton 4:30p.m./ Girls Varsity Softball @ Tell City 4:30

Tuesday, April 11 - Boys & Girls Varsity Track @ Home 4:45/ Varsity Golf @ Christmas Lake 4:30

Wednesday, April 12 - Captain's Club Top Ten Banquet @ Patio

Thursday, April 13 - 10th Grade Boys and Girls ASPIRE Event/ Boys Varsity Baseball @ Crawford County 4:30/ Boys & Girls Varsity Track @ Home 4:30

Friday, April 14 - GOOD Friday!!  PLC Data Due (remember to let me know when your team is meeting!!)

21st Century Learning

One topic that gets me excited is discussing learning experiences in the 21st Century!  I ran across a blog titled "14 things that are obsolete in 21st Century Schools."  (You can find the article here.)  I found that Perry Central is right on track for providing experiences for our students that are necessary for living in the 21st Century economy.  Not only are we heading in the right direction according to the article, but our internship experiences, dual credits, project-based learning, etc. are all important parts of this vision.  I believe all of these things are great, but we cannot stop here!!

As we have found, the 21st Century is calling for a new set of skills that our young people need to posses.  Tony Wagner has written many books around closing the achievement gap and defining those skills such as: collaboration, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, flexibility, etc.  We are so fortunate to be heading in the right direction (and really, leading our region in these opportunities), but as professionals, we need to continue to find ways to increase innovation that will bring excitement to learning for students and teachers!  Can you imagine being a  place where we can measure empathy, innovation, and teamwork instead of only algebra skills? A place where all students are working on real world problems in a cross-curricular manner?  A place where we tear down walls and break open our master schedule to open up classrooms to cross-curricular experts from all over the world!  A place where learning can be about choice, innovation and hope!

Gosh, isn't that exciting to think about?!  Even though we all get bogged down in the political spin-out of policy and testing, we cannot let it stifle our own dreams of what we want education to look like for our students.  I look forward to continuing to build our dream with all of you!!   What are your ideas?


School Notes:

- ISTEP testing - Session 2 is upon us!  The window opens April 17 and runs until May 5th.  We will do most of our testing during the week of April 24th.  There are several sessions this time, so be patient!  A schedule will be sent later this week!

- End of School Year Calendar - Dr. Clark starts this useful calendar, so we wanted to keep it going.  We will update it as needed. Please let me know if you have other events or field trips to add.  Click here to find calendar.

- Lanesville High School will be visiting April 6th to learn more about our Early College program!

- April 6th will also be our Community Partnership Meeting.  The goal of this meeting is to gather information that will be used in our Lilly Counseling Grant.

- Domain 1&3 are due on April 7th. If you need help, please see Phil or Jody.

- PLC Data - Just a reminder about your PLC Data being due on April 14th.  Please let me know when your teams will be meeting about your 4.5/9 Week Data for 3rd Quarter!  Thank you to the Vocational Group and English Group for already setting a date!!


Important Dates:

Monday, April 3 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m./ Varsity Softball @ Home vs. Springs Valley 4:30/ JV Baseball @ home vs. Forest Park 5:00

Tuesday, April 4 - Varsity Golf @ Lucas Oil vs. NE Dubois 4:30/ Varsity Baseball @ Corydon 5:00/ Varsity Track @ home vs. North Harrison 4:30

Wednesday, April 5 - Varsity Softball @ home vs. Corydon 4:30/ Varsity baseball @ North Harrison 4:30

Thursday, April 6 - Lilly Counseling Grant Community Partner Meeting 9:00 a.m./ Varsity Track @ Heritage Hills 5:00/ Varsity Golf @ Boonville 4:30

Friday, April 7 - Domain 1 & 3 Due in SFS system/ Special Education Team Meeting 12:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 8 - Varsity Softball @ Heritage Hills 12:00/ Varsity Baseball Home vs North Posey 11:00

Friday, April 14 - GOOD Friday!!  PLC Data Due (remember to let me know when your team is meeting!!)

What Makes You Happy?

One of my Sunday morning routines is getting up early before anyone else in my house, putting in my head phones to listen to Andy Stanley, drinking my favorite breakfast drink, and hiding in the laundry room while ironing mounds of clothes. I know it sounds crazy, but I kind of enjoy my quiet time.  I am able to be productive in some sense, but at the same time enjoy the simplicity of the task!  This Sunday, Andy's series title was "What Makes you Happy?"  His message was based around the fact that our happiness is based on the relationships we have with others.  Sometimes, we relate happiness to buying a new car, living in the best house or wearing the best clothes when in reality our happiest memories are based on the relationships we have with other people. He pointed out that typically when people are on their death beds they do not ask to be taken out to the parking lot to say good bye to their car!  It was a reminder of the importance of caring for all individuals, even those who have different opinions and lifestyles.

This message made me think about the importance of relationships in our schools and the impact it has on learning.  A blog written by Rebecca Alber, shares compelling evidence of happiness and its impact on learning.  A quote by Dr. David Rock says,

                  "There is a large and growing body of research which indicates that people 
                   experiencing positive emotions perceive more options when trying to solve problems,
                  solve more non-linear problems that require insight, [and they] collaborate better
                  and generally perform better overall."

So the question becomes, how do we create positive emotions for all of our students?  How do we help them to feel like they are an important part of the class or school?  How do we help each and every student find their own strengths and build on those each year in our school?  

Rebecca shares several ideas on how we can do this in our classrooms such as:
* Community Building all Year Long -  helping students understand how to express who they are, their thoughts and ideas, building relationships - making the classroom emotionally and intellectually safe 
* Design Group Guidelines Together - Allows students to feel more comfortable when working in groups
* Have Non-Negotiables - No name-calling to help create a safe environment
* Post Student Work Everywhere - Lets students know they belong in this classroom
(You can read all of the article here.)

All of these ideas help build relationships and also help teach students the 21st Century Skills of teamwork that are needed when it comes to being successful in the workplace. The human body is built to interact with others and it is our job to make sure that we are providing positive experiences for all of our students.   

Thank you to all of you who make our students feel comfortable everyday at Perry Central.  Sometimes building relationships can seem overwhelming when you think of all of the other work you are asked to do - but I can assure you that the investment of that relationship will have a positive impact on learning.   

Enjoy your Spring Break!!


School Notes: 

* Adam Dauby was recognized at the Daughters of the American Revolution Banquet on Sunday as Perry Central's DAR Winner.  Congratulations to Adam!

* ISTEP Celebration - Teachers/Staff will have a catered lunch on Thursday and students will have celebration time during 6th and 7th periods on Friday 

* Thank you to Lou Ann Backer and teachers who allowed her to visit classrooms to talk about scheduling for next year!  We have most of our course entries in the system and hope to have a Master Schedule set soon!

* Remember that grades will dump on Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m.!!  Report cards will be distributed on Friday, March 17th. 


Important Dates

Monday, March 13 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. - High School Library

Thursday, March 16 - Catered Lunch and Jean Day for Faculty and Staff/ Winter Sports Banquet 6:00 p.m.

Friday, March 17 - Student ISTEP Celebration 6th and 7th periods/ Grandparent's Day in Elementary/ St. Patrick's Day!    Last Day before Spring Break!  Have a restful two weeks!

Friday, April 7 - Domain 1 and 3 due in SFS system

This week, I ran across an article on Twitter that talked about the importance of soft skills (also known as professional skills or work ethic skills) in our schools.  The article was very interesting as it talked about how soft skills have been shown to have more of an impact on graduation rates than test scores, help students have a larger chance of graduating college, provide long-term economic benefits, and decrease arrest for men.  (Click here for a copy of the article.)

I think most of us are aware of the importance of these skills and work hard to incorporate them into our classrooms everyday.  Not only are you asking students to work in groups,  provide opportunities for problem-based learning, and reporting out a soft skill score every 9 weeks, but we are also bringing these skills to light with the Governor's Work Ethic Certification and encouraging students to get involved with extra-curricular activities.  The College Success Coalition has also launched a county-wide campaign to help promote these skills with monthly themes, because they understand the importance of these skills for our students and our economy.  (This month is ATTITUDE!)

I think this article, while not life changing, was just a good reminder of why we must always be looking for opportunities to teach these skills in and out of the classroom.  One of the biggest challenges of our jobs is finding ways of providing our students with a well-rounded education; one that is not only focused on academics, but also focused on the life skills that are needed to be successful in this world.  It may require us to make some changes and step outside of our comfort zone to provide these opportunities, but they are necessary.

As a reflection for the week - what are some ways you incorporate soft skills into your curriculum?  Is there a way you can use the theme for this month, Attitude, in your March lessons?

I hope you have a great week!!


School Notes:

* Congratulations to the Varsity Boys Basketball Team on a great season!

* Career Day is this Friday, March 10th.  It is our goal for classroom assignment lists to come out on Wednesday.  Career Day will only be for students in grades 8,9 and 10 during 3rd and 4th periods.  We will do our very best not to interrupt the rest of anyone's day.  More details to follow this week.

* National Honor Society Induction is Monday, March 6th at 6:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and support our students.  Thank you to Stephanie and Vanessa for leading this group of young leaders.

* Reminder that Domain 1 & 3 are due April 7th.  This year, we are doing something different.  You need to resubmit your 1 & 3 this year, but after this year, they will be good for three years.  You will not need to update them every year.  Please see Jody for questions.


Important Dates:

Monday, March 6:  National Honor Society  6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, March 7: Commodore Pride Meeting  7:20 a.m. - Vanessa Johnson's Room (Anyone is invited to attend.)/ Purdue Trip leaving at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday, March 9: Lilly Planning Grant Meeting  9:00 a.m.

Friday, March 10:  Career Day!/ End of Testing Window for ISTEP

Monday, March 13:  School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m.

April 7th: Domain 1 and 3 Due!

ISTEP for Math/Science/Social Studies (please see shared schedule for more information)