5-22-2015

Mary’s Minute

“There is a good reason they call these ceremonies "commencement exercises."  Graduation is not the end; it’s the beginning.”

                                                                        ~Orrin Hatch

Graduation is a nostalgic event.  It is a celebration of accomplishments, but also a time of reflection on the past for graduates and their family and friends.  It is saying good bye to a phase in life.  The great part about graduation, like many major life events, is that as we say good bye to one era, we open the door to another.  Life is that way, we can’t help but be sad for the passing of time, but we also celebrate all that has happened and are excited about the future.  Parents especially have these feelings as we watch our children grow from babies to adults.  We tear up as they reach milestones, but we also are happy for their futures.  My own mother, who many of you know, once said that her favorite age of her children was whatever age we were.  I think of that often and of what a sweet thing it was of her to say and also a great way to look at life.  It is a lesson to appreciate the past, but to enjoy the present.  On graduation day, I admit I will likely fight the tears as Pomp and Circumstance plays and I reflect on these seniors through their years at PC, but I will smile and remember that this is a commencement of their future. Also I will remember to celebrate the present like my mom taught me.

                                                                                        Have a great summer!

                                                                                                                 Mary

5-15-2015

Mary's Minute

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
                                                                                           - Martin Luther King, Jr.

With sunny days and the end of school near, my thoughts turn to the power of sunshine to brighten our days. It is hard to feel sad or discouraged when the sun is shining. When we think of negative feelings, hate being one of the darkest feelings to hold, it is good to think of the power of light and love. Just as it is hard to feel sad on a sunny day, it is hard to feel hatred when we fill our hurts with love. As we think about facing issues in life either on the grand international scale or within our own hearts, it is good to think of the power of light and love.  Enjoy the sunshine and let love and light build positive feelings in our lives and the world.  Thank you for spreading light and love for our students.
                                                                             Have a great week!
                                                                             Mary

5-8-2015

Mary's Minute

"Looking for equality everywhere is a huge mistake because equals are terrible and boring. But a sense of fairness and justice is a totally different thing and a much more complex thing."    
                                                                                                      - Josh Homme
"Equality is not in regarding different things similarly, equality is in regarding different things differently.”                                                                                    -Tom Robbins

We often think of fairness and equality as synonyms when in reality, fair is not always equal. In terms of basic rights equality is important, and that is not what where I am going with this. We are not all equal. We are all created with unique skills and have different life experiences.  The children we serve are far from the same in terms of skills, needs, and experiences. To be fair to our students, we cannot treat them equally. Obviously everyone must be accountable, and rules must be enforced consistently, but we always need to be aware of unique circumstances to fully meet students’ needs and to "be fair."
A powerful example of this happened recently on a bus.  A Perry Central bus driver became frustrated with two misbehaving boys and pulled the bus over to give them a verbal reprimand. When the driver threatened to call their parents, the response was startling.   The first boy said, "My mom and my dad don't even like me, so I have to live with my grandma."  The second boy chimed in and said, "Well my mom is dead, and my dad is in jail."  To be fair we need to be consistent, but all is not equal.  Being fair means searching for understanding and facing each situation with compassion. Because fair is not equal we believe that we need to provide extra time for some students to meet the same goals.  Everyone deserves to be treated fairly. Thank you, Perry Central staff, for understanding the importance of fairness from a stance of understanding and compassion.  During this Appreciation Week and always you are appreciated for all you do to show compassion and fairness to our students!
                                                                           Mary

5-1-2015

Mary’s Minute

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

~Pablo Picasso

“Take risks: if you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise. “

~Author Unknown

Unless risk taking involves personal safety or high financial stakes, I would always encourage people to take a chance!  When it comes to personal growth I have never heard anyone regret taking a risk.  I was reminded of the value of risk taking as I attended Coffee and Conversation here at Perry Central this week.  The event invited students to share their love of the arts and talents.  Students displayed visual arts, read poetry, sang songs, presented synthesized music, and more.  Several things stood out to me.  First, it was wonderful to see the talents of our students.  Second, I was so proud of them for taking the risk to perform.  Some of them were especially nervous, but they made themselves vulnerable and performed!  What I noticed most was the value of a supportive climate.  These students were able to take a risk because they were surrounded by people who supported them.  Although they were nervous, they didn’t need to fear being ridiculed.  They knew they were among friends – not necessarily buddies, but friends of the arts and supporters of vulnerability. 

I am so excited about the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) class that is being offered this year and will be expanded next year at Perry Central.  The class offers a supportive environment for students to pursue their passions, learning and taking risks.  The class brings together students with unique interests who support each other’s learning.  What the kids are learning is exciting, but for me what is even more exciting is how the class supports positive relations. 

As the quotes above remind us, taking risks for learning sake will pay off, so we must continue to create environments that nurture risk taking.  Thanks for all the people at Perry Central who do this for our students.

                                                                                Have a great week!

                                                                                Mary