12-22-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Action expresses priorities.”

                                     ~ Mahatma Gandhi

We have all seen or heard of the demonstration of fitting different sized rocks and sand in a jar.  If the sand goes in first, there is no room for the rocks, but if the rocks are placed first the sand can fit around the rocks.  This demonstration is meant as a metaphor for life.  If we prioritize the things that are most important, then we also have room for the small stuff.  If we focus on what really matters in life, the rest falls into place.  If we sweat the small stuff, we lose sight of what is most important.  During the holiday season it is easy to get bogged down with the little stuff.  Our actions are focused on getting stuff done, frantically preparing for the holidays.  We just have to be careful to not let the sand fill the space so there is less room for what matters most during the holiday season (and always):  love for friends and family and genuine care for all people.  

It is easier said than done, but I hope you can take a deep breath in order to fill your heart and actions with the things that matter most to you.

                                                               

                                                                           Happy Holidays!

                                                                                 Mary

12-15-2017

Mary’s Minute

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered, forgive them anyway.

If you are kind people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives, be kind anyway,”

                                                                                   ~ Mother Teresa

 

These are just a couple of stanzas of a verse attributed to Mother Teresa.  I call it the “Do it anyway,” poem.  Working with kids each of you could write your own version of expressing the same sentiment.  “Students will yell and call name, speak softly and kindly to them anyway.  Students will act like they do not want to learn, teach them anyway.”  You probably are more creative than me, but you get the idea.  The next time you feel unmotivated because of the struggles of a few students who try our patience, say to yourself, “Do it anyway.” 

During the holiday season I am reminded of all the good in the world.  The “bad” is what gets the attention in the media and consumes our time in the classroom, on the bus, or in the hallway, but the truth is that there is so much good in people!  One of the things I love about the holiday season is that besides bringing out the best in people, it also allows us to see people with a different lens.  We give ourselves permission to see the good in people.  The challenge is to use that lens all year long, and despite the shortcomings of people, “Do it anyway.”

                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                            Mary

12-8-2017

Mary’s Minute

“If you make decisions based upon people's reactions or judgments then you make really boring choices.”

                                                        ~ Heath Ledger

The part of about this quote that caught my attention was the word, “boring.”  Boring is not bad to everyone.  Boring can be thought of as a being content and spending our life going with the flow.  If that is what we want out of our life, our career, or our school, then making decisions based on how other people judge us is the way to go.  I personally reject boring.  I believe life is about adventure, so when we make decisions we need to be careful about what is guiding us.  Multiple perspectives are key to decision making, so we should not totally discount what other people think.  We should listen and learn from others, but we can never be limited by how we are judged by others. 

Perry Central is determined to push hard for success of our students, and at times our decisions to do so may not be popular, but they are seldom boring! 

Personally, people may not always agree with how I live my life, but I am pleased to say that I am not bored! 

We are faced with decisions every single day.  We cannot ignore the perspectives that others bring, but we also cannot let the judgment of others leave us in a quagmire of dullness. 

                                                      Have a great week!

                                                                       Mary

12-1-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Always be yourself. At the end of the day, that's all you've really got; when you strip everything down, that's all you've got, so always be yourself.”

                                                                   ~ Al Roker

“Be yourself, but always your better self.”

                                                                   ~ Karl G. Maeser

I have found in life that the people who seem the happiest are people who can be themselves.  Ultimately that is all we really have.  We see it in the world in very public ways, and we all have also probably experienced it for ourselves at some level.  The world is full of messages telling us who we should be, and it is easy to get discouraged and want to be different. 

I like the reminder from Karl Maeser to work to be a “better self.”  There is a big difference between continual improvement and trying to be someone we are not. 

To be happy and find success, we need to be who we are while we work to continually be the best we can be. 

With messages coming at us from many directions in the information age in which we live, it can be easy to lose sight of this simple, but important charge.  BE YOU! 

At Perry Central we strive to stay focused on being who we are and not feeling pressure to be like other schools.  At the same time we are determined to be the best school we can be.  There is a difference between continual improvement and being someone we are not. 

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                                Mary

11-17-2017

Mary's Minute

“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and 
change ordinary opportunities into blessings.”

                                                         ~ William Arthur Ward

I have been writing Mary’s Minute for fifteen years, and I am guessing (I did not do the research.) that gratitude is the most common topic about which I have written.  With Thanksgiving upon us, I cannot help but think about the beauty of the gift of feeling and sharing gratitude.  I have read that people in the most horrific situations get through them because they feel gratitude.  Anne Frank is a perfect example.  No matter what our situation, we always can find things for which we are thankful.  

My mom has always taught me that every day can be a holiday, and this quote reminded me that every single day can and should be “Thanksgiving.”  If we can start each day by thinking about the things that are blessings in our lives, we are guaranteed to have a better day.  It sounds simple, but it really is true. 

The other important element of gratitude is expressing it.  All people appreciate being appreciated, so expressing our gratitude is always a good idea! 

This Thanksgiving Week, please know that I am thankful for each of you – for what you mean to Perry Central and to me personally.  I know that you all work very hard for the students of Perry Central.  Please know that you are appreciated!  

                                                       Have a great week!

                                                                       Mary

11-10-2017

Mary’s Minute

“We don't develop courage by being happy every day. We develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”

                                                              ~ Barbara De Angelis

I believe that to live is to be happy, and there is a difference between living and surviving.  There are times in our lives that we are not able to live, but only to survive.  During difficult times, we survive.  Sometimes we go into survival mode for physical healing, and sometimes it is emotional.  Survival mode can last for hours, days, months or even years.

Even when we have a bad case of the flu for a few days, we are content to survive.  Thinking of what we go through for physical survival helps us understand emotional survival.  In our work or everyday life, we may not even realize when we go into survival mode.  The great thing about surviving is that it builds character and courage, making us stronger for when we are able to begin living again. 

To live is to be happy!  I think it is good to be reflective about our lives and consider if we are living or surviving.  Survival is important, but we need to get past it in order to be happy and to truly live.  Survival is easy to identify when it occurs for physical reasons, but when it happens because we get in a rut, it may be more difficult to spot.  Survival allows us moments of happiness, but not true happiness that comes from living!  Survival is not bad; it builds courage and takes us back to being alive again.  My wish for you is the wisdom to know the difference between living and surviving, so that you can maximize the time you feel alive!

                                                        Have a great week!

                                                                                   Mary

11-3-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

                                                                                     ~ Pele

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it.”

                                                             ~ Steve Jobs

Career development in our youth has tremendous personal implications, as well as consequences for our country’s economy.  There is a great deal of discussion around career pathways and preparing our students for their future.  We are working to prepare our students for jobs that will contribute to our economy and that fit their personal skill set and aptitude.    We want our students to be successful!  Pele and Steve Jobs point out one of the most important elements to this process is finding fulfilling work. 

As schools and parents we need to help our children find their passions and help develop pathways that turn their passions into careers.  I know it isn’t always this simple, and we learn as we go.

Sparked by teachers, my own children are looking at careers that speak to their passions. My daughter, Zoe, loves writing and is studying creative writing in college.  Some people chuckle wondering how she can turn that into a viable career.  The jury is still out on that.  Bill’s passion is math and science, so he thinks being a theoretical physicist is the job that fulfill him.  I am lucky to have found work that I love my entire life.  I love working with people.  In the beginning of my career, I worked with little people – kindergartners.  Now I work mostly with adults, but the key is that I find joy in forging positive relationships.

 

I hope each of you find joy in your work, and thank you for helping our students consider careers where they find fulfillment.

                                                  Have a great week!

                                                                              Mary

10-27-2017

Mary’s Minute

“If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

                                                                                       ~ Dale Carnegie

Taking time to just be and to even mediate is important in order to be reflective.  I also think there is a great value in staying busy.  Quiet times are great for reflection and also sometimes we just need to rest.  People work really hard at their jobs – I understand that working with children is physically and mentally exhausting.  Being tired and needing to rest is a natural by-product of the great work you do. 

I have found personally that sometimes the best recipe for my malaise is to get busy.  I realize that we cannot simply “will” ourselves to feel better, but the right kind of busy can be just what the doctor ordered when our sluggishness is caused by lack of motivation.  The key is to get busy with a purpose.  That kind of busy, which might even be classified as good stress, can leave us with more energy than sitting on our couch relaxing. 

I think we need to remind ourselves that being busy and work are not bad things.  The key is to find work that can spark passion.

It is not always easy to know what things will excite us, so we need to stay open. 

I want PC people to take care of themselves, but I also want you to not afraid to be busy.  The happiest people I know are busy and passionate about what they do.  Being busy allows us to conquer our fears!

                                                     Have a great week!

                                                                                          Mary

10-20-2017

Mary’s Minute

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

                                                                          ~Theodore Roosevelt

Teddy Roosevelt obviously had a growth mindset.  He understood that it is okay to do the “wrong thing” because mistakes lead to growth.  Decision making can be really tough. 

I believe our life is shaped by small daily decisions that just happen without us even realize we are making them. In other words, our lives are shaped by the kind of lives we lead and relationships we build.

Other times, we truly are faced with decisions that can change the direction of our life.  When we are faced with a crossroads, we make lists of pros and cons, we gain advice from trusted people, we gather data, and sometimes we follow our instinct.  Roosevelt suggests that the most important thing to do is to decide.  Taking the big leap to make a decision is important.  It takes courage. 

What do we do if the decision is the wrong one?  Well, Roosevelt’s quote does not give us specific advice on this, but I think he infers that the key is that we learn from our decisions.  If our life is changed for the better from a decision, that is great!  If it is not, then we can learn from it and make the next life-altering decision. 

We cannot undo a bad decision, but learning from it and making the next better decision is much better than a redo!  The important thing is to have the courage to decide and then to be prepared to make corrections if the decision was not the right one.

                               

                                                    Have a great week!

                                                                                   Mary

10-6-2017

Mary’s Minute

“There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride' is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance.”

                                                                                                         ~ John C. Maxwell

Maxwell articulates so well my feelings about pride.  I have long grappled with the balance between pride and humility.  

This week the Indiana Department of Education released school letter grades.  Perry Central Elementary was an A again (and has been for many years in a row).  The high school was a B (and has been an A or B for many years).  The corporation grade was an A (and has been an A or B for many years).  I want to celebrate the accomplishments of our teachers, students, and community, but I want it to be in a way that represents dignity and self-respect, never conceit or arrogance.  

We are proud of our work, but we cannot let our feeling of satisfaction change who we are!  We are humble, knowing that we can always be better.  We have respect for ourselves, and we use that as a vehicle to compete against ourselves, not others.  Perry Central students, teachers, and community have much to celebrate, and I think that even more celebratory than letter grades assigned by a state agency, we celebrate our humility and attitude of continual improvement!

                                                     Have a great Fall Break!

                                                                                   Mary

9-29-2017

Mary’s Minute

A few weeks ago I wrote about the concept of home not being a place, but more of a feeling of security and belonging.  That was before I visited Mackenzie Petty’s classroom!  Her classroom was so inviting that I could understand how students would have a safe feeling just being present in that space.  Many people talk about their “happy place” which is often the beach or somewhere in nature.  We all do things in our homes that make us feel at ease.  We try to do the same with our school environment.  Place and space do not make up for the human factor of being with a person/people who give us that feeling of security, but place does matter. 

I appreciate the efforts of our PC team to create spaces that help students feel nurtured and secure.  When we think about finding our “home” we must look at people first, but it is important to think about the places and factors that contribute to that.  At school it is creating spaces like Ms. Petty and so many others do in their classrooms.  It is the beautiful homey feeling that is created in the high school and elementary offices. 

In our homes, it is doing the little things that make us feel happy and safe.  Living in beautiful Perry County helps too! 

Home is in the heart, but place and space matter!

                                                          

                                                            Have a great week!

                                                                                   Mary

9-22-2017

Mary’s Minute

“The reason many people in our society are miserable, sick, and highly stressed is because of an unhealthy attachment to things they have no control over.”

                                                                     ~ Steve Maraboli

There are a lot of moving pieces in our world today.  There are a lot of things about which we can stress.  Whether those things are on the local, national, or international news or in our personal/professional lives, the challenge is to sort out the things over which we have control and let go of our unhealthy attachment to those that our out of our control. 

Sometimes we do not even realize what is making us miserable, sick, or highly stressed.  It is just something we feel in our guts.  It is important to stop and think about the source of the discomfort ant then to challenge ourselves to take control of the things within our control and to let go of the things outside our scope of influence.  In our professional lives, we may feel for the home experiences of our students or legislative mandates. When we stop and take a breath, we realize that what we can control is building positive relationships and providing the best possible learning experiences for our students.  In our personal lives it may mean letting go of the stress of things we see on the news or letting go of people, as we accept that we are only responsible for our own happiness. 

Life is too short to hold onto unhealthy attachments.  Let go of the things you cannot control, and dig in deep to the things that make you happy and where you can make a difference!

                                                      

                                                                          Have a great week!
                                                                                       Mary

9-15-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Act as if what you do makes a difference; it does.”

                                                            ~ William James

I have met teachers at workshops before who say to me when they find out that I am a superintendent, “I am JUST a teacher.”  I quickly correct them to remove the “just.”  It is true in whatever work we do, but especially in the world of education, there is no, “just.”
Regardless of our job titles, we need to remember that the work we do matters.  It takes people doing different roles to make an operation work, and all are important. 

We can use the analogy of a cog in a set of gears or a link of a chain.  Taking away a single link or a single cog puts a stop to the action.  The work of everyone makes a difference.  At Perry Central we need our bus drivers to get our students here safely, we need our custodians and maintenance to create a positive learning environment, we need our cooks to nourish our students’ bodies, we need our instructional assistants to give students the extra help they need to learn, we need office staff to manage students and communication, and we need teachers to teach our students.  

The beauty of education is that in addition to the basic roles that positions suggest, we all make a difference by being positive role models and providing encouragement to students.  I hope that you realize that there is no “just” before anyone’s duties.  What you do matters!  Thank you for the difference you make.

                                               Have a great week!

                                                                      Mary

9-8-2017

Mary's Minute

“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.” 

                                                          ― Stephanie Perkins 

“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”

                                                          ― Maya Angelou

While we watch people's homes destroyed by Hurricane Harvey and people leaving everything they own behind running from Irma, it makes me reflect on the notion of home.  Home is a place where we feel safe.  I would say instead, that it is not a place where we feel safe, but a feeling of safety.  Home is a feeling, or even a person or people.  

A massive hurricane destroys more than roofs and windows; it takes away a feeling of safety at every level.  In loneliness we ache for a person who can make us feel safe. 

Perry Central has been called a family, and we also think of it as a place we feel at home.  It is a place where our worth is not questioned and we feel safe.  It is certainly who we want to be: a safe place where we feel valued. We want to be a home! 

My heart aches for people losing and leaving their physical homes, and I emphasize what a tragedy these families are facing.  I hope in some small way, they can take heart knowing that home is not a place, but a feeling. I also thank our team at Perry Central being "home" for our students and a refuge from the storms of life. 

                                                                 Have a great week!

Mary

9-1-2017

Mary’s Minute

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”

                                                                                   ~ Annie Dillard

“Our character is basically a composite of our habits. Because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns, they constantly, daily, express our character.

                                                                                   ~ Stephen Covey

Studies of human behavior teach us how habits are formed – about how our brain creates patterns that define our behaviors and in many ways who we are.  An isolated behavior alone does not define us, but eventually patterns of behavior and thought make us who we are.  At what point does an isolated action become more than that? 

If we wake up one morning with a stomach ache, do we panic and run to the doctor?  Probably not, but persistent symptoms tell us that it could be more than a random pain. 

Good habits and bad habits are developed sometimes through deliberate actions and sometimes by just gradually slipping into practices.

Just as we need to know when it is time to see a doctor because a simple pain is potentially a symptom, we also need to look for patterns in our lives.  Moments turn into days, and the way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.  Our thoughts become patterns that can define us.  If we create patterns of positive thoughts, that is who we become. 

Mathematicians make their lives out of studying patterns, and like them we need to be aware of patterns that we develop in our thoughts and actions.  The first step to breaking out of a pattern is to define it.  It is important for us to define and potentially change patterns of thoughts and actions before they define us.

                                                                              

                                                                                     Have a great week!

                                                                                                 Mary

8-25-2017

Mary’s Minute

“The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone. “

                                                                               ~ Karen Salmansohn

As we celebrated Stephen’s retirement this week, Delores had told me that she would prefer if I would just give Stevie the card from his friends in the cafeteria.  When it came time for comments.  I said, “Who wants to talk first?” The question was not intended for Stephen, but he interjected quickly and excitedly, “Delores!”  Delores was vaulted out of her comfort zone!  She was not planning to speak in front of the crowd of 30 or so people, but for Stevie, she did not hesitate.  (Good job, Delores!)

I do believe that we have so much to gain by going beyond our comfort zones, but how do we get there?  In Delores’ case it was for someone about whom she cared – she wasn’t going to disappoint Stevie.  Many times it is out of necessity.  We are forced to deal with things beyond our safe realm by the circumstances that life has given us.  The best way to take the plunge, I believe, is by choice.  Darius Rucker has a new song with refrain, “When was the last time you did something for the first time?” and it really got me thinking of the concept of pushing outside our comfort zone.  I realized that the older we get the harder it may seem to find things we can do for the first time.  No matter what are age, there are always things we can do for the first time.  There are always things to do that push us beyond the place where we feel at ease.  The best things in life may be waiting for us across the edge, so go ahead and take that step outside your comfort zone!  You will be glad you did.  (Just ask Delores!)

                                                               Have a great week!

                                                                                                     Mary

8-18-2017

Mary’s Minute

“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
         ~ George Sand

I have heard it said that there is no such thing as happiness, but only moments of happiness. I disagree.  For me, happiness is just the opposite.  Happiness is not a passing finite and concrete concept; happiness is an overarching being.  I think George Sand sums it up.  We gain a sense of true happiness when we love and are loved.

I think people confuse good times or satisfaction with happiness.  It is great to have fun.  It is important to find satisfaction in life.  Laughter is important for our good mental health.  These are moments that are important in our lives, but these should not be confused with happiness.

Happiness is so much more!  Happiness is about an overall feeling of connectedness to others – a sense belonging, to love and be loved.  Love, which is so much more than romantic love is about caring for others.  It is about feeling like you matter and making others feel that they matter to you.

Moments come and go, but true happiness can dwell within us always when we accept the power of loving and accepting love in return.
                                        Have a great week!
                             Mary

8-11-2017

Mary’s Minute

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

                                                                      ~ Aesop

Welcome Back!

Kindness matters.  We kicked off the year at Perry Central with two events.  The day before students arrived, all staff members received training on “Trauma-Informed Care,” learning about brain research and specific strategies of why and how to create a caring community. 

Then on the first two days of school, Perry Central hosted Rachel’s Challenge.  This school assembly focused on the power of kindness to change people’s lives with the goal of creating a caring culture.  Rachel Scott was a student killed in the horrific tragedy at Columbine High School.  The tragedy is overshadowed by the power of Rachel’s kindness during her lifetime and of her family’s quest to spread Rachel’s message.  Rachel wanted to create a “chain reaction” of kindness.  Perry Central wants to be part of the chain reaction, treating each other with kindness. 

On the first day of school I walked down the high school hall way greeting students as a strolled.  As I said, “Hello and how are you?” to students, their response back to me was sincere.  Students said back to me, “I’m great.  How are you?”  It may seem small, but it really made me realize how kind and sincere our students are.  Our teachers genuinely care about each other and their students.  For example, one teacher noticed on the first day of school that a student was hungry and did not have shoes that fit.  That night shoes and food were dropped off at the student’s home.  Perry Central is a caring community, and we will continue to work hard to nurture this.  We are not perfect.  We as individuals and a culture can always be better.  We know that kindness matters, and we work to practice it every day.  Thank you for your kindness!

                                                                                          Have a great week!

                                                                                                           Mary

5-26-2017

Mary’s Minute

“Sometimes people come into your life for a moment, a day, or a lifetime.  It matters not the time they spent with you, but how they impacted your life at the time.”

                                                                                       ~ Unknown

We are fortunate to have many people come through our lives that change and refine us.  The older we get the more connections we make, which is a wonderful thing.  Although we can hold onto an endless amount of memories and keep love in our hearts, we do not have the physical capacity to maintain the many friendships and connections we have developed.  I think of it as stages in our lives.  I still hold a special place in my heart of friends I had in elementary school, and there are individuals in my adult life who at one time were very important to me but I have not seen of for years.  The same concept is partially true for places and things in our lives.  We cannot hold onto every home we have ever lived in or keep going back to the same places.  It would not be possible to maintain every hobby that we have had over our lifetimes at the same intensity that we once did.  What is important is that we take all of our experiences and the people who have impacted our lives and use them to make us who we are.  The tough part about continuing to have new experiences and to better ourselves is that that we have to let go.  As a school year ends we are left with thoughts of closing chapters and beginning new ones.  We need to remember that it is okay to let go of our past.  We cannot hold onto every experience or person at the same level we once did.  We can certainly hold onto the memories, but if we try to keep up every relationship at the same level we once did, we will be overwhelmed emotionally and physically.

Let go and let yourself live!

                                                                         Have a great summer!

                                                                                                    Mary