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