12-18-2015

Mary’s Minute

“If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.”

                        ~ Henry Miller

I think we are all still in the hustle and bustle stage of the holiday season.  This stage for some people is a jolly one, while for some it turns stressful.  We are busy “preparing” while we remain cheerful in order to spread cheer.  For me, although I am happy and love the joy of the season, I am running around like mad most of the time.  There comes a point that all becomes calm for me.  It may be a moment in church, the calm after the wrapping paper explosion, or maybe a simple moment when I catch a twinkle of Christmas lights.  At some moment, all becomes tranquil, and I am at peace.  There is something about Christmas that always gives me that wonderful feeling.  It may not last long, but there is something incredibly special about Christmas peace.  It is the kind of peace that I truly believe could solve all the problems in the world if everyone could experience simultaneously.  Wishing you and your family love, joy, and the special peace of Christmas!

                                                Mary

12-11-2015

Mary’s Minute

Last night I had the pleasure of watching Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol.  I was thinking of the different perspectives of the basic theme of the play, and was intrigued with subtitles for the play.  “A Christmas Carol:  a story of _____________”  Phrases that came to my mind included, a story of missed opportunities, a story of greed, a story of the true meaning of Christmas, or a story of regrets.  The one that I personally like the best of the words that floated through my head was, “A Christmas Carol: a story of new beginnings.”  At intermission my Bill commented, “This is really sad,” after seeing the ghost of Marley and the ghost of Christmas Past, but the ending is wonderful with Scrooge committing to a life of generosity and kindness.  The focus turns away from the past where regrets and missed opportunities lie, and instead resides with gratitude for a new beginning.  Although the past is used as a tool for Scrooge to make positive change in his life, the real story lies in the present and future.  Scrooge cannot regret the past, but must move forward in a positive way.  That is what Christmas can be for all of us.  We can look back to learn how we can grow, but we cannot dwell in the past.  We cannot think of missed opportunities, but must be thankful for new beginnings.

                God bless us, everyone!

                                Mary

12-4-2015

Mary's Minute

Single moments have the power to change our lives.  In the blink of an eye our lives can be forever changed by an event, such as an accident.  Another example of the power of the moment is the "aha" moment of the student when they learn something new. We also recognize the power of words, and how saying one thing to a person can be a moment that is life-changing.

We look at life and realize that it is the compilation of moments that make us who we are.  It is this interplay of moments and the cumulative effect that living has on us that truly define us.  In education this is called scaffolding and means that we strive to provide students with rich learning experiences so that when an unexpected learning moment arises they are ready for it.

In life, we cannot control much of what happens to us, but by filling our hearts and heads with positive thinking, we are better equipped to deal with the negative things that occur. In order to be successful we have to use our experiences to face the unexpected in the most positive ways.  In other words, we cannot control much of what happens, but we can control our attitude towards it.

Everything can change in a moment that we cannot predict, but we can be prepared by making the experiences that are within our control positive.  

                                                                    Have a great week!

                                                                    Mary

11-20-2015

Mary’s Minute

A simple question that educators must never forget is, “What is our purpose?”  As simple as the question seems, I think sometimes schools fail to think deeply about it.  Most agree that the purpose of schools is for learning.  Everything else we do needs to center around our core mission – learning.  At Perry Central we spend a lot of time thinking and talking about learning.  There are a lot of catch phrases in education that relate to the unfaltering quest to promote student learning.  We have heard phrases like, “Failure is not an option,” or “whatever it takes” to describe schools’ efforts to ensure learning for all students.  At Perry Central we truly believe that we want all students to learn and do our best to take away barriers.  We believe that students cannot simply opt out of learning.  For instance, if a student chooses to not do an assignment, in some systems the student would simply take a zero and never be held accountable for the missed learning.  At Perry Central, we don’t let students off the hook that easily.  First, we try to make assignments meaningful so that students will choose to do them, but if they don’t, their first option is not taking a zero.  We communicate with parents, assign them to Learning Lunch or to Eighth Period (after school tutoring).  Although they may get a grade cut for being late on an assignment, they can’t opt for a zero by not doing the work.  We provide every support possible to make sure they do the work!  Why?  Because our primary purpose is learning.  We also understand the importance of teaching work ethics, like timeliness, (We will save that for another discussion.) but learning is our purpose!  We are proud of the results of our philosophy.  By creating support systems for students, they continue to do well, not just here but also when compared to students across the state, and more importantly when they leave Perry Central and go off to college.  I extend my sincere thanks to our teachers and support staff for understanding that learning is at the core of what we do!  Your efforts are working!

Have a great week!

Mary

11-13-2015

                                                                
     

Mary’s Minute

Words matter. Words have long been a treasure to me. Words are a powerful vehicle to help, to harm, or to bring enlightenment.  Words can used in simple, practical ways that are also vitally important as they give direction and warn of danger. I love words and have long loved other people's words, as I enjoy sharing and collecting quotes. I had forgotten until this week where my appreciation for other people's words began. Mrs. Gondring was my senior English teacher.  She made English literature come alive and always carried herself with the a quiet grace that defined her.  When it came time to write a speech my senior year, I didn't turn to Google or one of the many websites devoted to quotes for inspiration. I didn't open one of my quote books since it was before I began my collection.  Instead, sweet Mrs. Gondring loaned me her shoebox full of words she had clipped from magazines or jotted on scraps of paper.  I smile thinking of how I had the honor of flipping through the hundreds of scraps that she had collected. That simple shoebox was a treasure box!  The speech is long ago written and forgotten, but the gift Mrs. Gondring instilled in me lives on. Mrs. Gondring at 98 passed away this week. She was such an indelible blessing to Perry Central and to the world. I wish that I could find the words to express my appreciation for this special lady, but ironically I find myself at a loss of words for the woman who helped teach me the power of words.
                                                             
                                                                               Have a good week!
                                                                               Mary

11-6-2015

Mary’s Minute

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

~ Dr. Seuss

Time is a crazy concept.  I think even scientists cannot understand its vastness and limitations, and it certainly boggles a lay person like me.  The bottom line is that time is finite.  The older we get the faster it seems to go.  Days, weeks, months, and years fly by, and like Dr. Seuss we are left asking, “How did it get so late so soon?” or How did I get so old so fast? or How did my kids grow up so fast?  The other obvious factor that comes into play is that because of our unpredictability mortality we never know how much time we really have.  For people who long for control, it is a great reminder that we don’t control our destiny.  Time rolls on, and we cannot predict how much time we have in this lifetime.  With these factors in mind, the simple solution is to use our time wisely.  Every moment counts and more importantly, we need to treasure the time we have.  We must be accountable to ourselves to make sure we are satisfied with how we spend our moments because the way we spend our moments is the way we spend our lives.  Time is perhaps the greatest gift we have because it is something we cannot get back. 

 

                Have a great week!

                Mary

10-23-2015

Mary’s Minute

“Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights.”

              ~Pauline R. Kezer 

“We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.”

               ~Harrison Ford

 

Fall is perhaps the greatest time of the year to live in Perry County.  The weather seems perfect this week, and the fall color is breath-taking.  Although change can be a frightening endeavor, nature’s way of bringing in change reminds us that change is beautiful.  Fall color is a great reminder that we should not fear change, but rather see it as an opportunity for growth and a second chance.  is in a beautiful way that helps us see that change is not simply necessarily, but that it is helpful, providing a chance for new growth and second changes.  The Kezer quote makes me think of the important interplay between continuity and change.  The frame of our deciduous trees provide the foundation of continuity that Kezer describes, while the falling leaves represent the branches for growth.  When we are confronted with change and fear, let us try to remember that change can be as beautiful as autumn in Perry County!

                                                                                    Have a great break!

                                                                                         Mary