Puppy "Size"

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

Graham Steer Basketball- Congrats on the victory over “Old High” this past Tuesday evening!

GJHS Band Students Qualify for the TMEA All-District Band- Congratulations to the following Band Students on earning a spot in the TMEA All-District Band over the past weekend. There were 485 student musicians auditioning for 130 spots. These students will participate in a Clinic/Concert on January 27th at Wichita Falls High School. Congratulations!

Roselyn Barbosa, Natalie Crawford, Madison Freeman, Jade Holden, Emilee Kelley, Claire Mairena, Jennifer Martinez, Sydney Tillotson, Taylor Wilborn, Adam Busey, Owen Gage, Jack Graham, Dawson Grubbs, Conrad Morris, Braeden Rhodes, Joseph Roberts, Lawson Wenninger, and Ben Williams

Lady Blues Volleyball- Congrats to these Lady Blues for making Academic All District!! Jasmine Sims, Elizabeth Routen, Kathryn Riggins, Avery Iles ,Celeste Aguirre, Jillian Wendell, Chloe Menard, Britain Thayer.

Graham Steers News- Congrats to the Graham Steers on their 59 - 7 victory over Hillsboro last night.  Next opponent will be Monahans in Sweetwater at 7:00 pm on Friday, November 24.

Mark Your Calendar- Pioneer PTO Event at the Graham Drive-In- PIONEER PRESENTS A HOLIDAY NIGHT OUT. You can join the fun at the Graham Drive-In for a family evening to watch The STAR on Thursday, December 7th. Gates will open at 5:oo pm and the movie will begin at 5:30 pm. For more information and to purchase ticket visit www.pioneerpresents.ticketleap.com/thestar.

Brags to Share- Please send me brags to share about our district and students. Don’t assume I always know.  If something or someone is left out it is never intentional.

Puppy “Size”…

“Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this,” the mother told the volunteer.

“What is it she keeps asking for?” the volunteer asked.

“Puppy size!” replied the mother.

“Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for…” “I know....We have seen most of them,” the mom said in frustration...Just then Danielle came walking into the office.

“Well, did you find one?” asked her mom.

“No, not this time,” Danielle said with sadness in her voice. “Can we come back on the weekend?”

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed.

“You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply,” the volunteer said.

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. “Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend,” she said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. “It's this weekend or we're not looking any more,” Dad finally said in frustration.

“We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size, either,” Mom added.

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning. By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when Visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look.  One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.

One by one she said, “Sorry, but you're not the one.”

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

“Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!” She screamed with joy. “It's the puppy size!”

“But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks,” Mom said.

“No, not size...the sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,” she said.

“Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!”  The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

“Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,” she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, “Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!”

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the the people and events in your life that makes you sigh. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. 'Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with many sighs!!!

Appreciate every single thing you have, especially your friends! Life is too short and friends are too few.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. Love the people who treat you right and forget about the ones who don't.

Have a nice day, a grand weekend and an even grander Thanksgiving!

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What is a turkey’s favorite dessert? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Peach gobbler!

5 Reasons We Stand For The Flag

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

Veterans Day Celebration- This morning at 9:00 am at the Graham Memorial Auditorium our students will be presenting a tribute for our veterans in honor of Veterans Day.  Please take time today and tomorrow to reflect on how the sacrifices of our service men and women allow us enjoy the freedom we have.  

All Gave Some… Some Gave All

Hallelujah Veterans Version

Optimize Learning Time in Your Classroom by Understanding the Primacy/Recency Effect- During a learning episode, we remember best that which comes first, second best that which comes last, and least that which comes just past the middle.

Lady Blues Volleyball- Great job this season by our Lady Blues and Coaching Staff!  They represented Graham excellently and finished the season with a 34-7 record.

Graham Steer Football- The Steers have a BIG GAME tonight at Iowa Park.  On the line is the District Championship and a 10-0 regular season record.  Hope to see you all there cheering on the Steers.  BEAT IP!

RSB3 All-District Band- The RSB3 had a great day with 29 students either making the band or being selected as alternate with multiple students placing 1st in their section.  The tryout served as a good tuneup for All-Region at the beginning of December.

Congratulations to the  following students who made the group: Madalyn Oakes - Flute, Olivia Castleberry - Flute, Summer Croxton - Flute, Kearston Parker - Flute, Evie Griffin - Clarinet, Taylor Mairena - Clarinet, Alex Husen - Clarinet, Rachel McGregor - Clarinet, Baylee Marshall - Alto Clarinet, Kailey Duncan - Bass Clarinet, Hank Graham - Tenor Saxophone, Christa Williams - Trumpet, Jake Curry - Trumpet, Will Busey - Trumpet, Cassidy Freeman - French Horn, Jorge Ramirez - French Horn, Bryan Sierra - French Horn, Kaylea Wright - Trombone, Aimee McShan - Trombone, Jeb Curry - Euphonium, Anthony Martinez - Euphonium, Shayne Lopez - Euphonium, Reagan Menard - Tuba, Kyle Adair - Tuba, Brissa Fuentes - Flute Alternate, Vanessa Murillo - Bass Clarinet Alternate, Emily Browning - Alto Saxophone Alternate, Aaron Trejo - Trombone 2nd Alternate, Feris Sanders - Percussion 2nd Alternate

Best of  luck for GHS and GJHS Band Students Competing in  TMEA Contests this Saturday!

5 Reasons We Stand For The Flag…

BY JANE HAMPTON COOK— 09/29/17 01:00 PM EDT

Why do Americans stand for the U.S. flag and the national anthem? In the midst of the NFL controversy over players who take a knee instead of standing for the national anthem, let us remember the many reasons why many of us stand for the flag and how it all began.

Americans have stood for the U.S. flag since June 14, 1777, the day the Continental Congress declared “that the flag of the (thirteen) United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Thirty-seven years later in Aug. 1814, the White House and U.S. Capitol lay in ashes after the British military burned the public buildings in Washington D.C. In the immediate aftermath, many Americans understandably feared that the Union Jack, the British flag, would soon fly over all of America again.

Hence, three weeks after the sacking of Washington, Francis Scott Key, a Maryland attorney who politically oppose the current president, was so moved at seeing the U.S. flag flying victoriously at the end of the battle for Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, that he wrote lyrics for The Star-Spangled Banner, the song we now call the national anthem.

1. We stand for the flag today, not to please ourselves but to honor those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

The more than 1.2 million Americans who have died because of war. We stand for soldiers who initially inspired our national anthem, such as William Williams, a runaway slave who later died after having his leg blown off as part of the 38th U.S. Infantry at the Battle of Fort McHenry. We also stand for more recent heroes, such as Robert Kelly, the son of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, a marine lieutenant who died in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2010.

“I believe every American, when the national anthem is played, should cover their hearts and think about all the men and women who have been maimed and killed. Every American should stand and think for three lousy minutes," John Kelly declared in response to the NFL controversy.

2. We stand for the flag not to focus on what divides us but on what unites us, which is being an American.

“The name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism, more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles,” George Washington, our first president, declared in his farewell address in 1796.

The same is true today. More than being a New Yorker or a Texan or being a Steelers fan or Rams fan, the name “American” deserves our highest respect and pride. Standing for the flag and anthem at a sports game or other public gatherings, symbolically shows that we are all Americans, no matter our race or religion, no matter our preferred sports team, and no matter our political differences. Standing is the ultimate salute to sportsmanship.

3. We stand for the flag not to pledge allegiance to a president, but to honor the reality that we have an elected president and not a lifetime king.

By standing, we honor the fact that our country has had 45 presidents. Our flag reflects our system of government, divided by 50 states, the stars on the flag, but united under a federal government. The national anthem controversy in the NFL started during the term of our previous president and continues during our current president’s term.

4. We stand not because of past or present pain caused by injustice, but to salute the principle of justice.

This is one of the three definitions for the color blue that Congress gave us in 1782. “The colors of . . .  those used in the flag of the United States of America. White signifies purity and innocence. Red (signifies) hardiness and valor and blue . . . signifies vigilance, perseverance and justice.”

Patriotism is not pride in the pain of our nation’s past. Rather, patriotism is pride in the principles that paved the way for change, whether that change was trading royalty for representation in 1776 or exchanging enslavement for emancipation in 1863.

From John Adams and Thomas Jefferson to Martin Luther King, Jr., many Americans have stood for justice for a more perfect union. “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” King declared in his 1968 “I Have a Dream” speech. King tapped the principles created by our founders and applied them to make “justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

5. We stand for the flag not for our generation but to set an example for the next generation.

“If we do not advocate a love of country to our children and the generations to come, then why would our children grow up to fight for their countries, the founding principles and moral truths?” Melania Trump asked in a recent speech to the United Nations. Passing along patriotism is crucial to the future survival of America. The color of white in the flag symbolizes the purity and innocence of our children.

When we stand for the flag and anthem, we are standing for our hopes for our children’s future, that they will embrace the principles of patriotism and live out its moral truths of justice, perseverance and courage. We stand for the flag and anthem so they can stand for the flag and anthem.

Jane Hampton Cook is the author of “America’s Star-Spangled Story” and “The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812.” She is a former White House webmaster for President George W. Bush.

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What Branch of the Military Do Babies Join? (Scroll down for the answer.)

The infantry!

Public Schoo Employees & Expression of Political Opinions

 

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

Lady Blues Volleyball- Bi-District & Area Champs!  Congrats on the victories over Big Spring and Kennedale!  Next up the winner of tonights Abilene Wylie/Midlothian Heritage winner next Monday or Tuesday!

Graham Steer Football vs Vernon- SENIOR NIGHT!- We hope to see you all at the game.  All of our Senior Varsity Football Players, Cheerleaders, Trainers, Tennis, RSB3, Bella Blues and Blue Crew.

RSB3 All-District Band Auditions- Good luck to all of our RSB3 member participating in auditions this Saturday!

Congrats to the  All-American Girl Contestants! All-American Girl- Sarah Farmer; 1st Runner-up- Emily Browning; 2nd Runner-up- Morgan Shook; Most Talented-Celeste Aquirre; Most Congeniality- Alyssa Riley and Rockie Stoner

Early Voting for the November 7, 2017 Constitutional Amendment Election- Last day to early vote is today at North Central Texas College & the Olney Community Library. Day of Voting Locations are:

• North Central Texas College, 928 Cherry Street, Graham
• Newcastle City Hall, 608 Broadway Avenue, Newcastle
• Loving Volunteer Fire Department, 8891 Hwy 114, Loving
• Olney Community Library, 807 W. Hamilton St., Olney

Public School Employees & Expression of Political Opinions- Did you know...

Below is an editorial by a veteran attorney on the subject. Please read and fully understand what you absolutely CAN do to promote voting that results in an education-friendly legislature.

The Law Does NOT Prohibit Public School Employees from Expressing Political Opinions

By Deron Robinson, General Counsel

Allen Independent School District

Extending an unfortunate recent trend, Texas public schools again came under fire this year during the 85th Legislative Session.  Many retired and current school employees have grown tired of this trend and have asked me what they can or cannot say regarding the current political environment.

Public school personnel often feel as though they cannot speak about their beliefs concerning political issues or candidates.  But it is important to know that this is not the case.  The law does not prohibit public employees from speaking on matters of public concern or expressing opinions regarding candidates and political matters important to them.

The law does, however, prohibit employees from using public funds, which includes anything of value owned by the District or the employee’s work time, to advocate for or against a candidate or measure on a ballot.  Employees are permitted to speak about candidates and political issues using school resources or time, so long as they do not advocate for or against measures or candidates.

The bottom line is that it is certainly possible to have full discussions regarding public education without violating Texas law.   For example, I know I can legally share the following information:

• Governor Greg Abbott, when provided the opportunity to appoint a chairperson to the State Board of Education, chose an outspoken homeschool advocate.  So, by the Governor’s design, the State Board of Education is currently chaired by someone who is not a proponent of public education.

• Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick described many Texas public school employees as “Educrats,” saying we are only interested in maintaining the status quo.  The current Lieutenant Governor also opined on national television that local governments are to blame for our problems in America.

• While speaking about teachers having dues for associations voluntarily withheld from teacher paychecks, State Senator Lois Kolkhurst of Brenham said teachers who join associations are “the worst kind of people.”  So, to be clear, a State Senator who passes laws regarding child molesters and unfit parents appears to consider teachers who join ATPE as worse than those people.

• State Senator Don Huffines was asked by students from Richardson ISD to support their public schools and not divert money to private entities. What was Senator Huffines’ response?  He yelled at the high school students and told them they didn’t know what they were talking about.

• State Senator Van Taylor of Plano voted for vouchers and was one of the Senators on the Senate Education Committee who would not pass the meaningful education finance reform found in House Bill 21 without attaching vouchers disguised as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) to House Bill 21.  During the Committee Hearing on that bill, Senator Taylor accused school superintendents from South Texas of failing low-income students.

Contrast these viewpoints with that of Joe Straus, State Representative from San Antonio and Speaker of the Texas House, who openly professes that “public schools are the best economic development we have.”   As you might surmise from Speaker Straus’ remarks, at least one house in our Texas Legislature fully supports public education, the 700,000 public education employees, and the 5.3 million students in public education.  

I can say this because I am not telling anyone how to vote regarding any candidate or measure, but rather explaining actual events, facts, and my opinion.  I believe it is important that we can have frank discussions regarding our legislators between now and the March 6, 2018 primary election.  The future of the children in our public schools absolutely depends on it.

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

How do snails fight? (Scroll down for the answer.)

They slug it out.