Steer Nation Message 10-30-20 Seeking Happiness

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

COVID-19 Information- Please visit this site for the GISD COVID-19 procedures, protocols, and lab-confirmed cases.

Graham Steer Football- The final regular-season game for the Steers will be tonight at Mineral Wells. Kickoff is at 7:00 pm. Playoff shirts can be purchased at https://chlonestarpromo.printavo.com/merch/graham-playoffs. The deadline to order is Sunday, November 1st. GO STEERS!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues captured the Bi-District Championship last night with a victory over Gatesville High School 16-25, 25-20, 25-20, 26-24. CONGRATULATIONS!

Steer Cross Country District Meet- The boys cross country team finished in Second Place at the District 5-4A cross country meet. Marcos Herrera - 2nd place, Creed Jordan - 7th place, Holton Weatherman - 9th place, and Anthony Carillo - 10th place. JV Boys: Conrad Morris - 2nd place and Tyson Weaver - 3rd place. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK AT REGIONALS!!!

Plan Your Vote- TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY OF EARLY VOTING! I encourage each of you to get caught in the intention-to-action gap. If you are looking for information on the candidates, RaiseYourHandTexas.org/Vote has prepared a new voting resource. Vote411 and Teach the Vote are also excellent sources of information for more detailed information on candidates’ stances on various issues, including public education. 

Seeking Happiness…

There were 200 people attending a seminar on mental and physical health. At one point, the speaker told the group they were going to do an activity. He gave each attendee one balloon and told them to write their name on it. Then, the balloons were collected and moved into a very small room. 

The participants were then asked to go into the other room and were given 2 minutes to find their balloon. 

It was chaos. People were searching frantically for their balloon, pushing each other and running into one another while they grabbed a balloon, looked at it, and inevitably tossed it to the side. 

At the end of the 2 minutes, no one had found the balloon that had their name on it. 

Then, the speaker asked the participants to go back into the room and pick up one balloon at random, look at the name, and return it to its owner. Within minutes, everyone had been reunited with their original balloon. 

The speaker then told the group, “This is what it’s like when people are frantically searching for their own happiness in life.  People push others aside to get the things that they want that they believe will bring them happiness. However, our happiness actually lies in helping other people and working together as a community.” 

Have a nice day…take care of yourself and others! 

 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY

Why do skeletons remain so calm? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Because nothing gets under their skin!

Steer Nation Message 10-23-20 The Ones Who Care

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

COVID-19 Information- Please visit this site for the GISD COVID-19 procedures, protocols, and lab-confirmed cases.

Graham Steer Football- The Steers defeated Vernon last night 63-7.  Congratulations! The final regular season for the Steers will be 7:00 pm next Wednesday

at Mineral Wells. 

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues remain undefeated in district play with their Tuesday victory over Mineral Wells.  The Lady Blues Pink Out game will be today at 4:30 in the GHS gym vs Vernon. GO LADY BLUES… BEAT THE LADY LIONS!

Plan Your Vote- The early voting period has begun and runs through Friday, October 30. I encourage each of you to get caught in the intention-to-action gap. If you are looking for information on the candidates, RaiseYourHandTexas.org/Vote has prepared a new voting resource. Vote411 and Teach the Vote are also excellent sources of information for more detailed information on candidates’ stances on various issues, including public education. 

The Ones Who Care…

Here's a quick quiz: 

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world. 

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize. 

5. Name the last six Academy Award winners for Best Actor & Actress. 

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series Winners. 

  

How did you do? 

The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. 

These are not second-rate achievers.  They're the best in their fields. 

But the applause dies.

Awards tarnish.

Achievements are forgotten.

Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. 

 

Now here's another quiz.  See how you do on this one: 

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 

6. Name a half dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. 

Easier, isn't it? 

 

So what's the lesson?  The people who make a difference in your life aren't the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.  They're the ones who care. 

 

Have a nice day...as you serve and care for others!

 

 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY

What do you call a belt made from watches? (Scroll down for the answer.)

A waist of time!

Steer Nation Message 10-16-20 Cherish the Struggle

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

BRUCE AND VIRGINIA STREET EDUCATIONAL FUND AWARDS THE GRAHAM PUBLIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION $2,600,000.00- The Graham Public Education Foundation (GPEF) was recently awarded $2,600,000.00 from the Bruce and Virginia Street Educational Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation. This grant will be placed in the Graham Public Education Endowment Fund and used to enhance innovative, imaginative, and inspirational programs that benefit the students and support the teacher initiatives and growth within the Graham Independent School District. On behalf of the GPEF board, GPEF Board President Sara Burkett McCall stated, “Thanks so much to Bruce Street, Jr. and the Bruce and Virginia Street Education Fund for this generous grant. Your commitment to the community of Graham is amazing and we are humbled by your generosity.” For more information on contributing to the endowment, please contact GPEF today at gpef@grahamisd.com or 940-549-0595. 

COVID-19 Information- Please visit this site for the GISD COVID-19 procedures, protocols, and lab-confirmed cases.

Graham Steer Football- The Steers will play at 7:00 this evening vs Iowa Park. Tickets must be purchased online at iphawks.ticketleap.com. All sales are online and NO tickets will be sold at the gate. The game will be live-streamed on the PositiveRadio.net Facebook page. GO STEERS!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues remain undefeated in district play with their Tuesday victory over Burkburnett.  The Lady Blues will play today at 4:30 at Iowa Park. GO LADY BLUES!

Plan Your Vote- The early voting period has begun. I encourage each of you to get caught in the intention-to-action gap. If you are looking for information on the candidates, RaiseYourHandTexas.org/Vote has prepared a new voting resource. Vote411 and Teach the Vote are also excellent sources of information for more detailed information on candidates’ stances on various issues, including public education. 

Cherish the Struggle…

One day, a girl came upon a cocoon, and she could tell that a butterfly was trying to hatch. She waited and watched the butterfly struggle for hours to release itself from the tiny hole. All of a sudden, the butterfly stopped moving–it seemed to be stuck.

The girl then decided to help get the butterfly out. She went into the house to get a pair of scissors to cut open the cocoon. The butterfly was then easily able to escape, however, its body was swollen, and its wings were underdeveloped.

The girl still thought she had done the butterfly a favor as she sat there waiting for its wings to grow in order to support its body. However, that wasn’t happening. The butterfly was unable to fly, and for the rest of its life, it could only move by crawling around with little wings and a large body.

Despite the girl’s good intentions, she didn’t understand that the restriction of the butterfly’s cocoon and the struggle the butterfly had to go through in order to escape served an important purpose. As butterflies emerge from tight cocoons, it forces fluid from their body into their wings to prepare them to be able to fly.

The struggles that you face in life help you grow and get stronger. There is often a reason behind the requirement of doing hard work and being persistent. When enduring difficult times, you will develop the necessary strength that you’ll need in the future.

Without having any struggles, you won’t grow–which means it’s very important to take on personal challenges for yourself.

Have a nice day...take care of yourself and others!

 

 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY

Why is the obtuse triangle upset? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Because he is never right!

Steer Nation Message 10-9-20 The Weight of the World

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

COVID-19 Information- Please visit this site for the GISD COVID-19 procedures, protocols, and lab-confirmed cases.

Graham Steer Football Homecoming Game-  The Steers will play Bridgeport at 7:00 this evening. Tickets must be purchased online at https://www.grahamisd.com/272594_2. Please take the time to read the information in the Protocols for Purchasing Tickets and Attending Games At Newton Field document. CASH WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT THE GATE. SHOULD YOU ARRIVE WITHOUT ALREADY PURCHASING A TICKET, YOU WILL NEED TO USE YOUR SMARTPHONE TO PURCHASE TICKETS. The game will be live-streamed on the PositiveRadio.net Facebook page. GO STEERS!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues remain undefeated in district play with their Tuesday victory over Mineral Wells.  The Lady Blues vs Burkburnett scheduled for this afternoon has been postponed due to COVID related issues. The Lady Blues have scheduled a bonus game home game vs Abilene Wylie at 11:00 am on Saturday.

The Weight of the World…

Once, a psychology professor walked around his classroom full of students holding a glass of water with his arm straightened out to the side. He asked his students, “How heavy is this glass of water?” 

The students started to shout out guesses–ranging anywhere from 4 ounces to one pound. 

The professor replied, “The absolute weight of this glass isn’t what matters while I’m holding it. Rather, it’s the amount of time that I hold onto it that makes an impact. 

If I hold it for, say, two minutes, it doesn’t feel like much of a burden. If I hold it for an hour, its weight may become more apparent as my muscles begin to tire. If I hold it for an entire day–or week–my muscles will cramp and I’ll likely feel numb or paralyzed with pain, making me feel miserable and unable to think about anything aside from the pain that I’m in.  In all of these cases, the actual weight of the glass will remain the same, but the longer I clench onto it, the heavier it feels to me and the more burdensome it is to hold. 

 

The class understood and shook their heads in agreement. 

The professor continued to say, “This glass of water represents the worries and stresses that you carry around with you every day.  If you think about them for a few minutes and then put them aside, it’s not a heavy burden to bear. If you think about them a little longer, you will start to feel the impacts of the stress. If you carry your worries with you all day, you will become incapacitated, prohibiting you from doing anything else until you let them go.” 

Don’t carry your worries around with you everywhere you go, as they will do nothing but bring you down. 

Put down your worries and stressors. Don’t give them your entire attention while your life is passing you by. 

The Moral: 

Let go of things that are out of your control. Don’t carry your worries around with you everywhere you go, as they will do nothing but bring you down. Put your “glass down” each night and move on from anything that is unnecessarily stressing you out. Don’t carry this extra weight into the next day. 

 

Have a nice day…take care of yourself and others! 

 

 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY

What do you call a Frenchman in sandals? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Philippe Philoppe!

Steer Nation Message 10-2-20 Be Kinder

GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY FRIDAY!

COVID-19 Information- Please visit this site for the GISD COVID-19 procedures, protocols, and lab-confirmed cases.

October is College, Career, and Military Readiness Month at GHS- GHS counselors Molly Morris and Amy Collins have planned several activities in October and hope you are ready to help your students PLUG IN! Visit this google slideshow for the dates and links.  

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues move to 3-0 in district play with their Tuesday victory over Iowa Park. The team will play Vernon this afternoon at 4:30 pm in Vernon. GO LADY BLUES!

Modern Museum of Art Complimentary Admission for Educators- The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth announces complimentary admission to the museum galleries for the 2020-21 academic year for ISD, charter, community college, and university educators. Educators will need to have a valid school-issued ID in order to receive complimentary admission.

Make Sure You Are Registered to Vote- Have you checked recently to make sure you are registered to vote? October 5 is the deadline to register to vote in Texas for the November 3 election. Visit VoteTexas.gov to check your status and find information on registering if you are not already. Don't forget these other important upcoming dates:

• October 13: First day of early voting

• October 19: Educator Voting Day

• October 23: Last day a vote-by-mail application can be received (not postmarked)

• October 30: Last day of early voting 

• November 3: Election Day! Mail-in ballots also must be received by this day

With COVID-19 still affecting every aspect of education in Texas, it is important to elect pro-public education legislators working in the best interest of you and your students. Before casting your ballot, learn more about the candidates by checking out their profiles on Teach the Vote. This instructional video from ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter explains how to search for candidates on the site. You can also follow ATPE's TeachtheVote.org advocacy blog and Twitter account for updates on the latest election and legislative news.

Be Kinder…

"Today was a Difficult Day," said Pooh. 

There was a pause. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Piglet. 

"No," said Pooh after a bit. "No, I don't think I do." 

"That's okay," said Piglet, and he came and sat beside his friend. 

"What are you doing?" asked Pooh. 

"Nothing, really," said Piglet. "Only, I know what Difficult Days are like. I quite often don't feel like talking about it on my Difficult Days either. 

"But goodness," continued Piglet, "Difficult Days are so much easier when you know you've got someone there for you. And I'll always be here for you, Pooh." 

And as Pooh sat there, working through in his head his Difficult Day, while the solid, reliable Piglet sat next to him quietly, swinging his little legs...he thought that his best friend had never been more right." 

 

By A.A. Milne

 

Try to be kinder and more understanding than is required.  We do not always know who is having a Difficult Day/Week/Time.  Look for opportunities to be someone’s friend, even if only for a special moment.  

 

Have a nice day, plan a grand weekend…take care of yourself and others! 

 

 

 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY

What do you call an acid with an attitude? (Scroll down for the answer.)

A-mean-oh acid!