Hitting the Links- Steer Nation Message 10-28-22

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

GHS Cross-Country State Qualifier- Congratulations to GHS Junior,  Mary Lyndell Graham on qualifying for the Texas State Cross Country Meet!

RSB3-  Graham High School's Rompin' Stompin' Big Blue Band will compete at noon on Saturday in UIL Area Marching Contest to be held at C.H. Collins Stadium in Denton. Good Luck RSB3!

Lady Blues and Graham Steer Tennis- Congratulations GHS Tennis on your Fall Season Honors: Boys Singles- Second Team All-District- Luke Qualls, Scott Grimes, and Jaden Noyola. Girls Doubles- Second Team All-District- Sydney Jensen/Jayden Martin. Mixed Doubles- Second Team All-District- Luke Qualls/Reagan Birdwell. Freshman of the Year- Jade Dospapas. Academic All-District- Jade Dospapas, Josh Gipson, John Upton, Lucas Qualls, Denys Klymenko, Sydney Jensen, and Rebekah McCord.

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues have qualified for the playoff and will play a warm-up game at 4:00 pm this afternoon vs Tom Bean at Saint Jo. GO LADY BLUES! The Lady Blues will begin the playoffs next Tuesday vs San Angelo Lake View @ Clyde or vs Levelland @ Merkel.

Graham Steer Football- The Steers will be on the road at Midland Greenwood this evening for a 7:00 pm kickoff. GO STEERS!

Graham Incentive for Teacher Awards Coming Soon- As a result of our STAAR Scores this past year Graham ISD will be awarding approximately $115,600.00 in GIFT Awards. The STAAR/EOC Progress Award Amounts are approximately $32,500.00 and the Distinction Designation Awards are approximately $83,000.00. We look forward to delivering these awards as soon as the calculations are finalized by early December. 

Hitting the Links…

I once read an article by Roger Knapp titled, “Golf Lesson With My Daughter”. In the article, Mr. Knapp said that there was a year that he couldn’t wait for golf season to start because this was the year his eight-year-old daughter was old enough to be his playing partner.

He mentioned that the girl’s love of golf began when she was two years old. That was when he bought her a child-sized seven iron. It was, of course, too big for her, but she dragged it around the house for three years. When she was five, Roger began taking the child to the driving range and putting greens with him. After work, they would chip a ball in the back yard…until she began to hit the ball with some authority. The day a Titleist went through the bathroom window, daddy and daughter golf was relegated to the driving range. Mother’s orders!

Finally, the day came when Mr. Knapp invited his daughter to play a round of “real” golf on a “real” golf course. The little girl was so excited! She could hardly wait for Saturday morning. The pair traveled a short way to a “family-friendly” par three-course with slow greens. There was no crowd, and the twosome could take their time. It was the perfect place for a “real” golf game.

On that first day with his daughter, Mr. Knapp learned that golf is a wonderful game for teaching life’s little lessons to a child. For instance, “You must count all strokes, even if you accidentally bump the ball and it rolls an inch.” After the first hole, he was surprised when he told his daughter that she took five strokes. She replied, “Oh no, Daddy. Remember I accidentally hit the ball once. I got a six.” He loved his daughter’s honesty! Check that box, lesson 1 learned!

Later she asked Roger, “Daddy, my ball is behind a bush. Can I move it?” When he told her that a player cannot move the ball; that it has to be played where it lays, he was able to teach another lesson.

As he repaired a divot on the tee, Roger explained that in golf one always leaves the course better than it was found. For the rest of the game, the daughter wanted to repair every divot on every green. Eventually when she was taking too long repairing divots, and they were holding up the play of the group behind them, he taught another lesson about slow play and how your actions can affect others.

For the little girl golf was just fun. Hit the ball as hard as you can, go find it, and hit it again. Who cares what the score is? However, the time his daughter put her ball closer to the pin than Roger, was a red-letter day. Mom heard about that shot!

As I think about it, these lessons are pretty timely. While all of them are good to remember on a golf course, they are good life lessons for all of us. Be honest, deal with life’s events as they come, leave things better than you find them, and be considerate of others. Maybe we should post these “rules” as a reminder for everyone.

Roger writes that after the round, while drinking lemonade and eating candy in the clubhouse, his daughter pushed back her visor and said to her dad, “That was a lot of fun. Let’s do it again soon!”

I pray at the end of each day that you can echo the little girl, “That was fun. Let’s do it again soon!”

HAVE A NICE DAY…TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS! 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What do you call a bear with no teeth? (Scroll down for the answer.)

A Gummy Bear!

Fable: Don't Argue With Donkeys- Steer Nation Message 10-21-22

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

Graham Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month- The Graham Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring monthly awards for two Graham High School students. Each month a female and male student from this year's senior class will be selected as students of the month. The students of the month will have lunch with the GHS principal, Joe Gordy, and superintendent, Sonny Cruse. At the end of the year, each of the names of the Students of the Month will be placed into a drawing for lunch sponsored by Campbell Farm & Ranch at Potter’s Pizza for themselves and 20 friends/classmates.

Graham Chamber of Commerce Teachers of the Month Awards- The Graham Chamber of Commerce will be sponsoring Teacher of the Month awards for two Graham ISD teachers. Each month one elementary and one secondary teacher will be selected. The Chamber of Commerce and Ciera Bank are partnering to provide the Teachers of the Month $100 in Chamber Bucks and a $100 Gift Card. At the end of the school year, each of the names of the Teachers of the Month will be placed into a drawing for a $1000 Prize.  Nominations can be made by using this form- CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GISD TEACHERS OF THE MONTH

RSB3-  Graham High School's Rompin' Stompin' Big Blue Band competed this past Saturday at the UIL Region 7 Marching Contest in Mineral Wells. The band was awarded 1st Division (Superior) ratings from each of the judges and will advance to the UIL Area Marching Contest to be held at C.H. Collins Stadium in Denton on October 29th. Performance time will be announced once a schedule is set by UIL. Congratulations RSB3!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues will host Christ Academy at 4:30 pm this afternoon. GO LADY BLUES!

Graham Steer Football- The Steers will be at Newton Field this evening for a 7:00 pm kickoff vs the Sweetwater Mustangs. During the pregame, our Seniors will be honored. GO STEERS!

Early Voting Begins on Monday, October 24th- Every single Texas voter has a say in who gets elected to statewide positions- Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, and Railroad Commissioner. Almost all these statewide offices have some impact on what happens in public schools. Here are a few interesting examples:

• The Governor appoints the Commissioner of Education who makes many important decisions about public education.

• The Lieutenant Governor is the head of the Texas Senate and chooses committee chairs and determines which legislation will come up for a vote.

• The Attorney General issues non-binding opinions including those that affect what happens in schools.

This Texas Tribune article explains what these statewide offices do. You may be surprised to find that sometimes their titles don’t even align with their jobs. For example, the Land Commissioner doesn’t just manage state land, he or she also oversees investment in the Permanent School Fund that is used to fund public education. The Railroad Commission oversees oil, gas, coal, and pipelines, not just railroads!

Please make sure you are registered to vote because the deadline is today, October 11, 2022. The TEV website has tools and resources that make it easy to research candidates. Additionally, ATPE provides resources to search for candidates and their position on education-related issues. Click on Teach The Vote to learn more. 

Fable: Don’t Argue With Donkeys…

The donkey said to the tiger, "The grass is blue.” The tiger replied, "No, the grass is green."

The discussion heated up, and the two decided to submit this issue to arbitration, and for this, they went before the lion, the King of the Jungle.

Already before reaching the forest clearing, where the lion was sitting on his throne, the donkey began to shout, "His Highness, is it true that the grass is blue?"

The lion replied, "True, the grass is blue."

The donkey hurried and continued, "The tiger disagrees with me and contradicts and annoys me, please punish him."

The king then declared, "The tiger will be punished with 5 years of silence."

The donkey jumped cheerfully and went on his way, content and repeating, "The Grass Is Blue!”

The tiger accepted his punishment, but he asked the lion, "Your Majesty, why have you punished me?  After all, the grass is green."

The lion replied, "In fact, the grass is green."

The tiger asked, "So why are you punishing me?"

The lion replied, "That has nothing to do with the question of whether the grass is blue or green. The punishment is because it is not wise for a brave and intelligent creature like you to waste time arguing with a donkey, and on top of that come and bother me with that question."

The worst waste of time is arguing with the fool and fanatic who does not care about truth or reality, but only the victory of his beliefs and illusions. Never waste time on arguments that don't make sense...

There are people who, no matter how much evidence is presented to them, that do not have the capacity to understand. Others are blinded by ego, hatred, and resentment, and all they want is to be right even if they are not.

When ignorance screams, intelligence is silent. Your peace and quiet are worth more

HAVE A NICE DAY…TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS! 

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What do you call James Bond in a bubble bath? (Scroll down for the answer.) (Go to www.thecruseline.com for the answer.)

Bubble 07!

The Honor Code- Steer Nation Message 10-14-22

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

RSB3-  Congratulations to the RSB3 on being awarded 1st Division Superior ratings from all 4 of the contest judges at the Seymour Marching Festival. Additionally, the RSB3 Visual Ensemble, comprised of the Bella Blues and RSB3 Colorguard, was awarded Outstanding Auxiliary.  The RSB3 will be competing tomorrow in UIL Region 7 Marching Contest at Mineral Wells. The RSB3 will take the field for their performance at 4:00 pm. Good Luck RSB3!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues will travel this afternoon to play Brownwood. GO LADY BLUES!

Graham Steer Football- The Steers will be on the road this evening for a 7:00 pm kickoff vs the Snyder Tigers. GO STEERS!

Community Advisory Board- The district is currently working with a citizen Community Advisory Board for the purpose of reviewing the elementary facility and capacity study and providing input to the GISD Board of Trustees regarding future plans for the improvement of our elementary school facilities and the realignment of how we may serve our elementary grade levels. Ultimately, the Community Advisory Board will assist with determining if it is in the best interest of the district to consider calling a bond election in May of 2023 for these purposes.

Early Voting Begins on October 24th- Every single Texas voter has a say in who gets elected to statewide positions- Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Land Commissioner, Agriculture Commissioner, and Railroad Commissioner. Almost all these statewide offices have some impact on what happens in public schools. Here are a few interesting examples:

• The Governor appoints the Commissioner of Education who makes many important decisions about public education.
• The Lieutenant Governor is the head of the Texas Senate and chooses committee chairs and determines which legislation will come up for a vote.
• The Attorney General issues non-binding opinions including those that affect what happens in schools.

This Texas Tribune article explains what these statewide offices do. You may be surprised to find that sometimes their titles don’t even align with their jobs. For example, the Land Commissioner doesn’t just manage state land, he or she also oversees investment in the Permanent School Fund that is used to fund public education. The Railroad Commission oversees oil, gas, coal, and pipelines, not just railroads!

Please make sure you are registered to vote because the deadline is today, October 11, 2022. The TEV website has tools and resources that make it easy to research candidates. Additionally, ATPE provides resources to search for candidates and their position on education-related issues. Click on Teach The Vote to learn more. 

The Honor Code…

As you may imagine, this week has been challenging to say the least. One of the simple principles I attempt to live by is that I have little to no control to what happens to me but I have complete control and responsibility for how I react to it. I hope I have represented you, the district, and the community well with my actions since last Friday evening.

The graphic below was shared with Mr. Gordy by GHS PTLW teacher Stan Burnett. This is a timely reminder of how simple expectations can be communicated. 

HAVE A NICE DAY…TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS! 

The Least Shall Be The Greatest- Steer Nation Message 10-7-22

GOOD MORNING…HAPPY FRIDAY!

RSB3-  The RSB3 will be competing tomorrow at the Seymour Marching Contest. Good Luck RSB3!

Lady Blues Cross-Country- Congratulations to Mary Lyndell Graham and Lillian Graham on medalling at the Alvord Meet!

Lady Blues Volleyball- The Lady Blues will host Stephenville at 5:00 pm for their “Pink Out” match. GO LADY BLUES!

Graham Steer Football- The Steers will be at Newton Field this evening for a 7:00 pm kickoff vs the Hirschi Huskies. GO STEERS!

Register To Vote- Make sure your voter registration is active and has your current address. Check your voter registration status here. If you aren’t registered, register to vote here! If you need to make changes to your name or address, do that here! Mark your calendar for these dates:

• October 11: Last day to register to vote

• October 24 - November 4: Early voting

• October 27: Educator Voting Day

• November 8: Election Day!

The Least Shall Be the Greatest...

This story is paraphrased from a story shared with me several years ago by a colleague.

Consider a very small west Texas community in the 1950s and 1960s. Every day could have literally been a Leave It To Beaver episode! When the boys reached high school age, they became rabid about sports. Because it was Texas, football was the primary thing that interested them and seemed to bind everyone in the community together, young and old.

Fielding an eleven-man football team was never difficult, but having enough bodies for a robust practice was always challenging. In fact, it was a common practice for the coaches to suit out to scrimmage with the players during practice. Fortunately, only relatively young men coached football during those years!

One summer a family moved to town that completely changed the football team and the way the group of teenage boys in a small west Texas town perceived the game. The Lutheran church gained a new minister. With the minister came a wife and several children – four boys and three girls. The family had spent many years serving as foreign missionaries in Africa.

Three of the boys were high school-aged, and on the first day of two-a-day football practice, all three of them reported. Of course, none of them had ever played a game of football in their lives, but the coaches were happy to have the extra players. By just counting the heads on that first day, they knew there were enough players to scrimmage, so they would not have to suit up that year!

The oldest of the brothers was a senior. He was 6’3” tall and weighed 235 pounds. He was the biggest body on the team, and everyone knew that he was going to play somewhere. Sure enough, he turned out to be a wonderful athlete and started on the offensive line and as a strong safety on defense. He was not only big, but he could also run like a deer. The next brother was a junior. He was of slight stature, very quiet, and meek. In an athletic world where all of us wanted to be “bigger, faster, and stronger,” he was “smaller, slower, and weaker.” Also, he was not a big fan of contact. The youngest of the three brothers was a freshman. Even as a freshman, he was bigger than the middle brother, and he became an asset to the team.

During two-a-days, none of us knew it, but that season was going to be one to remember for that little town. The first game was upon them. After a long bus ride, the players were ready for battle. They were brimming with the confidence a new season can bring. After a hard-fought contest, the team was on the short end of the scoreboard, 13-12. They missed both extra-point tries. On the bus ride home, the coach informed everyone that we would find a placekicker before the next contest!

Monday’s practice began with everyone, and I mean everyone on the team, getting a try at kicking extra points. Regretfully, not many had any kicking talent. The last player to try kicking an extra point was the “new” boy with the meek and mild demeanor. Being game for the opportunity to contribute, he stood behind the holder, and it was all the rest of the players could do to keep from laughing. Poor fellow, he didn’t even know how to line up to kick an extra point. He was standing at an angle to the ball instead of directly behind it. But, the center snapped the ball, the holder placed it on the tee, and the lad boomed it through the goalposts and out of our stadium. Someone had to run outside the gate to the parking lot to retrieve the ball so that he could try again. Another try, another good kick, another trip to the parking lot to get the ball. Eventually, Coach placed someone in the parking lot to speed up practice. The coach kept backing him up further and further to see how far this young man could kick a football. Eventually, we stopped when he kicked a fifty-yard field goal!

The Bulldogs had found a kicker! That season our team did not miss another extra point, and we did not lose another game all year. One player made all of the difference in our team and in our success! Our kicker was a novelty; the first soccer-style kicker many had ever seen. So, the player that looked the least like a football player became the Most Valuable Player. He went on to receive a four-year scholarship to kick for the SMU Mustangs!

This school year there will be two big events in which educators must become involved. First, Texas schools must create a culture of voting among educators. If there is an election, Texas educators must vote. Those elected to the Texas legislature have the greatest influence on the working conditions of educators than any other group in our state! Second, during the legislative session, do not hesitate to contact your representative and senator with your opinion of the legislation that is before them. I have read that the only time many of our elected officials stand up to the lobbyists who are helping to finance their campaigns is when they have to say, “My folks back home won’t stand for my support of your bill.” The only way legislators know what the “folks back home” want is for the “folks back home” to tell them. Do not be too meek to speak up!

I know that there are lots of reasons for inactivity: you are busy people; your interest is in educating children, not influencing legislation; many are uncomfortable before legislators. However, if one small, meek, and mild sixteen-year-old can change the course of a football season for one high school team, just think what over 600,000 public school professionals working in unison can do for our state!!

CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:

What is the difference between a poorly dressed man on a tricycle and a well-dressed man on a bicycle? (Scroll down for the answer.)

Attire!

HAVE A NICE DAY…TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS!