GOOD MORNING & HAPPY FRIDAY!
Legislative Advocacy- As you are aware, the Texas Legislature is currently in session. Our Texas Legislators are Senator Drew Springer and Representative David Spiller.
I encourage you to be informed and to contact Senator Springer and Representative Spiller regarding legislation that will impact public education in general and Graham ISD. A great place to begin is by reading the legislative priorities of the associations that support public education. The ones I have reviewed so far are linked below.
Regional Special Olympic Basketball- Good luck to our Lady Blues and Steers who will be competing on Saturday morning at GHS!
One Act Play- Mark Your Calendar- Our GHS One Act Play will be competing in the UIL District One Act Play contest on Saturday, March 4, 2023. The performances will begin at noon with the following order- Glen Rose, Mineral Wells, Graham, Brownwood, and Stephenville. BREAK A LEG!
Steer Basketball Players Earn All-Disrict Honors- Congratulations to the Graham Steer Basketball team on earning a playoff birth with their second-place finish in the district. The following players received All-District Honors- Keion Shead Offensive MVP, Ty Thompson Newcomer, Tyson Weaver 1st Team, Kolby Spurlin 1st Team, Riley Lanham 2nd Team, Levi May 2nd Team, Sam Rodgers Honorable Mention, Luke Padron Honorable Mention. Congratulations!
Youth Art Month- Students from Graham ISD will be displaying their creative works at the Old Post Office Museum and Art Center (OPOMAC) from March 8-31, 2023. The exhibit is open to the public. We hope you will find time to visit the OPOMAC and enjoy the artwork from our students.
Lady Blues and Graham Steer Tennis- Good luck at the Denton Goldfield Tournament! GO NETTERS!
Lady Blues Softball- The Lady Blues are playing in the Iowa Park tournament today and tomorrow. GO LADY BLUES!
Thriving…
“Coming together is a beginning,
staying together is progress, and
working together is success.”
Henry Ford
A colleague of mine recently built a new home and has the pleasure of looking out any window and being able to see the beautiful animals pictured above. A friend of his is an oryx broker, and he has partnered with him for the herd the place. The core of the herd are the adults whose appearance is less than perfect. They might have only one horn or maybe even no horns. Their defects really reduce their market value, but the defects have no adverse effect on their value as breeding stock. His animals produce beautiful babies! His wife especially enjoys watching the antics of the young ones. Each one has his/her own personality! However, there comes a day when the “babies” grow up, and they are loaded into a trailer and shipped to a new home that has bought them.
His herd of oryx is beautiful to look at, and he and his wife are somewhat surprised at how much like humans their behavior can be. For instance, the females are wonderful mothers. They take good care of their babies, keep them nearby, and protect them from coyotes or any other predator who might threaten them. Just like human mothers, however, mother oryx need some time for themselves. Therefore, they have developed a pretty sophisticated daycare system. Most afternoons we can see all of the young animals being monitored by two of the older females with the help of one or two “teen” oryx. The “little ones” have a structured afternoon with some monitored freedom, much like a kindergarten classroom. On another note, a lone oryx seldom strays far from the herd. They realize that there are predators, especially at night, and there is only protection when they stay together. When one animal runs, all of them run.
At times the animals also demonstrate some of the less-than-desirable human traits. Some oryx are bullies. This trait is never more obvious that when “candy” (cubes with molasses) has been delivered to their troughs. One or two of them will use their horns to ensure that none of the others get any until the “bullies” get their fill. The outsiders are forced to stand at a distance to wait their turn at the trough of goodies. Eventually, everyone gets a bite.
Two weeks ago, they bought six additional oryx to add to the herd. They have been surprised how the members of the original herd have ostracized their new “brothers”. The six new ones tend to travel together, away from the others. If they get any “candy”, it is well after the others have finished and wandered off. When any of the new animals approach the trough while some of the originals are there, it is not pretty. Horns are used strategically to put the new ones in their place. Sadly, one of the new animals has been shunned by all of the other animals. He has been isolated acres away from the rest. He grazes by himself; he doesn’t have any contact with the others. As a result, he is losing weight and looks terrible. Even oryx need to be a part of a group to thrive!
So, what can we learn from oryx? (1.) By building a positive bond, everyone feels more protected. (2.) When the team is thriving, everyone gets some of the “goodies”. (3.) When the team is strong, everyone thrives.
I know this is not news to you, and I hope that your our are living proof of these truths!
Have a nice day...unless you have already made other plans!
CORNY JOKE OF THE DAY:
Did you hear the one about the dog and the tree? (Scroll down for the answer.)
They had a long conversation about bark!
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