Bauer Bits
November 3, 2023
From the Principal's Desk
Today I'm sharing an article highlighting the importance of consciously spending time learning new things. What a gift history can be.
I hope that you enjoy this lesson and can share it with your families. Have a great weekend everyone!
From The Daily Coach:
The 5 Hour Rule
If you ever visit the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, you will notice a picture of a young Thomas Edison from 1861.
The picture was taken of Edison at the age of fourteen from working on the Grand Trunk Railway, selling popular newspapers, magazines, cigars, and candy to passengers traveling between his hometown of Port Huron, Mich., and Detroit. The job required Edison to board the train at 7 o’clock each morning, travel three hours to Detroit, then return late in the evening.
The job gave Edison two things he badly wanted: reading time and money. His earnings on the train were excellent, taking in $8- to $10 a day, to which he would give his mother a portion.
Reading time occurred once he arrived in Detroit; Edison would walk to the newly opened Detroit public library and devour every single book in the library.
That’s right, every book, from technical journals, magazines, scientific papers, and newspapers on topics ranging from electricity, chemistry, engineering, mechanics, building, cement, building materials, drugs, water and gas, power, automobiles, and railroads to aeronautics, philosophy, hygiene, physics, telegraphy, mining, metallurgy, metals, music, and many others. His passion for learning came from his mother.
Edison once said, “My mother taught me how to read good books quickly and correctly, and this opened up a great world in literature. I didn’t read a few books; I read the library.
What Edison was doing at a young age was practicing what is now called The 5-Hour Rule. The 5-hour rule is the concept of spending at least one hour every workday consciously learning new things or practicing various activities. Doing so can help you gain new skills and knowledge, which can lead to both personal and professional development. It can also help you keep your knowledge of certain subjects current. Edison, at 14, became a professional student and remained one until the day he died.
So how can we use the 5-hour rule in our daily life?
1. Decide on when to read
There are no set rules or times, only that you schedule an hour per day on your calendar. Remember, this is the most important meeting of your day.
2. Find information sources
Besides books, there are several other sources of information that you can use to learn about the subjects you're interested in. Audiobook podcasts are an efficient way to get information from a book while performing a repetitive activity, like driving, exercising, or cleaning your house.
3. Find ways to remember
When we write what we have learned, we can store the data in our brains. We need to read, review, and write to retain. Learning isn’t remembering information, it’s about changing behaviors.
4. Expand your learning horizons.
Work your brain calories; don’t read or consume the same stuff. Explore your interests and push yourself outside your comfort zone.
5. Do it every day!!!
The 5-hour rule can only deliver positive results if you practice consistently over a long period. This means you need the self-discipline to resist various opportunities to spend that time differently, which may not be as helpful for your long-term development. You can improve your odds of staying committed by setting short and long-term knowledge goals.
When Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, would visit his grandparents in Texas for the summer, his grandfather would share the Edison story with him as they drove to the library. Bezos has been using the 5-hour rule like Edison for his entire life. If it’s good for Thomas and Jeff, it’s good for us.
Mark Your Calendar
- Monday, November 6th: Bauer Parent Club Meeting - 7:30pm
- Friday, November 10th: Early Release - 12:15pm
- Monday, November 13th - Friday, November 17th: Scholastic Book Fair
- Monday, November 13th: Parent Teacher Conferences & Marco's Night
- Wednesday, November 15th: Breakfast with Books for PK/K (see below)
- Wednesday, November 15th: Patriotic & Popcorn Day
- Wednesday, November 15th: Parent Teacher Conferences & Marco's Night
- Tuesday, November 28th: Holiday Program (K-4th graders) - 6:30pm
Please check the HPS Student Calendar for early release dates and breaks for the 2023-24 school year!
STEAM Tidbits
We'll be starting new units in STEAM very soon. PreK will be learning about living and nonliving things in nature. Kindergarten will be learning about the structure and function of the human body. First grade will begin their light and sound unit. Second grade will be studying the properties of matter. Third grade will begin their forces and interactions unit and fourth grade will begin studying the different sources of energy and how we use them. Stay tuned for pictures and items coming home that we worked on in class! Have a nice weekend.
-Mr. Lloyd
Bauer Parent Club News
Lots of great things are happening at Bauer this month – please hang with us and read through all the BPC updates. As always, we will also share information on our Facebook page.
Next Meeting - Join Us!
Bauer Parent Club meeting NEXT WEEK Monday, November 6th, 7:30-8:30pm in the Bauer Library – please join us! Help make the most of the dollars we’ve raised, get plugged in where your talents can shine for Bauer, and be in the loop about BPC events!
Fall Gift Card Drive & RaiseRight Raffle
Here is a GREAT opportunity to get a jump on holiday shopping! Gift cards are perfect for teachers, coaches, babysitters, neighbors, and those hard-to-shop-for family members! Why not check some holiday shopping off your list AND earn some cash back for Bauer?
Many of you may already be familiar with the RaiseRight (formerly Scrip) program, but here’s a quick review: you purchase gift cards through RaiseRight and retailers donate 2-16% back to the school. Our Fall Gift Card Drive will run November 3-17. Place your order online for physical gift cards and we’ll have your order ready for pick up at Bauer by the end of this month. Orders placed now through Friday, November 10 will earn one entry (per person, not per order) into a raffle for 6 front row seats to Bauer’s upcoming Holiday Program!
Order through the RaiseRight web site: raiseright.com or mobile app: RaiseRight Fundraising. Bauer's family enrollment code is: 817E45BA6L851. Please reach out to Valerie Willock or Jill Bosnjak with questions.
Scholastic Book Fair
Our Fall Scholastic Book Fair will run from November 10 - November 17 from set up to tear down. Students will have an opportunity to preview the book fair November 13 & 14 and shop November 15 & 16 with their classes. Books can be purchased with cash, credit, check (made out to Bauer Parent Club) or Scholastic E-wallet. If you have money that was previously unspent in your E-wallet, it can be rolled over to future fairs or book orders – please contact Scholastic customer service directly for E-wallet support. Cash will be refunded to checks made out for a larger amount. Returns can be made with receipt only. E-wallet can be set up on the Scholastic website under Bauer's book fair.
Book Fair Volunteers
You are invited to help students at the book fair! Please consider helping as your schedule allows. This is always a fun and popular event for volunteers, so snag your spot now! You may sign up here.
Breakfast with Books
“Breakfast with Books” is a special event for our pre-K and kindergarten students to attend with their parents. On Wednesday, November 15 from 8:05 to 8:35 AM, parents may shop with their students, ask questions and enjoy some light breakfast refreshments. This is a great introduction for young students and new parents to Bauer to see what the book fair is all about! Please RSVP to Stephanie Martin at slmartin722@gmail.com with the number of people you expect to attend.
Fall Conference Meals
Bauer Parent Club is once again organizing dinners for teachers on conference nights: November 13 and 15. Please consider signing up to contribute a food item or a few dollars here. Thanks for partnering with BPC to support our teachers in this tangible (and much appreciated) way!
Marco’s Pizza Nights
We’ve teamed up with Marco’s for TWO pizza nights on Monday 11/13 and Wednesday 11/15 so no matter which night you have conferences, Bauer families have a quick and DELICIOUS dinner option! Please consider making this your special conference night meal to celebrate your hard-working students. Marco’s donates a portion of sales from these nights back to Bauer Parent Club AND provides a pizza party for the class with the most orders! Participating in Pizza Nights is EASY - simply order your favorites from Marco’s Pizza on Port Sheldon on November 13 and 15! Be sure to mention your classroom teacher for pizza party consideration!
Santa Sale
The Bauer Parent Club Santa Sale will be on December 11 & 12 this year. More information will be sent home soon. Items are priced from $3-$6 and are not sold at a profit. In addition, if you would like your child to participate but are not financially able to allow for this fun opportunity, please let the office know. All information will be kept confidential. Donations of gift bags (cinch bags are the best!), gift tags, tape, and tissue paper would be greatly appreciated! You may send donations in with your student(s) or drop them off in the office.
WatchDOGS
If you weren't able to attend the initial WatchDOGs meeting and would like to participate, sign up here.
Attendance
If your student will not be attending school due to illness or other reasons, please call the office at 616--669-6824 or email ehuizen@hpseagles.net AND apalmbo@hpseagles.net BEFORE 9:00 am. Students who are not called in by a parent/guardian will be marked with an unexcused absence.
If your student will be late, arriving after 8:45 am, please call the office at 616-669-6824 in the morning.
If your student will be late and needs a hot lunch, please let us know when you call. Hot lunch needs to be ordered by 10 am.
COVID Tests
Free at home COVID tests are available in the office.
Volunteer/Visitor Policy
The HPS criminal background check is required for all school volunteers. In order to complete this request, we ask that you fill out this volunteer form at least 48 hours prior to volunteering. Once your request is submitted, all Volunteer status updates (Approval, Denial or Limited Access Approval) will be sent directly to the building you have selected to volunteer in.
The Hudsonville Public School District has the right to approve or deny your request if your background check does not meet the standards of HPS Board Policy.
If you have any questions regarding the Volunteer Background Check process, please contact our Human Resources Department at 616-669-1740 or by emailing our office at eagles@hpseagles.net.