Bauer Bits
December 22, 2023
From the Principal's Desk
Please enjoy the next excerpt from How to Win Friends and Influence People. I'm wishing you all a restful holiday break!
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Part One: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
Vignette 2: The big secret of dealing with people.
One of the first people in American business to be paid a salary of over a million dollars a year (when there was no income tax and a person earning fifty dollars a week was considered well off) was Charles Schwab, He had been picked by Andrew Carnegie to become the first president of the newly formed United States Steel Company in 1921, when Schwab was only thirty-eight years old. (Schwab later left U.S. Steel to take over the then-troubled Bethlehem Steel Company, and he rebuilt it into one of the most profitable companies in America.)
Why did Andrew Carnegie pay a million dollars a year, or more than three thousand dollars a day, to Charles Schwab? Why? Because Schwab was a genius? No. Because he knew more about the manufacture of steel than other people? Nonsense. Charles Schwab told me himself that he had many men working for him who knew more about the manufacture of steel than he did.
Schwab says that he was paid this salary largely because of his ability to deal with people. I asked him how he did it. Here is his secret set down in his own words -- words that ought to be cast in eternal bronze and hung in every home and school, every shop and office in the land – words that children ought to memorize instead of wasting their time memorizing the conjugation of Latin verbs or the amount of the annual rainfall in Brazil – words that will all but transform your life and mine if we will only live them:
"I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people," said Schwab, "the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.
"There is nothing else that so kills the ambitions of a person as criticisms from superiors. I never criticize anyone. I believe in giving a person incentive to work. So I am anxious to praise but loath to find fault. If I like anything, I am hearty in my approbation and lavish in my praise. "
That is what Schwab did. But what do average people do? The exact opposite. If they don't like a thing, they bawl out their subordinates; if they do like it, they say nothing. As the old couplet says: "Once I did bad and that I heard ever/Twice I did good, but that I heard never."
"In my wide association in life, meeting with many and great people in various parts of the world," Schwab declared, "I have yet to find the person, however great or exalted his station, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than he would ever do under a spirit of criticism."
That he said, frankly, was one of the outstanding reasons for the phenomenal success of Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie praised his associates publicly as well as privately.
Carnegie wanted to praise his assistants even on his tombstone. He wrote an epitaph for himself which read: "Here lies one who knew how to get around him men who were cleverer than himself:"
Sincere appreciation was one of the secrets of the first John D. Rockefeller's success in handling men. For example, when one of his partners, Edward T. Bedford, lost a million dollars for the firm by a bad buy in South America, John D. might have criticized; but he knew Bedford had done his best – and the incident was closed. So Rockefeller found something to praise; he congratulated Bedford because he had been able to save 60 percent of the money he had invested. "That's splendid," said Rockefeller. "We don't always do as well as that upstairs."
Hurting people not only does not change them, it is never called for. There is an old saying that I have cut out and pasted on my mirror where I cannot help but see it every day:
I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Emerson said: "Every man I meet is my superior in some way. In that, I learn of him."
If that was true of Emerson, isn't it likely to be a thousand times more true of you and me? Let's cease thinking of our accomplishments, our wants. Let's try to figure out the other person's good points. Then forget flattery. Give honest, sincere appreciation. Be "hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise," and people will cherish your words and treasure them and repeat them over a lifetime – repeat them years after you have forgotten them.
PRINCIPLE:
Give honest and sincere appreciation.
Mark Your Calendar
- Monday, December 25th - Friday, January 5th: Holiday Break
- Monday, January 8th: School Resumes
- Wednesday, January 10th: Bauer Skating Party
Please check the HPS Student Calendar for early release dates and breaks for the 2023-24 school year!
Art Awesomeness
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
I cannot believe we are halfway through our school year! This week we are highlighting the very creative 3rd and 4th grade artists! Our upper elementary students have been crushing their learning during our art time! In third grade our students just finished a folk art painting inspired by New York artist, Heather Galler. Each student was able to choose between a city or country scene before adding color and pattern to their work. We also learned what happens to our artwork when we work with both Oil Pastels and Watercolor paint. Enjoy asking your child to share more details!
The fourth grade students loved learning about 3d form and value while drawing lava lamps! We used oil pastels to blend highlights and shadows on both our 'metal' lamps as well as the organic blob shapes in the middle! The splatter paint background created a modern and fun space for displaying our work.
I am beyond impressed by our students' knowledge of their art concepts and creativity. I look forward to spending more time with them in the new year as we take time to learn more about three dimensional art using model magic.
Enjoy the extra family time this winter break!
Sincerely,
Ms. Pomorski
Music Notes
Thank you once again for a wonderful holiday program! HERE is the youtube link to the program from WCET-TV. Have a great break and a Happy New Year!
Bauer Parent Club News
Staff Holiday Luncheon
Shout out to Adam and Shannon Soehner (and BPC liaison Valerie Willock) for chairing and organizing our Bauer Staff Holiday Luncheon this week!
Save it for 2024
We made it, gang!! It’s officially “circle back in the new year” season! With your last bit of over-caffeinated holiday hustle energy, please put these January dates on your calendar:
Bauer Skating Party
We’ll remind you again, but here’s all the info: Wednesday, January 10th from 6:15-8:15 pm at Tarry Hall in Grandville. Please join us for a fun night on the roller rink! While this is an event for Bauer families, all minors in attendance must be under direct adult supervision. Admission is $7 for all skaters (no cost for spectators). Rentals are $3 for rollerblades or roller skates.
Bauer Parent Club Meeting
Join us for our next meeting: January 17th, 7:30-8:30pm, in the Bauer library. We have some FUN events upcoming in the new year and we would love your input and involvement!
Please also note, January 17th is POPCORN DAY and spirit day: WEAR NEON!
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.
Drop Off Procedures
If you are dropping your child off in the mornings we ask that you are mindful of a few details. When dropping students, please use the entire straightaway. We are having issues with folks stopping too soon and this creates a less efficient drop off. When you are allowed to pull forward, please pull all the way up to the grassy area at the end of the straightaway. The drop off area extends from this grassy area all the way back to the paper gator. Even our youngest students are capable of walking this short distance to the south building doors. Please have them exit your vehicle and head straight to the sidewalk to make their way into the building. Additionally, we close the doors at 8:45 sharp. If you arrive at 8:45 or later, please send your child in through the front/office doors by the flagpole.
Your attention to these details will make things more efficient so THANK YOU in advance!
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.