Bauer Bits
September 9, 2022
From the Principal's Desk
Bauer Parents,
The following is shared from a newsletter written by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer & former Nike executive George Raveling and former NFL GM Michael Lombardi. It shares an invaluable lesson which we all need to be reminded of. I know that this learning is vital to us as parents and teachers as we try to make an impact on the young people in our care.
Be well everyone!
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So You’ve Made a Mistake. Now What?
Being wrong or making a poor choice is an experience, not a final act.
He wrote the equations on the blackboard:
9 x 1 = 9, 9 x 2 = 18, 9 x 3 = 27, 9 x 4 = 36, 9 x 5 = 45
9 x 6 = 54, 9 x 7 = 63, 9 x 8 = 72, 9 x 9 = 81, 9 x 10 = 91
Suddenly, chaos erupted in the classroom. Albert Einstein had made a basic mistake: 9 x 10 isn’t 91. Einstein calmly waited for everyone to be silent, then said:
“Despite the fact that I analyzed nine problems correctly, no one congratulated me. But when I made one mistake, everyone started laughing. This means that even if a person is successful, society will notice their slightest mistake. So, don’t let criticism destroy your dreams. The only person who never makes a mistake is someone who does nothing.”
The anecdote is a timeless lesson from one of the most influential scientists, visionaries and disruptors of the 20th century — and is relevant to us no matter where we are on our leadership discovery journeys.
Far too often, we destroy our dreams before they ever really get started. We allow a mistake, our inner critic or other people’s opinions — even from years ago — to creep into our mental narrative of what we can accomplish. We put barriers on our possibilities that then extend into the other components of our lives.
As positive-difference makers, we must recognize that we are inevitably going to make mistakes. They are what make us human and are vital components of our personal and collective transformations.
Understand, we never have to over-internalize the mistake or a critic’s opinion. Cultivating our mental fitness to a level where our missteps do not paralyze us becomes the assignment at hand.
Being wrong or making a poor choice is an experience, not a final act. And inside every obstacle and setback are hidden opportunities for a comeback if we remain open to the lesson.
The next time we make a mistake, let’s accept it, acknowledge it, and lean into it, but not from a defensive position. Let’s lean into it through a lens of true self-improvement.
Anything worthwhile will be difficult and, at times, uncomfortable. Yet, we still need to climb the mountaintop we desire. After all, it’s in this climb that lie the breakthroughs and opportunities for discovery.
If the mistakes we make are always about us and not about how we can learn and grow from them, we cannot fulfill our obligations of empowering future generations.
We have a duty to maximize our precious time while helping to make a difference.
Getting over our past mistakes is the first step.
Mark your calendar
- Tuesday, September 13th: Jet's Pizza Night & Bauer Parent Club Meeting
- Friday, September 16th: Early Release (12:15 pm)
- Wednesday, September 21st: School Pictures
- Friday, September 23rd: Walk-a-thon
- Monday, September 26th - Friday, September 30th: Homecoming Spirit Days (see below)
Please check the HPS Student Calendar for early release dates and breaks for the 2022-23 school year!
School Pictures
If your student is absent, retakes will be taken on Thursday, October 27th.
STEAM News
This week in STEAM we're learning how to use technology appropriately in school. We have discussed what it means to be a good "digital citizen" and we'll continue to become more efficient with our use of Google Classroom and Google Drive. It is important for students to have a good foundation in these areas so they can transfer and gain more skills from one grade to the next.
- Mr. Lloyd
MTSS Academic Specialist
We are excited to share that Mrs. Ann McDonald has a different role at Bauer and will now be the MTSS Academic Specialist. Ann will be working with teachers, academic data systems, and students in order to best target the academic needs of our students. Ann has held many positions across the district. Her experience as a Speech Language Pathologist, early on special education teacher, classroom teacher and specialist will serve her well in this position.
We are looking forward to working with Ann McDonald in her new role this year.
Homecoming Spirit Days
Show your school spirit during Homecoming week!
- Monday, September 26th: Comfy Day
- Tuesday, September 27th: Island Day
- Wednesday, September 28th: Blue & White Day
- Thursday, September 29th: Dancing Queen/70s Day
- Friday, September 30th: Hudsonville Gear Day
Bauer Parent Club
Bauer Parent Club is looking for YOU! Here's what's coming up…
MEETING:
The first Bauer Parent Club meeting is NEXT WEEK Tuesday, September 13th at 7:30 pm. This will take place at Bauer in the Media Room. We would love to have as many parents there as we can! We will introduce committee chairs, discuss upcoming events, review our budget and meet our Bauer Parent Club board members. As an added bonus: the class with the most parents in attendance at our first meeting will win a pizza party!
PIZZA NIGHT:
Here’s an easy dinner for you before heading to the Parent Club meeting next Tuesday: our first pizza night of the year is also Tuesday, September 13th! Order dinner at the Jet's on Baldwin and they will donate a portion of our sales back to the Bauer Parent Club. Please make sure to mention your classroom teacher's name when placing your order. The class with the most orders will win a pizza party!
VOLUNTEERING:
Bauer Parent Club is looking for volunteers for upcoming and ongoing events. This is a great way to get involved at school! Please fill out this form to share how you might want to get involved. Also, all volunteers must complete a background check. The link can be found here. This must be completed at least 24 hours in advance.
WALK-A-THON:
The countdown to Walk-a-thon is on… Friday, September 23rd is the big day! Support of this fundraiser allows the Bauer Parent Club to sponsor so many of the special activities that the kids enjoy like field trips, 5th (and 4th) Grade Celebration and social events like Girls’ & Boys’ Nights!
We have a very fun Walk-a-thon planned! There are treats around the track during the event, some amazing prizes and everyone’s favorite: the chance to dunk Mr. Meersma on the day of the Walk-a-thon! (Only donations made by September 22nd at midnight will count to determine how many attempts your child will have to dunk Mr. Meersma!)
So far, we have 39% of students registered online and have raised $8,840 (29% of our goal). Currently, the top 3 classrooms are Windeler, Machiela and Kopka. We’re off to a great start, but still need to raise $21,160 to reach our goal! Still plenty of time to register your student(s) and share their fundraising page!
Walkathon registration in 3 easy steps:
Go to www.getmovinfundhub.com to login/register. It’s quick and easy! (Use school identifier: 5d31d162a753e and follow the prompts.)
Use the share tools to email or text your student’s personalized fundraising webpage with 10-15 friends and family members.
Use the share tools to post on Facebook - you’ll be surprised how many people will click the link and donate in support of your student.
Prizes are awarded to all students for registering, participating in the event, and fundraising at all levels - so get registered and share your student’s fundraising page with friends and family this weekend and watch those donations roll in!
Watch D.O.G.S.:
Thanks to all that joined us for the Watch D.O.G.S. ice cream social kick-off event this past Wednesday. We had a great turn out and appreciate how many of you signed up to set a positive example for our students. If you couldn’t make it Wednesday and are interested in volunteering, contact the Bauer Watch D.O.G.S. committee at beswatchdogs@hpseagles.net.
Bauer Elementary
Email: ehuizen@hpseagles.net
Website: hudsonvillepublicschools.org
Location: 8136 48th Avenue, Hudsonville, MI, USA
Phone: 616-669-6824
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BauerElementary
Twitter: @BauerElementary