The Cardinal Way

I often work under that mindset that while I may not be the smartest or most talented person, I can earn my way to bettering myself with a relentless work ethic. I get to school early; I leave late; I work weekends -- while at times worrying that it is not enough. I often give so much to school that I am exhausted. I get to breaks, and I pull away from my family to get the rest I need.

As the stress of these long hours wears on me, I seem to lose the interest and motivation that has helped me find success in work. These relentlessly long hours week after week can significantly: reduce my productivity, drain my energy, and impact my attitude. There are always certain points in the school year where I feel like I have nothing left to give physically and emotionally. Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it always finds a way to creep up on me.

As we wind down this school year, we must make sure we find ways to stay energized for those we serve. After a long year, and as we approach the chaos of May, this is vitally important. We must find ways, even if is only for moments to step away from it all so we can be there for our students. Here is to the month of May!

Be a Cardinal; Change Lives; Put a Mission into Motion

Thank you to:

• Jorie DePalma and the RDM team for raising over 61,000 for Riley Hospital for Children this year!
• Christina Ferguson for hosting the National Honor Society Induction this past weekend.
• Alex Bettag and our football program for hosting an 8th Grade Signing day to begin to engage some of our incoming Freshmen in the high school.
• Jeff Maupin for taking our band students toWGI drumline and ISSMA competitions this weekend. The drumline got the highest score in school history and all band groups received a Gold Rating.
• our theatre department for hosting Tea with a Princess. They have two more events coming up this Saturday!

Week 33: Grateful Friday Challenge

Dr. Seuss once said (at least I hope he did): “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” And this got me thinking… Isn’t this what we have been working on, and thinking about, all year? This describes us, and our hopes for what we want our students to realize too. We are all unique, we are all special, and we all have our own talents. We don’t have to be a photocopy of the teacher next door, and kids don’t have to all march to the same beat. It is what makes every day great. It is what keeps education fresh. It is what keeps us on our toes. We get to work with kids and we get to bring our own personalities to the table every day.

The #SHSGFC is to be OUT-STANDING today; here are some easy ideas to get you started:

• Smile at someone who looks like they need it

• Give someone a pat on the back for an attempt at something that challenges them

• Tell someone something you admire about them

• Give a student a genuine compliment

• Thank a support staff member for their hard work that often goes underappreciated

Make today great and always remember: “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

With banners flying as we go! #FlyAsONE

Hope you enjoy this weeks 180 Days of Learning Posts

Mr. Wormann's World History students are learning about the Cold War era. Students discussed different powers and events that led up to the Cold War. Students looked at how nuclear warfare changed the landscape of country's perspective on war and watched short video clips and evaluated political cartoons from the era to understand the fear created by these nuclear threats.

As part of Cultural week at SHS, Mrs. Peddie helped facilitate our students sharing their refugee stories. Students shared their journeys to the U.S. while other students listened. All were sitting on the giant maps walking their journey while students from other classes followed along with their journey to Southport.

As another part of our Cultural week, Mrs. Al Awadh helped facilitate meals created by our students that represented the many different countries that makeup Southport. Staff members were able to come and try traditional food from Honduras, Hungry, Mexico, the Middle East, and many more. Each student group was able to describe their food and explain how it connected to their country.

Ms. Means took her Photography students on a field trip downtown this week. Students visited museums and practiced their photography skills in different settings. The students had a great experience and it was great to see the students playing and being engaged with their environment.

Officer Capps was a leader in creating a scholarship endowment for fallen Officer Breann Leath's son Zane. Officer Capps led the charge to raise $20,000 for Zane over the past few years. Southport was honored to host a recognition event this week to honor the service and sacrifice of Breann and to present the generous donations to the family for Zane. Thank you to Officer Capps for dedicating his time to honor one of our Cardinals! If you have not seen the news story, you can watch it here.

Instead of a joke...a riddle...

Website: http://websites.msdpt.k12.in.us/sh/
Location: 971 E Banta Rd, Indianapolis, IN, United States
Phone: 317-789-4800
Twitter: @SHS_Cardinals