Bauer Bits
January 12, 2024
From the Principal's Desk
Vignette: How to Make People Like You Instantly
George Eastman, of Kodak fame, invented the transparent film that made motion pictures possible, amassed a fortune of a hundred million dollars, and made himself one of the most famous businessmen on earth. Yet in spite of all these tremendous accomplishments, he craved little recognitions even as you and I.
To illustrate: When Eastman was building the Eastman School of Music and also Kilbourn Hall in Rochester, James Adamson, then president of the Superior Seating Company of New York, wanted to get the order to supply the theater chairs for these buildings. Phoning the architect, Mr. Adamson made an appointment to see Mr. Eastman in Rochester.
When Adamson arrived, the architect said: "I know you want to get this order, but I can tell you right now that you won't stand a ghost of a show if you take more than five minutes of George Eastman's time. He is a strict disciplinarian. He is very busy. So tell your story quickly and get out."
Adamson was prepared to do just that.
When he was ushered into the room he saw Mr. Eastman bending over a pile of papers at his desk. Presently, Mr. Eastman looked up, removed his glasses, and walked toward the architect and Mr. Adamson, saying: "Good morning, gentlemen, what can I do for you?"
The architect introduced them, and then Mr. Adamson said: "While we've been waiting for you, Mr. Eastman, I've been admiring your office. I wouldn't mind working in a room like this myself. I'm in the interior-woodworking business, and I never saw a more beautiful office in all my life."
George Eastman replied: "You remind me of something I had almost forgotten. It is beautiful, isn't it? I enjoyed it a great deal when it was first built. But I come down here now with a lot of other things on my mind and sometimes don't even see the room for weeks at a time."
Adamson walked over and rubbed his hand across a panel. "This is English oak, isn't it? A little different texture from Italian oak."
"Yes," Eastman replied. "Imported English oak. It was selected for me by a friend who specializes in fine woods."
Then Eastman showed him about the room, commenting on the proportions, the coloring, the hand carving and other effects he had helped to plan and execute.
While drifting about the room, admiring the wood-work, they paused before a window, and George Eastman, in his modest, soft-spoken way, pointed out some of the institutions through which he was trying to help humanity: the University of Rochester, the General Hospital, the Homeopathic Hospital, the Friendly Home, the Children's Hospital. Mr. Adamson congratulated him warmly on the idealistic way he was using his wealth to alleviate the sufferings of humanity. Presently, George Eastman unlocked a glass case and pulled out the first camera he had ever owned – an invention he had bought from an Englishman.
Adamson questioned him at length about his early struggles to get started in business, and Mr. Eastman spoke with real feeling about the poverty of his childhood, telling how his widowed mother had kept a boardinghouse while he clerked in an insurance office. The terror of poverty haunted him day and night, and he resolved to make enough money so that his mother wouldn't have to work, Mr. Adamson drew him out with further questions and listened, absorbed, while he related the story of his experiments with dry photographic plates. He told how he had worked in an office all day, and sometimes experimented all night, taking only brief naps while the chemicals were working, sometimes working and sleeping in his clothes for seventy-two hours at a stretch.
James Adamson had been ushered into Eastman's office at ten-fifteen and had been warned that he must not take more than five minutes; but an hour had passed, then two hours passed. And they were still talking.
Finally, George Eastman turned to Adamson and said, "The last time I was in Japan I bought some chairs, brought them home, and put them in my sun porch. But the sun peeled the paint, so I went downtown the other day and bought some paint and painted the chairs myself. Would you like to see what sort of a job I can do painting chairs? All right. Come up to my home and have lunch with me and I'll show you."
After lunch, Mr. Eastman showed Adamson the chairs he had brought from Japan. They weren't worth more than a few dollars, but George Eastman, now a multimillionaire, was proud of them because he himself had painted them.
The order for the seats amounted to $90,000. Who do you suppose got the order -- James Adamson or one of his competitors?
From the time of this story until Mr. Eastman's death, he and James Adamson were close friends.
PRINCIPLE:
Make the other person feel important – and do it sincerely.
Mark Your Calendar
- Wednesday, January 17th: Neon Day & Popcorn Day
- Wednesday, January 17th: Bauer Parent Club Meeting - 7:30 pm
- Friday, January 26th: Early Release - 12:15 pm
- Tuesday, January 30th: 2024-25 PK/K Information Meeting - 6:30 pm (Details below)
Please check the HPS Student Calendar for early release dates and breaks for the 2023-24 school year! You can also check out the 2024-2025 student calendar here.
Music Notes
Here is a fun opportunity to attend a beginning orchestra concert. The Grand Rapids Symphony is holding a performance geared toward children called The Wild Symphony. If you are interested in attending I am attaching the link to this performance. It would be a great first adventure to the symphony!
www.grsymphony.org/wild-symphony
Saturday, January 20, 2024
10:00 AM
- Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
Bauer Parent Club News
Bauer Skating Party - RESCHEDULED
Our January skating party has been rescheduled to: Thursday, February 15th 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 BPC meeting next week: Wednesday, January 17th, 7:30-8:30 PM, in the Bauer library. We have some FUN events on the 2024 calendar and we would love your input and involvement!
Please also note, January 17th is POPCORN DAY and spirit day: WEAR NEON!
Save the Date: Bauer Girls’ Night Out
Please save the date for the 2024 Bauer Girls’ Night Out: Saturday, February 24th, 6:00-8:00 PM. Stay tuned for more information and an exciting location reveal!
PK/Kindergarten Information Meeting
2024-2025 school year PK/Kindergarten enrollment links will open on January 25th!
Informational meetings will be held for parents at all elementary buildings (except the Early Childhood Center location) on January 30th at 6:30 p.m. If you are unsure of your attendance area building please contact Robin at 616-669-1740 or rvandenb@hpseagles.net.
To be eligible for pre-kindergarten or kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year, children must be five years of age on or before December 1, 2024.
HPS Early Childhood Programs
Open House/Registration Night
for the 2024-2025 School Year and the 2024 Summer Program
Open House/Registration Night:
Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at the Early Childhood Center from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Early Childhood Center is located at 5535 School Ave. (main entrance off Madison Ave.)
Programs include 3-year-old & 4-year-old Preschool, Before/After School Care, and Summer Care.
*This is a chance to gather information about the programs, meet staff, and visit preschool classrooms. There will be NO registration this night. Registration will take place online only, with the link active on Wed. Feb 7, at noon.
The link to register for all programs can be found on the Hudsonville Public Schools website, under the Early Childhood Programs tab. Please note that enrollment fills quickly.
For more information, please call the Early Childhood office at 616-797-0842, ext. 1.
Non-School Sponsored Events
Parenting Conference
This conference is for any person who holds a parenting position and is hoping to invest well, lead by example and celebrate their kids at every turn. This is for someone who wants to capitalize on every moment and make intentional decisions to set their kids up the best they can for a life filled with joy, fun, and success.
Join us on January 27 from 8:30-12:30
*Doors will open at 8:00am
Cost is $15/person
Please RSVP by January 17
Visit our webpage here: https://harborchurches.org/parenting-conference/
Agenda for the Conference:
- 8:30-10:00 Main Session
- 10:10-10:45 Breakout 1
- 10:50-11:25 Breakout 2
- 11:35-12:30 Main Session 2
Main Session:
- Power of Example: Kristyn Sterk; Winning At Home
- Power of Celebration: Lisa Dykstra; Living Well
- Power of Purpose: Greg VanderMeer; Lead Pastor and Leadership Coach
Breakouts:
- Nurtured Heart Approach: Lisa Dykstra; Living Well
- Kaleidoscope: Emma Hekhuis; Special Needs Director
- Christ Centered Parenting: Lori McCrum; Executive Pastor
- Preparing to Launch: Todd Tulgetske; Assistant Superintendent and Professor at Hope College
- How to Handle Anxiety in our Kids: Kristyn Sterk; Winning at Home
- How to Keep Your Mind When Your Kids Are Losing Theirs: Greg VanderMeer; Lead Pastor and Leadership Coach
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.