Perseverance and the Extra Degree
Mr. Dan Bauman, Principal, Main Street School
As we approach the final weeks of the school year, it is not out of the ordinary to have our month of
May filled to capacity with year-end school and spring activities. It is extremely easy to get caught up
and overwhelmed with all that is going on around us. In an earlier article, I wrote about transitions and
how important they are in our childhood and adult lives. For our children, the end of the school year
serves as the “transition between transitions.” The challenges of these final weeks revolve around
maintaining focus and perseverance. How can we maintain focus when so many great things are
happening around us? How can we teach our children to persevere when schedules become hectic? An
extra degree may help.
There are countless clichés that reflect our need to maintain focus and demonstrate perseverance. Give
110%, go the distance, keep your eyes on the prize, focus on the little things, and the list goes on and
on. Why are we quick to use these clichés? What are the important messages in these clichés? The
answer ultimately rests in the tested truth that effort and perseverance do make a difference.
In his best-selling book 212, author Sam Parker unveils his secret to success – an extra degree. At 211
degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, water boils. With boiling water comes steam. Steam can power
a locomotive. An extra degree of effort makes all the difference in school and in life. How can we use
the message of an extra degree to prepare our children for the final, hectic weeks of school?
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Speak with your child/children about maintaining focus during hectic times. Becoming
overwhelmed is a result of trying to do too many things at once.
Developing a plan will help prevent becoming overwhelmed. Create a calendar of all activities
and highlight deadlines or important times.
Work on time management. Don’t wait until the last minute to begin or complete a task.
Always set aside enough time to complete tasks. Work done at the last minute is not always the
best work.
Develop a checklist to track completed activities.
Work hard to persevere. Perseverance is not always a long race: It is many short races, one
after the other. (Walter Elliot)
Main St. School has been an extraordinary place again this school year. Students and staff have worked
very hard to make Main St. a positive place for learning. It never ceases to amaze me the level of
compassion, caring, and hard work here at Main St. School. With the remaining weeks of school, we are
committed to persevere and to give that extra degree of effort. A special thank you goes out to the
parents who have been an extremely important part of their child’s school experience.