Bauer Bits
February 9, 2024
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Bauer Families:
Part 3 of How to Win Friends and Influence People is entitled, How to Win People to Your Way of Thinking. I think you will find valuable wisdom in this installment. Enjoy!
Vignette: You Can’t Win an Argument
Shortly after the close of World War I, I learned an invaluable lesson one night in London. I was manager at the time for Sir Ross Smith. During the war, Sir Ross had been the Australian ace out in Palestine; and shortly after peace was declared, he astonished the world by flying halfway around it in thirty days. No such feat had ever been attempted before. It created a tremendous sensation. The Australian government awarded him fifty thousand dollars; the King of England knighted him; and, for a while, he was the most talked about man under the Union Jack. I was attending a banquet one night given in Sir Ross's honor; and during the dinner, the man sitting next to me told a humorous story which hinged on the quotation "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will."
The raconteur mentioned that the quotation was from the Bible. He was wrong. I knew that, I knew it positively. There couldn't be the slightest doubt about it. And so, to get a feeling of importance and display my superiority, I appointed myself as an unsolicited and unwelcome committee of one to correct him. He stuck to his guns. What? From Shakespeare? Impossible! Absurd! That quotation was from the Bible. And he knew it.
The storyteller was sitting on my right; and Frank Gammond, an old friend of mine, was seated at my left. Mr. Gammond had devoted years to the study of Shakespeare, So the storyteller and I agreed to submit the question to Mr. Gammond. Mr. Gammond listened, kicked me under the table, and then said: "Dale, you are wrong. The gentleman is right. It is from the Bible."
On our way home that night, I said to Mr. Gammond: "Frank, you knew that quotation was from Shakespeare,"
"Yes, of course," he replied, "Hamlet, Act Five, Scene Two. But we were guests at a festive occasion, my dear Dale. Why prove to a man he is wrong? Is that going to make him like you? Why not let him save his face? He didn't ask for your opinion. He didn't want it. Why argue with him? Always avoid the acute angle." The man who said that taught me a lesson I'll never forget. I not only had made the storyteller uncomfortable, but had put my friend in an embarrassing situation. How much better it would have been had I not become argumentative.
It was a sorely needed lesson because I had been an inveterate arguer. During my youth, I had argued with my brother about everything under the Milky Way. When I went to college, I studied logic and argumentation and went in for debating contests. Talk about being from Missouri, I was born there. I had to be shown. Later, I taught debating and argumentation in New York; and once, I am ashamed to admit, I planned to write a book on the subject. Since then, I have listened to, engaged in, and watched the effect of thousands of arguments. As a result of all this, I have come to the conclusion that there is only one way under high heaven to get the best of an argument – and that is to avoid it. Avoid it as you would avoid rattlesnakes and earthquakes.
Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right.
You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it. Why? Well, suppose you triumph over the other man and shoot his argument full of holes and prove that he is non compos mentis. Then what? You will feel fine. But what about him? You have made him feel inferior. You have hurt his pride. He will resent your triumph. And --
A man convinced against his will
Is of the same opinion still.
PRINCIPLE:
The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.
Mark Your Calendar
- Monday, February 12th - Tuesday, February 13th: No School - Winter Break
- Wednesday, February 14th: Valentine's Day Parties
- Wednesday, February 14th: No tutoring
- Thursday, February 15th: Bauer Skating Party - 6:15 -8:15pm
- Wednesday, February 21st: Sports Team/Jersey Day and Popcorn Day
- Friday, February 23rd: Early Release - 12:15pm
- Saturday, February 24th: Bauer Girls' Night - 6:00 - 8:00pm (more info below)
- Monday, February 26th: Parent Teacher Conferences (signups coming soon) and Jet's Pizza Night
- Wednesday, February 28th: Parent Teacher Conferences (signups coming soon) and Jet's Pizza Night
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.
Tutoring
There will be NO tutoring on Wednesday, February 14th. Tutoring will resume on Monday, February 19th.
Music Notes
Bauer Parent Club News
Bauer Skating Party - NEXT WEEK
Join us for a FUN skating party next Thursday, February 15th from 6:15 - 8:15 PM at Tarry Hall in Grandville! 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 Girls’ Night Out
Time to saddle up and grab your tickets for the 2024 Bauer Girls’ Night Out!! Bauer girls and their special guests are invited to kick up their boots at The Barn at Stanton Crossing on Saturday, February 24th, 6-8pm. Tickets are $5 per adult (Bauer girls are free). Grab your tickets here now (filter category: Bauer Elementary). Hope to see y’all there!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Girls’ Night Out
Our Girls’ Night Out committee is looking for a few volunteers to help make this event run smoothly. This is a great time to jump in if you don’t have a Bauer girl — and this is sure to be a fun event! Please sign up here.
Bauer Parent Club Meeting
Our next meeting is Monday, March 11th at 7:30 PM in the Bauer Library. We’ll be joined by special guest Dr. VanderJagt, Superintendent at Hudsonville Public Schools. He will be discussing the May 7th non-homestead vote and answering any questions you may have. We hope to see you there!
WHO YA GONNA CALL?
Have you ever needed goods or services and wished you had a directory of Bauer families and alumni that you could go to first? The Bauer Parent Club feels the same! The BPC has created a directory to house Bauer family businesses, trades and vendors. Participants will be responsible for maintaining up-to-date information and we hope this will be a handy tool to connect and support Bauer families. If you would like to be represented in the directory, please visit the BPC Facebook page to look for the pinned post or search “business directory” on the page. You can also follow this direct link. Please contact the parent club at bauerparentclub@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
Girls on the Run
If you have any questions about Girls on the Run, please see Miss Conely or email her at aconely@hpseagles.net.
Non-school Sponsored Events
2024-25 PK/Kindergarten Registration
2024-2025 school year PK/Kindergarten enrollment link is open!
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.
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.