Bangor Viking Press - Van Buren Reminder

Superintendent’s Articles
Failure is (still) Important
By Dennis Paquette, Superintendent
I first wrote a version of this article in 2014.
I have wanted to add to this article for some
time now. I think about success and failure
often and I honestly believe that some of the
greatest lessons we learn in life will follow a
failure and not a triumph. Everyone wants
their kid to do well. I get it. However, we are
turning into a society that will not allow children to go without success…let alone fail.
This is probably an instinct that goes all the
way back to cavemen. I can just imagine how
proud the cave parents must have been when
little cave-kid jr. came back from a hunt where
he had captured the biggest rabbit. So proud.
Parents live for their children’s successes.
Now, instead of rabbits it’s games, advanced classes, special honors, etc. The more
the better. The farther away a team is the better it must be- Bonus points if your child plays
out-of-state. Double-bonus points if they take
classes with older kids. I think this is great,
but we have forgotten half of the process.
Parents should also live for their child’s
failures. This may sound terrible, but it’s true.
Our children have to learn not to touch a hot
stove. Sometimes they learn this lesson best
learned immediately after they touch a hot
stove.
There are lessons to be learned in striking
out, making an error, failing to advance with
one’s peers, failing a test, and losing. Failing
has gotten a bad rap.
Our society wants to take it completely out
of the equation. Some parents want to find
out who is to blame for this breach in success
and deal with this for the child. We seem to
have a need to protect our kids from the aw-
ful feeling of finishing second. We
might do this because we no longer
have to protect our children from
wild animals or any of the other
unspeakable dangers cave people
experienced.
We seem to believe if our kids always succeed, they will always succeed. The truth is,
if we want our children to be successful, they
have to know how to fail and how to respond
to failure. Everyone is going to get knocked
down sooner or later. My fear is too many of
today’s kids won’t know how to get up because
they were never allowed to experience getting
knocked down.
I continually see parents who are willing to
do anything to make sure their child doesn’t
fail. They will spend any amount of money,
put them on any team and drive them any distance to find success. Some parents will yell at
any adult who doesn’t put their child on a pedestal and give them a trophy. A sad outcome
is that unteachable/uncoachable kids, become
unemployable adults.
The best path for our children is the one
that allows them to EARN their successes and
learn from mistakes. Let your kids fall down
and get back up. They will live. Allow your
children to deal with setbacks and difficult
people when they are young so that they have
the skills to deal with serious problems when
they are older. They will also learn to appreciate success much more. Now, they won’t
thank us for this. In fact, as parents we may
have to be the bad guy…at least for a while.
But one day, they will be happy that we as parents let them fail.
South Walnut Elementary
Students of the Month
Kindergarten: Giovani Soriano-Ramirez, Ximena Saucedo, Chaston Pasley, Jeremy Uplinger,
Emelyn Gamino-Geronimo, Keyara Nichols,Maya Bell, Allen Neely. First Grade: Alberto
Castinela, Araceli Ramos, Lillie Darling, Paul Broyles, Mason Hess, Anthony Billalobos, Lukas
Remington, Jaret McCoy. Second Grade: Tamara Partee, Brenden Jackson, Paloma MartinezCortes, Ayden Hamlett, Colton Burrows, Dakoda Shaffer. Third Grade: Ricky Gray, Liam
Mortensen, Dillon Baldwin, Sarah Hunt, Georgia Pirch, Ty Woodley. Fourth Grade: Jazmin
Saucedo, Megan Cox, Austtyn Key, Ethan Abbott, Thomas Smith, Sylan Hayes.
End of the Year Picnic & Field Day Fun!
With some advance planning,
a lot of parent volunteers, and
very excited students, field day
and the year-end picnic were a
huge success! With the help of
staff and parents to supervise
our activities students were encouraged to play as many games
as possible, visit the craft tables,
face painting and bounce house.
PTO sponsored the event and
provided the prizes for random
drawings during the picnic. We
had perfect weather and some
very tired students when it was
all said and done!
Heroes
Growing up here in the Midwest and addicted to sports, I had
the normal array of sports heroes.
Al Kaline, Steve Yzerman, Mickey
Stanley, Barry Sanders and Alan
Trammel to name just a few. My
parents worked hard to provide me
many different avenues to indulge
this healthy addiction. We went to
games, open practices, I collected
trading cards, etc. Though my experiences
provided chances to see many sporting legends there was always on that stood out more
than any other. He was The Greatest- Muhammad Ali. I read books, magazines and
newspapers to get as much information as I
could. I watched almost every Ali fight. Those
were the days when you didn’t have to pay to
see fights. It would be broadcast live on network television or you could catch it on ‘Wide
World of Sports’ the following weekend.
I did not have any boxing opportunities
where I lived, so I took up wrestling, thinking it was the closest thing I could think of.
The boxing/wrestling association led me to
the formation of a nice life. My hero died on
a recent Friday night. . I struggled with this
event. Perhaps in part because it now means
that I am getting older and time is marching
on. However, as I watched the ESPN specials
and Ali’s funeral coverage, I was able to remember why I admired him. I grew to admire the man more than the champion boxer.
As I grew older and more mature, I began to
respect what Ali did outside of the ring more
than inside.
Decades after his final fight, Muhammad
Ali remains larger than life in the imagination of millions of people around the world.
He won the heavyweight championship at
age twenty-two by defeating Sonny Liston in
dramatic fashion. The political establishment
stripped him of his prize when he refused
induction into the United States Army at the
height of the war in Vietnam. He was exiled
from boxing during his prime for more than
three years- can you imagine an athlete today
standing on his principals at the cost of financial gains? Ultimately, Ali returned to boxing
to reclaim his crown after a landmark Supreme
Court ruling, prevailing in epic fights against
the likes of Joe Frazier and George Foreman.
Ali is regarded as one of the greatest boxers
of all time. He remains the only three-time
heavyweight champion. His talent and charisma—and above all, his adherence to principle—made him a cultural icon and one of the
most beloved sporting figures of all time. Defying the odds and the American government,
Ali traveled to Iraq, where he negotiated the
release of 15 Americans who were being held
hostage by Saddam Hussein prior to the Gulf
War. Ali was a deeply spiritual, complex man,
who gave new meaning to the word courage
and changed forever my conception of what
makes a champion.
Our heroes can shape us in a positive
manner. I never had the opportunity to meet
Muhammad Ali. It is a bucket list item that
will now go un-marked. I do feel that his actions made a positive impact on me. When
my son was born, his very first piece of mail
came from Muhammad Ali. A mutual family
friend made Ali aware that I was a huge fan
and he mailed our son an autographed picture
when he was just a week old. What an act of
kindness! To this day, that picture means a lot
to us. Once, on a business trip in 1975, my
dad met Ali at a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. He
spoke with my dad for a few minutes and told
my dad that he wished me his best. When my
dad returned from that trip he brought home
the Champ’s autograph for me. Again, I was
thrilled.
All this reflection brings me to wonder
what do our heroes teach us? The term “hero”
comes from the ancient Greeks. For them, a
hero was a mortal who had done something so
far beyond the normal scope of human experience that he left an immortal memory behind
him when he died, and thus received worship
like that due the gods. Originally, heroes were
not necessarily good, but they were always extraordinary; to be a hero was to expand one’s
sense of what was possible for a human being.
To me, this is what Ali has done and what his
legacy has left us. Ali told a reporter once that
he wanted to go to Heaven, so he needed to
do a lot of good deeds here on Earth and help
as many people as he can. That is a great approach to take in life.
How do you become a hero? Here are
some thoughts:
Always be your best self. You choose how
you show up to every event in life. Make greatness your personal standard. Inspire others to
do and be their best.
Be there for others, honestly, and without expectation. Heroes care about people –
they care about others. Four most powerful
phrases we can say to others that will always
help: “I am really sorry”, “I love you”, “How
can I help?” & “Tell me about it.” Say what
you mean and mean what you say. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Care about
where people are and what is going on in their
lives. Show a genuine interest, stay connected
and be supportive. Heroes treat others as the
amazing person they were born to be, even
when others’ actions don’t warrant it.
Add value to everything you touch. Heroes look for ways to show up, step up and
stand out in life; they are always searching for
ways to add value and to make a situation better. They add value not for the recognition, but
because doing “good” is how they appreciate
life.
There are heroes among us. They aren’t all
celebrities, some are Average Joe’s who choose
not be regular in how they live their lives, add
value to the world and connect with others.
They don’t seek praise or the spotlight; they
just choose to make a positive impact in any
way they can. Almost everyone can point
to someone who has been a hero to them. I
believe it is important that we all aspire to be
someone’s hero. Ali did this for an entire generation. RIP Champ.
Outdoor Summer Activities
The temperature’s rising, schools out of session, and all your kids want to do is sit inside and play. Make
the next warm summer day more fun than ever with games, crafts, and activities they can’t really do
indoors. From messy projects to those that will cool kids off with splashes of water, head outside this
summer!! Here are 10 easy, fun activities to try!
the end.
course outside.
1. Jump rope: Go outside.
9. Jumping jacks: Simple but
5. Follow the leader: Add to
For more fun, pick up a book
good for coordination and they
the workout with energetic
of jump-rope rhymes.
get your heart going.
movements such as jumping,
2. Balloon ball: There are
10. Parachute: This kiddie gym
stomping and squatting.
endless ways to play with
standby can be re-created at
6. Dance party: Turn on the
balloons outdoors. Try to keep
home with old sheets. Each kid
music and shake your groove.
it off the ground or just play
takes an end of the parachute
7. Freeze dance: When
catch.
or sheet and fans it upward
the music stops, freeze in
3. Wheelbarrow, crab and
while one of you
your pose and hold it until
bear-walk races: Holding
runs underneath. the music begins again.
one of these tough positions
8. Scavenger hunt: Write up
gives you a real workout.
clues and hide them around
4. Obstacle course: Create a
the yard. Kids can race to find
course in your yard or driveway
each clue for a small prize at
or take chalk and make a
Bangor Middle School
Bangor High School
4th Marking Period Honor Roll
Kozel Earns All-American Honors
5th Grade
Alexis P. Abbott
*Daniel W. Adams
Sandra Barajas-Gutierrez
*Violet S. Barber
Connor Brouwer
Kiera E. Canning
Adan Carrillo-Hernandez
Aaron Cervantes
*Nolan P. Crandall
Emma R. Darling
Gracie M. Eisner
Annette Franco Aguirre
Amy A. Gomez
Austin N. Haberland
Cloe R. Hull
Izabel Krumrey
*Esther Lopez
*Nicholas B. Markovich
Alexandra P. Martinez-Murillo
Ariel A. Mitchell
*Abelardo E. Munoz
Jose M. Munoz
Vanessa Munoz
*Lexie Olsen
Maribel Perez
Raquel Reyes
Maya Rodriguez Reyes
Kendra Russell
*Briseida A. Sanchez
Jessica Saucedo
Tyler E. Westbrooks
* Denotes All A’s
6th Grade
Aidan Ball
Roberto Franco-Aguirre
Juan Carlos E. Garcia
Alex Gil
Alejandra Gutierrez
Alexander L. Hay
Thomas L. Johnson
Aleena Keh
Elley Levora
Nicholas E. Polk
Siney Y. Santiago
Alexzandra Strampel
*Briana Sweeney
Emily Underwood
Charles V. Walantyn
Christopher J. Walker
Brandyn Wheeler
7th Grade
Noemi Arevalo
Lucas A. Artis
*Samuel T. Glidden-Fry
*Jasmin Gomez
Elijah P. Griffioen
*Michael Hardester
Stephanie Hicks
Carter R. Hull
Lucinda L. Johnson
Emily D. Jones
*Kaitlyn L. Kite
*Keith Kueny
Oliva G. Kuiper
Dylan G. Little
Amara Littlefield
Cameron P. London
Jacqueline Mandujano
Kenneth C. McPike
*Hannah M. Mellinger
Abigail E. Moench
Rolando Munoz
Hunter S. Nichols
Zachary S. Polk
Leonardo X. Puga
Brooklyn A. Rybarczyk
Hunter J. Saffell
Cecelia M. Salomon
Savanna Stecker
Anton E. Stigler
8th Grade
Gabriel A. Barber
Tyler Brenne
Seth Brunn
*Andrew Cervantes
*Kayla Corzine
*Grace Ford
Jonathan Galvez
Jennifer Garcia
Jose Garcia Jr.
Audrey L. Hay
Sarah E. Hicks
Hannah Householder
Ke’arius Jennings
Elizabeth Lopez-Cruz
Lisandro Magana
Max McGuire
Colby Petranek
Krea Pittman
Jennifer Quinones
Jefferson Saucedo
*Hailee L. Stone
Erika Villegas
Eric M. Wheeler
Orlando, Fla – Bangor High School Senior, Devon Kozel,
earned All-America honors at the AAU Disney Duals National
Wrestling Tournament on Tuesday, June 14th in front of a large
crowd at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando,
Florida. Kozel, who finished 2nd at the MHSAA state finals in
March, competed for Team Michigan and finished the tournament with a 13-1 record. The Michigan squad finished in 10th
place in the team standings.
The Class of 2016 Scholarship Winners
Adams, Sarah- GEAR-UP Scholarship,
Viking Club Scholarship, Dr. Avison &
Maude Gano Memorial Scholarship
Babcock, Jack- Viking Club Scholarship
Brenne, Megan- National Blueberry Festival
Scholarship
Brunn, Terrance- Bill Mayhak Memorial
Scholarship, Adrian College Scholarship
Ford, Emily- American Red Cross
Scholarship, National Blueberry Festival
Scholarship, GEAR-UP Scholarship,
Dr. Avison & Maude Gano Memorial
Scholarship, Patrick O. Watkins Memorial
Scholarship, Viking Club Scholarship,
Honor Credit Union Scholarship, Clemson
University Scholarship
Foster, Johnathon- Bangor Lion’s Club
Scholarship
Hernandez, Jose- Ross E. Normington
Memorial Scholarship
Kozel, Madissen- American Red Cross
Scholarship, Dr. Avison & Maude Gano
Memorial Scholarship, Women of the Moose
Scholarship, Grand Valley Scholarship,
Consumers Credit Union Scholarship
Luna, Jorge- GEAR-UP Scholarship
Manthey, Nathan- Bangor Lion’s Club
Scholarship
McGuire, Fiorie- Warren & Helen Overton
Freestone Memorial Scholarship
Ring, Maggie- Norm Johnson Memorial
Scholarship
Rodriguez Amaya, Juan- Norm Johnson
Memorial Scholarship
Weber, Allison- Central Michigan University
Scholarship, GEAR-UP Scholarship, Teri
Lynn Wilson Memorial Scholarship, Bangor
Arts Council Scholarship, Viking Club
Scholarship
Wisniewski, Kylie- GEAR-UP Scholarship,
Viking Club Scholarship
Congratulations Bangor High School Class of 2016
Top Ten
Emily Ophal Ford -Valedictorian
Mikayla Ashley Lake -Salutatorian
Edvin Hernandez-Alvardo *
Allison Grace Weber *
Kyrstie Reyne Burrows *
Madissen Grace Kozel
Michael Lewis Harrell *
Israel Guadalupe Llerena *
William Michael Bray Jr
Adan Hernandez
Sarah Marie Adams
Manuel Ipolito Alvor
Jack Paul Babcock
Richard Leonard Blackburn
Megan Lena Brenne*
Terrance William Brunn III
Katelyn Marie Byrd
Juan Manuel Calderon Jr.
Priscilla Lisseth Calvillo
Aja Mone' Cannon
Lance Ryan Elliott
Johnathon Paul Foster
Jonathan Garcia
Jorge Eduardo Garcia-Mejia
Skyler James Gardner
Jaime Gil
Brody James Helms
Ilexis Alesandra Hernandez
Iriana Yasmine Hernandez
Jose Echeverria Hernandez
Melissa Ann Holmquist
Alyssa Renae Kaboni
Joshua Michael Leonard
Jorge Luna Jr.
Nathan Francis Manthey
Noah Alan Markovich
Cecilia Marie Martinez
Fiorie Jane McGuire
Reyna Gabriel Mejia
Damian Munoz
Tierra Jazmine Pene
Enrique Brandon De'Shawn Peterson
Jesus Eduardo Popoca-Palacios
Christopher Ramos
Priscilla Eleny Reyna
Maggie Rose Ring
Eduardo Rocha
Yadira Rodriguez
Juan Antonio Rodriguez Amaya
Giselle Adriana Ruiz
Adrianna Cantu Sanchez
Hailie Lynn Tarantino
Tyaria Monique Tate
Shane Nicholas Tillman
Sean Richard Torres
Maria Fernanda Villalobos
Alejandro Villalobos Martinez
Joel Villaseñor
Casey Wayne Walantyn
Thomas William Adelbert Walantyn
Tiyonna Denise Walker
Jeslynn Cassidy Warren
Elmer Gordon Wheeler V
Kylie Marie Wisnewski
* 4 Year Honor Student