Peyton

Whether you love him or hate him, or simply don't care, you must admit Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks to have played the game. Is this because of his innate talent? Of course there is some of that, but what separates Manning from so many others is his work ethic and his attention to detail. He studies film religiously, he spends extra time before and after practice working with receivers, he learns the nuances of opposing defensive players and their coordinators. It is for these reasons he is able to set the records and accomplish the things he does.



What does this have to do with you? Plenty! 8th graders, you are two-thirds of the way through middle school now. 7th graders, it has been almost six months since you were in elementary school. You all can take a lesson from Manning. Middle School is not hard. You are not stupid. Each of you has the ability to succeed at this level. What some of you lack is the work ethic, the discipline, to succeed. The only thing that can kill your grade at this level is not following through on your work! For this reason we have instituted numerous ways to help you. Having just finished ISTEP remediation conferences, I can share with you the advice we gave to parents of students that did not pass the ISTEP. This advice is helpful for all students.



First, use your Agenda Book! Record assignments for every class and note when there are no assignments. Don't simply leave a day blank. Second, use Homework Hotline or homeworklive.com. When you are absent or forgot your materials at home, don't allow yourself to simply fall a day behind. It is hard enough to keep current without having to try and catch up! Third, read thirty minutes every night. It doesn't matter what you are reading, just do it! It is like the receiver who runs the same routes over and over, the soccer player who practices header after header, the basketball player who shoots one hundred free throws a day. Practice improves your game.



As we head into the winter doldrums I hope you'll keep these suggestions in mind. We can't all play football like Manning or the guitar like Jeff Beck, but practice and hard work will go a long way towards insuring your success at the middle school level and beyond!