SUPER MONDAY

A motivational and informational morning message from Superintendent Willis

Week 8 ~ September 29th, 2025

Super Monday Message

King George V died in his Sandringham estate in England on January 20, 1936. Upon the wall of his bedroom the king had placed the words of a prayer that had been in a scouting book. The prayer included 6 maxims that the King had tried to live by. The maxims read…

1. Teach me to be obedient to the rules of the game;
2. Teach me to distinguish between sentiment and sentimentality, admiring the one and despising the other;
3. Teach me neither to proffer nor receive cheap praises;
4. If I am called upon to suffer let me be like a well-bred beast that goes away to suffer in silence;
5. Teach me to win, if I may; if I may not, then above all teach me to be a good loser;
6. Teach me neither to cry for the moon nor over spilt milk.

While there are many lessons that can be taken from these maxims, I believe the overarching theme is that of humility. King George V came to power during a very difficult time in the world. He ruled the British Empire during WWI and during his reign the Empire reached its greatest size, controlling approximately a quarter of the Earth’s land. The land was so spread out that it gave birth to the saying, “the sun never sets on the British Empire.” Despite his power, King George tried to keep himself grounded in humility.

King George V did not grow up believing he would ever become King. It wasn’t until his older brother died unexpectedly during a pandemic that it became likely. This is perhaps where his humility and desire to be humble came from. He knew that had his brother lived, his brother would have been King. When his father, King Edward VII passed on May 6, 1910, King George V wrote, “May God give me strength and guidance in the heavy task which has fallen on me.”

In addition to hanging these maxims on the wall of his bedroom on his private estate, he also had the words placed on the wall of his library in Buckingham Palace. King George V became a popular monarch in his waning years and once after a crowd gave him tremendous praise, he stated, “I cannot understand it, after all I am only a very ordinary sort of fellow.” He became the lovable voice of a humble grandfather when he was the first British monarch to deliver a Christmas message over the radio on Christmas day 1932.

After his death it became a popular gift in Britain for a time to give others an elaborate  copy of the 6 maxims. The last maxim teaches us to not cry for the moon or spilt milk. The moon is the unrealistic expectations we make for ourselves and the milk is the little mistakes and problems that are already in the past. Learning not to worry over these things is an important lesson to a happy life. Have the best week 8.

Super High Fives

Just a couple of the awesome recent accomplishments that need a big thank you.

• A super high five to the volleyball team. They have won their last 6 consecutive games and have been playing very well. They face difficult back to back games this Tuesday and Wednesday against Wayne and Milford.
• A super high five to the organizers and helpers of Intrigues of the Past at CES and Spirit Week at PHS this week.
• Super high five to Kelby & Abby Jessen for organizing the first soccer club at PHS. We’re excited to have more opportunities that help inspire students to work hard in the classroom. They have had their first few practices and are doing well.

Other Super Information

• Fall Sports Calendar 2025
  • Link to subscribe to PHS Sports Calendar
• 2025-2026 School District Calendar
• USBE Parent Portal

Super Weekly Schedule