Super Monday Week 20 SY25

SUPER MONDAY

A motivational and informational morning message from Superintendent Willis

Week 20 ~ January 6th, 2025

Super Monday Message

Edward James (Jim) Corbett was raised in a rural village in northern India at the base of the Himalayan mountain range. As the 8th child of a family with nine children, Jim had a lot of unsupervised time. His father had died when Jim was young and his mother worked hard to provide for them. Jim spent much of his time alone in the jungle. He became a student of the jungle, learning all the sounds, smells, and movements of the habitat. As a very young boy he was hunting alone with just a makeshift crossbow. At eight years old he received an old muzzleloader that he quickly mastered the use of. At ten years old a group of military dignitaries traveling through the region were so impressed with Jim’s shooting ability they loaned him a military rifle. With it he killed his first big cat, a leopard.

As Jim Corbett grew, his notoriety as a hunter grew also. At 32 years old he was contacted about a man-eating tiger in the mountains just south of Nepal. The tiger had killed over one hundred people in Nepal and their military was unable to find and kill it. They were able to drive the beast over the border into northern India. There the small mountain villages became the new prey of this tigress. After more than a hundred more human victims, large bounties were placed on the tiger. Though hunters tried, they could not find and dispatch the man-eater. After seven years of terror, the tigress had claimed more than 400 lives.

When Jim Corbett arrived in the small mountain village of the most recent attack he found that no one would leave their homes. They were so scared that they were not leaving their homes and they were running low on food. Jim started a large fire in the center of the village to lure them out of their homes. The bravest of them took Jim to the tragic scene of the latest victim. Corbett preferred to hunt alone and would not allow the villagers to come with him into the dense forest. He tracked the beast as he had many animals. When he heard the tiger moving nearby he realized that in the dense trees he was the hunted and not the hunter. He cautiously made his way back to the village and developed a plan with the villagers.

The plan included the villagers in a large group making lots of noise in a planned location that would attract the attention of the tiger. Corbett anticipated the route the tiger would take to investigate. He stationed himself where he would be able to make the most clear shot. Jim stationed himself early and when the villagers came they started making noise 150 yards from where they were supposed to. He acted quickly and moved from his planned spot, as he did he saw the tiger moving through the tall grass. He stopped and fired. His first shot was a hit and the second a miss. The injured tiger ran into the woods and Corbett followed. 

Alone he tracked the tigress into the jungle until he found her moving slowly but still with some strength. As he moved into her sight she crouched and prepared to attack. A man with less nerves might have fumbled with his gun or been slow to act. A moment's hesitation would have cost Jim his life. As the tiger sprang to attack Jim fired and hit the outstretched paw intended to maul him. The tiger recoiled and was finished. 

As Jim stood over this animal his emotions were confused. The animal had killed hundreds of people and would have killed him, yet he felt a profound love for the animal. The villagers would want to tear the tiger into a million pieces, for all of them had lost loved ones, yet Jim would not let them do it. As Jim examined the tiger's mouth he noticed a substantial injury to her teeth. He realized this tiger was attacking humans because its injury would not allow it to capture prey with thicker skins and denser muscles. He also realized that the injury may have been caused by a bullet. For 7 years the tiger had been called the devil by the locals and that devil might have been created by a hobby hunter like him.

Immediately Jim resolved to protect humans from tigers, but to also protect tigers from humans. Jim would go on to kill about a dozen man-eaters; but he would also lead the country in creating safe refuges for the animals. He became the life saving call to deliver villages from a tiger or leopard that had developed a taste for people, but he also became a fierce defender of the animals from poaching. Just a short drive from the small village where Jim was raised is now Jim Corbett National Park in northern India. It was the first national park created in that country. The park is one of the largest sanctuaries for the massive cats in the world.

Jim Corbett’s story is inspiring for his intensive bravery, his unlimited compassion, and his total dedication to community. Many times Jim followed a man-eating beast into thick jungle insisting he go alone. Jim refused to accept the financial bounties offered for the man-eating animals he killed. Jim traveled far and wide advocating for the preservation of wildlife. His legacy is that of a great hunter and a great conservationist. It’s a new year and a great time to be brave and be compassionate. Have the best week 20.

Super High Fives

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

• A super high five to the Oscarson Elementary faculty, staff, students, and volunteers that made the Christmas play a success once again. It’s one of the oldest traditions in the county and it just keeps proving its worth. Thank you to all that helped make it happen.
• A super high five to the coaches, players, and parents that sacrificed part of their holiday for team practices and games. The athletic moratorium is not very many days, all of our teams had practices and games. Big thank you to all those that woke up early through the break to help keep the teams going.

Other Super Information

• Latest Elementary Schools Design Draft
• Circleville Elementary School Virtual Walkthrough (Draft)
• Winter Sports Calendar
• 2024-2025 School District Calendar

Super Weekly Schedule