MAP and Mayhem

It's been yet another busy week on the ranch, but I continue to be amazed at the many positive "happenings" each and every day at PVES. You are an incredible faculty and staff! We have received so many supportive comments from parents and community members about our school. You all deserve this recognition and should be proud. 

MAP Testing Fun!

It's that time of year! MAP testing begins Tuesday, September 8th. As we have done in past years, your class will test in the computer lab during their scheduled computer lab related arts time. Teachers are expected to remain in the class to help Mrs. Young log students into MAP. Please also plan to arrive a few minutes early to assist Mrs. Young with logging students out. Whether or not you stay for the duration of MAP testing during your planning is your choice.

We are also requesting that each homeroom teacher sign up for two additional times to use the enrichment lab (101) to MAP test. We have a three week window in which to test all students so it will be necessary for all teachers to sign up for these additional slots. Mrs. Tollison and I will assist with helping your class get signed in for these sessions. Obviously, you will need to remain with your class during these sessions. A sign-up sheet has been placed in the front office near where Mrs. Booth sits.

Remember that we will all be using MAP data as part of Expanded ADEPT (SLOs). We want our students to do their best and give us an accurate measure of what they know. Your expertise in the classroom will make all the difference throughout the year and we WILL see growth. 

If you are reading this blog carefully, feel free to wear jeans on Friday and support your favorite high school, college, or pro team. It's football season!

Celebrate!

Let's take a quick moment and talk about some of the awesome things happening in our school. First of all, we started PVES Patrols this week in the morning. We have a great group of dedicated students helping us in the car line. I am proud of them!

Mrs. Tollison and I had an opportunity to visit science lab this week. Mrs. Clary makes science fun and has already provided a great deal of assistance for our math/science teachers. This week, students made "goo" and discussed properties of liquids and solids. Keep up the good work, Mrs. Clary!

Congratulations to our Tuesday duty group. They set our record for best time this week. Our car line in the afternoon continues to improve. We continue to monitor the car line and discuss potential changes that could make things a little better. Stay tuned.

Mrs. Preisig's first Transform Session went very well. She is an excellent support for our instructional technology needs. I also enjoyed the three words you all chose to define your year. Well done! Don't forget to sign up for these sessions in PD Express. We will also be offering more technology fun in the way of our Digital Playground sessions after school. The first one will be held on Tuesday, September 15th at 3:15 P.M. Note Ms. Lockaby's enthusiasm and my balding head. 

Ms. Wilcox and Ms. Wilkie are blogging away. Check out Ms. Wilcox's Take a Chance on Learning and Ms. Wilkie's Fourth Grade with Ms. Wilkie. I was so impressed to see that they are updating class blogs this year. Such a wonderful idea and great way to connect with parents/community while documenting learning. Great job, ladies! 

Moore's Musings

• Please make sure you have joined our PTSO. Our PTSO board is wonderful this year and very supportive of our teachers. Also, please encourage your parents to join PTSO in your newsletters and email blasts. Rumor has it they are interested in purchasing a Keurig for the teacher work room...
• The penny sales tax money is continues to pour in and our district staff is working with schools to spend it equitably and wisely. A small portion of the money will be used to purchase new laptops for some of you who have older models. Check your email soon to access a list of teachers who will be receiving an upgrade!
• Thank you for wearing your name badges each day and for greeting students in the hallways and at the door. It makes such a positive impact! 
• Thank you for watching WTLP and getting your students engaged in doing so. Mrs. Thomas and Ms. Jordan are doing a wonderful job with this program. 
• We have finally arranged for some science "techbook" training. This training will take place at our school in the PD Room on Monday, September 21st. Third grade teachers will be trained that morning from 8:15-11:15 A.M. 4th and 5th grade math/science teachers will be trained from 11:30-2:30 P.M. that day. Mrs. Tollison is working on securing substitutes for these teachers. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC)

• Monday, September 7th is Labor Day. There is NO SCHOOL this day.
• Tuesday, September 8th - Faculty Meeting at 3:15 P.M. in the PD Room. Topic: ALiCE Training. 
• Thursday, September 10th - ESOL meetings with Melissa Thomas during planning periods. Please plan to attend whether you have an ESOL child or not. 
• Friday, September 11th - We celebrate International Reading Day. Mrs. Martin has provided some details and you should be signing up for Moore, Tollison, Fowler, or Martin to read to your class that day. Sign up here.

Looking Ahead

We will be working hard to establish our School Improvement Council (SIC) and prepare committees for the district and school AdvancED Accreditation process. This process is involved but vital the vision and direction of our school district and school. 

Please note that curriculum nights have been scheduled for each grade level and appear on our shared calendar. We will be providing some direction, but this will be a great opportunity to communicate some important information with our parents that will serve us well throughout the school year. Be thinking about what your grade level wants to communicate and how we can make this night as interactive and fun as possible. 

Everyone have a great end of the week and an even better long weekend!