Thankful

Admittedly, being an educator can be a thankless job at times. We are constantly under the microscope. As we near the Thanksgiving holiday, please know that our school community is thankful for our teachers. Our students are blessed to be at Powdersville Elementary because of you. On a personal note, Mrs. Tollison and I appreciate each and every one of you. We know we have experienced change, at times difficult, but everyone has pushed forward for the benefit of our students. Those long hours of planning, grading papers, attending professional development, etc. make your job more difficult than anyone could imagine. We are thankful for you and your commitment to our students and our school. 

Thanks:

Because we are so thankful for YOU, please wear blue jeans on Tuesday, November 24th. Additionally, Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Tollison and Mr. Moore will cover  lunch duty in the cafeteria on Tuesday, November 24th. We invite all teachers to eat in the PD Room during your scheduled lunch period. Perhaps your grade level will work something out and bring food items to share. It's totally up to you. It's not much, but it is indeed the least we can do. 

96.2%: 

We were reminded this week of just how impactful our job truly can be. PVHS's graduation rate of 96.2% for the class of 2015 is an indication of the strong instructional programs present within our school system, the many interventions in place to assist students in need, and the innate ability of our teachers to adapt to the changing conditions present in today's educational climate. In a world that changes more and more each day and in a school like ours where our student population continues to change, our challenge is simply to do what it takes to continue and build on our successes.

Dr. Ferguson presents cookie cake to PVES

Hallway Behavior and Cafeteria Clean Up:
A quick word about our hallway behavior. Many of us have noticed that the hallway behavior of our students is not quite where we want it to be. Let's put extra emphasis on walking in the third block and remaining quiet regardless of where we are in the building. This is usually a point of pride for our school!

Also, a huge thank you to those classrooms and teachers who have made cleaning up after themselves a priority in the cafeteria after lunch. Mrs. Garrett's class has been setting the example for us all by cleaning up at the end of each day. Mrs. Kallin's class was spotted cleaning up their area after lunch and leaving it very nice for the next group to come in the cafeteria. Thanks for your help with this!

PVES Art Show:
Don't forget that our PVES Art Show will be held on Thursday, November 19th from 5-7 P.M. in the MP Room. Please remind your parents and students as well. Feel free to show this interview in class to remind your students! This is always a fun evening and a great way to support our art program and our students.

Canned Food Drive:
We will again hold our annual canned food drive to support the Piedmont Emergency Relief Center (PERC).  Mrs. Lee will be sending information home about this next week. Click here for information about food donation suggestions for the canned food drive event. Tables will be placed in the atrium outside my office on which students and staff can place canned food items. Thanks for putting this information in your email blasts and newsletters. Please see the schedule for our food drive below:

November 30th-December 4th: Grade Level Competition
December 7th-December 11th: Teacher vs. Students Competition

Fundraiser Fun:
Thanks to all for your time and attention in today's fundraiser kickoff. Please get the word out to parents that we need their help and participation to make this a worthwhile fundraiser. More importantly, get your students pumped up to sell items and support our school. Orders are due to the school on December 2nd. If parents ask, all orders will arrive prior to Christmas Break. Remember that any students who have a "coupon" showing they sold enough items should be sent to the atrium each morning between 8:00-8:10 A.M. to retrieve their prize. Thanks for your support!

Captain Kirk

Let's now cover some pure awesomeness happening in our building...

5th grade teachers had a busy week. 5th grade math teachers enjoyed Jet Toy Car training with Pat Bobbitt on Wednesday morning. They are super excited about this unit! Last week, 5th grade teachers honored their best readers in the "Battle of the Badges" ceremony in the cafeteria. This was a great way to get students excited about reading. And to top things off, the 5th grade team was our very first team to have every member sign up for Relay for Life and receive a free blue jean day. Great job 5th grade!

Badges

5th grade readers

Pat Bobbitt - always the teacher

4th grade ELA teachers were recognized by our instructional technologist, Mrs. Preisig, in her latest blog entitled Transforming Teaching and Learning. As she walked our hallways, she noticed that each 4th grade ELA teacher was working with a small group of students while the other students were engaged in fun and meaningful activities (often involving technology). Great job, ladies!

Mrs. Moore meets with a guided reading group

Ms. Jordan's students use technology to TRANSFORM learning

Thanks to everyone for your time and attention in this week's faculty meeting. The AdvancED process continues, and I have been impressed with the conversations and collaboration in each committee session. Don't forget that you need to familiarize yourself with the information we discussed via our shared google slides presentation that was used in our meeting this week. We will send out additional AdvancED information soon. 

A true collaborative effort

Moore's Musings:

• This week, take a moment to tell someone at school that you are thankful for them. I know it would mean a lot to those individuals. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

• Tuesday, November 24th - Blue Jean Day and Lunch in the PD Room
• Wednesday, November 25th - Friday, November 27th - Thanksgiving Break
• Tuesday, December 1st - Technology PD with Preisig during planning (PD Room)
• Wednesday, December 2nd - Fall Fundraiser orders are due!
• Thursday, December 3rd - 4th Grade ELA Teachers 1/2 day PD from 8:00-11:30 A.M. in PD Room (lunch provided).
• Thursday, December 3rd - 5th Grade ELA Teachers 1/2 day PD from 11:30-2:30 P.M. in PD Room (lunch provided). 
• Friday, December 4th - 3rd Grade 1/2 day PD from 8:00-11:30 A.M. in PD Room (lunch provided). 
• 11/30-12/4 - Food Drive (grade level competition)
• 12/7-12/11 - Food Drive (teacher vs. student competition)

Video of the Week