Greatness

Each day we have an opportunity to be great. It is a choice we face everyday. Will we come to work and go through the motions? Or will we be great and model greatness for our students? We are blessed to be in a profession where we get to make a difference and impact the lives of young people. We can teach them to strive for more in life and seek greatness in all they do. I personally have wrestled with this thought myself lately. In the midst of the challenges will I choose to be great. What an incredible responsibility to model and shape the lives of the next generation! Let's keep our expectations high for ourselves and our students. Let's seek to be great at all that we do!

Talent Show

Our school talent show will take place tomorrow at Powdersville High School from 6:00-8:00. We would love to have a large number of our faculty and staff there to support our students. Don't forget our own teachers will be performing a dance number as well. If you are able to assist with the event please let Mrs.Turner know.

SLO Mid Conference

Thank you to those of you who have signed up for a mid-conference. Please remember to bring your laptop with you when you come to the meeting. We will discuss student progress and address concerns you may have. If you team teach, you can sign up with your partner teacher. Anyone who missed their data meeting at the beginning of the year will make it up at this time as well.

Serving our Community

Student Service Council is collecting nonperishable food items and household items for the Piedmont Emergency Relief. Suggested items include peanut butter and jelly, canned meats, bath tissue, toothpaste and toothbrushes, baby diapers and wipes. We will be collecting items in our homerooms through February 2. The class who collects the most will receive a pizza party! Please be sure to share this information with your students' parents.

Read to Succeed PD

Next week are the Read to Succeed half day sessions. Make sure to sign up in PDExpress, because this is how the district office knows how much to order for lunch. The sessions are titled "Foundations in Reading". Please bring the following with you: Next Step in Guided Reading book and F&P Continuum.

Fourth Grade: January 31- 8:00-11:00

Fifth Grade: January 31- 12:00-3:00

Third Grade: February 3- 12:00-3:00

A glimpse at the great things happening at PVES...

A Huge Thank You

Thank you to Kelley Golden for donating her Scholastic bonus points and allowing the literacy committee to receive 55 books to give to students on literacy night.

Thank you to Mrs. Fowler for making a monetary donation to the PVES Dollar Bookstore in order to add to the book selection for students.

Mrs. Garrett donated her Scholastic bonus points to the literacy committee for literacy night. We were able to get these books for free. Thank you!

Our curriculum committee from the Michelin Grant met last week to plan one morning. Thank so much to these folks who worked hard to prepare materials for our classrooms. We are excited to see this take place. Fourth grade followed up with planning their first PBL unit. This will be exciting for our students!

Speaking of our Michelin Grant, we are thrilled to see our grounds taking shape. Thank you again to Ms. Wilcox for her hard work to make our school better. 

Powdersville High School sent students over with a delicious cookie cake to celebrate the 97.1% grade rate of the class of 2016. Remember that we have a part in this. Take pride in the investment you have made into the lives of each student.  

Thank you to Mrs. Preisig for another wonderful math professional development session. Math teachers continue to grow and work hard to implement guided math in their classrooms.

ELA teachers had deep discussions during our vertical planning professional development. We focused on Text Dependent Analysis and how we can work together to prepare our students for success. We look forward to more vertical sessions like this one. Thank you teachers for your engagement and discussion. 

We had a special visit from Mason Kallin and his mom! Mason had quite the captive audience. We look foward to Mrs. Kallin and Mrs. Carey's return on February 6th. 

Thank you to our second nine week's patrols. They had some very chilly mornings but continued to serve our school well. We celebrated them with Krispy Kreme donuts and milk. 

Our annual Battle of the Books competition has begun. Ms. Fowler met with students today to create teams. Teachers, please continue to support your students who are participating in this program. We have had great success in the past. Our school competition takes place on April 5th. 

Tollison's Tidings

• Our school Spelling Bee will take place tomorrow morning beginning at 8:45. We hope to livestream this event so your class can view if you would like. A link will be sent out in an email for you to view the competition. We are proud of all of our classroom winners.
• Class Pictures will take place on Friday, January 27th. Please make sure to have your students line up tallest to shortest. You will want to bring your envelop with money recorded. Classes will be called to the Media Center when it is time.
• Please remember our expectations for hallway behavior and assist in enforcing this with students. Students should walk in the third block and with their voices off while in the hallways. This is to allow for traffic to flow smoothly. We also do not want to disturb other classes who are working. This will be especially important for our weeks of testing. We will want to make sure this is a norm and expectation that are students are used to before we begin testing. Make sure you are picking up or meeting your class in the hallway to supervise and monitor this behavior.

Mark Your Calendar

• Thursday, January 26th- Spelling Bee @ 8:45 am; Talent Show 6:00-8:00 pm @ PVHS
• Friday, January 27th- Class Pictures in the Media Center
• Tuesday, January 31st- Reading PD (4th and 5th grades)
• Friday, February 3rd- Reading PD (3rd grade); 3rd Grade LAUNCH field trip to Atlanta

Video of the Week: 

This week's video is titled "The Heart of a Teacher." As you watch, I hope you feel both encouraged and challenged. 

Champions

My gamecock friends will have to forgive me for the picture above, but it fits nicely with the theme of our blog this week: Champions. No, this this is not a blog about college football, but so many parallels exist between sports and the real world. Champions are persons who have defeated all opponents in a game or competition. However, champions are also persons who fight for and defend other people and causes. We as educators must be champions. We must aspire to be, as the quote above suggests, overachievers in every sense of the word. Just like a football game, we battle for four quarters to be the best. We take great pride in this school, in part, due to our many successes of the past. Even deeper still, we should strive to be champions for our students. They are the reason we do what we do. We take them all on this 180 day journey. We do not leave any behind. We champion their cause as our own. In the hustle and bustle of this busy time of year, let us please never forget this. Many of you recall "your word" that we asked you to think of and focus on this school year. A word that defines you and a word that helps to lead and guide you along the way. This idea is taken from Jon Gordon, author of The Energy Bus. Interestingly enough, Dabo Swinney has worked with Jon Gordon to create a more positive environment at Clemson. When being interviewed after the national championship game, Dabo had some interesting remarks about "his word" for the season. I think we could adopt his word as our own. Love. Isn't that what we are all about? Love for one another, our school, our students. 

"I told them that the difference in the game was going to be love. It’s been my word. My word all year’s been love.  And I said, ‘Tonight we’re going to win it because we love each other." ~ Coach Dabo Swinney

Let's take a quick look around PVES ...

Thanks to those who attended our spirit night at Chic-Fil-A on Tuesday evening. I appreciate the support our teachers give our students are our school! 

This is a great idea from Mrs. White/Mrs. Kallin's class. Kudos to those students for reflecting on their independent reading and creating new reading goals for the new year.

The I in PRIDE stands for INNOVATIVE. Compliments of Mrs. Horn and Ms. Lockaby, here are some innovative practices. Students used their iPads to record conversations with their peers as they practiced writing dialogue. Also, students worked on finding factors and multiples and identifying prime and composite numbers using the Venn Diagram app. 

PVES Art students participated in the 2017 Anti-Litter Calendar Contest, sponsored by Keep Anderson County Beautiful (a Keep America Beautiful affiliate). Students created artwork that reflected the theme of "Love Where you Live," by promoting community pride, recycling, and anti-litter efforts. Twelve entries were submitted from our school, and over three hundred entries were submitted county-wide. Of those, three Powdersville Elementary students were chosen to have their artwork included in the calendar: Alissa Searcy (3rd grade), London Faust (4th), and Kyleigh Johnson (5th). Thousands of the calendars will be distributed to businesses, schools, and organizations across Anderson County. We are very proud of these students!

I just had to share this picture I took earlier this week from morning car duty. In my opinion, scenes like this are evidence of a greater Champion who has entrusted us with the huge responsibility of educating our students! 

Math Professional Development:

Math teachers please do not forget your next professional development session with Mrs. Preisig scheduled for Thursday, November 11th during your planning. It has been incredible to watch guided math take shape in our math classrooms and there is not doubt we have benefited from these sessions.

Time Away from School:

Don't forget that Monday, January 16th is MLK Day and there is no school. Tuesday, January 17th is a teacher work day. As you probably know, if you attended both days of summer academy, you earned two comp days to be used on the two teacher work days listed above. If you attended only one of the two summer academy days, you have the option to take your comp day on either 1/17 or 2/20. 

For those of you who did not attend either of the summer academy days or only one of the summer academy days, you have two options:

1.) Email Mr. Moore and Mrs. Tollison and request to take a personal day(s). You will then need to place this absence(s) in absence manager ASAP.

2.) Attend the scheduled district staff development on the teacher work days. The January 17th staff development is scheduled for room 410 at Powdersville High School from 8:30-3:30. The title of the session is A Flurry of Technology. A separate session will be scheduled for February 20th staff development. 

Mrs. Tollison and I do have a document listing who received credit for summer academy if you need assistance. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have specific questions.

Vertical Teaming:

We are excited about our ELA Vertical Teaming session scheduled for Wednesday, January 18th at 3:10 in the PD Room. We asked those teachers who attended TDA training to meet with their grade level teams to disseminate this information. Our goal in the vertical team session is to go farther with this information and discuss how individual grade levels are approaching the difficult task of preparing our students for SC-READY. We hope, in turn, that we will be able to share ideas and create a smooth transition of ideas and methods being implemented from grade-to-grade. 

End of 9 Weeks Reminder:

Please again be reminded that the end of the 2nd 9 weeks is Friday. Make sure grades are in the grade book and accurate. Refer to the reminders below:

• Grades due before you leave on 1/18
• Verifications printed and place in teacher boxes on 1/19. Please check these carefully, sign, and give back to Patty. 
• Report cards printed 1/23 
• Report cards go home to parents on 1/25
• Friday, January 13th is a blue jean day. 

Moore's Musings:

We have reached that very crucial time of year; after Christmas Break and before Spring Break. There are few breaks, but this affords us some consistent opportunities with our students. Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Tollison and I have been working on a testing calendar for SC-READY and SC-PASS. All grades will take SC-READY (ELA Day 1 and 2 and Math). 4th and 5th grades will take SC-PASS (Science and Social Studies). Everyone will take these assessments online. This presents a difficult challenge and we will discuss the schedule in more detail in future meetings. Testing begins on April 24th and runs through the end of May. We need to keep the May calendar as "uneventful" as possible so please remember that when scheduling events. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYCs):

• Thursday, January 12th - Math PD w/Preisig
• Friday, January 13th - End of 2nd 9 Weeks and F&P Levels Due (mid-year)
• Monday, January 16th - MLK Day - No School
• Tuesday, January 17th - Staff Development Day/Comp Day
• Wednesday, January 18th at 3:10 - ELA Vertical Team Session
• Monday, January 23rd - Good News Club Begins Again
• Wednesday, January 25th - Fire Drill
• Wednesday, January 25th - Report Cards Go Home

Video of the Week:

Beginnings

I find it hard to believe that it's 2017. I mean, really? The older I get, the faster time moves along. I have former students who have graduated college and are working (don't say a word Ms. Lockaby) and some who are soon to become parents (right Mrs. Clary?). The new year is an opportunity to indeed reflect on the past. However, I have grown to appreciate the opportunity a new year offers to celebrate a new beginning. For many of us, 2016 was simply a struggle. For others, it was filled with sadness or regret. And still for some, it was complete with great opportunity and joy. The beautiful thing about 2017 is that you have the ability to place your mark on the year. While you don't have complete control over every aspect of the next 365 days, your attitude and determination certainly can steer you in a positive or negative direction. As a school, let's make it our resolution to stay away from what might have been in the past and focus on what can be in the future. I am convinced our best years are ahead of us at PVES. 

Let's go back to December and celebrate a few events...

We had a wonderful time at our faculty Christmas party. Thanks to everyone who was able to attend. Again, all 4 of our groups were able to "breakout" while no groups from another ASD1 school could do the same. You guys are awesome!

Congratulations to Mrs. Turner and our 4th/5th grade Chorus for their hard work in preparing for and presenting our Christmas musical. I was so happy they were able to perform for our students as well. A huge "thank you" to Mrs. Turner for her leadership!

Mr. Velasco's 5th grade Strings students presented their Christmas performance and did a magnificent job in front of  a huge crowd. Thanks to Mr. Velasco for his expertise and willingness to lead our students. 

TDA Training and Vertical Teaming:

Two ELA teachers from each grade level attended TDA training last month. They will be contacting all teachers in their grade level to share information related to the TDA portion of the SC-READY test. Remember, every teacher can assist us with preparing students for the TDA portion. On Wednesday, January 18th at 3:10 P.M. in the PD Room, we will engage in vertical teaming with ELA teachers related to the text-dependent analysis and how each grade addresses this. One of the key issues brought to our attention by our teachers during data meetings was the need for more vertical teaming opportunities so we look forward to meeting January 18th. 

End of 2nd 9 Weeks:

Can you believe it? January 13th marks the halfway point of the school year. If that doesn't instill a sense of urgency in all of us, nothing will! Please note the following important dates as they pertain to end of 9 weeks procedures:

• Grades due before you leave on 1/18
• Verifications printed and place in teacher boxes on 1/19. Please check these carefully, sign, and give back to Patty. 
• Report cards printed 1/23 
• Report cards go home to parents on 1/25

From Mrs. Martin:

Mrs.Martin would like to pop into your rooms this week and the beginning of the next week.She is going to share with your students about our new author of the month and their opportunity to participate in lunch bunch. Thank you for allowing her this brief interruption.

Standards Review:

Please access the proposed computer science standards by clicking here. You have an opportunity to review these standards and offer your feedback. Based on what we see, it will be very difficult for us to find the personnel to cover these standards as they are currently written so please considering offering feedback. Click here to access the feedback form and let your voice be heard. 


Morning Reminders:
Students who use the homework help table in the morning should not use iPads unless they have a note/pass from their teacher explaining that they have permission to do so. Please remember that duty begins at 7:20 A.M. - when doors are opened and students enter our building. Additionally, please send students to intervention and begin PRIDE time as soon as announcements are made each morning. 4th and 5th grade students will not be allowed down the hallway in the morning unless they have a pass from their teacher. No students should be left unattended in classrooms. 

PVES "In the Know:

Here is our January "In the Know" video newsletter that was shared with parents this evening.

Moore's Musings:

January is a perfect time to go back and discuss with your class rules and procedures. I would ask everyone to spend a few moments covering your classroom rules/expectations as well as practicing classroom routines. Additionally, make time to discuss:

• Hallway behavior and walking in the 3rd block
• iPad responsibility including having it charged, not deleting the Air Watch app, etc. 
• Lunchroom behavior including cleaning up after yourself and lining appropriately after the teacher has given the appropriate signal. 
• Morning arrival and afternoon dismissal procedures  

Thanks for your help in making sure we have a consistent message to our students regarding rules and procedures! 

Mark Your Calendar:

Remember, it is your responsibility to view our shared calendar and stay up-to-date on important events. Make sure you let us know if you have a question about something you see on the calendar or something that needs to be added. Thanks!

Video of the Week: New Year? New Way to Connect with a Student in Need!