Reflection

And then there was but one. One final blog to put a bow on the 2016-2017 school year. No, we are not       done with all that must be accomplished, but we are within sight of our goal to successfully complete the         year. This blog offers you the opportunity to pause for a moment and reflect. Reflection is defined as a           thought occurring in consideration or meditation or a careful consideration. As exciting and busy         as the end of the school year can be, I find it necessary to reflect. How else would we be able to celebrate our many successes but also carefully consider what needs to change or improve? How would the ability to grow be initiated? The quote above captures this opportunity the best. Reflection takes place only when you allow yourself to pause and do so. Slow down, take a deep breath and reflect. Be honest with yourself and develop some goals for yourself, both personally and professionally, for next school year. Be willing to confront both the positive and the negative. Look in the proverbial mirror and think about what the reflection you see says about you. 

Reflect Now:

In our final faculty meeting, we shared two links that provided opportunities to reflect. Please complete the forms linked below and you can wear blue jeans on Friday and next Monday! Make sure you also review the slides from our final faculty meeting concerning report cards, awards days, field day and more! You can also find a great deal of information on our shared school calendar.

Wrapping Up 2016-2017 Reflection
2016-2017 School Report Card Information


SLO Final Meetings:
Don't forget to sign up for a time via our shared calendar to meet with Mrs. Tollison and me for your final SLO meeting. We will calculate your score for your evaluation and sign the paperwork to finish up the SLO process for this year. Make sure you can log into Enrich to access your scores. Please let us know if you have any questions.


iPad Collection:
As you know, iPads and accessories are technically due on Friday this week. This means students will not take iPads home beginning on Friday. Also beginning on Friday, please begin the process of accounting for all iPads and their accessories. Notify parents of any missing pieces that will need to be located and turned in or paid for. The team will be here on Friday, May 26th in the morning to come to your classroom and pick up your bins. iPads should be stored in the manila envelopes. Check out the shared folder with everything you will need to make this process a successful one. If you still have students that owe an item by collection day, don't forget that you will need to fill out the google form as a means to complete your responsibilities with collection.


Supervision Expectations:
I am quite sure many of you are sick of my pleas for constant supervision and "sticking to the process" for these last few weeks of school. Please keep in mind that you are expected to adhere to your recess times and monitor students in all areas carefully while outside. If football, soccer, etc. become an issue, it may be necessary to cancel those activities for a few days. While difficult for some, most of our students actually enjoy structure and routine. Thanks for your help with this.

A few final moments to share via the blog...

It begins and ends with our students. As I reflect on the school year I truly am amazed at the growth our students experience both academically and socially/emotionally. This 4th grader made 3 sensory boards for our special education classrooms. 

Our 5th grade students enjoyed their opportunity to watch Senior Signing Day and Parade at PVHS last week. Our students could envision walking across that stage. I believe it planted a valuable seed for success for them. I was able to reflect on the important responsibility we have in laying the groundwork for future success!

Our induction teachers celebrated their completion of the induction program through ASD1 this week. Take a look at that room full of induction teachers and their mentors. As you reflect, do you remember being in their shoes? How have you grown and improved since then? 

We were reminded by Mrs. Redmon that May is Better Hearing & Speech Month. Of course, she helps us celebrate with candy and some good information to read in our teacher boxes. As we reflect, isn't it great to have such support?

Mrs. Heath (Lockaby for those of you like me who look around the room confused when someone says Heath) took her students outside for some gardening and math. Students measured perimeter and area of garden boxes. Reflecting on this year, how did you break the 4 walls of your classroom down to provide real world learning experiences for your students? Through PBL, we look forward to stepping that up next year! 

You can be a true master of the content, but if you can't connect with students then you will not be successful in the classroom. As I reflect, I remain eternally grateful for our wonderful teachers who invest so much in our students. How will you continue to do so next year?

My summer reading, a small portion of it, came in the mail this weekend. I challenge you to reflect on where you need to grow and do some personal professional development of your own this summer! 

Don't forget that Mrs. Tollison works off and on through June before getting a few well-deserved weeks off in July. I will take a week's vacation but remain in the building through the summer Monday-Thursday (7:30AM-5:00PM). I love the summer because it means a quiet building and an opportunity to reflect on how I can help lead our school to greater heights. Of course, there are those textbooks to be dealt with. 

And that's a wrap. It's all about the students at PVES. It's all about continuous growth and getting better; both individually and as a cohesive unit. Don't forget to review our goals for the 2017-2018 school year and be prepared to do all you can to make us better! 

Moore's Musings:

I could type a book here as I reflect on the year. However, I know I must be brief. Let me again thank Mrs. Rita Evans and Mrs. Michelle Young for their hard work through the years to make PVES a special place to work and learn. We wish you both the very best in retirement. We look forward to celebrating with you at Brick Street Cafe on June 6th. Let's make sure we take the time to personally thank them and appreciate our time with them these last few weeks. 

Mark Your Calendar:

As always, please look over the shared calendar. Let us know if you have questions or need to add anything. 

In an effort to provide some white space for quiet reflection, there is no video of the week. I'll just leave you with the quote below...