Raise the Bar

Raise the bar. I've heard this phrase in countless meetings and professional development sessions. Raising the bar can best be defined as to do, produce, or be something better than anyone before so that other people feel they have to do better themselves. Often times, it's easy to flippantly respond that we simply are already doing everything we can. "I can't do anything else," some would say. Let us be reminded that 640 plus young men and women are relying on us to raise the bar, for ourselves and for them, this school year. We must have high expectations for our students, but also for ourselves professionally.  Whether you have taught for many years or you are a first year teacher, you are challenged to raise the bar this school year. Learn something new. Be a better teacher. Build stronger connections to students and staff. Be a better teammate. If everyone will buy into this concept of "raising the bar" then we will accomplish great things often thought impossible. 

It was great to get a full week in at PVES last week...

Our leadership team met last week to engage in a "book tasting". One common theme among professionals who have a"raise the bar" mentality is the willingness to read professional literature in an effort to learn more. Soon, you will get an opportunity to choose a book to read that will challenge you professionally. More on this later, but it will be integrated into our Live PD time. Please listen to this ShadowPuppet video so you will know which book you might be interested in reading.

Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Heath, Mrs. Martin, and I had the opportunity to hear Baruti Kafale, author of The Principal 50 and The Teacher 50. His insight into school leadership and positive change is inspiring. He certainly challenges you to raise the bar in your school. I was reminded that conferences and other professional learning opportunities are so important when considering one's professional growth. You have to get out and collaborate, hear/see a different way to do things, and stretch your thinking. To quote Mr. Kafale, "every morning, before you get started for the day, envision yourself living your purpose so you can see beforehand what you are going to accomplish." In other words, get up and imagine yourself raising the bar at PVES. And then do it. 

LivePD sessions challenged us to raise the bar in various areas within our school. As we start to hone in our our PBL units, don't forget that infographics can and should be integrated as options for our students when they report their findings. ALiCE training again prompted great discussion among our faculty and staff. Each time we discuss ALiCE and practice, we are that much safer in the event that we are met with such a crisis. Don't forget to check out our ALiCE Resources such as handouts and the presentation you can use with your class. 

PRIDE Time is full steam ahead at PVES! Remember, we have 87.5 hours devoted to PRIDE Time this year. We don't grade papers or check lesson plans. We are committed to working with our students, specifically our "approaches" friends, in an effort to raise the bar. We have some great things going on during this period of time. As I continue to visit classrooms, I hope to compile a list of the great things taking place so I can share. Those teachers who are meeting with small groups are passionate about pushing these students to become better readers. They want to assist with "closing the gap" for these students. Please make sure you send students to PRIDE Time so they can begin by 8:10 A.M each day. You should also ensure you are starting no later than 8:10 if you a homeroom teacher. 

The Book Fair continues this week and will wrap up on Tuesday, October 3rd. Thanks to Mrs. Fowler for hosting our teacher reception and thanks to Mrs. Golden for the delicious food that greeted us during the reception. Mrs. Fowler wants to "raise the bar" in terms of the materials/books she can purchase for the library so make sure to promote this event in your email blasts and newsletters. 

The 5th grade dance was a huge success Friday night. We had literally hundreds of students from 4 ASD1 schools on our campus. Our 5th grade team made it happen. DJ "Lil Wayne" stole the show. Needless to say, we raised the bar for future dances! After the dance was over, some of us made our way to the office to lock up and noticed a terrible electrical smell and a great deal of smoke in the office. We made the decision to call 911 so the fire department could ensure our building was safe. Thanks to the Powdersville Fire Department for their quick response. We had a few issues with our HVAC in the office running very hot and malfunctioning, but everything is safe. This is why we practice our fire drill monthly. 

Next Live PD Session:

Our next LivePD session will be held this Wednesday, September 26th. View the attached agenda and let us know if you have any questions. Please plan to bring your iPad and laptop and be on time. We look forward to working together. 

PBL Planning:

We are excited to provide planning time for PBL Planning this week, as promised. We hope this will be a highly focused time to get good work accomplished. Be intentional about using this time wisely. PBLs can be a wonderful way to integrate real world learning across the curriculum. Please feel view the schedule below:

• 3rd Grade: 9/26 from 8-11:15 A.M. 
• 5th Grade: 9/26 from 11:30 A.M.-2:30 P.M. 
• 4th Grade: 9/27 from 8-11:15 A.M. 

Moore's Musings:

Let's talk PBL for a moment longer. Please read the attached article regarding PBL components to ensure that your PBL includes these very important pieces. We are excited about PBL becoming a higher priority in our instructional program so it is very important that our students benefit from these experiences and grow as learners. We should be able to look back on these units of study and proclaim that they made a difference in terms of student outcomes. 

Additionally, I challenged teachers to make sure you had a plan for parents who had not yet signed up for SeeSaw. That is our main platform for communication this school year. Also, please make sure that you are entering grades in the grade book in a timely fashion. Our teacher handbook indicates that you have a full week to get grades in the computer. Thanks for your help with this.

"New Best" employees are reminded of your next meeting on Tuesday, September 26th at 2:45 in the Conference Room! 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

• Literacy Team Meeting - 9/25 at 3:15 P.M. in the PD Room
• "New Best" Meeting - 9/26 at 2:45 in Conference Room
• 3rd and 5th PBL Planning - 9/26
• 4th PBL Planning - 9/27
• Progress Report Folders - 9/27
• Book Fair - All Week

Video of the Week:

Routine

Routine. We all depend on it. Our students thrive in it. The last few weeks have taken us out of our school routine. Many of you have been called out of the classroom to participate in professional development. And while we appreciate and require those opportunities to grow, it sure is nice to be back in the classroom and enjoy some routine. Routine, as defined by www.dictionary.com. is an unvarying and constantly repeated formula. I would pause here for a moment and ask you to reflect on your routine. What in your routine is successful? What needs to change? How can improving your routine make you a better professional educator? George Washington Carver once said that "when you can do the common things in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world." Our challenge should indeed be to provide a routine in which our students can grow and learn. However, let's guard against the type of routine that makes us "comfortable" and ineffective. Our formula for success should be a routine that is both challenging and engaging. 

Another successful week at PVES...

Part of  a successful routine as educators is to use data to drive our instruction. Our second Live PD of the year was spent working with grade level teams to discuss data from SC -READY testing. I was impressed with the candid and thought-provoking conversations that took place. We even found time for some delicious dessert. 

 Mrs. Wayne and Mrs. Horn transformed their classrooms into submarines as they explored their science unit. Mrs. Wayne's PVES Storm Trackers made an appearance on WYFF as well! This is the type of teaching and learning that I hope becomes routine at PVES!

Many of you have invited Ms. Marino and her students into your rooms the past few weeks. While this is a break in routine, I can think of no better reason to change routine than for our students to learn about Ms. Marino's precious class. 

Our teachers broke routine and attended professional development focusing on Discovery "tech book" and procedural vs. conceptual knowledge with Sandra Goff. We never stop learning or getting better. That is the mark of a successful school. 

Morning arrival time is an important routine. I am thankful for our students who serve as PVES Patrols, faculty members who make sure our students are monitored and safe, and PVHS football players who serve our students on Friday mornings during football season. Additionally, Mrs. Martin had a huge crowd for the dollar book store so keep advertising this to parents and students!

Live PD:

This week's Live PD focuses on a technology component and ALiCE violent intruder training. Please click here to read details about this Wednesday's plan of action. Make sure you arrive on time for Live PD so we can get started. Remember that Live PD sessions are planned for Wednesdays each week so do not schedule appointments to interfere with this time. We will share an agenda for each session in the blog each week. 

Odds and Ends for This Week:

Don't forget that Mrs. Payne's baby shower will be held Tuesday afternoon in the media center after school. The 5th grade field trip parent meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening from 6-7 P.M. Thursday is a big day with a scheduled fire drill during the day and the Book Fair Teacher Reception (word has it Mrs. Golden is making the dessert - reason enough to come!) after school that afternoon. The Book Fair is open to students for the first time on Friday. Our first Skate Night of the year will be held from 6-8 P.M. at Roller Time Family Skate Center in Piedmont on Thursday evening. The 5th grade dance will be held at PVES Friday evening from 6:00-7:30 P.M. Another busy week, but busy is rather routine for us! 

AirWorx Visit:

Don't be surprised to see visitors on Friday morning in our building. AirWorx will be flying a drone over our property to take video for a promotional video being created for ASD1. Additionally, they may pop into classrooms for video clips for the same promotional video. If you have something awesome going on Friday morning that would be good for this crew to capture, please email me and let me know ASAP!

Moore's Musings:

PRIDE Time should be up and running in your classroom by now. This focused block of intervention from 8:10-8:40 A.M. is built into the schedule for all homeroom teachers. We will begin pulling the rest of our LLI groups beginning on Wednesdays. These students should be sent to their designated intervention teacher ASAP after announcements, but definitely by 8:10 A.M.We will discuss this briefly during Live PD, but please make sure all students are engaged during this time. As I walked into some classrooms today, I noticed students playing on iPads and or simply not doing anything. Teachers should be pulling small groups or individuals for things like 1.) frontloading material, reviewing material, additional/supplemental guided reading or guided math groups, etc. Students should be working on building reading stamina and have a book that they can successfully read independently. Thanks for making this a very special and focused time for learning. Establish a great routine now for PRIDE Time. 

Mark Your Calendar:

• Sarah Payne Shower - 9/19 in media center after school
• 5th grade field trip parent meeting - 9/19 at 6:00 P.M.
• Fire Drill - 9/21
• Book Fair Reception - 9/21 at 2:45 P.M.
• PTSO Skate Night - 9/21 from 6-8 P.M.
• Book Fair Begins - 9/22
• AirWorx Visit - 9/22 in the morning 
• 5th grade dance - 6:00-7:30 P.M.

Video of the Week: Too Good Not To Share Again

Storms

As I type this blog, the remnants of Hurricane Irma are headed up the western coast of Florida and impacting our region throughout the day. The wind is howling outside my office door and the rain is picking up in intensity. While the school day was canceled out of an abundance of caution, my thoughts returned to this place of learning. With the school year now in full throttle, we must be prepared for the storms that are sure to flare up from time-to-time. I love the definition of storms provided to us by dictionary.com: "a disturbance of the normal condition of the atmosphere." Isn't that spot on? We have worked tirelessly as a team to build a positive culture focused on collaboration, continuous improvement and learning. When storms arise, they take aim at this culture and seek to disrupt our atmosphere. Perhaps you are having trouble with a parent. Maybe a student is struggling and you don't know what you can do to help. It is certainly possible that your storm rages outside of school in the form of personal issues. Regardless, let us weather those storms together. If we truly are a team, then it is during those times that we remain strong and support those who need us most. In my humble opinion, there is not another way to better show your Powdersville PRIDE than to fight through a storm, remain positive and come out stronger and better on the other end. May your storm be brief; never knocking you off your course and preventing you from doing that which you were called to do.

Last week was another wonderful week at PVES ...

  

Many teachers participated in professional development last week; including guided math and guided reading opportunities led by Mrs. Tollison and Mrs. Martin. It was wonderful to see teachers collaborating, learning and getting better. No matter the storm, there are teachers here who press onward. 

No storm stops us from teaching, learning and building relationships. Mrs. Berry has worked with students to help them understand the importance of leaving a positive digital footprint. Mrs. Horn has students reflect on their learning each day and what "stuck" with them. Mrs. Henderson's students collaborating with buzzing partners about their books. Mrs. Golden entertained her students with a read-aloud. Ms. Marino taught a science using a new curriculum. Mrs. Nix is putting finishing touches on our "only one you" project. Mrs. Payne's class was skip counting to jumping jacks! 

We enjoyed celebrating International Literacy Day on Friday. Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Tollison and Mr. Moore were able to collectively visit and read to all of our home room classes! While only one presenter was able to provide a pronunciation guide, props and a QR code, it was so much fun to interact with our students. We can never underestimate the power of read and being literate in this day and age. In the midst of a storm, sometimes it is best to curl up to a good book. 

Finally, we met for our first Live PD session and collaborated to determine what we wanted out of professional development. Much of what each group shared is the desire to make this Live PD time useful and efficient. We want time to share ideas and build relationships with our team members. Heck, we even want a Mexican-themed Live PD session. Nothing wrong with food folks. I look forward to the true challenge of offering an improved PD time where we can truly grow everyone has educators. Regardless of the storm brewing, team Powdersville will never settle for being ordinary and blessing the status quo. 

Another Busy Week of PD:

Obviously, we will have to re-schedule our 4th grade PBL planning session. Please be reminded of the other PD opportunities occurring this week. As a reminder, please plan to be at school as there are no substitutes available.

• September 12th: 3rd Grade PBL Planning (AM)/5th Grade PBL Planning (PM) - Media Center
• September 14th: Science Tech Book PD (Full Day) - District Office
• September 15th: Sandra Goff Math PD (AM and PM Sessions) - PD Room

iPads to Go Home:

iPads are scheduled to be sent home on Tuesday afternoon. As a reminder, students who still have not paid the iPad protection plan should not take iPads home until that is paid. Mrs. Patty Ellison will update you as to whom in your class has still not paid. Let's remind our students to be good stewards of their iPads - take care of them, bring them back to school each day and charged, and use them appropriately. As a reminder, we do not allow students to call for forgotten iPads in the morning after the 8:00 A.M. bell so please do not send students up to the office to call. 

ESOL Information from Mrs. Thomas:

As immigration continues and our population becomes more diverse, please be aware that we (school faculty and staff) are not permitted to question a student’s citizenship or immigration status. If a student happens to share information with you about citizenship, immigration, or anything of that nature, you are to keep it to yourself. This is not something that is to be shared with anyone (including any co-workers).

If you would like to learn more about this topic, click here (Titles IV and VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964).

Please understand that under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 it is not permissible for you to give out any type of personal information about any student. If needed, refer them to talk to administration. There are certain exceptions, but that is not a call a teacher should make.

Live PD:

Our next LIVE PD Session is Wednesday, September 13th. Please read over the proposed agenda for this session and let us know if you have questions.

Moore's Musings:

I would be remiss if I did not mention September 11th in this blog. Do you remember where you were on September 11th, 2001? I sure do. I was a first year teacher, 21 years old, at Concrete Elementary School in Anderson School District One. Someone texted me about a plane crashing into a building in New York City. I immediately went to investigate online and then ran across the hallway to my teaching partner to inform her. I remember watching those heartbreaking videos and actually feeling angry and scared. We were reminded on that day of just how helpless and vulnerable we can sometimes be. As parents began picking up their children for early dismissals, en masse, only then was the magnitude of that stormy day made clear. As a I reflect on that day, I was reminded of how precious life is and how tragedy can strike from anywhere at any moment. Though scars remain, our country rebounded from this event. Those brave souls who risked their lives that day reminded us that there is a higher calling for all of us. Let us never forget 9/11.

Mark Your Calendar:

Please check our shared calendar and let us know if any changes/editions need to be made.

Video of the Week: Hurricane Harvey - Helping Other During the Storm

Labor

I trust everyone enjoyed a well-deserved Labor Day weekend. Indeed, it was rather easy that I chose the theme for our blog this week. Labor. Labor is defined as productive activity or physical/mental work, especially of a hard and difficult kind. There is no denying that educators are involved in physical and mental labor day in and day out. In my opinion, there is no greater calling than to be a teacher. And no greater calling is met such high expectations, so much toil, and so much reward as that of being an professional educator. As I reflect on the first two weeks of school, I remain so thankful for the faculty and staff at PVES who put in the time and effort to make this the best start to a school year I can ever remember. As we labor this week, and for the next 9 months, let us never forget our purpose and our passion. Let us never settle for anything less than excellence. Approach the requirements of the job with a positive attitude and with an emphasis on teamwork. Through hard work, indeed labor, the sky is the limit at our school. 

Let's celebrate this past week at PVES...

This picture symbolizes our spirit and culture at PVES. We labor together for a common cause; putting aside differences that would otherwise divide us. We will ask everyone to wear their favorite college team shirts again and take a staff picture. Thanks to Mrs. Garrett for the idea. Hey, the two in-state teams won this weekend! 

Thanks to PTSO for the new mulch. They are an important part of team PVES and have put in the work to make this a successful year. I would again remind everyone to please join PTSO, if you have not already. We look forward to new playground equipment arriving soon! 

 

Thanks to everyone for laboring hard to make sure our morning arrival and afternoon dismissal times run smoothly. Thanks for being on time for duty each morning and afternoon and understanding how important your role is within this time frame. I appreciate teachers being willing to read to students each morning. Thanks to Mrs. Fowler for making sure we have great reading material to share with students. What a great way to start the day!

Molly came this week! We will again offer the BARK program as an intervention for certain at-risk students at PVES. Thanks to Ms. Lee for making this happen. Our students love reading with therapy dogs. This is a positive intervention at our school and one that truly makes a difference. 

The parent table is now open in the PVES cafeteria! Teachers were emailed about this last week. Please make sure your parents are aware of this outreach. Parents must sign in through the main office before entering the cafeteria for lunch. Students can eat with their parents and one/two friends at the parent table (provided their is space available). 

The first team of our PVES Patrols began their work last week. We take 15-20 minutes to train these students and then put them to work. We have 5 times of fifth graders who will work throughout the year. We dismiss them to class in time to arrive by 8:00 A.M. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns about the patrols.

Mrs. Martin, Ms. Lee and Mrs. Nix worked hard with our students in Art last week on a wonderful project to inspire students to embrace their individuality and respect differences with other students. Our staff will participate in this project as well very soon. 

Who says work is not fun? Students in Mrs. Payne's class enjoyed skip counting with jumping jacks. Mr. White's class enjoyed learning about moon phases with Oreos. Awesome! 

Mrs. Tollison took a break from working "lunch duty" to play some games with a classroom. Work sure does seem to be fun around here. 

So, what do you do when you retire? You come back to work every Friday and...work? Mrs. Rita loves Ms. Marino's class and volunteers to come back each week and cook with these special students. 

PRIDE time is underway. Our intervention block is built into our schedule for the first 30 minutes of each day from 8:10-8:40 A.M. Students are working on building reading stamina. Teachers are leveling students and pulling small groups for focused intervention. Very soon, we will begin to pull students for LLI reading groups and math intervention. Stay tuned for details. 

International Literacy Day:

On Friday, September 8th PVES will celebrate International Literacy Day! Did you know that around the word, 750 million adults and 264 million children still lack basic literacy skills? This year's International Literacy theme is literacy in a digital age. Please sign up for Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Tollison, or Mr. Moore to come read to your class on Friday. Mrs. Martin will email a link for sign-ups and we will link it to this blog when available. Additionally, we encourage you to celebrate in your own way with your class. Tweet out pictures and tag @pvespride when doing doing so! 

Busy Schedule: 

Mrs. Tollison recently sent an email with PD opportunities that will be ongoing this week and next. Please take time read this email carefully so you know which events to attend. Please review the following: 

• September 6th: Guided Math PD (AM)/Guided Reading PD (PM) - PD Room
• September 7th: Guided Math PD (PM) - PD Room
• September 11th: 4th Grade PBL Planning (AM) - Media Center
• September 12th: 3rd Grade PBL Planning (AM)/5th Grade PBL Planning (PM) - Media Center
• September 14th: Science Tech Book PD (Full Day) - District Office
• September 15th: Sandra Goff Math PD (AM and PM Sessions) - PD Room

*Please be present on these days as substitutes will not be available. 

Live PD:

As we discussed, we will begin our "Live PD" faculty meetings/professional development this week. We will have our kick-off meeting this Wednesday, September 6th after school in the media center at 3:15 P.M. The following week on Wednesday, September 13th, we will discuss PVES test scores. We will send out additional information when available, but please make plans to attend. 

Moore's Musings:

As we settle into the school year, let's make each day count. As previously discussed, PRIDE Time intervention block is now a regular part of our school day. Use this time to provide true intervention where needed. Our struggling students need it, but even our higher students can benefit. Additionally, please make sure you are communicating with parents about the following:

• iPad protection plan of $29 paid to PVES before the iPad can be sent home. 
• Instructional fee of $12 paid to PVES in cash or check. 
• SeeSaw and My Homework sign up. You may have to send more than one communication to get your parents to sign up. A phone call might even be in the works for a few. This is important. 
• Parent table in cafeteria. Any cupcakes or other food items must be approved by school nurse prior to our giving them to students. 
• Teacher website up to date - send link to parents (this helps so parents are aware of contact information, schedule information like recess, lunch, etc.).
• Parent portal sign-up. 

Finally, if you are in the midst of planning field trips, please designate someone to see Mrs. Tollison or Mr. Moore so we can walk you through the requirements (some new and VERY important) for chaperones. Thanks!

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

September 6th: Guided Math PD (AM)/Guided Reading PD (PM) - PD Room

September 6th: Rosetta Stone Training in Computer Lab (full day). If your class has computer lab this day, please send to Room 101 during related.

September 6th: Live PD 3:45 P.M. Media Center

September 7th: Guided Math PD (PM) - PD Room

September 7th: SAFE-T Orientation at DO at 3:45 P.M.

September 8th: International Literacy Day

September 11th: 4th Grade PBL Planning (AM) - Media Center

Video of the Week: