Creativity

I couldn't help but think about creativity when preparing to write this blog today. PVES has always been a safe place to try new things, stretch the limits, and shift paradigms. Our teachers know that times change, students and their circumstances change, and thus, our approach to learning often changes. Creativity, as defined by dictionary.com, is the ability to transcend the traditional. However, the definition includes creating meaningful new ideas. This is so true in education. There are some things we do quite well that have been occurring in our building since it opened back in 2002. The old adage "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" certainly applies. However, if we are passionate about our students and truly want to do what it takes to reach them, we obviously have to apply a creative approach to education. School transformations, problem-based learning units, and flexible seating are just a few ways our tremendous faculty and staff have dabbled in creativity recently. Our challenge is to continue; push on. Reach our students, demand their attention and effort, and stir within them an innate desire to learn. That's quite the challenge, but we have never backed down from those in the past. And creativity will allow us to meet those challenges head-on.

Don't forget that F.A.I.L. stands for "FIRST ATTEMPTS IN LEARNING."

Another week gone by and more wonderful things taking place at PVES...

Walk the hallways and you will be interested to find the many ways our students are engaged in creativity. Whether it be inquiry-based, hands-on, or involving technology, our students really demand from us to be immersed in creative experiences in order to learn. 

Friday was another artifact of evidence to show that PVES teachers are dedicated, student-focused, and creative. Powdersville Pizzeria is now open for business! We are thankful for Mrs. Wayne's vision and a group of dedicated teacher leaders who brought this concept to real life. Our students were engaged and moved to learn. That is powerful stuff. 

Codie Hammond and I wanted to tell everyone "thank you" for making this year's version of the Talent Show a huge success. The teacher performance was well-received and creative (Mr. White - we were indeed entertained) and our students did a phenomenal job showing off their many creative talents. So many people served our school in a variety of ways to make this happen. This is not the norm in many buildings, but it sure is here. 

Monday is the kick-off of our OLWEUS Bullying Prevention Program:

On Friday last week, most of our students completed the OLWEUS student survey. On Monday, all home rooms will watch the kick-off video and engage in your first class meeting. As a reminder, each Monday morning during PRIDE Time we are dedicated to engaging students in discussion, lessons, etc. centered on bullying prevention. Through rich dialogue and discussion, our students will be armed with the ability to identify bullying behaviors and what steps to take to handle these situations. Your class should meet in a circle and take this time seriously. A huge "thank you" to our leadership team and our team chair, Mrs. Barnhill, for helping us with this adventure. If everyone will approach this opportunity as a means to improve our culture and climate, I have no doubt that it will lead to improved student achievement. Remember, we have school-wide rules for bullying and a common approach to dealing with those incidents. Please see the resources below:

• OLWEUS Shared Folder with Lessons and Info
• OLWEUS "Kick-Off" Video to Be Shown Monday Morning
• You should be able to complete this first meeting, with video kick-off included, by the end of PRIDE Time. 
• Related arts and specialty area teachers will be assigned a classroom. Mrs. Tollison will be emailing those teachers to inform them of their placement. They are there to work with the classroom teacher and students to help the program run smoothly. 

Report Cards:

2nd 9 weeks report cards go home at the end of the day on Monday. Students are encouraged to bring a copy of the report card back to school signed by a parent. Please be reminded that if you have any students you feel like need to be considered for retention, you must notify parents soon and also let Mrs. Tollison and I know of your concerns. 3rd grade teachers are tracking students who are in danger of being retained according to state law (Read 2 Succeed) and know it is important to continuously communicate progress to parents. 

SLO Mid-Year Conference:

It's that time of year again. I need to meet briefly with any and all teachers who have an SLO. The purpose of this meeting is to check on student progress as related to the teacher SLO for the 17-18 school year. It would be appropriate to bring any data and or/concerns to this meeting. We can log in to Enrich and refer to the information you have entered. If you do not have access to Enrich, bring a paper copy or email a copy to us for the meeting. You can sign up for a time by clicking on this link to register for a conference slot. 

Live PD:

We do have Live PD sessions for teachers and staff on Wednesday, January 31st. These are make-up sessions due to inclement weather cancellations earlier in the month. Please refer to the Live PD agenda for additional information. Thank you for your attendance and participation in these very important sessions. 

Moore's Musings:

As always, we remain dedicated to being as transparent as possible when it comes to decision-making and personnel movement. I emailed the faculty and staff to let them know of changes in the making for next year in terms of teacher movement. We have already begin the process of filling the 4 homeroom positions that were made available due to this movement. We have received well over 40 applications (not counting those processed by the district office that were not sent our way) and will be interviewing candidates over the next few weeks. As always, we want to find instructionally sound teachers who fit our culture. Please know how special you have made PVES. There are so many applicants who want to join our team. This is because they know that a special culture has been developed through the years here and want to join our teachers in an effort to truly be the best. Word travels about your abilities, folks. Be very proud. 

Mark Your Calendar:

• 1/29 - Report Cards Issued
• 1/30 - Reflex Math Webinar in Computer Lab from 8:30-11:30 A.M.
• 1/30 - Wilcox Shower in Media Center after school
• 1/31 - ELA MAP Test for Grade 3 - 8:30 A.M. start time using iPads in classroom 
• 1/31 - Live PD Sessions after school 
• 2/1 - Furman Consortium on Guided Math from 8:30 A.M.-12:00 P.M.
• 2/1 - 3rd/4th Grade author visit - 9:00-9:45 in MP Room 
• 2/2 - Chic-Fil-A biscuit sale in morning car line
• 2/2 - Writer's Wall of Fame Breakfast in Media Center beginning at 7:25 A.M. 

Video of the Week: Schools on Trial