Embrace the Challenge

It is with great excitement and a tremendous amount of pride in our PVES family that I officially welcome everyone back for the 2019-2020 school year! If you are like me, this time of year brings forth a plethora of emotions; from happy and sad to excited and anxious. Just understand that those mixed emotions are normal and we are all feeling those collectively. I do sincerely hope that you also feel passionate and motivated to return; ready to tackle many challenges head on with a "do whatever it takes" mentality for our students. For those of you who are new to the blog, we use this forum as a means to celebrate our successes and front load our very busy weeks. We try to offer a theme or focus each week and we usually use this initial paragraph to frame that focus. Our school-wide focus this year has been determined: "Embrace the Challenge". The word embrace means the act of supporting or accepting something willingly and enthusiastically. The word challenge means something that by its nature or character serves as a call to special effort. This year we will embrace our challenges. We will do so collaboratively and without fear. If we truly believe that every student can learn at high levels, we must be willing to speak and act in such a way that all students in this building are OUR students. Our motivation stretches well beyond test scores and rankings; to the very heart of our purpose. Think about the "why" behind your work. We embrace the challenge for one another and, most importantly, for our students. Welcome back!

It's been a very busy summer full of challenges, but complete with rewarding experiences and final products...

We should start with the incredible job our custodial staff has done on our floors. Anderson One did not contract out the floor work this summer; meaning our custodial staff has stripped and waxed every inch of the building. The floors literally shine and look wonderful. They truly showed off their #pvespride with their work on the floors. We are so thankful for Mrs. Dianne, Mrs. Charity and Mr. Rick. They are here for you if you need assistance moving items in your room. 

Our PTSO board as been hard a work creating and developing a collaborative learning space in our courtyard. The pictures above won't do it justice; you'll just have to see it for yourself. This is sure to be a fun and engaging space for our students. Start thinking about when and how you can utilize this area! And when you see our awesome PTSO ladies, don't forget to thank them!

The front office has been buzzing lately and the transformation is well underway. We expect the installers this week to finish the safety vestibule project. We are blessed with a community that would vote for a tax increase just to support our school needs like increased safety and additions to support our rapid growth.

Our maintenance guys re-striped our parking lot for us just in time for the school year to begin. Things are looking good around PVES! 

First Week Back:

The first day back for teachers and assistants is Monday, August 12th. We will have our opening meeting at the NewSpring Powdersville campus. We will have breakfast and coffee for you beginning at 7:45 A.M. before starting our collaborative meeting at 8:30 A.M. You are encouraged to dress comfortably (casual) this first week back excluding  Meet the Teacher nights and district events in which case you should bring a more professional change of clothes. Please refer to our "First Week Back" calendar and look over it closely to determine when you will have opportunities to work with your team members and in your classrooms. Please let us know if you have any questions of concerns about the first week of school for teachers. We are so excited to welcome everyone back!

Teacher Handbook:
Please take time to review our teacher handbook. You will sign a form at the opening meeting stating you have read and understand the handbook. We will touch on several key areas of the handbook, but not all areas. As professionals, you are expected to read and abide by the expectations outlined in our handbook. As always, feel free to ask questions related to the content in the handbook.

Classroom Decor/Theme:
Remember that we do not have a yearly theme that changes each school year. Our continuous theme has been on college and career and our House system (creating a welcoming and positive school climate and culture). We would like for all teachers to decorate their classroom doors based on the college they attended and what House they are in. You can walk around the hallways to pick up some great ideas from your colleagues. In addition, we have a name plate that we want each person to use so we can be consistent. This will be placed outside your classroom door. Please view this google slide template, find your name, and edit your slide/template as soon as possible. You may have to wait for SeeSaw to be set up before you can include the QR code for that. Look at the first slide as an example. We will print them off in color and laminate them for you. Obviously, teachers at PVES have a lot of freedom to set up their classrooms and hallway space as they would like. We encourage you to be creative, have fun and really show your #pvespride when considering your approach!

Money, Money, Money:
Just as a reminder, certified teachers will receive a check for $275 soon for classroom supplies. It is a great idea to keep receipts for any items you purchase. PTSO provides up to $150 for classroom teachers as well. You can also submit a request for financial assistance to PTSO for any other needs/ideas and the board will consider those requests. Speaking of PTSO, each faculty member is strongly encouraged to join our PTSO. This sends a message that we fully support our PTSO organization. In addition, information related to joining hospitality will be sent out to everyone in the coming weeks.

Field Trips:
At PVES, we believe field trips offer students a remarkable opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and experiences that will last a lifetime. Each grade level is encouraged to plan appropriate field trips that relate to content area standards. We do have our Field Trip Checklist for you to please use and review. Please email Mr. Moore your proposed field trips; including dates ASAP.

Moore's Musings:
Communication is important. Mrs. Tollison and I want to do a great job of communicating with our school community; especially our teachers. You make the magic happen and when you are informed, it makes your job easier. We will be continuing our blog this year to highlight important events and front load your weeks. In addition to the blog, we will also use our shared calendar and email as means of communication. Teachers should expect to be excellent communicators with one another, the front office staff and parents/students. We will use SeeSaw again this year in correlation with every-other-week folders to consistently communicate with parents. The more we go above and beyond in this area and are proactive, the more support we garner from our community. Another easy way to build support is to attend student games and functions. I have seen such a simple act transform a parent/teacher relationship in a very positive way.

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

• Opening PVES Meeting at NewSpring Powdersville - 8:30 A.M. on 8/12 (Breakfast starts at 7:45-8:25 A.M.)
• 5th Grade "Meet the Teacher" Night - 8/12 from 4-6 P.M.
• 4th Grade "Meet the Teacher" Night - 8/13 from 4-6 P.M.
• 3rd Grade "Meet the Teacher" Night - 8/15 from 4-6 P.M.
• District Opening Meeting at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church at 8:30 A.M. on 8/16 (wear staff shirt and try to sit together)
• Lunch Provided by Siloam Baptist Church - 8/16 from 12:00-1:00 P.M. (cafeteria or courtyard TBD)
• Best First Day of School Ever - Monday, August 19th

Video of the Week: Challenges