Saturday, February 29, 2020

On Fire- Rise Up for the Challenge


Wow! What a week at PVES. Monday we had an unexpected fire alarm. We joke at times that our "Thriving Thursdays" has become "Surviving Thursdays," and this was never more true than this past week. As we prepared for dismissal, we were greeted with smoke and the realization that a car was on fire in our carline right next to the school. Immediately folks went into action and made sure that students and staff remained safe. Parents moved cars and called the fire department. Staff members calmed students, listened to directions, and responded accordingly and our students followed suit. If there was ever a moment to embrace the challenge and rise above it, it was at this moment! Mr. Moore and I are extremely proud of our staff and students and the way everyone responded. Teachers on duty stepped in and adjusted our dismissal procedures so we could proceed as normally as possible. This is what makes PVES the best! We have folks to take initiative. Folks who see a challenge and rise up instead of backing down or running away. You should all be very proud of the way you stepped up to the challenge on Thursday and know that you are the best staff around! 



Celebrating happenings at  PVES...



Third graders celebrated the end of their fractions unit with the Powdersville Bakery. Parents were invited into classrooms to see the delicious bakery treats created by our students. It was great to walk down the hallways and classrooms buzzing with excitement. Our teachers and students always rise to the challenge and embrace our fractions units!  


The second annual Father Daughter Dance at PVES was a huge success. We had over 400 people attend the event. The girls were amazed as they walked through the doorways into the beautifully decorated multi-purpose room. Our PTSO always make sure this event is one to remember! 


Mrs. Redmon is making sure our students understand what it means to embrace the testing challenge. During her morning cafeteria duty, she had students write down things they were going to do to prepare for testing. We are always so thankful when folks, like Mrs. Redmon, find innovative ways to engage our students and help them rise up for the challenges. 



Monday Class Meeting- STOPit App
Along with the district, we will be rolling out a new reporting app for bullying behaviors. The new system is called STOPit and allows students to report bullying behaviors anonymously. These electronic reports go directly to Mr. Moore and Mrs. Tollison for a follow-up investigation.  This tool can be very powerful for our students and our culture. We do want to make sure that we train and educate our students about the program and how it is best used. Homeroom teachers are asked to use THIS presentation to share this roll-out on Monday, March 2nd. Teachers, be sure to read and share the speaker notes as you walk through the lesson with students during your Olweus class meeting time. Posters will be placed around the school in high traffic areas as well as in each classroom. Students can simply scan a QR reader and fill out the information requested by the program.  A letter will be sent home with students this week to explain the roll-out. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns that we can address. 

Heath Fair March 12th 
Anderson School District One is excited to be hosting "Spring into Healthy Habits" health fair on Thursday, March 12th from 5:00-8:30pm at Newspring Church Powdersville Campus. There will be speakers, vendors, free classes, raffles, and prizes. The Blood Connection will be hosting a blood drive and participants receive a $20 VISA gift card. AnMed Health Mobile Mammography Coach will also be at the event and you can call now to schedule an appointment. Please make plans to attend and invite your friends and family to take part in this great event! 

Live PD Wednesday
We will have a Live PD session this week. Check your email for more information about topics, locations, and more! 

MAP Testing Preparations
We will be MAP testing on March 16th (ELA) and March 17th (Math). Students will be asked to keep iPads at school beginning on Friday, March 13th. This will allow us to make sure everyone has a charged iPad ready for testing. Homeroom teachers will need to communicate this and request that students bring charges to school with them on that Friday. It is important to spend the next couple of weeks setting goals, discussing students' fall MAP scores, and preparing them to do their very best. You can offer incentives and rewards for students who meet or exceed their goals. HERE are the goal-setting sheets shared at the beginning of the year. You will also want to be sure you have reviewed this video for how to set up testing sessions in NWEA. 



Tollison's Tidings:
  • Grade level teams worked this past Monday or completing their post-assessment for teacher SLOs. All teachers who have a SLO should plan to have their post-assessment data in by Friday, April 3rd. We must meet with all teachers completing a SLO/GBE by Monday, April 27th to take care of your end-of-year meeting in SCLead. 
  • Mrs. Tollison and Mr. Moore will be observing teachers over the next two to three weeks who are going through formal evaluation this year. 
  • Please continue to help students record their 5 books for the Reading All Stars Program as we inch closer to 100% participation. 
  • Monday's fire alarm counted as our February fire drill. We do have a new system in place. The alarm sounds different and has a voice to prompt students to evacuate the building. Thank you to everyone for helping us when this unexpected alarm went off on Monday, especially folks in the cafeteria. 
  • If you will be administering SCREADY testing this year, please complete THIS form is to let administration know your classroom needs for testing, such as desks, tables, and chairs. If students have been testing in flexible seating all year they are free to use the seating that they are accustomed to testing in, however they will need to test on a hard surface. Please let us know what additional supplies you will need to provide a conducive testing environment in your classroom. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):
  • STOPit Roll Out 3/2
  • 3rd Grade Engagement Survey 3/2 8:45-12:30
  • Dandy Lions 3/3
  • Grade Level Planning and Live PD 3/4
  • Robotics Club 3/5
  • PVES Spirit Day Wear House Shirt/Colors and Jeans 3/6
  • End of Reading All Stars Program 3/6
  • PVES Ambassadors Meeting 3/9
  • Fourth Grade Field Trip Meeting for Chaperones 3/10
  • Papa John's Dollars for Dough 3/10-3/11
Video of the Week: Are You Up for the Challenge?



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