Perspective

I am guilty as charged. Many of you have heard me count down the days until the end of the year. It's hard not to be excited about it. I don't blame you if you are counting down as well. Still, as I reflected on my ongoing countdown, I was challenged with a simple (but powerful) thought: What if we approached these last few weeks with a different perspective? What if we considered that these last few weeks are our last opportunities to make a difference in the lives of our special students? Maybe we wouldn't wish our lives away. Maybe we wouldn't be in a hurry to get things accomplished on our "to do" lists. Maybe, instead, we would slow down and focus on those remaining precious moments we have with our students. Our challenge is to do just that. Let's be patient with our students and with one another. Let's make a difference while others are simply making excuses. Perspective is a powerful tool in the hands of a caring and willing educator.

Next Wednesday, April 27th is Administrative Professional's Day. We are BLESSED with two wonderful administrative professionals in our front office. Patty Ellison has been at PVES since day one. Her ability to work through the financial/budget issues that arise each week has saved us on many an occasion. She handles report cards, a myriad of reports and many more tasks that are too numerous to list. Lisa Booth is the first face many of our visitors see when they walk through the front doors of PVES. She greets everyone with a smile and creates a favorable first impression of our school. They both answer hundreds of phone calls each week; some of a serious nature and some that are very entertaining. Simply put, these ladies make sure this school runs smoothly and can experience success. I am truly indebted to them for their hard work and dedication. We love you both!

Congratulations to our 5th grade olympians for their wonderful showing at the ASD1 Olympic Games held at Spearman Elementary School last week. Our students brought home 6 gold medals and 2 silver medals. I know Coach Thompson is proud of his kids. We certainly are too, Coach!

It's been awesome to see the creative and fun ways in which our students have been preparing for testing. 4th grade students were working hard to "Crack the Code" while 3rd and 5th grade students enjoyed some review time. Let's remember to find additional creative ways to keep our students engaged throughout the last nine weeks of school! Great job, everyone!

Testing Update:
I have been thoroughly impressed by our fifth grade teachers and students who began online testing this week. Testing has gone smoothly and it is obvious our students were well prepared. Thanks to Tammy Lee for fighting through a serious sinus infection to get testing materials organized and ready for all of you. Please look over your TAM and testing materials provided to you during training this week. Also, please make sure you have reviewed the related arts schedule as there has been some confusion/questions related to this schedule. Do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns going forward. It is better to be safe than sorry. We will have peppermints for each classroom. Take advantage of our final few days to engage your students in well planned and engaging review.

IEP Meetings:
It's IEP season! A huge "thank you" to Ms. Marino, Mrs. Redmon, Mrs. Merritt and Mrs. Freeman for the MANY hours they spend developing IEPs and then holding meetings. Teachers, please remember that you are an important member of the IEP team. Listen carefully to classroom and testing accommodations for your student(s). Be an active and valuable member of the team to help develop the most impactful IEP possible for those students. Please make sure you are on time for these meetings. Thanks!

Supervision:
I have stressed supervision lately and for good reason. This is typically the time of year where schedules are different incidents can occur if we are not careful. Please make sure you stress the following of classroom and school rules with your students. Please make sure you can lay eyes on your students at all times. This includes hallway travel, recess time, and lunch. Be proactive in handling issues before they get out of hand. We simply cannot let our collective guard down this time of year.


Moore's Musings:

• Awards Day thoughts. It is my humble opinion that our Awards Day programs are in need of some change. Simply put, I would like to suggest that we focus on fewer awards during the ceremony in the MP Room. Then, after the ceremony we dismiss parents back to the rooms for a small, more intimate classroom ceremony before parents have the ability to sign their student out from the classroom. Perhaps we recognize all our A/B honor roll students in the classroom while recognizing the "All As, All Year" students in the actual ceremony. There are several other awards that we could give out in the classroom as well to help with this. Obviously, we would want grade levels to be consistent. Please feel free to share thoughts, ideas, and comments with me at your earliest convenience. 
• Take a glance at the calendar for May. Things get busy. Thank you in advance for your patience and willingness to be flexible. 
• Finally, 5th grade already has a field trip planned and on the calendar for next year. Thanks, ladies! 3rd and 4th grade teams, please have some ideas in mind for next year. We do not need to wait until the school year gets started before making some decisions about field trips. Please let me know if you want to discuss options! 

Mark Your Calendars (MYC):

• Annie Kids Performance - Thursday, April 21st at 6:30 P.M.
• Yellow student placement cards are due to the office by 4:00 P.M. on Friday, April 22nd. Please make sure you followed the directions provided. Thanks!
• You can wear blue jeans on Friday, April 22nd.
• Contracts are due signed to the office by Monday, April 25th.
• SC READY ELA Day 1 - Tuesday, April 26th
• Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 27th.
• SC READY ELA Day 2 - Wednesday, April 27th.
• SC READY Math - Thursday, April 28th.
• Book Fair Begins - Friday, April 29th.
• 4th/5th grade PASS Training - Monday, May 2nd in PD Room. 
• Technology PD During Planning with Preisig - Tuesday, May 3rd in PD Room.

Video of the Week:

Pressure

It's that time of year. You can feel it. There are two months left of school. Those two months will be filled with a whirlwind of successes and failures. And pressure. Pressure to prepare our students for standardized testing. Pressure complete a lengthy list of end-of-year tasks. Pressure to make the most of these final 8 weeks with our students. 

Pressure is a funny thing. As we endure moments of pressure, the potential for greatness increases. A proverbial lump of coal can turn into a precious diamond. That is the expectation for educators this time of year. Our teachers are up to the challenge! Do not let the negativity creep in and ruin those moments. Fight the urge to let pressure whittle your emotions to the point where you feel defeated. Lean on one another and YOUR abilities and expertise to turn pressure into greatness. 

Two months will fly by for us. The countdown is on. For our students, we have arrived at a most crucial juncture. Make the most of this time for them. Enjoy what you get to do for a living. Use the pressure to your advantage and create diamonds that shine brighter than the sun. I can't wait to see what you can accomplish! 

On Friday, March 18th our wonderful fifth grade teachers and a group of hard-working parents put on a "glow dance" as a fundraiser for 5th grade. We had a huge crowd as you can see from the pictures above. If you have never attended a 5th grade dance, do yourself a favor and attend next year's adventure. I honestly enjoy it every year. It's great to see the interaction among our teachers and students. 

Also on Friday, Mach 18th we enjoyed our 3rd 9 Weeks EAFK ceremonies. It certainly is incredible to hear the beautifully-written tributes by our teachers. These are moments that our students being recognized will forever remember. It's a great opportunity to paint our school in a positive light as well. Thanks to Tammy Lee for visiting classrooms to discuss the virtues. Thanks to Lindsay Nix for creating our EAFK program. And thanks to Randy, Stacey,  Lindsay, Michelle, Kelle, Deb, and Tammy for helping us with set-up for the event! 

Kelle Martin and Mr. Moore worked with 5th grade students in the computer lab in an effort to familiarize them with online testing tools and procedures. It is incredible when you think about the possibility of testing 600 plus students online next school year. Thanks to Kelle for preparing our students to do their best!

Mrs. Leftwich organized a wonderful learning experience for her 5th grade Launch students. They visited Charleston and enjoyed wonderful weather and exceptional learning opportunities.

4th grade teachers ventured to Atlanta with their students. They visited the aquarium and loved every minute. Students enjoyed the dolphin show and many educational sessions. Field trips are wonderful opportunities for our students to venture out beyond the walls of our school and experience things they may never again have an opportunity to see or hear again.

How cool was I Heart Arts Day on March 25th? A huge "thank you" to Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Nix for working tirelessly to prepare for this event. Our students benefit from experiences such as these. Many students, while performing adequately in the academic arena, also excel in the arts. Teachers enjoyed being able to eat lunch outside. Also, we are so thankful for the many artists who visited our school and worked with our students. I can't wait to see what we have in store for next year's #IHeartArts Day!

Our honey bees have arrived! Thanks to Bee Well Honey & Natural Marketfor getting us started. As part of a problem based learning (PBL) unit of study, ‪#‎PVES‬ third graders have been discovering the impact of our declining honey bee population. This is real-world learning and our students have loved every minute. Great job third grade teachers and students! May 16th is "Bee Day' at PVES and we will have many visitors in our building to celebrate the hard work that has been accomplished. 

There is something special about the Special Olympics. For the first time, I was able to attend the event held this year at Southern Weslyan University.  It leaves quite the impression and holds a special place in your heart. I was proud of our teachers and our students for participating. The creed for the Special Olympics is one to commit to memory: "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."

Yellow Cards:
On Monday, April 11th all home room teachers will receive yellow cards (formally known as green cards). Attached to the cards will be specific directions for completion of the class placement process to be completed as a grade-level collaborative effort for 3rd and 4th grade teachers. They will be due on Friday, April 22nd. We are starting this process early in hopes of being able to spend quality time making sure special education/resource needs are considered and that the best possible placements are made for classes and teachers for next year. Please let me know if you have any questions.

SC READY or Not:
Parent letters regarding testing will be placed in teacher boxes on Monday next week. These need to be sent home on Monday. SC READY is slated to begin for grade 5 on Tuesday, April 19th. For three weeks, we will have 5th grade classes in our two computer labs taking SC READY online. Obviously, grades 3 and 4 join in on the fun on April 26th-April 28th. SC READY training has been scheduled. Please refer to our shared calendar for the training you are required to attend. Ms. Lee will also email everyone with a reminder for training.  Speaking of Ms. Lee, she is working hard to make sense of all this and present valuable information to us. Keep in mind that due to changes in schedule and a new test, we will experience some changes in the way we schedule related arts/planning. I will address this in more detail when we meet for training, but I wanted to provide you with a sneak peek of our proposed schedules for testing. Please see below:

• Copy of 5th Grade Schedule for Online Testing
• Copy of 5th Grade Related Arts Schedule During Testing
• Copy of Related Arts Schedule for All During Testing

Moore's Musings:

It's IEP season. Please be patient and flexible as Mrs. Redmon, Mrs. Merritt, Mrs. Freeman schedule and hold IEP meetings. Their plates are full, to say the least, but they are working hard to make sure the needs of special education students are met and that we develop a good plan for all students. I am so appreciative for these ladies and the challenges that meet head on day in and day out. When you are a part of an IEP meeting, please come prepared with valuable information and observations to share with team. (Friday is a blue jean day - thanks for reading) Be an active participant so we can develop the most appropriate plan for students for next year. Speaking of resource, I have offered our open resource position to Mrs. Amy Keel. Amy has completed her student teaching and worked as a long-term sub at Hunt Meadows Elementary School. She goes before the board this month. She will visit our school in May and spend some time with Mrs. Freeman. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

There are too many events and activities to list. Please, please check our shared calendar for events. Ask me if you need clarification. Take note of testing meetings/trainings. We are also excited about our Annie Kids production to be held on Thursday, April 21st.

"In The Know" Video:

Don't Crack Under Pressure: Motivational

Plenty of "Power" in Teamwork

Teaching is a stressful job for a variety of reasons. It's not easy on the calmest and quietest of days. On Tuesday this week, we experienced "one of those days" that made our jobs that much more difficult. When the power went out we were initially told that it would be back on by 11:30 A.M. I worked with our cafeteria staff on a "back up" plan for lunch. We had ourselves convinced that we could make it through an hour or two and then get back to normal. Boy were we wrong. As the estimated time for the problem to be corrected continued to be pushed back, we knew we were in for a long day. Long story short, 400 or so ham or cheese (not both) sandwiches and 5 1/2 hour later, the last of our students had departed from school and the day was done. I can't say I would want us to repeat that activity again in the near future (or ever), but as I reflected on the events of the day it became apparent to me that one word stood out above all the others as to why we made it through such a trying day ... teamwork! And guess what the key to good teamwork turns out to be?

When the power went out, many of you immediately offered your assistance. Teachers checked on the safety and well being of other teachers and students. Our cafeteria staff sprung into action to feed our 605 students with no electricity to power ovens or coolers. Our office staff handled a variety of demanding requests and situations with professionalism and efficiency. Teachers ran around locating students for early dismissals and helped direct traffic and lead dismissal. I could go on, but the amazing thing was that we taught, fed and safely dismissed all of our students amidst all the chaos and confusion. Teachers, I was so impressed with you and our school. I cannot put into words the PRIDE, pun intended, that I felt watching everyone rise up and answer the call. It was easy to complain on a day like Tuesday. However, we met the challenge by working together. We were stronger because we worked toward a common goal. We were better together than we were as individuals. Just imagine if we can harness the power of teamwork school-wide on a consistent basis. 50th in the state, anyone? 

Here are a few highlights from the last week at PVES...

Yes, I was "hotdogged" by some of our awesome students. The relish was hard to take, but it was certainly worth it in the end! By the way, we collected 74% of our pledge money this week. This is a great start, but our goal is 95%. Our next collection day is Wednesday, March 23rd. Please help get the word out to parents!

As you well know, Mrs. Tollison and I are committed to developing teacher leaders in our building. During Friday's staff development, several of our teachers presented their discoveries from various conferences/workshops. Thanks to Mrs. Martin, Ms. Powell, and Ms. Jordan for their hard work. Ms. Lockaby, Mrs. Freeman, and Mrs. Wayne had some information to share and will do so at another meeting. 

Speaking of professional learning, a group of teachers attended the Furman Consortium this week and have some great reading information to share with us soon. Thanks to the ladies in the picture below for being willing to attend and help us grow as a staff in our professional abilities! 

Well, we are one step closer to housing honey bees (yes, real ones). Our hive/encasement was installed in the media center this week. Third graders have been working hard on their PBL (Problem Based Learning) and will be presenting their findings and discoveries on Monday, May 16th. May 16th will be known as "bee day" (we might come up with something more creative later). Mr. Havird and Mrs. Harrison will be among our guests in attendance on this day. Thanks to the third grade team for getting us started on the path to PBL. It's been awesome to watch your students learn in this way! 

Jessica Preisig hosted our Digital Playground event for the month of March. It was a smaller than usual crowd, but those in attendance thoroughly enjoyed the event. The pie made it all worthwhile! We continue to be a leader in technology integration. Keep up the great work! 

AdvancED Final Reminders:

The AdvancED team visiting our district will be in our area next week from Sunday, March 20th-Wednesday, March 23rd. They will be visiting Powdersville High School and Concrete Primary on Tuesday, March 22nd. I doubt they will visit our school. However, be prepared just in case. Remember that if someone comes to observe your classroom they are looking for STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. That means your students need to be actively engaged. Refer to the ELEOT observation tool for specifics. Also, please be familiar with our School Renewal Plan. This document will be useful for us throughout the next five years and we will refer back to it. Thanks again to everyone for serving on an AdvancED committee this year! 

Last Week Before Spring Break:

We are 6 days away from a well-deserved break from school. Let's make the most of these six days! Keep structure in your classroom by providing engaging activities. Also, please continue to make sure all students are closely monitored at recess and in the restroom. Additionally, please make every effort to be at school as subs will be scarce the week before a long break. Friday, March 25th is "I Heart Arts" Day at PVES. Mrs. Nix and Mrs. Turner will provide additional information soon for you. They have worked hard to prepare this day for our students! Class parties will begin at 1:40 P.M. on this day. You are free to leave ASAP after students are dismissed. Spring Break runs from Monday, March 28th-Friday, April 1st. Enjoy this time with your friends and family and REST! 

Moore's Musings:

Be ready. When we come back we will have two months of school remaining. We all know how busy this time of year is. Testing is on the horizon. I know you all are working tirelessly to prepare your students to do their absolute best. The week we return from Spring Break, grades will be due by 4 PM on Monday, April 4th. Verifications will be printed on Tuesday, April 5th in the morning and will need to be checked that day so report cards can be printed on Wednesday, April 6th. Report cards will be sent home on Thursday, April 7th. Hang out tight and enjoy the ride! 

Mark Your Calendar:

As always, please refer to our shared Google Calendar for the latest updates. It is imperative that we use the calendar to effectively communicate important dates. If you see an event missing that needs to be added, please contact me ASAP. Thanks!

*A note about the blog: There will be no blog next week due to Spring Break the following week. 

Videos of the Week: Teamwork

Friday is NOT a jean day due to EAFK. Wednesday and Thursday next week

are great days to wear blue jeans!

Booster Out!

Boosterthon is over. At least the majority of the craziness that accompanies Boosterthon is over. We have done this fundraiser for six years in a row and each year we raise between $18K-$20K in just over a week's time. Personally, I love the positive energy and message Boosterthon brings to our students. Yes, there are interruptions and challenges. However, there is something special about our teachers and parents cheering on our students as they run around the track. There is something very special about our TMD class being cheered on by students and teachers as they participate. The Color Run for 5th grade was a tremendous success and a great way to celebrate with our 5th graders. After having some discussions with our PTSO, we may be headed for a one year hiatus from Boosterthon. Thank you for making it a special day. Don't forget - we really need our students to bring in the pledge money throughout the next two weeks. The first collection day is scheduled for March 16th. Per my agreement with Super Syd, I will be "hot dogged"  tomorrow. We will capture this on camera so you can share with your class when you feel necessary.

Enjoy some more pictures from our Boosterthon event today!

The third grade LAUNCH class has been studying ancient Egypt.  They went on a field trip to the Michael C. Carlos Museum which is on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta.  The students toured the ancient Egypt exhibit and were able to see actual ancient Egyptian artifacts including mummies, canonic jars, amulets, hieroglyphics,and a replica of the Rosetta Stone.  They learned about gods and goddesses, mummification and their belief about the afterlife.  The docents for the museum were impressed with our students knowledge and behavior.  They also visited the World of Coca Cola and ate lunch at the food court of the CNN building.  It was a fun and educational day! 

March 11th Staff Development Day:

Friday is a staff development day for teachers. We will plan to meet in the PD Room beginning at 8:30 A.M. Hopefully, this will give you a few extra minutes to sleep in and get to school. We will have a general meeting including some teachers sharing information they have learned from various conferences and workshops. Mrs. Martin will meet briefly non-homeroom teachers after our general meeting to discuss Read 2 Succeed reading endorsement/certificate. We will provide coffee, juice and water along with doughnuts. You health nuts need to eat at least one doughnut. You earned it! Please come prepared to pay attention and learn. We will do our best to be done by 10:00 A.M.

March Book Madness:

The goal is to have all 8 books read by Monday, March 21st.  Mrs. Martin gave the grade level basket of books to the first teacher on the rotation list. Make sure to read at lease one book a day. Also, Mrs. Martin put a shadow puppet video of her reading all 8 books in Google Drive in the 2015-16 PVES Teacher folder in the March Book Madness folder. Please use this if you would like. By the end of the day on March 21st, all students should have used the QR code provided to you in your box to vote on the their favorite book out of all 8 that they heard.  Thank you so much for helping make this happen! 

Speaking of reading initiatives, please put a plug in for the Greenville Drive Reading All Stars program. Students who read five books, complete the form, and return it to Mrs. Fowler get a free game ticket and are honored on the field prior to the game. We want a huge crowd of our students at the game!

Moore's Musings:

• Thanks to Jill Kallin for training ELA teachers on how to administer MAP sessions. She provided some great information and "cheat sheets" for everyone to use. I like the fact that teachers are now in charge of their own MAP testing. This gives you much more flexibility and control. 
• Thanks to Jena Putnam for handling a plethora of sub requests thus far. It's not easy to handle subs in this district and it is especially not easy when we go through a time period of sickness like we have seen recently. 
• Thanks to Kelley Golden and Jill Kallin for being willing to work in Ms. Marino's class as she begins to test those students. They have seen quite a lot down the hallway in that classroom. 
• A huge "thank you" to Lindsay Nix who worked incredibly hard on our yearbook this year. Almost 3/4 of our student body purchased a yearbook this year and they will not be disappointed. Mrs. Nix also creates our EAFK parent program that you will see each each ceremony.
• EAFK letters have been mailed out. Please make sure you contact parents of students being recognized. Also, have a meaningful, short, and concise paragraph to read at the event.
• Don't forget about that Christie Shealy is keeping our testing website updated. Please visit this website to see sample items, answer documents, and much more! 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

We continue to update our shared Google Calendar. "I Heart Arts" Day has been moved to March 25th. Spring parties will be held on that same day beginning no earlier than 1:40 P.M. Also, check out the calendar for information on when grades are due and when report cards will be sent home. 

Video of the Day:

Ron Clark

On Monday evening, Ms. Powell, Ms. Jordan and I had the incredible experience of listening to Ron Clark speak at Anderson University. Ron Clark, author of The Essential 55 and Move Your Bus is inspiring to say the least. When you listen to him speak, you want to change the world. What he has accomplished with inner city and low-income students with behavior "problems" is nothing short of magical. Here are a few of my "take aways" from his presentation:

• Teaching is an emotional thing. We must get to know our students and make a connection. Look them in the eye.
• Are you a runner, jogger, walker or rider? Do you drive the school with your passion and ability to press on regardless of circumstances or do you slow it down through negativity, excuses, and complaining? Don't be a member of the "posse of poison".
• Compliment a child's actions. Actions are what define a person.
• A smile is powerful.
• "Do something" - above and beyond the call of duty.
• Have a sense of urgency and intensity. Be on fire for your kids. 
• There are no teacher desks in classrooms at his school. Students are constantly up and moving. So are the teachers.

Make sure you watch our videos of the week as they related to this topic and involve our very own!

Our 5th grade science teachers traveled with their winning teams to Spearman Elementary School on Friday to participate in the district Jet Toy Car competition. Mrs. Gibson's team won "best design" while Mrs. Wayne's group won third overall. Such a tremendous accomplishment by those students. Let's not forget the effort put in by those teachers, all of whom are new to science content this year. And a big "thank you" to Mrs. Clary for her help throughout this unit of study. Way to go 5th grade!

The PTSO Father/Daughter Dance was a huge success on Friday evening. Over 400 fathers and daughters danced the night way. A huge "thank you" is extended to our PTSO for organizing this event. They do great things for our school!

Boosterthon kicked off at our Pep Rally on Monday. Thank you to everyone for your enthusiasm and flexibility. We have changed our Team Huddles to better accommodate everyone involved. Keep in mind that this is our major fundraiser for the year. Our students will get excited and more involved if you get excited and involved. Our goal is $20,000 and we still have a long way to go. Thanks for sending out daily communication with parents and being creative in the way you get your students involved!

Ms. Marino's class traveled to the grocery store for a field trip last week. Ms. Marino and her assistants go out of their way to provide experiences for her students that they will never forget. If you need a "pick me up" just travel down the 100 hallway to her classroom and say hello to her students.

Mrs. Presig led our March Instructional iCoach session on Tuesday. It's amazing to watch our teachers lead the way in the district in terms of technology integration. We have grown so much in this area and should be proud! Check out all the great ideas on our parking lot. Keep the ideas coming!

MAP Testing:

4th and 5th ELA teachers expressed their desire to MAP Test students prior to testing. That window is now open. Mrs. Kallin will facilitate training for 4th and 5th ELA teachers so all teachers are able to create and administer a MAP session. She will also be sharing a calendar so teachers can begin signing up for time slots to test classes. Third grade and 4th and 5th math teachers will test later in the year as requested. We will train these teachers at a later date. Mrs. Young will MAP test students in the lab during related arts only if you request her to do so. With MAP scores being tied to SLOs and teacher evaluation, I know our teachers will want to be heavily involved in this process. 

Friday, March 11th:

Friday, March 11th is a staff development day. We will begin our day at 8:30 A.M. in the PD Room. We will have doughnuts and coffee, juice and water for all. During our time together in the morning, we will hear from teachers who have attended various conferences and have a wealth of information to share with us. We will also spend some time looking at AdvancED information in preparation for a possible visit later this month. We will attempt to wrap things up by 10:00 A.M. Mrs. Martin will meet afterward with related arts and specialty area teachers about reading endorsement/requirement. After this, everyone will have the remainder of the day to work in your rooms. I would suggest this would be a great opportunity to plan test prep activities and lessons for our students as we near SCREADY and SCPASS. 

Moore's Musings:

• We are just over three weeks out from Spring Break. Let's use this time wisely and keep our students motivated and learning through structured and well-planned lessons. The end of the third nine weeks is near. This is a crucial time of year for all. 
• Please make sure our students are well-supervised on the playground during recess. We need to be vigilant in our efforts to keep students safe. 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

Please refer to our shared calendar. Let us know if you have any questions! 

Videos of the Week: