New Beginnings

Well, here we are. The 2017-2018 school year is close at hand. Another summer has flown past us disguised as a blur. I trust that everyone had an opportunity to rest, refresh, and enjoy time with friends and family. Mrs. Tollison and I have been busy this summer; reflecting on our previous year and planning for what is sure to be our best year yet at PVES. I certainly enjoy the renewed commitment and enthusiasm at the beginning of the school year. In this first blog of the new school year, we appropriately focus on beginnings. A beginning, as defined by dictionary.com, is an origin; a source; a first cause. Think about that for a moment. We have a fresh start in front of us. We get to initiate a "first cause" in all that we do. Didn't like the way you arranged you room last year? Here's your chance to try something new. Want to do a more efficient job of planning? Sure thing. Here is your opportunity. Want to make building relationships in the building more of a priority this year? Why not? There is no better time to start than right now. As we work together, as a team, to get this year started off in a positive and focused manner, let us remember the words from a wise man: "You cannot change the past, but you can write a new history." A new beginning is upon us, and if we approach it wisely, it can be life-altering for our entire school community! 

Let's take a look at some beginnings in the life of our building...

Mrs. Wayne, Mrs. Thomas, and Mrs. Garrett represented our school at the Upstate Technology Conference this July. They had to literally close the door to the room due to overcrowding in their session! We appreciate their leadership. Their "Tech-infused Guided Reading & Math Station Ideas" session was a huge hit. We have now reached year 4 of our one-to-one iPad initiative in ASD1. Do you remember way back to the beginning? How far have we come? We are now a LEADER in the district in this area. 

The hallways look very nice and clean. Our hard working custodians did an incredible job in the classrooms and around the building to make sure we had a first-class building ready for our first-class faculty and staff. I remember way back to the beginning of this waxing project thinking there was no way we would ever get done. You are sure to notice the difference it makes when you first walk into the building. 

Speaking of our custodians, they have truly done an excellent job in and around the school. Whether it be cutting grass in 90-degree heat or cleaning walls (and everything in between), they truly worked as a team to get so much accomplished. Please make sure you thank our custodial team when you see them! 

I think everyone will notice the positive message now posted in and around the library and front office. Thanks to Deb Fowler for getting this organized.  We plan to continue to add more in order to creatively use our wall space. In other words, this is just the beginning to some of the improvements you will see at PVES.

From iPads to supplies, everyone has teamed together to make sure things run smoothly for everyone at the beginning of the school year. Our plan is to have all iPads in classrooms to be used starting day one. Thanks to our district technology team for all of their help. 

Thanks to this group of teachers (and one of students) for showing up to help pull weeds in our garden area. This is a learning space we will continue to improve upon and highlight. At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Wilcox will share with all of us more of our vision for this space and how everyone can and will chip in to make this a valuable asset to our instructional program. Not pictured: Deb Fowler.

Mrs. Horn has made our teacher work room a much more inviting place to...well...work. Make sure you stop by and enjoy some of the changes. We are even adding some music to the mix. From the very beginning of the year, I hope this is an area you will enjoy, be proud of, and take great care to maintain. 

Our leadership team has been hard at work. They met three days this summer to work on important school-wide initiatives; including OLWEUS (an anti-bullying program) that we will implement as a school this year! Thanks to the leadership team for their hard work!

There is no better beginning than to welcome a beautiful child into the world. This year, we were able to celebrate this many times over. And as Mrs. Payne gets closer and closer to the arrival of her newborn, we have to celebrate a "beginning" for Mr. White and his wife Amanda. They have adopted a son, Solomon, and they are finally home! I can't tell you how happy we are for that family. Additionally, Mrs. Pam welcomed a grandson into the world last week. Conner is doing well and it looks like Mrs. Pam is okay to have him around. 

New to PVES:

We are proud to welcome new members of our PVES family. Please make it a point to meet these wonderful people and make them feel at home. Offer help/assistance whenever possible to these new folks and show them the high expectations we hold for ourselves and our students. 

Jobie Henderson - Grade 3

Hollyn Candler - Grade 3

Ashley Williams - Grade 4

Laura Grier - Grade 5 

Kristie Berry - Computer Lab Manager 

Monica Banks - TMD Assistant 

Pam Adams - Custodian (joined us at the end of last year)

Orientation Nights:

4th and 5th grade teachers have Orientation Night on Monday, August 14th from 5:30-7:30 P.M. An email was sent to all those involved with more information. Remember that Orientation Night is an opportunity to usher in a new school year with a positive vibe and make that all-important first impression on our school community. 3rd grade teachers, your big night is Tuesday, August 15th from 5:30-7:30 P.M. We will get you additional information soon. Thanks for making these events a wonderful "beginning" to the new school year! 

Kickoff to 2017-2018 School Year:

We look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday, August 15th to begin the school year together. Last year, we enjoyed a trip to Furman University. This year, we will be much closer to home. Our opening meeting will take place at Newspring Church in Powdersville. You will park on the side closest to Highway 153 (behind Coyote Coffee). You will see cars in the parking lot and there is plenty of parking. The address is 120 Woodson Street Greenville, SC 29611. Here is our agenda for the morning:

• 7:45-8:45 A.M.  Meet & Greet with Breakfast - Enjoy Chic-Fil-A minis, fruit trays, coffee and juice. We will also have music and games. Take this opportunity to connect with colleagues before we get down to business in our opening meeting.
• 9:00-11:30 A.M. Opening Meeting - We will discuss our vision for the 2017-2018 school year and engage our faculty and staff in discussion and collaboration about how we can continue to improve as a school. We would ask that everyone comes ready to be a part of our PVES team and contribute in this session. 

At 11:30 A.M., we will conclude the meeting. The remainder of the day is yours to use wisely. Refer to this "First Week" Calendar so help you plan your meeting times. It is a full calendar, much of it based on school and district expectations, but there are some spots for planning opportunities and working in your room. This schedule is subject to change. We will discuss in our opening meeting. Finally, we will be sending out a Flipped Faculty Meeting with important reminders from our office staff. You will want to view this ASAP at your convenience. 

Moore's Musings:
Pride. We use the word a lot around here. A pride is a family of lions and we are indeed a school family. A team. We are made stronger when we work together for a common vision. Our purpose fuels our passion. We also take great pride in our school. We have accomplished so much and have so much still to accomplish. For everyone, including our new faculty and staff, please take time to carefully consider our PRIDE Acronym. This is a guiding force in our building in terms of our belief system. We expect everyone to make time on the first day of school to discuss this and make this a point of focus each and every day. Speaking of pride, I am so proud of our teachers. Your rooms look incredible. Our students are blessed to be at PVES and learn from compassionate and competent educators. Great job!

Mark Your Calendar:
Remember that our shared Google calendar, along with this blog, are two important ways we communicate to you. As faculty and staff are expected to check the the calendar regularly and read the blog when it is published. Additionally, we use email and Remind text messages to disseminate information to faculty and staff.

Miscellaneous Resources:
Please take some time to read our handbooks for the 2017-2018 school year. Please let Mrs. Tollison or me know if you have any questions or concerns.

• 2017-2018 Faculty Handbook
• 2017-2018 Parent/Student Handbook

Video of the Week:

Reflection

And then there was but one. One final blog to put a bow on the 2016-2017 school year. No, we are not       done with all that must be accomplished, but we are within sight of our goal to successfully complete the         year. This blog offers you the opportunity to pause for a moment and reflect. Reflection is defined as a           thought occurring in consideration or meditation or a careful consideration. As exciting and busy         as the end of the school year can be, I find it necessary to reflect. How else would we be able to celebrate our many successes but also carefully consider what needs to change or improve? How would the ability to grow be initiated? The quote above captures this opportunity the best. Reflection takes place only when you allow yourself to pause and do so. Slow down, take a deep breath and reflect. Be honest with yourself and develop some goals for yourself, both personally and professionally, for next school year. Be willing to confront both the positive and the negative. Look in the proverbial mirror and think about what the reflection you see says about you. 

Reflect Now:

In our final faculty meeting, we shared two links that provided opportunities to reflect. Please complete the forms linked below and you can wear blue jeans on Friday and next Monday! Make sure you also review the slides from our final faculty meeting concerning report cards, awards days, field day and more! You can also find a great deal of information on our shared school calendar.

Wrapping Up 2016-2017 Reflection
2016-2017 School Report Card Information


SLO Final Meetings:
Don't forget to sign up for a time via our shared calendar to meet with Mrs. Tollison and me for your final SLO meeting. We will calculate your score for your evaluation and sign the paperwork to finish up the SLO process for this year. Make sure you can log into Enrich to access your scores. Please let us know if you have any questions.


iPad Collection:
As you know, iPads and accessories are technically due on Friday this week. This means students will not take iPads home beginning on Friday. Also beginning on Friday, please begin the process of accounting for all iPads and their accessories. Notify parents of any missing pieces that will need to be located and turned in or paid for. The team will be here on Friday, May 26th in the morning to come to your classroom and pick up your bins. iPads should be stored in the manila envelopes. Check out the shared folder with everything you will need to make this process a successful one. If you still have students that owe an item by collection day, don't forget that you will need to fill out the google form as a means to complete your responsibilities with collection.


Supervision Expectations:
I am quite sure many of you are sick of my pleas for constant supervision and "sticking to the process" for these last few weeks of school. Please keep in mind that you are expected to adhere to your recess times and monitor students in all areas carefully while outside. If football, soccer, etc. become an issue, it may be necessary to cancel those activities for a few days. While difficult for some, most of our students actually enjoy structure and routine. Thanks for your help with this.

A few final moments to share via the blog...

It begins and ends with our students. As I reflect on the school year I truly am amazed at the growth our students experience both academically and socially/emotionally. This 4th grader made 3 sensory boards for our special education classrooms. 

Our 5th grade students enjoyed their opportunity to watch Senior Signing Day and Parade at PVHS last week. Our students could envision walking across that stage. I believe it planted a valuable seed for success for them. I was able to reflect on the important responsibility we have in laying the groundwork for future success!

Our induction teachers celebrated their completion of the induction program through ASD1 this week. Take a look at that room full of induction teachers and their mentors. As you reflect, do you remember being in their shoes? How have you grown and improved since then? 

We were reminded by Mrs. Redmon that May is Better Hearing & Speech Month. Of course, she helps us celebrate with candy and some good information to read in our teacher boxes. As we reflect, isn't it great to have such support?

Mrs. Heath (Lockaby for those of you like me who look around the room confused when someone says Heath) took her students outside for some gardening and math. Students measured perimeter and area of garden boxes. Reflecting on this year, how did you break the 4 walls of your classroom down to provide real world learning experiences for your students? Through PBL, we look forward to stepping that up next year! 

You can be a true master of the content, but if you can't connect with students then you will not be successful in the classroom. As I reflect, I remain eternally grateful for our wonderful teachers who invest so much in our students. How will you continue to do so next year?

My summer reading, a small portion of it, came in the mail this weekend. I challenge you to reflect on where you need to grow and do some personal professional development of your own this summer! 

Don't forget that Mrs. Tollison works off and on through June before getting a few well-deserved weeks off in July. I will take a week's vacation but remain in the building through the summer Monday-Thursday (7:30AM-5:00PM). I love the summer because it means a quiet building and an opportunity to reflect on how I can help lead our school to greater heights. Of course, there are those textbooks to be dealt with. 

And that's a wrap. It's all about the students at PVES. It's all about continuous growth and getting better; both individually and as a cohesive unit. Don't forget to review our goals for the 2017-2018 school year and be prepared to do all you can to make us better! 

Moore's Musings:

I could type a book here as I reflect on the year. However, I know I must be brief. Let me again thank Mrs. Rita Evans and Mrs. Michelle Young for their hard work through the years to make PVES a special place to work and learn. We wish you both the very best in retirement. We look forward to celebrating with you at Brick Street Cafe on June 6th. Let's make sure we take the time to personally thank them and appreciate our time with them these last few weeks. 

Mark Your Calendar:

As always, please look over the shared calendar. Let us know if you have questions or need to add anything. 

In an effort to provide some white space for quiet reflection, there is no video of the week. I'll just leave you with the quote below...

Finish

To finish means to bring something to an end or a completion. I like an alternate definition, however. Finishing can also mean to use completely. We are at that point in the year where we can talk about finishing the school year. It's one thing to complete something; anything. It's a different ballgame entirely when we can finish strong. We must consider our effort and attitude into this equation. I know we are all tired and stressed. The weight and pressure of end-of-year tasks and standardized testing is felt by all. Let us pause now to consider the alternate meaning of finish mentioned above. Shouldn't we take it upon ourselves to use this school year completely up? Make the most of every opportunity we have to impart care and knowledge upon our special PVES students. Your homework after reading this blog is to simply ask yourself, "How will I finish this school year?" 

Testing Update:

First of all, thank you to Mrs. Lee for making this very stressful time very productive and organized. Teachers, you have done a phenomenal job making testing smooth and successful. Think about this. We have completed 43 whole group sessions already and countless more small group and individual sessions. We have now reached a portion of our testing schedule where we will have students testing in the afternoons. Keep in mind this means a more crowded than usual cafeteria around 10:55 A.M. Also, this means hallways will need to remain quiet (as is expected regardless of when testing occurs). If you are testing during a morning session, Mrs. Lee will combine labs with students who are still testing when feasible. Thanks for your patience. You can refer to the testing calendar if needed. 

Senior Signing Day and Parade:

5th graders were invited to PVHS this Friday to witness senior signing day and parade from 9:30-11:00 A.M. I have emailed instructions to those impacted so please take time to read carefully. This is a great opportunity for our 5th graders to watch (and be motivated by) our seniors announcing publicly their plans after graduation. I love events like this and our homecoming parade as they create a community feel among all of our campuses. 

Dollars for Dough:

Pizza anyone? Please consider participating in our #PVES Papa Johns "Dollars for Dough" program scheduled for 5/15 and 5/16. Buy pizza from any Papa Johns location during those two days and send your receipt to school. Our PTSO will receive a portion of the funds. Feel free to share with parents and students through email blasts. 

Faculty Meeting:

Thanks to our grade levels for your time and attention during our grade level meetings this week. We received invaluable feedback from you, and I am excited about some changes/improvements for next year. Our final faculty meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday, May 16th in the PD Room at 3:10 P.M. We will discuss end-of-year checklists, SLO sign-ups, teacher warehouse orders, awards days, iPad collection and more. Please plan to attend. 

Miscellaneous: 

Our Aladdin Kids performance is next week on Thursday, May 18th at 6:30 P.M. in the PVHS auditorium. Tickets are $5.00. Please encourage your parents and students to come and support our PVES students who are participating and Mrs. Turner. They have worked hard to make this production a success! Additionally, Friday, May 19th is the day all library books and iPads are due to be turned in. Get this information out to parents ASAP. 

Let's take a look around PVES...

Ms. Marino's class visited the Georgia Aquarium recently and had a blast. They even remembered to show their appreciation for our special education department at the DO with a thank you sign. I'd say this is a great way to finish out the year! 

We finished Teacher Appreciation Week with breakfast for teachers and a great video on last week's blog for our teachers (thanks, Mrs. Tollison). We were also pleased to announce our end-of-year luncheon and retirement celebration on June 6th at Brick Street Cafe! 

4th grade students received a visit from Clemson basketball players prior to testing. These players encouraged them to do their best and finish strong! 

It's been great to listen to our teachers read The Lemonade War in the MP Room each morning. We have hundreds of students who look forward to finishing the book soon! One School, One Book is a wonderful literacy initiative. 

You never know what you might be called on to do before the finish of each day. Mrs. Tollison is pictured above assisting our nurse with a minor issue that may have involved some blood. This is what makes our school so wonderful ... anyone is willing to step in and get the job done! 

As we work hard to finish the school year, I really try to make the most of my time with our students before they leave for the summer. In the top picture, a students shows me a game that he has created by computer coding. We really need to find more opportunities for our students in this area! In the bottom picture, I present a letter from a soldier in Afghanistan and a flag flown on a chopper during battle to one of our students who took  time to write the soldiers last year. How cool?

Mrs. Nix stopped by this week and brought some additional precious cargo with her. As we finish this school year, it is wonderful to reflect on the little ones that made their arrivals and joined our PVES family this school year! 

Moore's Musings:

Several parents have bragged on our afternoon dismissal process lately. One mom, who lived in Florida  for a while, called it the best dismissal process she has ever seen at a school. I'm not so sure about that, but I do want to thank you all for making duty successful. Our job is to be vigilant and safely get our students home each and every day. If you are reading this carefully, then you will be pleased to know that next Monday and Tuesday are blue jean days! 

Mark Your Calendar (MYC):

I have added several events to our shared calendar. As always, please visit this often so you are up-to-date. Let us know if we need to add anything. 

Video of the Week:

Thank You Teachers

We are blessed at PVES with the best teachers! This week we wanted to take a moment as a school to celebrate you, teachers, for all you do for our students and school. You go the extra mile to make sure our students feel loved, learn, and grow. It is because of your dedication and passion that our students succeed. Thank you for the investment you have made in the lives of each student. 

Saying Thank You

Teachers we have a breakfast planned for you on this Friday morning including Bojangles biscuits, fruit, coffee, and juice. Please be sure to stop by the workroom to get yours. We are also in the process of making special plans with PTSO for a very tasty treat at the end of the year as a way to show appreciation. More details to come! 

Foundations Reading Course

The LAST assignment for the Foundations of Reading Course is an article on conferring with readers. Mrs. Martin put a copy of the article in your box. You can also click here for the article. Please read the article and respond in Edmodo. Remember our Edmodo group is called "Powdersville Elementary Foundations of Reading". The assignment will be posted at the top of the page. Click the "Turn In" button and type your response to the 2 questions. The assignment will need to be turned in by next Friday, May 12th. All assignments for the course need to be completed by Friday, May 26th. If you are missing an assignment, then Mrs. Martin will let you know. Remember that you must complete all assignments to get credit for the course.

Report Card Schedule

Here is the schedule for fourth nine weeks report cards. 

Tuesday, May 30th - Grades due by 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, May 31st - Verification reports will be printed.  Any changes needed must be complete before June 1st, 8:00 a.m.

Thursday, June 1st - Grades will be "STORED" at 8:00 a.m.

Friday, June 2nd - Report cards will be distributed to homeroom teachers for completion.

Tuesday, June 6th - Report cards can be picked up or sent home with students.   

Testing Reminders

Third graders will have completed testing after Thursday. Thank you third grade teachers for your diligence to make these two weeks a success. We will begin with fourth grade on Friday. Please continue to keep in mind the following:

• Arrive to your testing session on time and prepared. Someone will meet you in the lab to assist with getting the test started.
• Be an active monitor. Walk around and take notice of anything out of the ordinary or potential issues with testing or test security. Notify Mrs Lee or school admin if something concerns you. 
• Don't forget that your folder with testing tickets, rough drafts, seating chart, etc. is secure material that should never be left unattended. 
• Thanks to Mrs. Lee and our related arts teachers for covering the hallway for us and providing a break for our teachers during testing. They are there to assist you. 
• We are doing our best to keep scratch paper, sharpened pencils, and peppermints in each lab. 

ESL Accommodations Reminders

Melissa Thomas will be placing accommodation sheets for each of your current ESOL students in your boxes (homeroom teachers). Mrs. Thomas has marked current accommodations, if any. Please highlight any accommodations you feel are needed next year, sign each page, and return it to Melissa Thomas' box. If you team teach, please be sure to discuss this before returning it. Thank you Mrs. Thomas for a wonderful job this year! 

Congratulations! 

Nurse Jamie Vance was voted Support Staff Employee of the Year. Congratulations Jamie! We are thankful for how you care for our students and support our staff at PVES! 

Great things happening at PVES...

  

Fourth grade meets to plan for next year and prepare their supply list for students. Remember supply lists are due Friday. Thank you for taking the time to meet and discuss! 

PVES was well represented at the Drive Reading All Star Game. Thank you to teachers for pumping this up with students. We will still be spending time on the roof as promised! 

Mrs. Booth and Mrs. Ellison spent some time this week in training for our new online registration. Students registering for the 2017-2018 will do so online. Thank you ladies! 

The Book Fair will be here from now until Tuesday, May 9th. Ms. Fowler does an excellent job with this and students enjoy visiting. 

 Our strings students did an excellent job at the strings concert this week. There was a huge crowd! We are so proud of these students for their hard work this year. Thank you Mr. Velasco for working hard with our students. 

Tollison's Tidings

• Student Service Council members will be assisting teachers tomorrow as a way to show appreciation. Homeroom representatives will report to their classroom and assist teachers until 3:15.  
• Teachers received a leave early pass and jean pass in your boxes. You are also free to leave early on Friday of this week once your duties have been fulfilled for the day. Thank you for all you do! 

Mark Your Calendar

Please make sure you are reviewing our shared school calendar for important upcoming events. 

Video of the Week:

This week's video comes straight from our own PVES students.  We love our teachers and want to say thank you for all you do!