Sunday, September 15, 2019

Crazy


I think many people consider those who teach crazy. And, in fact, to do what we do on a daily basis we might be just that. However, let us remember the alternate definition of the word crazy; extremely enthusiastic and passionate. I am proud of our school because the adults in our building are crazy. They are crazy about teaching. They are crazy about trying new things and always improving. And, most importantly, they are are crazy about our students. A school that professes to have a "do whatever it takes" mentality means embracing the craziness that comes with teaching 660 3rd through 5th graders. We don't hide from it and we certainly don't back down from it. We are crazy enough to believe that we are making a difference; one day at a time. 





OLWEUS meetings are a great way to start the week at PVES! Through dialogue and intentional conversation, we establish expectations for the way we treat one another and rules against bullying behaviors. In our school, we are crazy enough to believe positive relationships and respect mean more opportunities to learn from one another and grow. 



Collaborative team time on Thriving Thursdays is another example of just how crazy we are to be our best for our students. This is a sacred time meant to explore how we can become better through the four questions of a PLC. The more intentional and specific we are in our conversations about essential standards, common formative assessments, and data, the more we improve and adapt to meet the needs of all students. 


We enjoyed our first Tech PD with Thomas last Friday. Some of you who have taught in ASD1 remarked how crazy snow days could be; finding out at the last minute about school cancellations, etc. Now, we have a plan of action. Don't forget to work on your grade level learning menu. We will use our October PD time with Thomas to discuss and make necessary changes. 


There is nothing wrong with a little positive publicity. I have seen pictures of our teachers at Wendy's for Spirit Night, teachers attending football games to support students, and one class even made the news. After a while, our community learns that we really are crazy about our school! 


Mrs. Tollison and I hope that your survival kit helped you get through Friday the 13th. I will say this, however. It was just another day at PVES with great things taking place. We embrace challenges just like this one and know, no matter how crazy, we can accomplish great things together as a team! 




OLWEUS:
As is the expectation each Monday morning, we will have OLWEUS class meetings during Pride Time. Following our lesson plan, we will work on lesson #2: We Will Not Bully Others. As always, refer to our shared folder for activities and resources. Additionally, feel free to drop additional idea/resources in this folder. Remember, this time will only be as successful as you make it. 


Live PD:
Live PD this Wednesday, September 18th will be for any teachers on formal evaluation (i.e. induction, re-certification eval, or GBE) who missed last week's meeting. Refer to our agenda here and let us know if you have any questions. Additionally, everyone should be able to log into SCLead and sign off on orientation from several weeks ago. Please email us if you are still not able to do so. Finally, all grade levels should now be involved in developing pre-tests for SLO evaluation. The timeline has been shared multiple times now. While we are so appreciative of the efforts of our ELA planning teams and Kelle Martin, but we do want input from all grade level teachers. 


Pride Stride Information:
Our second annual Pride Stride fundraiser is scheduled for Friday, October 18th. This is our one major fundraiser for the school year. Last year, we raised over $38,000! If our teachers are fired up about it, our students will be too! PTSO will be sending home an informational letter on Monday. We will follow this up with a "kickoff" during House meetings. Remember, we do not have individual student prizes. Rather, we have class and whole school prizes. Speaking of rewards, please feel free to wear blue jeans on Thursday and Friday this week. Long after the excitement of the house meetings has come and gone, it will be up to us to maintain the enthusiasm and communicate well with parents to spearhead this fundraising effort. 


Moore' Musings:
Fountas and Pinnell levels are due Friday, September 20th. We have also shared a document for teachers to let us know what students may need to be considered for intervention. Mrs. Martin will be working with our two interventionists, Jill Kallin and Jeanie Thomas, to establish a schedule for serving some of these students. That brings us to a logical impasse: what about all of those students on my list who don't make the cut? Great question! PRIDE Time is our built-in intervention block each day. Teachers should have an intentional plan of action to serve students, based on needs, during this time. Mrs. Tollison and I will be popping in rooms to observe all the great things taking place during PRIDE Time. Please let us know if you have any questions. 


Mark Your Calendars (MYC):
  • Guided Math PD for New Teachers in Strings Room - 9/16
  • PVES "New Best" Meeting - 9/17 at 3:15 in Media Center 
  • Progress Report Folders - 9/18
  • Live PD - 9/18 at 3:10 P.M. in Media Center 
  • PVES Skate Night (Neon Night) - 9/19 from 6-8 PM at Roller Time Family Skate Center in Piedmont 
  • F&P Levels Due - 9/20
  • House Meetings - 9/20 at 1:50 P.M. 


Video of the Week: Be Crazy and Think Different!

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Greatness

Greatness: The quality of being remarkable; exceptionally outstanding. Many strive for it; few obtain it. If greatness were easy to achieve then everyone would arrive there at some point and time. Our goal as a faculty and staff is to achieve greatness for our students. In our opening round of meetings, we discussed the importance of all students learning at high levels. We saw the sobering statistics that reveal what happens to our students in society if they lack proper education. I was joking with one of our faculty members recently and told this person that PVES was "on the edge of greatness". I do not use this term as flippantly as many do. And yes, I truly believe this statement. We will only achieve this greatness if we work together as a team; striving to reach yet the next level higher and always being consistent in the "small things" as we focus on our vision for the future. Remember that our true competition is not other schools in ASD1. The competition is right here inside our school; being relentless in our pursuit to be a better version of ourselves.



And within our walls, greatness thrives...


Take advantage of the opportunities that exist in our media center. Mrs. Fowler is always looking for an opportunity to "create, collaborate, and co-teach" with you. The media center is an excellent resource at our school. 


Whether students are completing a "Mission to the Moon" activity or exploring chemical changes while making pancakes, learning is meant to be fun and interactive. 



Classroom climate and culture is so important. Students need to feel welcomed; yet challenged. 3rd grade students enjoyed meeting and interviewing their reading partners. They also combined reading and writing with quick jots on post-it notes. 


 
The magic our our spinning wheel reached others in the building as cafeteria worker, Mrs. Hyde, and Officer Marter spun the wheel to determine to what house they would belong. Make sure you ask them about this when you see them! 




OLWEUS:
On Monday, we ask that home room teachers begin with lesson 1 in our OLWEUS bullying prevention program. We are a bully-free school and we want our students to know what bullying is, what it is not and what to do when they encounter it. Students should sit in a circle when you engage in this time together. This should be a time of sharing and discussion in a safe environment. We don't mention any specific names and always practice respect when it comes to other students and staff. Please refer to our shared folder for great resources; including the lesson plan for the first six lessons. The first lesson does ask you to show a video and the log-in information can be found on this sheet. Non-homeroom teachers will be assigned a classroom in the near future to assist. Mrs. Tollison and I look forward to observing you in action! 


Live PD:
We do have Live PD this Wednesday, September 11th for some faculty members. Please look over our Live PD agenda for details. Some of you have a mentor meeting at the DO and we ask that you email us to schedule another time for your orientation. 


Class Pictures:
Class pictures are scheduled for Tuesday, September 10th. We will start as early as possible. You will line your students up tallest to shortest and report to the appropriate location listed below. Thanks for getting the word out to parents via SeeSaw. 
  • Office side of Media Center: 5th grade will report to this area.
  • Strings Room: 4th grade will report to this area. Strings will move to cafeteria. 
  • Stage in MP Room: 3rd grade will report to this area. They will enter through door next to lion mural. Curtain will be closed.

Tech PD w/Thomas:
On Friday, September 13th Thomas McAuliff will lead all teachers in Tech PD. Remember, he will do one Friday each month. This will take place during planning times. We will determine a location ASAP. In our first session, we will be discussing what E-Learning days look like in ASD1. We look forward to learning from Thomas this year!


From Melissa Thomas Re: ESOL:
Thank you to everyone that took the time to log into ELLevation, watch the video, and fill out the Google Form. Jeans passes will be placed in boxes Monday. If you have not watched the video and filled out the Google Form, please try to get that done this week. All teachers need to be at least familiar with the software as our number of ELLs is growing!  For those of you who let me know that you could not log in, I am working on getting that fixed and will let you know as soon as it is complete.


Moore's Musings:
Mrs. Tollison and I look forward to scheduling data meeting with you soon. We will close the book on SC-READY from last year and look at MAP from this year. In regard to SLOs, it looks like we were able to pinpoint specific standards for each grade level to use in creating assessments. We will work together and make it through this. You can review our SLO presentation here. ELA teams should pay close attention to the timeline provided. I am still working with our district office to get SCLead working as it should. We still need to sign off on our orientation in SCLead when this is done. 


Mark Your Calendar (MYC):
  • Begin using SmartFind express for absences - September 9th 
  • OLWEUS Class Meetings - September 9th during PRIDE Time
  • Papa John's Dollars for Dough Fundraiser - September 10th and 11th
  • 5th Grade Field Trip Meeting - September 10th at 6 P.M.
  • Live PD for Some Faculty - September 11th at 3:10 P.M. in media center 
  • Tech PD with Thomas - September 13th during planning periods 
*As always, refer to our shared calendar for full list of dates/events. 


Video of the Week: Greatness






Monday, September 2, 2019

Feedback

The very foundation of what we do as educators is based on feedback. Feedback is defined as information about reactions to a product, a person's performance of a task, etc. which is used as a basis for improvement. Feedback is necessary for our students to grow and equally as important for we as educators to grow. Mrs. Tollison and I started our walk-through observations last week and hope to provide feedback for our faculty and staff through these. During an observation, we want to come in for 20 minutes or so and document what we see via WeClimb. When we submit your observation, you will receive an email that you can access to read through our observations and thoughts. You can also wear blue jeans on Friday. Even more vital is the feedback you provide to your students. When you will groups in ELA and Math, for instance, think about what specific feedback you are providing for your students. Are they able to quickly discover where they need to grow and what specific steps they can take to reach this growth? We all need to get comfortable giving and receiving feedback. Doing so means we are ready to embrace all challenges!




Ms. Tammy Lee was able to speak to our third grade classes this week. She introduced herself and began the important process of building positive relationships with our students. 


We love seeing our outdoor leaning space utilized. We want to incorporate this space throughout the year and already have some ideas in mind. Thanks for intentionally planning to use this wonderful area for students to enjoy. 


We enjoyed watching students spin the magical wheel during our sorting ceremonies this week. Seeing the students excited and fired up really encouraged me. I was so proud to see our faculty and staff really embrace the House system and show House pride throughout the week. 


Thriving Thursdays started this past week and our students enjoyed their new learning opportunities. Our PLCs also officially started and we look forward to continue growing in this area as a faculty and staff. 




MAP Testing This Week:
Please refer to the email sent by Mrs. Tollison with MAP testing information. Obviously, we are testing ELA on Tuesday and Math on Wednesday. Teachers are free to test during whatever period(s) they prefer based on their schedules. Remember, this is important data that we use to help shape and build our intervention and instructional plan of attack. If a student is absent, please use your discretion to get their tests made up ASAP.  Mrs. Tollison's email included instructions for setting up test sessions and a video tutorial (see below).

Live PD This Week:
We do have Live PD this week on Wednesday immediately following dismissal. We plan to meet in the media center. Please check out our updated Live PD agenda for more information including sessions and start times. 

iPad Update:
Per our shared calendar, iPads may be sent home beginning on Thursday, September 5th. Please ensure that you have gone above and beyond in terms of explaining your expectations for using the device at school and at home. Mrs. Patty Ellison will be providing home room teachers with a list of students who have not yet paid the protection plan. These students should not take their devices home until their parent has paid this fee. Parents can set up a payment plan with Mrs. Patty Ellison in the front office. Make sure you send a reminder to parents via SeeSaw when you receive this list. 

Professional Learning Communities:
Just a word to remind everyone that this process and implementation is not formulaic. There is no one way or right way to accomplish the process of becoming a collaborative team. There are key markers and indicators. Consider these:
  • Does your team adhere to group norms and take them seriously?
  • Does your team understand and implement roles vital to the team's effectiveness and efficiency? 
  • Does your team focus its efforts on the 4 questions of a PLC?
  • Does your team focus on essential standards, learning targets, common formative assessments, and data?
Mrs. Horn has worked with scribes so that all of this information can be documented on our Google Site. Additionally, Mrs. Tollison and I will work with facilitators to provide necessary feedback when needed. Remember, we are a team focused on all students learning at high levels. We have to believe it before we can live it. 


Moore's Musings:
As you level students and get to know their strengths and weaknesses, please be thinking about how you will use your PRIDE Time to intervene on their behalf. We will also be asking you for students who need another level of intervention in the form of a pull out. Mrs. Jeanie Thomas and Mrs. Jill Kallin will be working as interventionists this year. Mrs. Fowler, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Tollison and I also hope to continue our RISE groups for intervention. Stay tuned for more information.

OLWEUS bully prevention class meetings are scheduled for Monday, September 9th during PRIDE Time. Remember, the first six lessons are in our shared folder along with plenty of ideas and resources for you to use. Our goal is that we have a common language in our school to proactively engage our students in conversations about what bullying is, what it is NOT, and what we can do when we see it or experience it. 

Mark Your Calendars (MYC):
  • MAP ELA - 9/3
  • MAP Math - 9/4
  • Live PD - 9/4 at 3:10 P.M.
  • iPads Sent Home - 9/5
  • PVES Wendy's Spirit Night - 9/5 from 5-8 P.M. (staff who attend receive House points and Jeans pass)
  • Friday - PVES Spirit Day (staff and students wear House shirts/colors)

Video of the Week: MAP Testing Tutorial







Sunday, August 25, 2019

Initiate

We have collectively accepted the responsibility to "embrace the challenge" this school year. I could not be more proud of our faculty and staff for making the first week back the BEST first week back. During this crucial time of year, we are simply just beginning. Yet, "just beginning" can be the most significant and most difficult of challenges we will face. We are initiating the process of building relationships in order to create an environment where learning and growing at high levels is the norm. I like the word initiate. There is indeed a sense of urgency to it that rings true for us all. Dictionary.com defines initiate as to cause (a process of action) to begin. Initiate is a verb. Thanks for reading the blog carefully. Feel free to wear blue jeans on Thursday with your favorite college shirt and Friday with your House shirt. We must be courageous enough to begin and take action; no matter the uncertainty or fear. As we initiate Thriving Thursdays and Collaborate Planning Time and as we initiate all those procedures and routines that will be the driving force behind our most successful school year to date, do not forget that we need leaders who will initiate the type of change that causes us to be different; be better. No matter your age or experience level, this can and should be you.




The BEST first week ever at PVES ...

Our team takes "next level" to the next level. Thanks to everyone for making our school the best place to work and learn. I can assure you, this does not happen by chance. Every day that you get up and come to school, you initiate an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of countless children.


Another congratulations to our Teacher of the Year, Brenna Horn (left), and Support Staff of the Year, Kriste Berry (right). They show up daily and do the work. They know that their efforts initiate the type of positive change that continues to take place at PVES. 


Mrs. Tollison and I enjoyed speaking to our students last week in grade level meetings. I was impressed with the behavior of our students and their attention. We hope this initiates a re-dedication to our school/classroom rules and expectations. 


Thanks to Mrs. Fowler for having iPads in classrooms and ready for student use! This provided teachers with the opportunity to initiate iPad implementation in all of our classrooms. Teachers are doing a great job of getting iPads set up for students and discussing Digital Citizenship and expectations for those devices. And Mrs. Fowler has thoroughly enjoyed having students once again in the media center! 



Our PTSO has worked tirelessly to provide a fun and creative space for students to learn. Our courtyard has truly been transformed! Just a small group of people initiated this effort and now look at what has taken place. Our Pride Stride fundraiser is set for Friday, October 18th. Can we top last year's effort? 




Fire Drill Tuesday:
On Tuesday, August 27th around 9 AM, we will have our first Fire Drill. We are required by state law to have one within the first 10 days of school and one each month. The first few will be announced. You should have an evacuation map in your classroom. If you do not, please notify Mrs. Tollison or me. Additionally, please remember that we use the red/green card system to notify us of any missing students or issues during a Fire Drill. We will place new red and green cards in teacher boxes by Tuesday morning at 8 AM. When the signal has sounded, calmly and quickly exit the building following your evacuation map. Please close your classroom door behind you. If you have a walkie, take it with you. Ensure that all students are presented and accounted for. Then, display a green card to indicate you have all students or a red card indicating you are missing a student or need assistance. Please let us know if you have any questions. 

"Pride Time" Intervention Block:
If you have any questions about the ideas behind our intervention block, that we refer to as Pride Time, please view this slides presentation from several years ago. Pride Time officially begins as soon as announcements are over and no later than 8:10 A.M. Pride Time ends at 8:40 AM when the bell sounds. We work hard not to interrupt your PRIDE Time with all calls and/or announcements to your room. This intervention block is not a study hall and is not an opportunity for teachers to complete paperwork or check email. Be intentional about getting to know your students and pulling students who are in need of a focused, intentional and targeted intervention time. Protect this time and use it to its fullest extent. 

Dismissal Procedures and Duty:
In the afternoon, the 2:25 PM bell signals the end of the instructional day. After this bell, students may pack up and complete their behavior reflections. 3rd graders, both 100 and 200 hallway, will then begin lining up with their teachers in the designated areas. Great job so far! The 300 hallway is tricky, but we do ask that teachers walk with their students down the hallway at dismissal time. This means having students lined up in your classroom and then walking out with them when it is your turn in the line to begin moving. This does create gaps in the line between classes which is perfectly fine. Please stress to your students that they need to "walk with a purpose" to the bus circle or MP Room/cafeteria. We cannot begin the car line until all students are in the correct locations. 

Please ensure that you are on time for your morning and/or afternoon duty. In the morning, Mrs. Fowler will assist with having a chapter book to read to holding locations. I would love for this to become a consistent part of our routine as reading aloud to students is so important. The 7:50 bell signals the transition from holding areas to the classrooms. The 8 AM bell signals the time that all students should be in the classroom. In the afternoon, please help us get students situated and quiet in the MP Room. Once this is done, please leave quickly and have any conversations that you need to have in another area of the school. Mrs Tollison shared the video tutorial if you need assistance with your responsibilities regarding duty. If we work together as a team and with a sense of urgency, we can improve on our afternoon dismissal time.

House Sorting:
We are so excited to sort our 3rd grade students into Houses on Wednesday morning (100 hallway - 8:10 and 200 hallway - 8:50). We appreciate Coach allowing us to use the MP Room! Before students come to the sorting ceremony, have them watch this quick introduction to get them excited. Students will have a chance to spin the wheel and find out to what House they will belong. Teachers should be prepared to bring their laptop as you will be helping us document to what House each student belongs using this google sheet. For any new 4th and 5th grade students, they will spin the wheel in our atrium in front of their classmates. Please make sure you have signed up for a time to do this with your class. We are so excited and hope you will bring plenty of enthusiasm this week! 

Thriving Thursday/PLC Time:
This week, we begin our Thriving Thursday schedule. We want students to thrive in these new opportunities, but we also want our collaborative planning time to thrive. Yes, it is now time to take our PLCs to the next stage (dare I say, next level?). Grade levels will meet in the classroom of the teacher whose class goes to the library that day for Thriving Thursday. Keep in mind that we do not have data to discuss as of now, so your focus may be on the first two questions of a PLC. Feel free to review our PLC discussion from the first week back for teachers. As you will recall, there are roles to be assigned for each grade level within our collaborate framework. Two of those roles, the facilitator and scribe, will be performed by the same individual throughout the year. Mrs. Tollison and I will choose the facilitator. The grade level should choose a technology-savvy scribe to edit the google sites page for your grade level. The other two roles will rotate among the other individuals. It is our recommendation that the process checker is the teacher whose classroom is being used. The time keeper should remember to monitor time closely to ensure that the team starts and stops on time. Work these issues out among your grade level and have these in place for the first meeting on Thursday. Feel free to refer to the collaboration roles and recommendations handout if you have any questions. Simply put, this will be a challenge, but if this becomes embedded in our very culture, it will be life changing. 






Video of the Week: "You Just Have to Get Started"

Friday, August 2, 2019

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! 


Image result for embrace the challenge quote



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