Mr. Lee's Eagle News

PPES News: Survey Link

2012-01-24T08:46:00.002-07:00

In case you missed it, here's the link to the survey:

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22E54SA3S9X

PPES News: Couldn't Wait to Share

2012-01-24T07:40:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I couldn't wait to share this with you! PVUSD is offering free tutoring until 7:00 p.m. each school night through WebEx technology and North Canyon High School. The program is off to a blazing start and rave reviews, and it couldn't be any easier. Click here for more information!

Have a great day!

Mike

PPES News: Solar Installation and More!

2012-01-22T06:09:00.005-07:00

Dear Parents,

Good morning! In the spirit of the new year, I'm going to try something new! Below, I am inserting a video file with this week's blog. Although it's tagged as a video file, it is actually only audio with a picture (it's 6:10 a.m on Sunday morning, trust me when I say you wouldn't want a visual!). One purpose for this experiment in format is to give me a feeling for how prepared the community is for this model of content delivery as we move forward with more multi-media information in the coming year. So, consider this a test; I will be collecting informal feedback in the coming weeks. The format is via our school's YouTube page.

In this blog edition:

What you need to know about the solar panel installation
Conference information
Healthy classrooms!
Arrowhead thanks
Bully Shield, Yellow KAB, and kudos
Overrides, the election, and next year's budget
Critical survey

Click here and have a great week!

PPES News: A Torrent of Information is Coming!

2012-01-15T08:52:00.005-07:00

Dear Parents,

Happy MLK Day, to our entire Eagle community. I hope you are all having a wonderful three day weekend with your families and maybe even enjoying a little football! This is a fantastic time of year for sports fans like me and so many of you. When it comes to supporting my teams, I have no shame, as you can see. (If you cannot view these pictures and our reading this post as an email, click on the actual site link for a smile)

Yes, that is my father in the photo with me. Believe it or not, he's willing to be seen with me in public. Here's another proud moment while supporting my favorite hockey team. I'm not exactly sure what compelled me to wear the Elvis glasses, but Elvis always works...

In spite of all of this fun in the world of sports, we still have a great deal going on at PPES and the spring will be full of information that you are going to want to know. However, before you hear from us, we want to hear from you! This year's parent survey is live as of Friday and we are shooting for 90% participation. To support this goal, we will be giving you many opportunities to complete the brief handful of questions. In order to get a truly accurate view of community satisfaction, we need more than the usual few participants who feel unusually motivated to give input for a host of reasons. If, for some reason, you have not taken the survey by conference week, we will have computers set up around the school so that you can do so while you wait or as you finish. We want to hear from all of you and your opinions, thoughts, and ideas are always welcome. To complete the survey now (and check it off of your to-do list!), click here:

Pinnacle Peak Parent Survey Link

At the risk of going too long in this post, I will simply give you a preview of what is coming in the coming weeks:

The unveiling of a new and innovative program for intermediate students. We will be announcing specifics as well as scheduling parent meetings for those interested.
Information regarding restructuring possibilities to better meet the individual needs of our students, wherever they are in their learning. We are one of the best in the state at meeting standards and will continue to maintain that level of excellence, however, we will be looking at how to best balance that requirement with our obligation to further challenge students who are ready to move beyond expectations.
The unveiling of our Applied Science Lab
The formal commencement of "Gen Yes" for sixth graders
Opportunities to directly engage Mr. Denise from Mountain Trail in conversations about his excellent Core Knowledge program.
News for you regarding our transition to national "Common Core Standards" in the coming years. I can already tell you that we plan to be a minimum of one year ahead in our implementation of these more rigorous standards.

Although there is much more to share, I will stop "type-rambling," and save it for later! As you can see, this is an invigorating time to be an Eagle and I am incredibly excited about our ability to reinvent some of what we do, while maintaining a baseline of already established excellence. These are truly dynamic times and I see these moments as a chance to leverage our talents and inertia to move beyond the "normal" elementary school experience.

Stay tuned for more and enjoy your weekend!

Mike

PPES News: Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T11:52:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year to our entire Eagle family! I hope you are enjoying this special time with your families. As you know, however, school resumes on Wednesday. Although I have much to share with you in the coming weeks, I wanted to put you on the lookout for something very important to both PPES and the district.

PVUSD will be unveiling their online Parent Satisfaction Survey in the coming weeks. There will be less than fifteen questions and will take only a minute to complete, however, the information provided is critical. In the past, we have had a difficult time getting strong participation in the survey and are really aiming high this year! And, to make it even more convenient for you, we will be setting up computers in the lobby during conference week for you to complete the survey. This will hopefully provide a convenient option, if you have not already finished providing your input at home by that time. We are aiming for 90% participation this year, and feel we should be able to meet that goal! Stay tuned for the link.

As always, your participation in everything we do is vital. Surveys often only "draw" those who are "really happy or really upset," and usually do not provide us with an accurate sampling of our families. By participating, you can help us get a true sense of how we are doing. As you hopefully know, your opinion truly matters!

Have a wonderful and safe New Year's Eve!

Mike

As always,

PPES News: Tax Credit Deadline

2011-12-06T13:16:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have just a quick supplement for you today. I just found out that you can now make your tax credit donations to PPES online! Simply click the following link:

http://webstores.activenetwork.com/school-software/paradise_valley_unif/index.php?l=page_view&p=about_us

and go from there! You've got to love technology! Remember, tax credits are not like deductions. These are dollar for dollar credits. So, if you donate $400, for example, you reduce your Arizona tax responsibility by $400! It's simply a way to direct a portion of your tax dollars to the school. Just remember, the deadline is the end of this month for 2011 donations.

That's all for now! Have a good day and hope to see you at the band concert tonight!

Mike

PPES News: What a Week!

2011-12-04T09:23:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, it was quite a whirlwind week at PPES. I have to give a special "shout out" to our choir for an amazing performance on Tuesday night. I was so proud of our singers and Mrs. Zollars for a job well done. Another highlight was Mrs. Kohl's enthusiastic presentation to the PVUSD Board on Thursday night about the grade level quilts that will be on display at the district office. The 'ooh's and ah's' from the entire audience were striking, as she turned to show the 6th grade quilt to those hundreds of people in attendance. Great job to our arts department, in general, which continues to be a significant point of pride for PPES! Here are a few other notes for you:

Now it's time for the Band Concert on Tuesday evening. As usual, it will be a joint affair with the Grayhawk Band, with Mr. Stapley conducting. I can't wait to hear their performances; they've come so far!
As the holiday season approaches, the topic of gift-giving is on the minds of many. Please know, however, that your family should never feel pressured to donate a gift for any staff member. I know many parents like to organize and consolidate a token of their appreciation for the first half of the year, but any gifts should be a product of your own desire to give. If, for any reason, you are unable or not wishing to give a gift, that is your choice; we will of course continue to care for your child with endless dedication and energy, either way! Gifts are just that: gifts! Which, by definition, are always by choice.
Please be sure to stay on top of our School Council topics by visiting our website for agendas and minutes. Further, you can even easily and instantly reflect on minutes or topics via email, whereas all member's contact information is provided on the site.
The tax credit donation deadline is fast approaching! For more information on how to give a dollar-for-dollar donation to this wonderful program, contact our office. We'd be happy to help.
In regards to the solar panel installation, the project continues to be delayed in the city permit process. I have no further word, however, you will be the first to hear!
Lastly, please visit our website to view our new "Electronic Backpack" page. This is the place where the many fliers that are typically sent home in backpacks, but are not generated by the school, will be deposited for your convenience and to be in compliance with modified district guidelines. Hopefully, this will take some of the burden out of doing the famous "backpack dig!"

That's all for now! Have a wonderful week!

Mike

PPES News: Preventing and Understanding Girl Drama

2011-11-21T07:26:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

As we begin this extremely short week, I want to remind you of how thankful I am to be a part of this community. I've been to many schools and have worked with many parent groups. However, this is easily the most enthusiastic and supportive network I've ever seen. You and your children, coupled with a wonderful staff, make PPES the best place for to be a principal. Thank you for all of your tireless support.

I have two items for you this morning:

"Girl Drama," as we like to call it, is something that everyone who works with children will have to deal with at some point. This social theater is entirely normal and represents an interesting stage in child development. However, there are things that you can do to prevent or at least minimize the difficulties that it brings. Christina Brunsman, as well as a group of PPES teachers, will be hosting a book study talk on December 8th, at 6:30 to discuss what we know about the phenomenon and how to help children and adults navigate these situations. Based on the book, "Queen Bees and Wannabes," the talk is sure to be informative and lively. There's still time to pick up the book and complete it before that evening, and I hope you can participate.
We may be making a minor "tweak" to our drop off spots, whereas we continue to deal with an issue that has plagued the school since it opened nearly ten years ago. When cars stop in front of the kindergarten playground in the morning to drop off children it backs up traffic and often puts the child at risk as he or she has to walk past cars that may be backing out of those parking spaces. As I mentioned last week, safety in the parking lot is a significant and important element of our school day, and an injury to a child would be absolutely devastating. I will keep you posted on any changes.

Have a wonderful short week and a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Mike

PPES News: Please, Please...

2011-11-17T17:48:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have an urgent reminder for you this evening, having just communicated with a parent who nearly had her child hit in the parking lot by a car driving much too fast. I cannot stress enough how imperative it is that we stay patient and cautious when driving in our lots or nearby streets. There is no appointment, or other time commitment, whose importance exceeds that of our children's safety. An incident, such as the one we narrowly avoided today, would create a result none of us would want to live with.

Please help spread this important message.

Have a good evening.

Mike

PPES News: TSW, huh?

2011-11-06T09:06:00.002-07:00

As a postscript to yesterday's post...

"TSW" stands for "The Students Will...." Sorry for the educator jargon!

Have a great Sunday!

Mike

PPES News: Hands and Feet to Ourselves

2011-11-05T11:58:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

We have some quite exciting weeks ahead of us as we head into the holidays! Typically, this is the time of year where the excitement and energy can sometimes lead to the need to reset behavior expectations, particularly in regards to conflict resolution across the grade levels. This year, I thought I would share with you a sheet of learning objectives that we will be using between now and the end of November, school-wide, to guide discussion and instruction. I strongly encourage you to read them over, discuss them with your children, and even create your own activities at home to reinforce the learning targets. Note that they are all structured around specific verbs such as list, describe, demonstrate, etc. Under each, there are several provided semi-answers to help guide outcomes. As always, we have very high expectations and your support is always crucial. Thank you, and have a great weekend!

Revisiting “Hands and Feet to Ourselves” and Productive Conflict Resolution

Note: All objectives are written in ‘teacher friendly’ language and should be adapted to be age appropriate.

Learning Objectives

Week of November 7th:

TSW describe why PPES teachers and students have identified the next three weeks as a time to revisit the topic of “Hands and Feet to Ourselves,” as well as “How to Deal with Conflicts in an Appropriate Way.”

(There has been a slight and recent increase in mostly minor pushing/shoving, horseplay, etc., as there often is this time of year, particularly in ‘hot spots.’ PPES students, staff, and families have high expectations for behavior and want our school to be a safe and fun environment for all children.

TSW describe who is responsible for the choice to follow the rules.

(It is their own choice!)

TSW list scenarios where students are most likely to make a bad choice with regards to the “Hands and feet to Yourself” rule.

(Sports competitions, games, crowded lineups, and horseplay that escalates due to emotions or injury, etc).

TSW list school ‘hot spots’ where bad choices are most frequently made.

(Playground in general, specific playground spots, rear of school lineup, all exit points after school, bus lineups, cafeteria, bus, places where they are away from their teacher or parent)

Week of November 14th (Short Week)

TSW list strategies to avoid or remove themselves from escalating aggression.

(Step out of the situation, take a walk and take some deep breaths, talk to an adult about the problem, etc.)

Week of November 21st

TSW describe consequences for not keeping hands and feet to themselves

(Review district discipline matrix at appropriate grade levels, recess detentions, changing of cards in the classroom, in-school suspensions)

TSW explain the meaning of “self defense” and why it rarely is a justification for physical aggression or fighting.

(Self defense means using just enough force to ESCAPE the situation. Anything else is legally considered ‘retaliation.’ Someone else ‘starting it’ or pride is never an excuse to retaliate)

Older students will describe the value of setting a good example for younger students at PPES and at home, even with siblings.

(Younger students look up to them and will emulate their behavior because they may not know any better).

Week of November 28th

TSW describe actions that they should take if they witness an act of physical aggression or fighting.

(Avoiding ‘mob mentality,’ reporting to an adult, do not put their own safety at risk to physically intervene in a fight)

TSW will identify signals that they are feeling increasingly angry or frustrated and what steps to take in order to de-escalate.

(The urge to yell, scream, or chase, racing heart, feeling of frustration, etc)

TSW will summarize key points from each learning objective taught over the previous several weeks

(Activities to demonstrate key points might include illustrations, brochures, essays, public service announcement videos, charts, graphs, posters, etc.)

PPES News: Great Video!

2011-11-01T08:00:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

If you're interested, this webpage has some great videos about technology in our district. If you look down the right side of the page and click on the PPES video you'll see a feature. It's a wonderful little three minute story on the iMaginarium and even features our old pal Suzie Distler (it was filmed last spring). There are also lots of kids and it's fun to watch them work in the iMaginarium.

Enjoy!

Mike

PPES News: A Word About Grades and Conferences

2011-10-22T13:38:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Happy Saturday! I just wanted to take a moment to touch base on a couple of relevant topics: grades and conferences! First, remember that conferences are this week, with Tuesday night being the late night and Wednesday and Thursday being early release. No school on Friday! We can't wait to see you and I hope you can stop in for a visit. I do have one little favor to ask, however. If you are bringing children with you to the conference, if you could please remind them to have a seat in the hallway and wait quietly, it would be much appreciated. They may bring books, homework, or even handheld electronics and games! Just no running, yelling, etc. It makes conferencing a bit challenging with those hallway distractions going on right outside the classroom doors.

On another note, the first quarter has come to a close and grades are posted. That said, I want to stress a significant point: We have very high academic expectations between state standards and the added rigor of Core Knowledge, however, it is important to understand that it is nearly impossible to intellectually challenge a child and not have him/her experience some form of a struggle along the way. Granted, many of our students amazingly "right" themselves with regularity. However, a B in 4th grade science, for example, will not haunt them for life. It simply tells us where a child is at that particular moment and that there is still room for potential improvement moving forward.

What will haunt them, though, is not being challenged. Or, being afraid to take an academic or intellectual risk along the pathway of learning.

These nine week benchmark reports (i.e. - report cards!) are simply arbitrarily determined checkpoints for how a child is doing at that point in time; there is no inherent value in an October grade, for example. Consistent with this, we are seeking a paradigm shift that focuses on learning outcomes, not an overly simplified and condensed symbol of performance (a letter). I wish it were that easy! This is why the standards scores are also very important.

As part of this shift in thinking, the best question to ask a child isn't what he or she "got' in a subject, it's what specifically was learned. And, make them explain in detail! Although similar, there is a profound difference in the substance of an appropriate answer. Gone are the days of extra credit and grade padding with homework; we want to challenge, disorient, assess growth, modify, reteach, disorient, re-assess....well, I think you get the picture! It is through that disorientation that students experience the most meaningful growth. Learning is a complicated process and it's acceptable to struggle at times. We want a focus on achievement and grades, but just not at the expense of a child taking a risk or a teacher lowering standards so that students can get higher scores. As a matter of fact, the easiest thing a teacher can do for themselves is dish out unwarranted "A's." They keep most everyone happy. But, this staff only gives grades that represent actual learning.

We believe in these students and you as their supports. There is no bar they can't get over; it may just take a little longer than the first nine weeks of a grading period to get there!

Don't forget, it's always in your best interest to come to conferences with specific questions. Even if the teacher doesn't have that particular information available at that moment, they will get back to you. Regular communication is always critical for student success!

Thank you for your ongoing support of PPES and have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

PPES News: PPES Rated in the Top Ten

2011-10-20T11:13:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

As you know, the state is replacing its current labeling system for schools with a letter grade that ranges from A-F. The biggest difference in this new formula is that a high degree of value is placed on how much growth students demonstrate from year to year on the AIMS tests. You can read much more about how the grades are determined on the state's website by clicking here.

I announced that we received an "A," last week. However, we have now found out the scores of everyone else in the state. You can download the spreadsheet by clicking here. I recommend downloading and opening in Excel because it becomes easier to sort in different ways.

The big news is that PPES received 165 points and came in tied for 8th for the entire state. According to my preliminary look at the data, this point total means we performed:

as the #2 public elementary school in Arizona
as the #1 public K-6 elementary school in the greater Phoenix area
as #2 overall elementary school in the greater Phoenix area
with the highest growth (70) and total score (165) in the district

Note: The total was achieved by adding growth (70) to the overall passing rate (95)

There is a lot to digest here, and those of you who are familiar with my message regarding data, rankings, assessments, etc., know that there is much more to the story of what makes a great school. These rankings are not everything; they are simply one measure. However, I want to enthusiastically congratulate the staff, students, and families for the collaborative effort that led to our overall score. On this particular measure, and with your ongoing support, PPES delivered in a big way.

There is still a great deal of work to do, improvement to make, and a continuous move forward in these very fluid times. However, this affirmation from the state is a welcome statement about the students' academic performance at PPES.

Tomorrow, I will share a word about grades, as we near "report cards" and conference time! Have a great night!

-Mike

PPES News: Infinite Campus, Infinitely Easy

2011-10-19T16:10:00.003-07:00

(Please note, there is a link change from yesterday...)

Dear Parents,

In a rare display of succinct communication, I'm going to be brief. Your life will be incredibly easy, rainbows will spring from fluffy, white clouds, and flavorful Skittles will rain down from above if you simply click here:

Click here for Skittles and Rainbows

Ok, so maybe I'm being a little dramatic. But, by following the steps outlined on this page, you will have your own Infinite Campus login that will mean you will never need your child's password, again. Further, if you have more than one child, they all will be viewable via this new login.

Enjoy! I have more for you in the next couple days, but don't want you distracted from getting your new password!

Have a great night!

Mike

PPES News: Releasing Tomorrow

2011-10-11T12:01:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Tomorrow, at 2:30 p.m., the Arizona Department of Education will be releasing the first "grades" for all Arizona public schools. The state is transitioning out of the model that featured labels such as "excelling" or "performing," to letter grades that are calculated in a totally new way. The new formula focuses far more heavily on student growth, from year to year. ADE has created a very nice (and somewhat easy to understand) explanation of how the grades are assigned. You can read this information by clicking here. Stay tuned for our official grade, tomorrow.

Don't forget, we're only a few days away from Fall Festival! See you on Friday night! Don't forget, parking can be a challenge, so a good family walk is encouraged, if possible!

Have a great afternoon!

Mike

PPES News: Just Sharing

2011-10-07T18:22:00.003-07:00

I thought many of you might find this article about the brains of children and impulse control interesting! Enjoy, and have a good weekend!

http://www.fluency21.com//blogpost.cfm?blogID=2212

PPES News: A Couple of Items

2011-09-26T07:23:00.002-07:00

Happy Monday! Here are a few "nuggets" for you this morning...

Media Fest was a great district event at Desert Ridge on Saturday! If you happened to be there, I hope you had the opportunity to view our schools submission on one of the televisions. There are a great deal of very innovative things happening across PVUSD. Missed it? There will be a second one at PV Mall, next month.
We still don't have a firm date on the solar project install. Kuddos to Mrs. Gerstner and her volunteer team for creatively figuring a way to "work around the work!" It will not have a negative impact on the Festival.
That being said, there is no way to sugar-coat the challenges we are going to face during that six week window. Luckily, they are not "serious," challenges, but, they will cause inconvenience and we will need to be patient. The biggest impact will obviously be in the park parking lot, because the 60 or so spots on the west side of the building will be fenced off. More to come on car pooling. But, needless to say, it would be a great reason to let your child walk or ride the bus!
If you're wondering why it wasn't done over the summer, it was supposed to be completed before the start of the school year. However, it got held up in the permit process but still needs to be completed by the end of the calendar year.

Remember, this is a short week! But, make it a great one!

Mike

PPES News: Going to Desert Ridge?

2011-09-22T07:25:00.002-07:00

If you're not planning on going to Desert Ridge this weekend, you might want to reconsider!

See below:

MediaFest 2011 will take place Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, at Desert Ridge Marketplace, and on Saturday, October 15 at Paradise Valley Mall. This technology-based event is free and thePV community is invited to attend.

The purpose of MediaFest is to demonstrate the uses of technology in PVschools and to show our appreciation to the community for supporting technology in the classroom.

Visitors to this event will see three levels of technology currently in place at PVschools:

Level I — Visitors may view video documentation of technology usage in PV schools. These videos will be displayed on flat panel displays, operated by a Key Club student from Pinnacle High School. Visitors will also have an opportunity to see additional technology on display.

Level II — Visitors are invited to sit in on a mock computer lab, with classes conducted by PV school staff. This area will allow visitors to engage in a hands-on experience. The schedule of presentations:

11 a.m. — North Ranch Elementary School: H.O.T.S. (Higher-Order Thinking Skills) for 21st century learning
11:30 a.m. — Echo Mountain Primary School: iCan, iWill, iLearn with iPad
12 p.m. — Sonoran Sky Elementary School: Googlicious - Google Apps in a Snap
1 p.m. — Grayhawk Elementary School: Technology Lynx Us to the World

The presentations will take place in air-conditioned, vacant retail spaces. Signs and volunteer will be in place to help visitors.

Level III — Performances by three different school ensembles, who use Apple iPads and iPods to create music. These performance/demonstrations will take place on the District Stage, located near the western end of the merchant area. The schedule of performances:
- 12 p.m. — Pinnacle High School
- 12:30 p.m. — Sunset Canyon iBand
- 1 p.m. — North Canyon High School

A similar format will be in place for the second MediaFest 2011 event at Paradise Valley Mall on Saturday, Oct. 15, and the main event, MediaFest 2012, will take place in the spring. Please check back for details.

PPES News: Project Gold!

2011-09-18T10:48:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Here's your update for the week!

You may have noticed our new student service program for 5th and 6th graders that we call "PROJECT GOLD." (Growing Outstanding Leaders Division) These students went through a rigorous interview process that included training and resume building to emerge as school leaders. They are supporting us in the office ("Pinnacle Peak Elementary School, student speaking!" is their phone greeting!), on the kindergarten playground, the library, and a handful are serving as playground equipment managers and technology support. They began training this past week and are learning quickly. We appreciate your patience and support as they get up to speed, but we could not be more impressed with their character, dedication, and sense of community. A special thanks for Mrs. Brunsman and Mrs. Romney for helping to see this idea to fruition. There will be much more to come on PROJECT: GOLD!
I had a great question from a parent about Accelerated Reader and realized it hasn't been a topic of late. Thus, I wanted to revisit the school's stance on the program. In essence, it is teachers' discretion whether or not they wish to use it to support their reading program. I found, as a teacher, that it was a motivator for some students, and a nuisance for others. So, it is important teachers get this flexibility. My expectation, however, is that any student who wishes to use AR has the opportunity. Thus, the library is poised to support test taking and book recommendations at any time!
Last, I will keep you posted on the solar project. However, as soon as it clears the permit process in the coming weeks, it will begin. For about six weeks, we will have a significant parking challenges and we are going to be launching an intensive car pooling (and other alternatives!) campaign in which we hope most of you will be involved. Certainly, there is more to come, but start loosening up those phone dialing fingers, now. It soon will be time to find some transportation buddies!

That's all for now. Thanks for your support of our Yellow Wednesdays, which demonstrate anti-bullying awareness. We've had amazing success due to Student Council's efforts. Can't wait to see all the yellow this week. Also, Mr. Hicks returns this week, so we're excited to see him sporting the color. He's probably looking for a yellow Toronto Maple Leafs shirt as I speak. :)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

Mike

PPES News: Lockdown Drill Thursday

2011-09-12T16:43:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

It's that time again: Lockdown Drill! In order to be prepared for the unlikely event of needing to lockdown the building for students' safety, we have to practice. So, this Thursday afternoon at 1:00, we will have our first drill of the year. I know most of you are familiar with the procedure, but here's a quick reminder:

The drill is called over the intercom.
Teachers close and lock doors, dim lights, quiet the students, cover the windows, and move away from the door.
The office locks all exterior doors.
Teacher's take attendance and communicate it to the office

The entire event takes around ten minutes. However, please be aware that if you are in the building, you're going to have to stay put. Also, if you are out of the building, you are going to have to stay put. As you can see, in a lockdown, there's a lot of "staying put!" We have to follow the strictest drill guidelines in accordance with law enforcement parameters for a successful drill, and I thank you in advance for your cooperation. We cannot, under any circumstance, open a door during a lockdown, drill or not.

We are telling the children about the first drill so they aren't scared and know what to do and what to expect. The next several will be unannounced, however. These always go off without a hitch and are actually simpler than evacuations!

Thanks and have a great night!

Mike

PPES News: 9/11

2011-09-07T07:18:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, it's been nearly ten years since the horrible day that we all so vividly remember. As we approach the anniversary, I wanted to give you a little insight regarding our approach to the moment.

As you know, the day itself falls on Sunday, so I envision families across our communities commemorating in a way that they feel is most appropriate for them and based upon the ages of their children, as well as their understanding of the events. As an elementary school in the week leading up to it, we feel it is most appropriate to subtly acknowledge the tragedy and the heroes that emerged that day, and every day since. Yet, the age differences between our students make it difficult to be very specific, and it is not our role to circumvent how you wish to address this with your children. Teachers will make mention in a variety of ways, particularly in intermediate grades. However, what we do will likely fall short of recognizing the impact 9/11 had on all of our lives and our nation as a whole. As a day of national tragedy, it is not a topic for depth in a school that serves children as young as three. How you wish to address the historic anniversary is best left to you and your families, whereas only you know just what is appropriate for your children.

That said, in a subtle commemoration, we are amending our normal "Spirit Day," to be "American Spirit Day," this coming Friday. Red, white, and blue, as well as flag apparel all counts in our spirit on this special day. You also will hear talk of heroes, patriotism, and a continued discussion of our nation's history. I will carefully address the anniversary on announcements and call for an extended moment of silence, in addition to our normal post- pledge reflection time. Again, teachers may chose to do something age-appropriate, and if you have questions about the topic, feel free to contact them. This is a veteran staff and they are very careful and strategic with this sort of sensitive yet important moment.

I know I will never forget that morning and often characterize it as the only moment since I became an administrator that I was glad I didn't teach. The teachers who composed themselves minutes before taking their students into a classroom are unrecognized heroes. They, too, were at their best on 9/11/2001. Personally, I think we all were.

Have a wonderful day.

Mike

PPES News: Odd's n' Ends!

2011-09-03T10:09:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Happy Labor Day Weekend! I hope you enjoy some quality time, preferably by a pool! Here are a few PPES tidbits for you:

Please remember you are more than welcome to join your child for an occasional lunch in the cafeteria, however, state and district nutrition rules prohibit distribution of food in the cafeteria to other students. This includes candy and birthday treats. If you are celebrating a birthday or other special event, please coordinate with your teacher to do so in the classroom. Thanks!
Thank you for your patience as we "rebuild" our virtual presence within Google!
If you haven't seen it, have a look at the solar panel project poster in our lobby. It's shaded parking in the near future, and it's free to the district. This will be amazing, although we will have to be flexible with the construction at some point. As soon as I know timelines, I'll pass that information on to you.
Our bully program, based upon the Olweus model, will be "refreshed" this year by our Bullying and Character Committee. Stay tuned!
I hate to be repetitive, however, please do not encourage your child to break school policy during pickup time. We have had a few incidents where parents have called their children on cell phones and told them to go out the front and get in their cars in the pickup line to speed up the process. We do not have sufficient man power to enforce our rules in this area, and truly rely on an honor system, most of the time, that assumes parents will support rules based entirely on student safety. Having a system where some kids go to the front and others to the back, creates a scenario that minimizes our supervision by de-concentrating the student population. I thank you in advance for the cooperation and ask that you share this information with anyone who might pick up your child. And, don't forget, PVUSD delivers! (Via Bus, of course, for many of you!)

That's all for now. Enjoy your long weekend!

-Mike

PPES News: Hang in There!

2011-08-29T12:26:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I wanted to let you know that PVUSD has undergone a significant change in our Infinite Campus online grading software, and the teachers are experiencing some difficulties at this time. Please feel free to email your teacher directly if you have any grade questions or concerns. It will get sorted out and back on track very soon! Thanks for your patience....

Mike

PPES News: Got 90 minutes?

2011-08-28T11:24:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Just a quick note to let you know we need your help at lunch recess (even when we have to stay indoors!). Right now, we have a handful of parents who are giving multiple days and would love to rely less on the same people. If you can donate 90 minutes of your time just once or twice this entire year, please email Mrs. Doris Homer at doho4@cox.net. She'll schedule you a day! The time is from 11:00 - 12:30 (actually, you finish a few minutes earlier).

Thanks for your continued support!

Mike

PPES News: Office Change

2011-08-26T08:28:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I wanted to cue you in on a change you might notice when you visit PPES. As part of our push towards consistent and persistent quality customer service, we are adjusting both our office layout and staffing. First, we are in the process of "hiring" student assistants in 5th and 6th grade to help serve as greeters and basic phone operators. This program is going to be unique and quite important when it gets off the ground in the coming weeks. We have big plans for our new student aides because we have so many helpful and talented students who love to serve.

In further support of this effort, the attendance and records work will be moved to an adjacent office so that Mrs. Haas can work with the enormous amount of data entry that requires a real attention to detail and focus. At another point in the day, Mrs. Romney will also be freed to complete some of the many responsibilities she shoulders, while keeping the school systems running smoothy. Because of the dedicated efforts of Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Samsill, as well as our upcoming student aides, we believe this setup will help in many ways! We especially appreciate your patience from 8:45-9:15 and 2:30-3:15, daily, whereas these are the times we are often flooded with phone calls and visitors. The office certainly is a busy place!

As always, we are consistently looking for ways to improve with the resources and talent that we have. Luckily, we have a lot of talent! Please know that we will continue to refine what we do to make your experience as positive and productive as possible.

Have a wonderful weekend. Don't forget: Next Wednesday Night is Barnes and Noble Night at Desert Ridge! I hope to see you there!

Mike

PPES News: Library Update!

2011-08-25T10:28:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I wanted to take a brief moment to give you an update about our library/media center. In conjunction with the grant provided by PTO last year, we are in the process of creating an applied science and design space in our old computer lab. As part of the transition, the technology program is being redesigned to provide students opportunities for differentiated and creative learning experiences that will focus on everything from digital responsibility/citizenship to multi-media creation. Many of the computers will be moved into the library to form a "center model," that will have children working all over the room on different phases of learning projects. There will be much more forthcoming as we move forward, however, the library will also stay intact in regards to books. Every class will still have the opportunity to check out books (as an avid reader myself, I LOVE the library!), explore authors, and hear stories. The change will be that the space - which is by far the best in the building - will get heavier use for learning, when it is not being used as a library. In essence, the model will center around "literacies," versus a single concept of "literacy." We will be embracing and teaching both!

You may have noticed that we've stripped the walls in the library. But, to make way for the new, we had to get rid of the old! After some fresh paint and new decorations, you won't believe how fantastic it is going to look. Until then, pardon our mess!

That's it for now. Again, stay tuned for more on the redesign!

Mike

PPES News: Hot! Hot! Hot!

2011-08-22T07:11:00.002-07:00

Well, as someone once sang, it's "hot, hot hot!" Looking at the weather forecast for the week, we appear to be seeing heat advisories for the each day. Obviously, it is not good for our kids to be out playing in such temperatures and it is conceivable that we will have to stay inside for lunch recess for most or all of the week. Usually, it starts to cool down to a frigid 98 degrees or so, by now. No such luck, this year! Luckily, the children still get the "free time" and can play games, etc., in the classrooms. But, it's not the same and I am eager to get them back outside. Keep your fingers crossed (but not while driving, of course!).

On another note, I was thrilled to see so many of you at our Orientation Nights. I want to reiterate something that you have probably heard, but it's always vital to stay in contact with your child's teacher, particularly if there are any concerns. They are all amazing and can help you in many ways! I'd particularly recommend this if you are getting variations of a story that paints any staff member, volunteer, or other student negatively. I used to share the following expression with my parents when I was a teacher: "Let's make a deal! Don't believe everything your child tells you about me, and I won't believe everything they tell me about you!" We always laughed, but the heart of the message is the same. Rarely do incidents, particularly when filtered through a child, get relayed exactly as they happened. So, always remember to confer with other adults if you are seeking the most accurate account. That allows you to triangulate the information and find out what is really happening.

That's it for now! Have a great week!

Mike

PPES News: Orientation Week

2011-08-13T11:22:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, we did it! The first two days are in the books, and all went smoothly. On day two, the parking lot and pick up areas were clear by 3:17! That's a great start. On day one, we had a bus that got stuck trying to pull in and it blocked exiting traffic. That's why you may have experienced a delay in the rear of the school. But, we figured out how to wedge our new sixth bus in the front so as to not have that happen, again. Remember, however, if you park in that area after school where the busses pull in, you are not getting out until 3:05. It's tight in that area!

This is parent orientation week, with first, second, and third grades on Tuesday the 16th, and fourth, fifth, and sixth grades on Thursday the 18th. Both will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will last one hour in the teachers' classrooms. Mr. and Mrs. Schuman will hold a special orientation at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday the 17th for the parents of students in their program.

On a safety/health note, please encourage your children to wear sunscreen and/or hats for recess this time of year. It's not hot enough to keep them in (yet?), but we don't want those little faces any redder than they need to be! In case you are wondering, the district nurses have a formula that includes ozone, humidity, and heat to partially determine whether we should keep children inside. This usually leads to a handful of "heat days" a year.

That's all for now. Have a great weekend...

Mike

Video Link for Kinder

2011-08-11T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the link for kindergarten pick up!

PPES News: Pick Up!

2011-08-10T15:50:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I'm linking a repost to a blog I did two years ago with a pickup map that is still relative.

http://ppesprincipal.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-day.html

However, please note that as you exit from behind the building, turning right back into the school loop going towards the office is not an available option, due to busses. Also if you park in the lot where the busses pick up the students, you will not be able to back out until about 3:08, everyday.

Lastly, please remember to approach the school from Pinnacle Peak Road (northeast), not from Williams. You will not be able to enter the school from that direction. Also, Scottsdale Police is typically enforcing traffic laws the first few weeks of school with added emphasis, so please obey traffic laws to avoid getting ticketed. Nobody wants to start the school year that way!

The whole process will be over by 3:15, every day. The first few days are the toughest, but it works and kids are safe! Thanks for your patience and support. See you tomorrow!

Mike

PPES News: Staffing Changes!

2011-08-09T17:18:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have a very quick (bordering on a Tweet!) update for you. Mrs. Jena Akard is returning to PPES! But, we will not have an assistant principal this year. She is going to be our half-time reading specialist replacing Mrs. Berman and working mostly with primary students and teachers on interventions and support. We're so happy to have her back! Reading instruction is her first love; she's even National Board Certified in reading.

We have also recommended our new kindergarten teacher. Although she is not officially hired, you might just meet her tomorrow morning....

That's all for now. A bit longer than a Tweet, but brief for me! Things are cooking around here!

Have a great night. We'll see you tomorrow.

Mike

Class Lists and Getting Closer!!

2011-08-05T16:36:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

We're almost there! Here is a handful of other items for you:

Infinite Campus portals should be opened this weekend at some point, so you can find your child's assignment. Just a reminder about a statement I made last year that, "Class placement is far from a perfect process and sometimes we simply can't make everyone happy, in spite of our best efforts. I will not be able to honor move requests at this time and encourage you to work with your teacher to have a great year!" I can't tell you how much energy we have dedicated to creating balanced classes while attempting to honor input. The teachers worked very hard to make it all happen and then I carefully reviewed and approved the lists. It's a labor of love! For those who are often concerned about a child not having friends in a new class, that's the opportunity to make new ones! Every time that is a concern, it evaporates within a week. So, no need to worry. They'll feel right at home very soon!
Special thanks to our awesome PTO for their support this week of our teachers' return to work. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful group in our corner.
We will see you on Wednesday morning for "Meet the Teacher" at 8:00 a.m.! I really miss the kids and can't wait to see them, again.

Have a great weekend...

Mike

Here Comes the Onslaught!

2011-07-30T08:17:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I'm going to try and be brief, yet frequent with my blog communication over the coming weeks; I think this is easier for you to absorb the information coming your way! Here are a couple of points for today:

There are significant changes to our district's chaperon and volunteer requirements in an effort to be as safe as possible regarding those who work with our children. Please be on the lookout for this information as the year starts, however, the change that I want to highlight right now is regarding field trip chaperons. By rule, any adult (including parents) who will have moments where they are not being directly overseen by a staff member at all times, will need to go through the background check clearance process. This would include Catalina chaperons, etc. So, if you have any anticipation of participating as a field trip volunteer, pay close attention to early information coming from your teacher. I'm telling you as soon as possible so you can be prepared whereas we will not be able to make exceptions.
Class rosters will be made available within the next eight days or so, through the Infinite Campus Portal. However, we will post "old school" lists, as well. Stay tuned; when the district opens the portal, you will be able to view your child's placement.

Stay tuned for more and have a great weekend!

Mike

A Hectic Hibernation

2011-07-27T16:57:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, I feel as if I'm coming out of what I would term a "hectic hibernation!" Although I've been abnormally quiet on this blog over the summer, it's been incredibly busy. As many of you know, I'm working on a doctoral degree, and that certainly has been time consuming! But, and much more importantly, a great deal of effort has gone into the future of PPES. I can't wait to share additional details in the coming weeks and months, but there are exciting things on the horizon. That said, I wanted to just let you know we are still here and getting geared up for our best year, yet. The updates will be fast and furious, so stay tuned.

So you know, however, class placements will be available via Infinite Campus portal access within the first 10 days of August, when the district reopens access. Our teachers, with guidance and input from me, special areas, support staff, and you, worked very hard to do what is nearly impossible: balance classes around social, academic, and interpersonal relationships. As I know you realize, we can't make everybody happy with placements, but we certainly do our best to make things work; and they ultimately always do!

I like to say that although we've been conditioned to buy into the concept of a "school year" as having some inherent power in isolation, research is clear about blocks of multiple years and the power of a varied experience, over time. We will work diligently with everyone to have a successful year and I know you will be happy with the opportunities provided for your child. As your he/she walks across the stage at the conclusion of sixth grade, you will look upon your time at PPES as a positive and engaging period for your whole family.

Last, I can't encourage you enough to sign up for our Twitter updates. We are PinnaclePeakEs, so start following us for constant news and updates. I Tweet pretty much everywhere on my iPhone, so you will always get the latest information. For those of you not familiar or comfortable with the platform, it is quite simple and can be a fantastic source of communication. Best of all, it is free!

That's it for now, but many more updates are coming (especially via Twitter!). So, stay tuned. I can't wait to see you all, again!

Mike

PPES News: Last Week

2011-05-21T17:56:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

This is it! The last week of school. And, of course, we are busy! Here are a few items for you:

1. Monday morning at 7:30 is our Volunteer Breakfast. I hope to see many of our diligent volunteers stop by for a little recognition. We also will be unveiling our new-look lobby and will have a Promethean Board expert in the front hallway for demos of the two boards the school will have for teacher/student use, next year (thanks to our fabulous PTO!).

2. This week will obviously be hectic, so we ask for your patience with traffic and parking. We have a lot of visitors during this period of time.

3. Class lists are still being developed and will be made available through Infinite Campus over the summer. Stay tuned for more!

That's all for now. Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Mike

PPES News: A Very Brief One!

2011-05-06T08:01:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

This is a very brief update to let you know that the parent input online form for teacher placement will close Monday at the end of the day (there is more information in my prior post!). So, if you've had prior experience with a teacher in an upcoming grade level, feel free to complete a survey form!

Thanks! Have a great day!

Mike

PPES News: In Progress

2011-04-27T13:02:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Just as an FYI, we've run into a couple of minor glitches with the Survey Monkey form. However, there are no worries! We have time to collect everyone's response and they will not be time stamped for preference. All responses will be collected over the next week or so.

Have a great night!

MIke

P.S - Last word from Catalina was that it was a gorgeous day and they were doing great!

PPES News: Input Form Link

2011-04-27T09:30:00.003-07:00

Here is the link to the survey. Please be sure to read the instructions carefully. Thanks!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/InputForm

PPES News: Next Year's Staffing

2011-04-25T13:03:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

As an FYI, this appears to be our certified staffing for next year! I expect to make the parent input form available tomorrow, online. As it was last year, I am asking for "informed input" based on prior experience. For more information on the thinking behind the philosophy, see the survey and my archived blogs from last spring. Here you go!

Kinder: Canella, Huff, Smith, Orsini
First: DeLuco, Rossi, Hornbeck,
Second: Whaley, Adler, Fouts, Demas
Third: Hicks, Okraski, Calamaio, Stanton
Fourth: Brazie, Hastings, Engels, Scheuermann
Fifth: Sherwood, Robbins, Ives
Sixth: Gilling, Wren, Hicks

Gifted: Schuman and Schuman
Specials: Mang, Schilling, Kohl, Zollars
Resource: Sorin
Speech: Norwood
Psychologist: Kilts

We also will be having a new half-time reading specialist, who I will introduce next week! We're excited to have her!

If anything changes, I will let you know! However, this looks to be reasonably solid. Again, see the forthcoming survey to provide input!

Have a great week, "Eagle Style!"

Mike

PPES News: A Thank You From Mrs. D

2011-04-19T15:10:00.002-07:00

The following came in a thank you card, from Mrs. D, Mr. D in the cafeteria's wife. I thought you'd want to know to know:

To All at PPES and Children,

Words cannot describe how emotional I am for your thoughtful gift. I will cherish the staff, parents, and children that Mr. D. loved so much.

You are all super great people, and I will remember this the rest of my life.

With Love and Affection,

Claire (Mrs. D)

PPES News: Curriculum and Coffee Has Been Cancelled

2011-04-19T10:56:00.003-07:00

Just a reminder that this Thursday's CandC meeting has been cancelled. But, I will be on the roof in my sumo costume, so drive by and wave! The series will begin again next year and I'm hoping to see even more people attend, as possible! Thanks and have a great day...

Mike

PPES News: Wrapping Up AIMS...

2011-04-15T10:56:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Unless they have makeups to do next week, students are finishing AIMS testing, today. Thank you so much for your support with getting them here well-rested and ready to go. Further, helping to support our "Quiet Campus" was very much appreciated. Here are a few items for you as you head into a great weekend:

1. Don't forget, there is no school next Friday!
2. We will likely have our parent input survey for class placement available by Tuesday of next week and the window to complete it will be one week. More information to come!
3. Many of you have been wondering about who "is teaching what," next year. I will officially post that information, as well. We have a few last details to sort out.
4. Thank you again to our WONDERFUL playground volunteers. I don't know what we would do without you! Speaking of volunteers, stay tuned for some upcoming information about our annual volunteer recognition event.

That's all for now. Short and sweet! Have a wonderful weekend!

Mike

Correction: Half Day the 19th!

2011-04-10T16:33:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Just a quick correction! The next half day for PPES is April 19th, not this Tuesday. I apologize for the error!

Mike

PPES News: AIMS Week!

2011-04-09T17:03:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, it's here again! AIMS week is upon us. Please remember that students need to be on time to class during testing and that once testing has begun, students cannot be allowed to enter the room until the subtest is finished. Also, please check with your teachers to find out their exact schedules, whereas pulling a student from class during testing will stop his/her participation in that test and it will have to be scored "as is." Please make arrangements, as much as possible, to do any pickups between tests. Lastly, if you have any suspicion that your chid may be ill, it is advised that the child stay home. Getting sick during a test will also end participation in that test; it would be better to come healthy during a makeup period! Again, your teachers can let you know those schedules.

I want to apologize for having to call you twice on Friday! These blogs aren't "instant;" there is often a several hour (or more!) delay. So, you received conflicting messages. However, I do believe we made the right call on postponing the Walk. There will be specific information forthcoming, so stay tuned.

That's it for now. Don't forget that Tuesday the 19th is a half-day, with dismissal being at 12:30.

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

Mike

PPES News: Class Placements and Walking!

2011-04-07T16:03:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to briefly let you know that we are planning on moving forward with the Walk on Saturday and have our fingers crossed for decent weather! We're optimistic!

Also, just a reminder that information will be coming about placement in a couple weeks, so hang in there! Right now, staffing isn't yet settled. But, we'll get there.

Have a great week!

Mike

PPES News: Don't Forget!

2011-04-06T09:47:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to encourage you to attend tomorrow morning's Curriculum and Coffee, where Dr. Rob Allen, PVUSD's Assessment Director will be talking about AIMS testing and how schools are labeled at both the state and federal level. This is very valuable information for you, as it pertains to all public schools and will relate to your middle and high school experiences, as well. There will also be time for questions.

If you are planning to attend, please give us a "heads up" by calling the office or emailing Mrs. Romney at dromney@pvschools.net.

Thank you! I hope to see you there...

Mike

PPES News: The Biggest Event

2011-03-12T13:30:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

It certainly has been hectic; it's that time of the year! We have so much going on, but I am hoping you've calendared the "Walk For Education" on Saturday, April 9th. It is going to be a wonderful event and I'm looking forward to seeing all of our families. Your children may have told you, but I announced that I'm going "sumo" on them if we hit our registration goal. A principal, a roof, a race, a giant inflatable sumo suit, but, hopefully no principal rolling off of the roof in said sumo suit. It should be fun. Or simply news worthy! :)

For more information, please go to:

http://ppespto.org/Walk_for_Education.html

That's all for now! Have a wonderful weekend...

Mike

PPES News: Middle School Parent Information Night at PPES

2011-03-06T11:15:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

I want to keep this week simple to help you remember to join us on Wednesday night at PPES to hear from the principals from both Mountain Trail and Pinnacle High School. We will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. For more information, see my previous post. I hope to see many of you there!

Have a fantastic week!

Mike

PPES News: Mountain Trail and Pinnacle High Info Meeting

2011-03-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Mountain Trail and Pinnacle Peak Future Parent Meeting

Dear Parents,

As you know, your children's experience in the Paradise Valley Unified School District only begins at Pinnacle Peak. After finishing sixth grade, the students at PPES then move on to Mountain Trail Middle School and, ultimately, Pinnacle High School. We also recognize that you may have choices regarding who will provide that middle and high school education as they progress towards a productive university experience. However, we also feel that it is critical that, as education consumers, you have - and seize - the opportunity to become as informed as possible about those options.

Our feeder system provides an exemplary education through the three schools and has served Pinnacle graduates well as they begin their college careers at prestigious schools around the entire nation. However, we are sure you have questions about what the future holds. Whether they relate to curriculum, school safety, prevention, or the overall campus experience in middle and high school, those questions are important to you as you decide your children's future placements. Mr. Ian Deonise (Principal - Mountain Trail) and Mr. Jason Reynolds (Principal - Pinnacle High School) are eager to help clear any misconceptions or further describe what you can expect within the PVUSD system.

So, please join us at Pinnacle Peak Elementary at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9th, for an evening with both of these exemplary principals. Mr. Hiemstra and Mr. Lee will be facilitating and hosting the conversation and are eager to see you there. Although both Mr. Deonise and Mr. Reynolds will be talking about their programs and answering questions, please feel free to email either Mr. Lee or Mr. Hiemstra with any advance questions that might require data collection from either school.

We look forward to providing you with an informative evening that will leave you invigorated about the Pinnacle Peak feeder system. Information, directly from the source, truly is power. We hope you will find time to attend.

Sincerely,

Mike Lee Don Hiemstra

PPES News: 2011-2012

2011-02-26T16:21:00.005-07:00

Dear Parents,

This is the time of year where we already start to plan for the next. However, I want to provide a word of advanced caution: Beware of rumors! Invariably, you will hear of teacher and student moves that will never happen, or perhaps were never even discussed. Each year it happens, and many utilize a great deal of valuable energy worrying. We still have a long way to go and much to be decided before we can even give teachers their position assignments. After that, we will begin to collect information on student placement. Stay tuned and I will keep you posted!

On another note, over the coming weeks, you will be hearing about several new things coming to PPES. The iMaginarium was only the start; we envision expanding what and how we teach, learn, and interact. I'm very excited about our direction...

Lastly, I hope you saw my post last week regarding the upcoming "Walk for Education!" If not, have a look on the blog site page, itself. This event is critical for our school and you will be hearing much more. We have an early registration incentive that I will be announcing, soon. Here's a hint: Me. A Class. A sumo wrestling suit. A large circle.

I think that says enough...

I hope you all have a wonderful week. We'll see you around campus, in the parking lot, or in cyberspace!

-Mike

PS - I wanted to share a few pictures from two of our Eagles who are in Haiti helping to build orphanages. Way to go Jacob and Sophia! We're proud of you.

PPES News: It's Coming!

2011-02-18T09:58:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to take a moment to call attention to a significant upcoming event. As you know, in years past, we have done an annual PTO auction and it has served as our primary fundraiser. However, we are trying something new, and we hope that it will be just as successful.

In regards to this, please be on the lookout for information regarding the Walk For Education. It is going to be a much more family oriented event on a Saturday. I'm convinced it will be great fun for everyone, while still producing a considerable amount of donations for the school. It really is easy; but I'll let the PTO give you the details!

I'd like to thank you in advance for support of this event. And, yes, I will be doing something both shameless and highly public to drive interest. Stay tuned...

Have a great weekend!

Mike

Curriculum and Coffee Tomorrow...

2011-02-16T08:21:00.002-07:00

News Flash! Tomorrow morning is Curriculum and Coffee: The Future of Technology at PPES. Mrs. Akard will be providing supervision at 8:00 a.m. for your kiddos! PTO meeting at 9:00, too!

For Third Grade Parents, Only

2011-02-15T14:39:00.002-07:00

Dear 3rd Grade Parents,

I wanted to take a brief moment to clarify a question that has recently been raised about the Lake Pleasant Field Trip. For years, the trip has been a special part of the third grade experience and has provided wonderful moments for students and staff. The third grade PPES staff has gone above and beyond to provide this trip since the school opened, and they take great pride in the educational value it provides. This year, a question has come up regarding the option of parents possibly taking their children home at the end of the evening festivities and then returning them in the morning, thus skipping the overnight component. Although we fully understand the thinking behind this proposal, it presents a myriad of problems from a liability and management standpoint. Several times in the past, "special exceptions" have been made that proved to be very disruptive to the teachers' ability to manage the safety of the rest of the children. From the perspective of four teachers who are responsible for the safety of over 120 children, having to manage any sort of "check out" procedure, and all of the associated requirements, is not in the best interest of the field trip as a whole nor the safe and contained nature of the trip. Although I rarely take such a definitive stance, this is a system that we cannot modify and still maintain our own comfort level with the Lake Pleasant experience.

This said, we understand any parents' concern about overnight experiences, which is why we offer an alternative program for those who wish not to send their children. We promise to make it fun for those who choose not to go, so do not hesitate to choose this option. Further, we will be surveying the 3rd grade parent community, as a whole, to ascertain whether the majority of parents continue to feel the overnight component of this trip is appropriate for this age group. A re-examination of the offering may be considered if the perspective of the community has changed, and we will share the results of this survey when the results are available.

In the end, we are thrilled to be providing this experience under the careful eye of our staff and of those at Lake Pleasant. The teachers are completely on top of every detail and take pride in providing a wonderful experience. It has always been a wildly successful event, and we look forward to continuing the tradition. Thank you for your ongoing support and have a great evening!

Mike

PPES News: Sneak Peak!

2011-02-11T13:49:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to give you a sneak peek of the addendum to our technology-use policy that will be going to School Council for final approval at our next meeting. This policy will go "live" after I meet with each 5th and 6th grade classroom, personally, to discuss the potential positive impact and my firm expectations. More information will be coming regarding how you can help (if you so choose to allow your child to use his/her technology!) ensure that their devices go through our safeguarded network and not through their own data plans. We want to guarantee the safety of the PVUSD firewall for all of our students, and by making our network be "preferred" by their device, this protection will occur by default. There is much more to come, including at my next Curriculum and Coffee meeting next week, where I will specifically discuss technology's role in learning at PPES as we go forward.

I hope to see all the dads tonight at the dance! Have a great weekend!

Here is the addendum as it will be proposed:

Open Network and Personal Device Policy
Pinnacle Peak Elementary School

Pinnacle Peak Elementary is opening its internet network to our 5th and 6th grade students and all parents. This will allow any web-enabled device to connect to the internet for the purpose of research, assessment, and/or learning opportunities, while at school. Providing access to this service opens enormous possibilities for students to utilize personal devices under teacher-controlled conditions. In order for this to be a successful opportunity, the following supplements are being added to the existing Pinnacle Peak appropriate-use policy:

o Acceptable devices are limited to the following:
o Laptops
o iPads, or similar digital tablets
o iPod Touch's or Smart Phones
o Handheld gaming devices may not be used at school without special permission from the teacher.
o Students must connect to the internet via the district server, not personal accounts through a cell phone or personal data plans. PVUSD has a stringent firewall that filters content so that it is appropriate in a school environment.
o Students who bring their own personal devices to school are responsible for their safekeeping and the school is NOT responsible for loss or theft. PPES administration and teachers have limited abilities to investigate hardware loss.
o Personal devices may be used only during instructor designated times, in a manner deemed appropriate by that teacher.
o Unauthorized text messaging, social networking, etc., will result in a suspension of privileges and potential confiscation.
o Unauthorized usage of any kind may result in immediate loss of privileges for the remainder of the semester or school year.

PPES News: Please RSVP!

2011-01-29T08:28:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

This week is the start of my "Curriculum and Coffee" series; hopefully the brochures made their way to your hands from the backpacks! This week's begins on Tuesday and will allow a guided look at the school's five year plan that was developed in School Council. It will be held on Tuesday in the library. We never know how much coffee to order, so if you could please RSVP with Debbie Romney at dromney@pvschools.net, it would help us greatly with seating and the beverages.

On Friday morning, I will be holding my open meeting for parents who are new to PPES this year, at any point. Now that you have had time to know what to ask, I figured it might be nice for you to get the opportunity to learn about the school's policies, history, Core Knowledge, or any other topic of interest. Again, please RSVP with Debbie.

Both presentations will be loosely structured to allow some discussion on items that particularly interest you.

Lastly, please see the link in the post from last week to take our survey! We are making some important decisions about curriculum matters at PPES and will rely heavily on your input; so let your voice be heard! So far, we have 114 families responding, but we have over 400 households, so there is much more information to be gathered.

I've been meeting with many, many future/potential parents in the past several weeks, which I enjoy doing. You wouldn't believe how many of them only noticed us as an option because of the exposure the iMaginarium received in the media! Further, it has been used practically non-stop for the past month with primary now working its way in to use the devices for accessing content.

That's it for now! Enjoy your weekend....

-Mike

PPES: Lice Tips!

2011-01-28T10:55:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

The following is some wonderful information from Nurse Val regarding lice, including tips for prevention and elimination. We are doing what we can and figure you would like some additional support to help minimize the risk. Enjoy!

Dear PPES Families,

Since the first day of this school year we have detected 30 cases of lice out of 746 students. For a child it causes discomfort, but for a parent it can cause them to lose their sense of humor temporarily, and maybe even their sanity!! You may want to set a goal to have a lice free home so your family can sit on the sofa and enjoy the super bowl!!!

Like mosquitoes, lice do prefer certain human hosts over others. Contrary to the stigma of lice infestation, they have no preference of dirty hair versus clean hair. Their anatomy allows them to cling tight to the shaft of a hair and survive through shampooing, drying and most grooming practices. Please be aware that school is not the only place where lice are transmitted. Lice are found on airplanes, movie theatres, dance studios, day care centers, and even base ball hats and helmets. Pinnacle Peak’s nurse and staff go beyond what is required by the district and state regarding lice detection and prevention.

PPES had two students absent on the first day of school due to lice infestation; the two students hadn't been in the building since the last day of school in May. Lice infestation is more common with elementary school-aged children and is often detected in the school setting.

In an effort to minimize the existence of lice in our community, I am urging parents to help with pediculosis prevention practices. Knowledge is our best defense, become informed and educated about these pesky parasites. I encourage you to visit the websites listed at the end of this message. A few of the sites have photos of both lice and nits to help you identify them. They share great suggestions for prevention and recommendations for effective treatment. I am also asking that you do the following to help protect your child, family and home from the frustrations, physical labor and cost that is entailed with lice infestation.

1. Reinforce our classroom instructions to students. Review the importance of doing simple things: Avoid sharing personal items such as hair accessories/styling implements, hats, jackets. Refrain from touching or playing with another student's hair and avoid shoulder to shoulder contact.

2. Please do routine weekly checks of your child's scalp and hair, and be sure this task is done under good lighting. Be aware that recidivism of lice infestation is very common.

3. Style your child’s shoulder length or longer hair up off of the shoulders, preferably in a pony tail.

4. If you detect live lice and or the eggs (nits) on the hair or scalp, keep your child home until they are treated with a pediculocide product. Be sure to complete all of the required household maintenance steps as well. If you are unsure of how to proceed please do not hesitate to contact me, The school has a list of instructions and a handout of tips/suggestions that can be faxed or emailed to you.

5. If your child is assessed as having lice please remember the pediculocide products are mostly effective only on the live lice. So the most important step after treatment is the daily inspection of the hair and removal of nits over the next 2-4 weeks. If the nits are not removed reinfestation is very probable. There are nit removal services available if you are not able to perform this important step of the treatment, the cost is approximately $70 per hour.
Please refer to the list of informative websites below.
http://www.hairfairies.com
www.cdc.gov/parasite/lice/head
http://headlice.org
www.totallicecontrol.com

Valerie Hinds, BSN, RN
Arizona Certified School Nurse
Pinnacle Peak Elementary School

PPES News: Reposted

2011-01-23T08:25:00.002-07:00

Many of you found the tech glitch that did not allow the survey link to be included in yesterday's first post. I was forced to do a cut/paste variation and corrected it, yesterday afternoon. However, if you did not get that reposting, here is the link for the survey to paste into your browser. I apologize for the inconvenience...

http://www.surveymonkey.com/S/7gjsn9s

PPES News: Please Read!

2011-01-22T11:29:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have an appeal for you this week, whereas your input is needed and valued. As we push forward with the future of this school and its offerings, it is critical that we hear from you to better understand what the community would like to see in its neighborhood school. The link below will take you to a survey that is for current parents (including current sixth grade parents) or community members only. The information we gather will impact significant decisions over the coming months, so please take a moment to provide your thoughts. It is a very simple, fill-form survey that is specific to PPES. Your name and grade level is asked only for total participation tracking purposes, because we have a lofty goal of 80% participation. If we hit that milestone, I will have a special reward for our students (to be announced next week!). Further, we will have opportunities for you to take the survey at the school during conference week in either classrooms or the iMaginarium. Our plan is to achieve our goal within two weeks! Here is the address, and thank you for your participation.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/S/7gjsn9s

Again, thank you for your input...

-Mike

PPES News: Conferences are Coming

2011-01-17T14:15:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I hope you are enjoying this wonderfully warm January day. This is why we live here, isn't it? Here are this week's items:

1. Next week are conferences! I hope you were able to schedule a convenient time to meet with your child's teacher and have confirmed it, as well. Don't forget, next week will include two early release days.

2. Keep an eye out this week for several things including information on an important survey, as well as an upcoming town hall discussion series called, "Curriculum and Coffee with Mr. Lee." They are sure to be both fun and informative. Lastly, a flyer will be coming home this week regarding another information session for those of you who are new to PPES, this year. There is so much to share, and so little time!

3. Lastly, please see the following announcement from our district office regarding grading and reporting. The transition to Infinite Campus has not been completely problem-free and the communication below is directly related to those glitches. Such a major change is never easy! For more information and how this will impact your child's grades, please see his/her teacher:

Portal Grade Reporting Update

Beginning second semester, and for the remainder of this school year, assignments associated with course grades will be the only grades displayed on our Infinite Campus portal. End of term grades for academic standards will be reported on the report card and the portal at the end of the grading terms during which they are assessed. This will simplify your ability to navigate the portal.

Your child's teacher will continue to assess academic standards and will provide supporting documentation should you have questions. Academic standards along with course grades will also be shared with you during parent-teacher conferences in January. We look forward to meeting with you at that time.

Have a wonderful week!

-Mike

January at PPES!

2011-01-08T08:11:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, after celebrating my 20th Anniversary in Hawaii over vacation break, I'm back and ready for some pretty exciting things this semester at PPES! Talk about lemons being turned into lemonade: My transfer plane in Honolulu broke down on the runway (better than in the air!) and my wife and I were stuck and put up in a hotel. The lemonade? At least we were stuck in Honolulu! But, it's now time to launch into a fantastic second semester. Here are a couple of items for you...

1. PPES was featured in the New York Times in an article about technology and education! Several of our students even appeared in the photographs. Further, Mrs. Akard was interviewed by KTAR and FOX 10 is coming later in January to learn more. I'll keep you posted. More substantively, we were approached by two major software/curriculum designers to pilot learning apps for free because of the exposure. Again, I'll let you know as these things occur. Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/05/education/05tablets.html

2. Our new sign is up and will prove to be a valuable communication resource. Please drive by and have a look. A special thanks to the PTO for supporting this project. As we continue to attempt to attract enrollment, it is an impressive first statement to those exploring schools. Believe it or not, I have been told that several people were so turned off by the old sign they didn't even come through the front doors to explore the school. That certainly won't happen, again!

3. Just a reminder: Tuesday is a 12:30 release day for staff training. Further, be on the lookout for the conference scheduling forms that were sent home. We look forward to seeing you during your scheduled time.

4. Did you know?: Core Knowledge was developed to put students on an excelled college preparatory course by the time they reach high school? The foundational cultural literacy that it provides gives students the prerequisite background knowledge needed to develop a "schema" that new learning can be learned and synthesized. And remember, PPES is one of only a handful of "official" Core Knowledge Schools in Arizona. That means our curriculum, structure, and learning opportunities have been scrutinized and evaluated by the Foundation and approved as meeting their expectations. Learn more at www.coreknowledge.org.

That's all for now, however, I anticipate a mid-week blog entry with some important information, so stay tuned and have a wonderful weekend with your family.

-Mike

PPES News: A Couple of Items

2010-12-07T09:42:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have a few items for you this morning!

1. Mrs. Middendorf's position(s) is now posted at pvschools.net, under employment. She technically held two different, three hour positions. We may have one person do both, or have two do one, each. It will depend on the candidates. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please point them to the district site! One of the jobs can be found under "classified, para-educator" and the other is under "classified, duty aide." Remember, we can even consider younger individuals, but they have to be over 18. It would be great to have some ex-Eagles apply!

2. There is only one week left to donate to PPES for tax credit! Please contact Debbie Romney via phone or email (dromney@pvschools.net) for information for how to take advantage of the credit and help your school! Don't forget, anyone can donate!

3. Again, I want to prep you all for the survey that will be coming next calendar year. We need a large percentage of participation in order to get representative data which, in turn, informs our decision-making. Stay tuned and thanks in advance!

That's it for now! Have a great day!

-Mike

PPES News: Two for Thanksgiving!

2010-11-26T14:44:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I hope you and your family are enjoying a wonderful time together this Thanksgiving. We all have much to be thankful for. On this holiday weekend, I have two items for you...

1. It's crunch time in regards to tax credit donations! We have urgent need for the money and, in the end, it costs the giver nothing! Just to reiterate, it is a tax credit, rather than a deduction. This means you get it back dollar for dollar when it comes time to pay the State or receive your refund! We use this money for before and after-school programs, along with a variety of other extra-curricular activities. All spending must be approved by our site council and those spending decisions are published, immediately. So, call the office this week if you can help. Also, anyone in Arizona can donate, so don't hesitate to ask grandparents, neighbors, or friends! Questions? Call Mrs. Romney; she'll get you taken care of.

2. Soon, you will be receiving an invitation for an online parent survey. Typically, only those who are extremely happy or extremely unhappy respond to such surveys! However, to get good, useable data regarding an average PPES experience, we need a high percentage of participation. We will be shooting for 80%, which is lofty, but not unreasonable. We value your input and the more we hear from you, the more clear the feedback becomes. Stay tuned; I'm sure we will also be coming up with some clever incentives!

Again, I hope you are all enjoying some special time, together. It's is a wonderful community and this is another opportunity to consider how fortunate we are to have each other's support, energy, and dedication to the children of Pinnacle Peak.

-Mike

PPES News: My 100th Post!

2010-11-19T15:17:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, according to the blogger.com counter, this is post number 100! It seems like just yesterday that I started using this avenue for communication; time certainly does go quickly. Here are a few items for you this week:

1. Congratulations to Mrs. Stanton who found out this morning she is the newest National Board Certified Teacher. She joins myself, Mrs. Akard, Mrs. Gilling, and Mr. Schuman as teacher who have been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This is a voluntary and rigorous process by which a teacher subjects his/her practice to intense scrutiny, and I am personally very proud of Mrs. Stanton's accomplishment. To learn more about the National Board, visit www.nbpts.org.

2. We need Purell! As you know, we have been making hand sanitizer available to every student as they enter from recess to eat, and we have been quickly going through the large Costco jugs in the process. We can always use more, so if you would like to donate one, you may do so through the office. Thank you!

3. Next week I will be racing Ms. DeLuco and our student council president on tricycles as a result of our students reading 100,000 minutes during the Book Fair. I have a feeling there will be some pictures coming out of that event. Stay tuned!

4. Soon you will be hearing about an online survey from PVUSD to which we will add our own questions. Please respond! We need to hear from you to continue to improve PPES!

5. Lastly, we will be posting a campus assistant position in the coming few days, so if you know any quality candidates who would be interested, please have them contact the office for more information. It will be a six hour position.

That's all for this week! Enjoy your weekend!

-Mike

PPES News: Could Fall Be Here?

2010-11-01T11:16:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

As I headed out the door this morning, I caught myself thinking that it finally seemed like fall. I'm sure we are all ready for a cool down; I know the kids are! I have just a few items for you this morning...

Again, thanks for your patience as we continue to acclimate to the new grading and student information system. It is a significant effort to make such a massive transition with an information system and the teachers and office staff have worked diligently to make it as smooth as possible.

On another note, thanks for your efforts with keeping traffic away from the bus pickup lane, after school. Again, regular traffic cannot be in that area while buses are present and it is a violation of state law to pass buses as they load. We are getting new signs at the entrance to that lot as a reminder. Thank you!

That's all for this week. Thanks for your tremendous support of our Book Fair and your strong attendance at our Parent-Teacher Conference week. You are an amazing community and I feel so fortunate to be at PPES!

Have a great week...

-Mike

PPES News: November, Here We Come

2010-10-25T07:32:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Good morning and happy "Post-Fall Festival" Monday! Wow; what a fantastic event. I can't thank Mrs. Gerstner and her amazing team enough for the work they did to pull the whole thing off. It is truly one of the special PPES moments of the year.

Just a couple of other items for you, today:

1. Many of you likely saw PPES featured in the newspaper on Sunday and, although it was an interesting article and provided good publicity for the school, I wanted to clarify a point and add a little context to one of my quotes. At first read, I was a bit concerned that the, "If you wait for every problem to be resolved before doing something, nothing will ever get done," was not clearly explained. The article implies that students at PPES are already using their devices, which is not true. My quote was about how we had not figured out the best way to download apps to the iPad lab, not to questions about security or classroom challenges associated with technology. We are proceeding very carefully in those areas to make sure anything we do will be successful. Although the quote sounded flippant, it is not representative of the process we are following at PPES. That said, I have received loads of positive feedback and, again, PPES is in the spotlight.

2. I know that all of you will have a fantastic conference week. Be sure to ask questions of your teachers to better understand how your child is performing. On another note, please understand that our transition to Infinite Campus has been extremely challenging, stressful for the teacher, and not without significant glitches in how to grade and record grades. Your understanding and flexibility is appreciated.

3. Please note the new signs in the bus pickup lane which link to what I wrote about last week. Thanks for your cooperation!

That's all for now! Have a wonderful week!

-Mike

PPES News: Week of the Fall Festival!

2010-10-21T07:14:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, it looks like it's going to be a rainy day, today! Everyone drive safely. Luckily, it is supposed to clear by Friday.

1. Speaking of Friday, don't forget, it's Fall Festival Night! What a wonderful event this always is and Mrs. Gerstner and her hard working crew have quite an evening planned for our families. See you there!

2. In order to be in compliance with state law, we are going to need to make a slight adjustment to the parking lot in front of the library, after school. From 2:30 - 3:15, that lot will only be available to our buses and preschool pickup. We are moving the auctioned spaces to the other side, in front of the cafeteria, as well. This is a matter of ensuring better safety and we appreciate your cooperation. Signs will be forthcoming.

3. If your child comes home telling you I was arrested today, please don't call the media; it's part of our Fall Festival gig, as I'm sure you know. :)

4. Thank you for all of your cooperation during pick up time and for not asking your kids to shortcut the system by loading in the front of the school. This has improved greatly since my last request and is much appreciated!

5. Look for a story this weekend in the AZ Republic about technology in education, including material (and photos!) from an interview I did with them, last week. It should be interesting!

That's all for now. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your week. We'll see you on Friday night. Be sure to say, "Hi" when you see me. I'll probably be the guy with pie on his face. Or Silly String. Or maybe just a smile.

-Mike

PPES News: It Was a Big Week!

2010-10-09T17:27:00.006-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, we did it! The iMaginarium opened this past week, with Mrs. Ives class getting to be the first to use the new technology. Other classes were able to tour on Friday and, after our math benchmark assessments in the following two weeks, it will gradually open to intermediate use. Eventually, however, I would like to see younger grades have the opportunity, as well. I would like to thank everyone for their efforts in getting the lab up and running, especially the PTO and the "Drill Bit Dads," as I like to call them. They saved us with the assembly of the stools. What a week. For those of you who receive my blog via email, you may have to visit the live site to see what I have included below.

Here is the link to the KTVK broadcast, if you haven't seen it:

Also, a few pictures....

Have a wonderful week!

-Mike

PPES News: What a Week Ahead!

2010-10-02T13:31:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, I will try and be succinct with the following information, because I have much to share!

1. Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., the iMaginarium will be opening to one lucky class. The winner of our technology essay contest will be announced on Monday morning, and his or her class will be the first to "break the seals" on the new devices. I, with an amazing amount of help from some students, staff, and parents, spent a great deal of energy and time this past week getting the lab ready for its debut. Although there is still much to do over the weekend and on Monday, we think we are going to make it! We are hoping to have several special guests visit as we take this significant step into a year that will involve a great deal of 21st Century learning discussions. A sincere thanks goes out to our PTO for their amazing support of this venture; without them, we wouldn't have this opportunity (and I wouldn't still be digging paint out from under my nails!) :) As a reminder, we will be starting with intermediate access and then, as we progress, the younger grades will also have opportunities in the lab.

2. Our new marquee is also in the works. Once again, a big "shout out" to PTO for providing this wonderful communication tool.

3. Our special guest speaker, Mark Trombino, visited last week and was fantastic. I know many of you who had wanted to come to Barnes and Noble Book night, but were unable to do so, were disappointed to miss his book signing. However, we will be sending home forms soon that will give you the opportunity to still receive an autographed copy. I hope you talked to your children about the lessons he shared. What an amazing story and person.

4. Keep an eye on the school calendar on our website! Upcoming events include the Fall Festival, Book Fair, and parent conferences!

Have a wonderful weekend. We will see you all on Monday!

Mike

PPES News: Two Important Items

2010-09-24T07:30:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have three very important items to share with you today, particularly if your child is in honors. I apologize for the sudden notice of this announcement, however, sometimes things happen so quickly that the information flow must reflect that pace.

First, Ms. Adams, our Gifted Specialist, will be transferring to another opportunity within the district, effective Monday. PPES would like to thank her for her energy and efforts to help stabilize a program that had seen much change since the opening of the building, and she will be missed. Please do not hesitate to give her a well-wish today or Monday, as she begins her move. Transitions are always challenging, however, they also offer new opportunities, and I know Ms. Adams' new students will greatly benefit from her expertise.

As far as PPES is concerned, although I hesitate to make an official statement this early in the morning when the "ink isn't quite dry," I would like to let you know that her replacement will likely be in place by the end of the day, today. It looks as if Mr. and Mrs. Tammy Schuman will be taking over the position for at least the remainder of the year and, if all goes as planned, begin on Wednesday of next week. This will give everyone involved a chance to get moved and hit the ground running with no negative impacts on instruction. Again, I am giving you this information prematurely, however, considering the level of talent that will be coming in, I felt that you should know your children will be in expert hands. For those of you who don't know them, both Mr. and Mrs. Schuman are considered gifted "gurus" around the state and bring years of experience to the position, a passion for children that is unsurpassed, and enormous talent. A parent orientation will of course be forthcoming, as well as a welcome letter of introduction from them both. Know that we have this situation well under control. I would ask, however, that we do not inundate the kids with information about Mr. and Mrs. Schuman, just in case something doesn't work out. However, we will know very soon.

Secondly, some of your children in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades have met with me regarding AIMS test results. I am trying something new this year for a little enrichment opportunity for those children who are on the cusp of exceeding the standards. Please stay tuned for more information and know that it is all positive!

Lastly, we have an official grand opening date and time for the iMaginarium. Tuesday, October 5th, at 1:00 is the big event, and we expect quite a crowd!

That's all for now. Have a wonderful day and stay tuned for confirmation on the gifted specialist hiring.

-Mike

PPES News: Midterm Grades and Core Knowledge!

2010-09-21T10:26:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

It is hard to believe, but we are nearing the end of September, already! There is so much happening at PPES and time is flying. Here are a few things that I would like for you to know, as we move into October.

1. Midterm deficiencies and grades will be available, soon. As always, the grades are online to everyone. However, students who are showing deficiencies will receive notice of their difficulties. Each grade level handles their mid-terms slightly differently, so be sure to stay in contact with the teacher for more information. So you know, every parent will receive an email invitation to view grades, however, if you have indicated that you want paper printouts (in the case of a deficiency).

2. The iPad Lab (iMaginarium) is going to become a reality on..... Stay Tuned! The big announcement is coming. I can say that it will be in early October! We are going to heavily publicize the opening and make it a truly special event.

3. I am announcing an essay contest this week for fifth and sixth grade. The winner of the contest, and his or her class, will be the first to use the iMaginarium. More to come...

Don't forget, you can follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/pinnaclepeakes)

Have a wonderful week.

-Mike

PPES News:

2010-09-13T11:16:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

We're moving right along, as they say! Here are a few tidbits for you, this week:

1. Picture day is coming on Wednesday. Remind your children to smile!
2. Bingo Night is September 17th, until 6:30. We hope you are able to bring the family for some serious Eagle fun!
3. This week's character trait is, "Positive Attitude." Please feel free to reinforce what we are discussing here, at school, relative to how attitude is so important in shaping one's day. A smile sure goes a long way...
4. The President's back to school speech will be captured on the district website for you to view, as you see fit, with your children. We will not have the opportunity to show it live, however, if a teacher finds that there are important teaching points in the speech directly related to their curriculum, they will notify you before showing it at a later date. Opt-outs would be provided, in this scenario.
5. Next week, I will draw one winner from our Twitter followers, and the student associated with that follower will join me for a special lunch! If you haven't signed up, yet, now is the time!

Have a wonderful week!

Mike

PPES News

2010-09-08T11:52:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Although this is certainly an unusual week in terms of scheduling, I don't think any of the kids mind having two days off from school! Here are a few pieces of information for you:

1. For those of you whose children will be going to Explorer Middle School, the parent orientation has moved from the spring to the fall. Mark your calendars for November 9th, and look for more information to come.

2. Bingo Night is coming on September 17! Please www.ppespto.org for more information.

3. As a reminder, our teachers are very good about returning emails and they will respond normally within 24 hours. However, realize that they may not get the chance to read an email, right away. Thus, any information that is urgent should be relayed via telephone, through the office. For example, emailing a teacher in the afternoon asking them to send a child home with another parent may not provide them with an opportunity to read the email in time to tell the student.

4. I am scheduling a New Parent Coffee and will let you know the date in the next couple of days. The presentation is designed for new parents to our school and will offer a forum for questions. I'm looking forward to meeting with this group several times this year, as we are so happy to have them as part of our Eagle family. If you know of a family who is new, help spread the word!

5. Although we have gone pretty "green" at PPES, please don't hesitate to ask if you must have something in hard copy. We don't want anyone to not get information!

That's it for now; have a great day!

PPES News: Update for Week 3

2010-08-28T11:13:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

We are off to a fantastic start and I can't thank you all enough for your fabulous and continued support. From playground volunteering to the following of pick-up procedures, you have been amazing. Speaking of playground volunteering, we've got a couple of dads who have really stepped up and I can't tell you how nice it is to have fathers out there representing the men! Who says wearing a PPES apron can't be manly? (Fear not, guys. It's not required!) Here are a few things for this week:

1. Tuesday is early release and we will dismiss at 12:30. Our teachers are going to be analyzing levels of student engagement data that we collected this past week. It will give them a chance to assess the amount of time our school spends engaging students at high cognitive levels. It should be very interesting!

2. Many of you have noticed that we've gone increasingly digital. Some grade levels have even pushed forward with having some of the remedial practice-type homework being done online, at home. This is a fantastic use of technology. Keep in mind that homework is intended to be to practice skills. Higher level activities and instruction occur in the classroom under careful guidance and observation. However, don't hesitate to have your student demonstrate what they have learned, on top of what you see in the homework, and if you want tips on additional activities to do at home, don't hesitate to ask your teacher. But, simply having kids describe, summarize, or show you is incredibly valuable. Don't forget, you can see all of the state standards, by grade level, on the ADE website, which is linked on our school's web page. All homework and in class learning is based on those standards, as well as the Core Knowledge Sequence.

3. We're pushing 100 followers on www.twitter.com/pinnaclepeakes. I'm challenging us to get a few hundred more! Some of you have told me that it is literally the only reason you have Twitter on your smart phones, but that it has been valuable. So, spread the word!

4. Lastly, Wednesday night is Curriculum Night for 4th-6th grade. We will start at 6:00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you all there!

That's it for this week! I hope you are enjoying your weekend. We will see you on Monday!

Mike

PPES News: Week One. Done!

2010-08-21T11:01:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

The first week is in the books, and it was a hot one! But, it was a great start! Here are a handful of items for you as you enjoy the weekend!

1. In regards to heat days, we likely will experience a few more. But, if you have a child who is very sensitive to heat or has a specific condition, please contact Nurse Val so that we know.

2. Great job in the pick up lane, everyone. By the end of the week, we were cleared out by 3:15, every day. That is saying something! Remember, students may not exit the front of the building and get in the car on the street or in the staff parking lot. Again, this is a safety hazard and we appreciate your cooperation.

3. Parent Orientations are the next two Wednesday evenings, with 1st - 3rd happening this upcoming week. We apologize for making the change, but there were scheduling conflicts with both middle schools and the high school that we needed to account for.

4. Don't forget to visit www.twitter.com/pinnaclepeakes for real-time updates from school! I am dedicated to making these updates, so it is worth your time to install Twitter on your smart phone or visit it on your browser.

5. On that note, I am announcing a challenge and you are the first to hear! If we can get 400 followers on Twitter, including students, we will get a special visit from our new mascot (or perhaps just a principal in a costume!!) who will visit ALL DAY going from room to room. So, sign up today! Moms, dads, kids, grandparents, even your local pool guy, rope them all in! It's free and helps to keep everyone informed.

That's all for today! Have a great week!

-Mike

Change in Orientation Nights

2010-08-16T16:39:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

What a great first day! However, we did find that we have some scheduling conflicts with both middle and high school orientation nights. So, we are going to be flexible and make some adjustments.

1st-3rd Grades will be on August 25th at 6:00 p.m.
4th-6th Grades will be on September 1st at 6:00 p.m.

We apologize for the need to make the adjustment, but too many of you were going to face a real dilemma! Please mark your calendars!

Have a wonderful night!

Mike

PPES News: Important First Day Info and a New Teacher You Might Know!

2010-08-15T08:33:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Here it is, the day before school starts! I'm so excited to see everyone tomorrow; I'm sure tonight will be a sleepless night! But, here's some critical information regarding tomorrow:

1. Mrs. Suzy Distler is our new fourth grade teacher! It became official as of Friday, late afternoon. Most of you know and love her as both a parent, a former PV teacher, and our amazing long-term sub. Most recently, she finished last year as our substitute in fourth grade. So, she's familiar with the curriculum and the team. We are so lucky to have her return from her leave and officially join the staff! I apologize for the ambiguity on Friday during Meet the Teacher, but there was little we could do because it was not official. However, you probably found her lingering in the fourth grade hallway, anyway!

2. Please be aware of traffic laws on and around Williams Drive. The Scottsdale police are typically very good about only warning people during drop-off and pickup if traffic violations occur during the first few days (Except for speeding! Be sure to follow posted speed signs!) . The biggest issue is idling or parking on Williams. We have created as much waiting space as possible on the property to help with this, however, sometimes it can still be a challenge. Most of the concern stems around cars being forced to use the left turn lane as a through lane to get past those parked or idling. We really did well with this last year, so I'm sure we'll get through! As I always say, car pooling or using the bus is the best way to combat our traffic problem!

3. Left turns are a "no-no" for about twenty minutes each afternoon! Left turns off of Williams, into the property, cause a major problem and cuts off those who have been waiting to get onto the campus. Please approach the school from Pinnacle Peak Road, not Miller, to avoid this issue. We will have people stopping cars attempting to make these turns. Also, left turns back onto Williams from the property cause major backups. As you exit, you will need to make a right on Williams and proceed towards Miller. This works quite well and, again, we did a great job with this last year.

4. Teacher names will be posted along the back wall for lineup, before school. Feel free to walk your children back to help find their lineup spot. However, we will have staff available to help them!

5. It is very possible that lunch recess will have to be inside tomorrow, however, I will monitor the temperatures very closely and make that decision when an accurate prediction can be made.

6. As a reminder, we are going to be doing the "play first, then eat," method for lunch and recess. Although it will be a transition, it has worked very well around the district. You can help by talking to your students about heading to the cafeteria quickly when the whistle blows, and then making sure they use their eating time efficiently. Their teachers will be picking up from the cafeteria to return to class. We expect to need to be flexible as the students learn the new model, but have no reason to believe the best kids in America can't figure it out as well as anyone!

That's it for now! Don't forget, I am giving VERY frequent updates via Twitter! You can follow us at www.twitter.com/pinnaclepeakes. If you have a smart phone you can get updates, instantly! You can also visit the actual twitter site to see past "tweets!" I will be announcing a "Tweet Followers" contest, soon. Let's just say, the reward will be about the most "bird brained" idea I've come up with. And, that's saying something.... :)

We will see you tomorrow! Enjoy your Sunday!

-Mike

PPES News: We're on Twitter!

2010-08-12T16:29:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

One more thing! We are now on Twitter! Just subscribe to us, and you'll get live updates and reminders from PPES directly from our smartphones and computers! If you use Twitter, you'll be instantly notified. If you are an iPhone, Droid, or Blackberry user, it cant be any easier to get updates on the go. Twitter has an application for each of those platforms. You can also interact via the internet. Here is our Twitter page address. Give yourself a free account and start following us!

http://twitter.com/PinnaclePeakES

-Have a great night!

Mike

PPES News: Class Lists and Tomorrow Morning!

2010-08-12T15:49:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, they're up! Class placements are posted the old fashioned way (in the windows!), and can be viewed through your Infinite Campus portal, as well. This is the same portal with which you accessed your child's grades, last year. For primary kids, you may not have this password yet. But, we want to make sure you do, right away, this year.

Please remember that class placement is a far from perfect process and sometimes we simply can't make everyone happy, in spite of our best efforts. I will not be able to honor move requests at this time and encourage you to work with your teacher to have a great year!

On another note, I cannot announce who we have recommended for hire for our fourth grade person, yet. However, we are hoping to be able to do so, tomorrow. She is planning on being here, in a different role, so hopefully she'll be official and be able to welcome your students as their new teacher. If so, she will be "hanging out" in the fourth grade hallway. If your child's teacher is listed as "unknown," I would encourage you to come!

Lastly, we have found an experienced substitute for Mrs. Scheureman's class while she is on her maternity leave. Her name is Peggy Voeth and she has had a long career in education. After retiring, she has returned to do two long-term substitute jobs, successfully, for PVUSD. We are thrilled to have her. That said, she will be introducing herself, tomorrow. Mrs. Scheureman will be around, too!

On a fun note, we are looking to name our "coming soon" iPad lab. I'm personally tired of the term "21st Century Learning," in spite of how appropriate it is! We'd like to come up with something fresh. When you come through the doors tomorrow, feel free to pick up an entry slip with an idea to name the lab! If selected, your child's name will be permanently posted outside the lab in honor of the selection. Plus, I'm sure a few more goodies will be thrown in...

We look forward to seeing you all, tomorrow morning!

Mike

PPES News: 3rd, 4th, 5th

2010-08-05T12:03:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, things certainly are staying fluid! We have been granted another fourth grade teacher which will reduce our numbers by about nine per room. I would anticipate the classes being in the mid twenties, which is fabulous news. The impact on the school will also include our pull out support model being utilized in 3rd and 5th grades, whereas those numbers are also high. So, we now are in a position to make the the experience in all of those grade levels even better!

I want to be clear about this process, however. The job must post for three days and then we interview and recommend a person for hire. We do not know who this person will be, so anything you hear to the contrary will be a rumor. Although this is fantastic news, it is going to create uncertainty that will complicate the release of our class lists. We may have to release the lists with the dreaded "Staff" label at the top. But, it is a good problem to have!

As always, I will keep you posted!

-Mike

PPES: News - Class Lists

2010-08-04T07:43:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

Here is a quick update for you, as we get closer to the start of the year!

I am supposed to receive final word on our staffing this week from our human resources department. At that point, I will be able to cement teacher staffing and class placements. I would anticipate class lists posting on Thursday of next week. As you know, I typically prefer to do this earlier, but circumstances have not allowed that to happen this year. But, if there is one thing worse than making kids wait, it's putting them in a different room than they thought!

There is much more to come this week, so keep checking your inbox!

-Mike

PPES News: Play, Eat!

2010-07-28T10:38:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Another day, another update! You may recall that last year's School Council voted unanimously in favor of trying the play first, then eat model that so many other district schools have implemented. This will apply only to 1st-6th graders. Schools that have adopted this model have seen many benefits, including reductions in mid-day stomach problems and even injuries! Also, so many of our kids don't eat all of their food because they want to be first to the playground. In this model, they will take their time because they are waiting for their teacher, anyway.

Although the school tried it many years ago, we are now better suited for success because of the volunteer and employee numbers. You can look forward to more information will be coming from Nurse Val about the benefits of the model. Of course, there will be some "kinks," but we'll work through them, as always!

Don't forget, Friday, August 13th at 8:00 is our Meet the Teacher Breakfast! We'll see you then!

-Mike

PPES News: Yes, it's Me, Again!

2010-07-27T09:20:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Here's another dose of PPES News!

1. Class Lists - It turns out we were not doing anything wrong in Infinite Campus! Rather, the district has not unlocked the feature that allows you to view when the teacher has been assigned. So, we may have to do it the old fashioned way and post them. There are still a couple of influential staffing changes that could occur within a few days. Due to this, we're going to have to hold (i.e., "build suspense!") before posting. Further, as we get more enrollments and withdraws, it allows us to re-balance classes before going public. We like to avoid the drama that goes along with moving students after they believe that a have a particular teacher. However, I will let you know as soon as they are ready to go. Then, let the stampede to the windows of the office begin!

2. I'm looking forward to starting a Curriculum and Instruction focus study to help parents better understand some of the major events and practices that are happening behind the scenes. During each quarter, I will focus on one of these topics and will provide a couple of presentations and forums for discussion at our PTO meetings. I believe it is critical for everyone to be involved and understand what is happening that you don't see! There are some fascinating discussions being had that I think you'll enjoy learning about.

3. On a smaller scale, we are adding music to the lobby that will feature composers from our Core Knowledge curriculum! Feel free to have a look; the discs will be displayed and information about the composer will be posted.

More will be forthcoming as we build momentum for the opening of the school year. Stay tuned!

Mike

PPES: News - Class Lists

2010-07-26T10:35:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

Just as an FYI, we are in the final stages of getting the class placements available to you via Infinite Campus. We've encountered a bit of a glitch, but hope to have it resolved shortly. If all else fails, we'll have to do the "post them in the window" like the old days. But, let's hope we can avoid that stampede! I will keep you posted!

Have a great day!

Mike

PPES News: Very Exciting!

2010-07-20T13:09:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer, but is also getting geared up to come back, very soon. I'm extremely excited about some of the things we are going to be able to unveil next year. With the help of PTO, School Council, and our fabulous teachers, we have been developing some very special opportunities 2010-2011. I would like to give you a very brief outline of some of them, with much more to come.

1. First, I'm very interested in expanding our 21st century learning opportunities for our students, this year. Several key things are in the works. PPES will be only the second PVUSD elementary school with an "open network" for visitors and intermediate students. We will be developing a plan, with the help of our teachers and School Council, that will allow students, under controlled situations, to access the network on their own devices. This will be at parent and teacher discretion, and there is much to discuss regarding "who, how, when, and what if." However, Wildfire Elementary and Explorer Middle School piloted the program last year with great success and no security issues. The same filters will apply, whereas research, etc. will still go through the PVUSD firewall. But, this will open the door for better technology integration for our learners. Although this is extremely hot off the presses, I could not wait to share the news. Coupled with increased use of PVlearners, the sky will be the limit!

2. Shhhhh. This one is a secret. We have an iPad lab, in the works! There are more details to come, but it looks like PPES will be the only PVUSD elementary school to offer this exciting first step into the "tablet world!" Pending some final approvals, this will be amazing. I can't say more, other than I've been working with one all summer and am incredibly excited to get them in the hands of our kids.

3. School Council and PTO will be working to phase in a community citizenship and character model that is much more than your normal "canned" program. PTO will be supporting the venture and it will entirely unique. We are very excited about this, and Mrs. Akard will be helping with its implementation and heading the committee. There are several other items in the works for support of this and more information is coming!

4. Speaking of Mrs. Akard, don't forget, we will have a new assistant principal! You'll get to meet her soon and we are very excited to welcome her to PPES!

5. Our new Core Knowledge Preschool Program is off to a great start and spots are filling up fast! We are offering classes for both three and four year old students, so our Eaglets can get a head start in the world of Core Knowledge!

Obviously, there is much more to come. Class lists will be coming online in the next week or so and much more information will be made available soon. So, stay tuned; we can't wait to see you, again!

-Mike

PPES News: I'm Still Alive!

2010-06-26T12:47:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to say, "hello," whereas I know I have not sent a blog entry in a few weeks. Things have been very busy on my end so far this summer while I've been doing my doctoral residency work. Only one more year! (After the two before that...)

I wanted to let you know there is going to be a lot going on in July and I will resume my weekly posts. I'm extremely excited about some of the things we have "on deck," which range from instructional innovations to building "tweaks." I will explain more in July!

As far as class lists, they will be coming! Hang in there! :)

Mike

PPES News: Summer Update

2010-06-08T12:46:00.002-07:00

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all staying cool in this blazing heat. I was on Piestewa Peak yesterday and I think I saw someone burst into flames! I wanted to take a moment to give you a quick "summer" update:

1. Our fourth and fifth grade numbers are fluctuating and I do not know how they will "pan out." District office has, however, granted me an additional teacher position to support both of those grade levels through a multi-age pullout program. The logistics and format of this program will be structured by myself and the teachers in a way that best helps kids, and supports the needs of the teachers. There is much more to come on this, but I am excited at the possibilities. It may become an intervention program for struggling readers or mathematicians, or something entirely different. The possibilities are endless!

2. It is official this week: PPES, as one of the four biggest schools in the district, will be getting an administrative intern. PVUSD is condensing and morphing its homegrown intern program (known as AIM) to be one year of coursework and one year of site-based experience. However, this person will be a certified administrator, in all cases. That said, I already can announce my intern as being Jena Akard. Like Debbie Humpal and myself, she is a National Board Certified Teacher and has a very strong instructional background. She has also been selected as a Rodel Foundation Aspiring Principal, which is not an easy task. I will save further introductions for her, but I knew you would be excited to hear.

Stay tuned. I will continue to keep you posted during the summer if/when information becomes available. I hope everyone is having a fantastic break.

PPES News: A Very Simple List!

2010-05-23T09:45:00.003-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, this week is going to be hectic, to say the least. We have so much going on and I have plenty I would like to tell you. This will be my last post until the dust settles, so I figured that perhaps the best way to give you some quick insight would be to use some very simple lists! There will be much more to come, however, I hope the following helps:

1. Things to Look Forward To in 2010:

a. "Everyone is a Role Model: A Community Based Approach to Improving Citizenship and Character."

b. An increase in technology use.

c. A new way of looking at what is expected of students in intermediate grades. Standards will be defined as "Things that students need to KNOW," and "Things that students need to be able to DO." (Lots more to come on this).

d. The development and implementation of "Preparatory Exams" to measure the "Know" in all intermediate subject levels. (Think: "Identify and define an adjective," versus, "Write a paper with that expresses imagery using colorful and descriptive language." Both are important, but difficult to measure in the same way.

e. The design of COMPASS 2015, our five-year plan.

f. An online book-study, moderated by teachers, to help develop additional understanding of the "science" of teaching that happens behind the scenes.

g. A Core Knowledge Preschool, which is now accepting applications for 3 year old students. Just think! Core from 3 years old, to 14, in our system. Where else can you get that? :)

2. Things That Are Still Uncertain:

a. Who is teaching what grade level. There is still much to "shake out" in the coming week or so. I will share this information as soon as it is prudent.

b. Class placement. Because of the uncertainty with teachers, we have many possibilities for placement that are still in play.

3. Things That You Can Expect:

a. To find out your child's class placement over the summer by logging on to Infinite Campus.

b. That everyone will not be happy with class placement. In spite of all of our best efforts, it is impossible to keep every undesirable student combination apart, or to honor every parent's input/request. It doesn't mean we don't like you or your child! Unfortunately, the basic laws of physics come into play... :)

c. That your children will continue to attend a school where we truly care about them and their academic success!

I will close for now, but hopefully this "snapshot" gave you an idea of what is to come! Again, I will have some end of the year comments, next week. So, stay tuned!

Have a wonderful last week!

-Mike

PPES News: Wow!

2010-05-09T12:31:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, to say that this time of the year is blindingly fast would be an understatement. There is so much going on around here, one can hardly keep track! That said, I have just a few items for you, today:

1. First, I can't stress enough that encouraging your child to walk in front of the line of waiting cars in parent pickup or having them board in front of the cafeteria, is incredibly dangerous and it impedes the entire system. I understand that sometimes parents are on extremely tight schedules for an appointment, etc., but if time is of the essence, please just sign your child out early. It would be a horrible day at PPES if a student were to get injured because someone didn't want to wait in line.

2. Placements, placements, placements! This is going to remain an ongoing process and we are going to do what we can to consider parent input, however, as I've discussed at length, this year's uncertainty is going to make it tougher than ever. Preliminary placements are done, but are likely to change many times. Also, keep in mind, a teacher who has been at the school a long time may develop quite the fan club and have as many as 25 requests. Obviously, far fewer than that can be honored in order to balance classroom dynamics. Inevitably, there are going to be many parents who will be unhappy with the placement, however, we will have to move on. I'm confident that everyone will still have a great year!

3. Bingo Night was a blast! It was so fun to see so many of you attend on Friday night.

4. Pinnacle Peak continues to be a recognized leader in the science of assessment and reporting practices. Stay tuned for more information as we continue to improve in this area. Soon, I will even be launching an online book study to help parents build the background knowledge necessary to be an informed participant in the discussion. I am truly looking forward to giving you the opportunity to learn some of the most exciting and innovative improvements in teacher and district assessment practice. More to come...

I hope you all have a wonderful week. It's heating up outside, so stay cool!

-Mike

PPES News: A Pre-K Program!

2010-05-04T10:54:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I have one more announcement for you, today. And, this is great news! Pinnacle Peak will be hosting a pre-kindergarten program beginning next year! The "Little Scholars" program, which is taught by a certified teacher and is run through the Community Education Department is ready to begin taking registrations, now. For more information, you can call 602.449.2200, or visit their website by clicking on "Community Education" at www.pvschools.net.

We're very excited to be offering this opportunity and foresee some fantastic learning benefits for our students to get a head start on the world of Core! I encourage you to call or visit the website to learn more!

Have a great day!

Mike

PPES News: Foggy Post!

2010-05-04T07:55:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

This is more of a quick alert than a post, and I realize that most of you who were interested appear to have picked up the parent input form, but they were due to the office, yesterday. Unfortunately, I worded my last post to indicate I would send another notice to officially let you know when they were available. However, I did not follow up with such a post. So, if you would like, feel free to email me your thoughts and I can accept them until the teachers start doing placements this afternoon.

I apologize for the misunderstanding! Thanks for your understanding!

-Mike

PPES News: Class Placements Among Uncertain Times

2010-04-25T09:35:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Well, AIMS testing is finally done, but we still have a lot of teaching to do! This is when we begin to blaze the trails for next year's learning and it is valuable instructional time. It is hard to believe that we only have a month to go!

For this week, I have several points for you regarding placements for next year, which, although we enter the process blindly, we must move forward with some semblance of normalcy! But, due to the unusual circumstances, everything is tentative, at best. Please consider the following:

1. First, forms will be available if you would like to provide input for next year later this week. Please see April and May's blogs from last year for a detailed look at both the philosophy and practice behind how we place students. I would strongly encourage you read each entry so that you do not move forward with any misconceptions. You can actually start here (http://ppesprincipal.blogspot.com/2009/04/class-placements-story-continues.html) and trace your way backwards!

2. The form will be slightly modified this year to include any information you deem critical for your current teacher to know when making placements. However, that space is provided not for a specific teacher request, but rather to provide succinct points about your child's learning style. However, I do believe your current teacher probably has a good understanding, already. So, to eliminate any confusion, the form should be filled out if you:

a. Have had a sibling go through class with a potential teacher for next year.
b. You have student-student concerns.
c. You would like to discuss your child's learning style

(Remember: Specific teacher requests not based on prior experience cannot be considered. Further, even if there is prior experience, placement cannot be guaranteed. For more on this, see the prior blogs.)

3. Please remember that even if a form is filled out with a compelling case for any considerations, it will likely be challenging to accommodate that need. For example, student-student concerns are extremely difficult to separate, particularly when there is a grade level with only three classes. It may simply be impossible to keep every poor combination apart.

4. Perhaps it is most important to understand that there is a likelihood that you are considering next year with staffing that will change between the time you complete a form (if you decide to do so), and when class placements are decided. This is going to be a fluid situation well into the summer, and perhaps into the first couple of weeks into the year. It is also extremely likely that class placement decisions will not be available until into the summer. This is why focusing on a specific teacher may be a less than fruitful way to use your form!

I will blog again when the forms are available, so stay tuned!

On a final note, and unrelated to class placement, sixth grade is heading to Catalina this week! I know that many of you heard that Grayhawk's trip was canceled at the last minute due to "gale force winds." Could that happen to us? Absolutely! When you are dealing with safety and children, it is better to err on the side of caution, obviously. It has never happened to PPES kids, but you never know. Most importantly, our students will be kept safe. Back in 2001, however, the Coast Guard stopped the Grayhawk group at the peer! Talk about "punting!"

That's it! I hope you have a wonderful week!

-Mike

PPES News: Update!

2010-04-19T08:15:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Good morning, and happy "Almost Done With AIMS Week!" Aside from fourth grade science and make-up tests, we are about finished. Thank you for all of your support in having your students in attendance and ready to go!

I wanted to give a very public thank you to Jill Weaver and her team of other volunteers who helped to make Friday night's auction a major success. What a wonderful job the team did in pulling off a very special night. Putting together such a significant event is not an easy task and Jill's expertise and energy really paid off. Further, I would like to thank ALL of you for your generosity, either through donations to class baskets or at the auction, itself. What an amazing community we have at PPES!

Just a reminder to sixth grade parents: Tomorrow evening is the meeting to learn more about the Human Growth and Development course that is available to our sixth graders. You will even get to preview the curriculum, if you so choose.

Have a wonderful week!

-Mike

PPES News: Rumor Mills!

2010-04-14T08:03:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Although I can't address every specific rumor, every time I hear one I do "bank it" and I have been saving up some of the most repetitious to clarify! Here are a quick few...

1. First, yes, I am beginning work on my doctoral program this summer. No, I am not on my way to an assistant superintendent position. If I am, nobody has told me! I'm the only one who actually thinks I'm that important. :)

2. Next, there are not going to be class sizes of 45! Under the current proposals contingent upon our final budget, the class "caps" would likely remain the same as this year, or could be decreased. I have not seen, nor heard of, a proposal that raises caps beyond this year's levels.

3. Several teachers have been notified in the past three weeks that their job status in general, or only at PPES, may be impacted for next year. Again, this will not be determined until after the final budget is determined in late May. This is a byproduct of what I wrote about in prior weeks relative to the district having to formulate two possible budgets.

4. And last, no, the Parent Input forms for next year have not been made available because we are delaying as long as possible. The reasons for this have been discussed in prior blogs. But, they will be within a couple of weeks; stay tuned!

Hope this helps! Have a great rest of your week....

-Mike

It's Time!

2010-04-13T07:41:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

What a big week! The beginning of AIMS testing AND the Spring Auction. Both of these events are critical for PPES and we appreciate your strong and consistent support of your children's learning and for the school's PTO. In regards to AIMS, please remember that we can't call into classrooms during testing blocks, so it is critical that you prearrange any appointments or other interruptions to the day for a time when they are not testing.

Again, thanks for your support. If you are a procrastinator, like me, it doesn't get any easier than buying your Spring Auction tickets online! Click here to do so!

http://shop.ppespto.org/

Have a great week!

Mike

PPES News: Attendance is Critical

2010-04-07T08:30:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to give you a quick reminder regarding the start of AIMS testing, next week. Here are a few important items to note:

1. Attendance is critical; we are expected, and held accountable, for testing every child. Although we do have some make-up windows, they close quite quickly. That said, if your child is so sick that you do not believe he/she can make it through a setting, it is better not to send the allow him/her to start a test. Once a student starts an assessment, it has to be completed in that same setting. Because of this, it will be best for you to consult your child's teacher regarding the testing schedule and then schedule any necessary appointments around those times.

2. Don't forget: Plenty of rest and a good breakfast helps your child do his or her best!

I like to call this, "Show-Off Week" because it gives our students a chance to demonstrate all of their learning for the year. I'm confident that they will do their best!

Have a great day!

Mike

PPES News: Uncertain Times

2010-04-05T10:32:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I wanted to take a moment to share some critical information regarding the school and what you can expect as we get closer to summer. This will help you to understand and navigate a very unusual and uncertain spring time.

As I'm sure you are aware, there is an election forthcoming in May that will impact the budget's of Arizona's school districts for the 2010-2011 school year. Typically, PVUSD has already outlined a reasonably firm budget next year, and has staffed and funded accordingly. Because of the uncertainty regarding the outcome of the election, PVUSD is moving forward under both possible scenarios (failure or passage), so that it can be ready for the following year. In short, there is no way for PVUSD to wait until after the election before dealing with the myriad of staffing, supplying, and funding issues for 2010-2011.

Because of this, we are preparing for both possible outcomes. Obviously, the uncertainty regarding staffing will not allow me to assign teachers to grade levels, etc., with any confidence. In the coming weeks, we will have two staffing/assignment lists for 2010-2011, and we will need to wait to see which one goes "live." These list of assignments may include teacher movement to different grade levels or to different schools. I know that rumors spread and stories are told, but it will be important that we proceed with the understanding that nothing is definite, at this time.

More concrete and aside from hearing stories about possible staffing changes, the most pronounced effect of this process will be our inhibited ability to work with class lists for next year. As always, I will try and find an avenue for experience-based input, however, it is very possible that class lists will not be available until the summer or fall. Although I like to get assignments to families on the final report card, it just may not be feasible this year. But, we will do our best!

In closing, the purpose of this post is to encourage the understanding that many stories are likely to be heard and scenarios presented, however, we do not yet know which of those outcomes will come to fruition. I urge everyone to "hang in there," while we go through these very unusual times. Fortunately, I can say with complete confidence that strong instruction will continue through the reminder of the year, regardless of the "backdrop."

As always, I will keep you posted as news arises. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

-Mike

A Very Quick Update!

2010-03-26T15:37:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

I very quickly wanted to let you know that if your students come home with stories of firemen and paramedics, we did indeed call them to the school today. However, there was nothing of concern to the well-being of the school; it was in response to an isolated playground accident, and the child is well. We always figure it is better to be safe than sorry!

Have a great spring break!

Mike

PPES Update - Budget Message

2010-03-25T09:44:00.002-07:00

Dear Parents,

Just as an added layer of communication, you should be receiving the following message via telephone from our Superintendent, Dr. Lee. I figured it might be helpful if you heard received it in another format. Please note, the letters he references will be coming home before the weekend. Thanks!

Message Content:

Letters about the district’s budget for the 2010-11 school year have been prepared, and I have asked all principals to send the letter home with students this Thursday or Friday, March 25 or 26. A copy of the letter, and a podcast I recorded are also posted on the district Website. Updates will be posted to the Website as soon as we have new information.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our schools, as we continue to cultivate world-class thinkers.

If you’d like to listen to this message again, please press the star key. The message is also posted on the district Website.

Thank you.

Have a great day!

Mike

MediaFest 2010

2010-03-16T12:30:00.001-07:00

Dear Parents,

Please feel free to attend the following district event!

The Paradise Valley Unified School District acknowledges the support of the community in supporting an override that supports the infusion of technology into the teaching environment. MediaFest 2010: Creating Community, will take place on Tuesday, March 23, 2010, at Shadow Mountain High School. Guests will be able to view video submissions from students and faculty member from schools from across the district. Video viewing is available in the SMHS cafeteria beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Celebration Awards ceremony begins at 6:45 in the SMHS auditorium, and video viewing will continue for another thirty minutes upon the conclusion of the awards ceremony.

A student-produced video, along with a faculty-produced video was selected to represent each school site at the district MediaFest 2010 event. This year's winner was J.J. Gresco, from Mrs. Stanton's class! This event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Have a great week!

-Mike