Dear PVMS Families,

It is hard to believe April is already here and we are entering the last third of our school year!  We hope to see more consistent warmer weather and the continued showers that will help to bring our vegetation to full bloom.  It seems we have seen more rain over this winter and early spring than snow.  With the change in weather we see our students able to get outside more often than not.  Please make sure that your children dress appropriately for outdoor recess as we will try to get outside as often as possible.

Spring Break is a time to rest and recharge with your families while we plan to finish our third quarter and the countdown toward the end of the school year.  Modified sports start up on Monday, April 8th and we have a number of students involved with baseball, golf, boys and girls lacrosse, softball, and track.  With that being said, we must stay focused on our goals and continue to work hard as some students develop “Spring Fever” and, recognizably, have busy lives outside of the school day.  Executive functioning and planning the day outside of school is even more important when life becomes hectic.  Please ensure to plan accordingly and finish the year strong academically.

Speaking of academic excellence and determination, please join me in recognizing and congratulating those that earned induction into our National Junior Honor Society.  To be considered for induction, middle school students needed to have a 92.5 average in all subject areas for grade seven and for the first two quarters of grade eight. In addition, there could be no report card grade under an 85 in grade eight. Student applications were then judged by a faculty committee.  Congratulations to our 34 NJHS students who were officially inducted on Tuesday, March 26th at 6:00PM on our PVMS Stage.  Thank you to those who were able to join us for this ceremony.

I wanted to take this opportunity to check in with regard to our New York State assessments that will directly impact your children in April and May.  We have been working extremely hard this year in addressing NYS standards while writing and integrating our International Baccalaureate work into our daily instruction.  Our intention this year has been to grow and improve academic rigor.  We use multiple measures to assess the progress of our students that include New York State assessments (once a year), iReady benchmarks (3 times a year), and ongoing classroom formative and summative classroom assessments.  The data is used for placement with academic intervention support services (AIS) and help to inform teacher instruction.  These assessments are developed by New York State teachers and address the standards that all students in the state are working toward all school year.  It is a wonderful opportunity to show off what they have learned and help teachers identify standards that they should continue to focus on moving forward.  The test is also untimed.  I encourage you to have conversations with your children about taking advantage of this opportunity!  We rely on this information as the results inform our practices as well as give us insight into the needs of our students.  Please know that our high school has many exams (Regents, IB, AP, etc.) that our students will need to complete, and the assessments offered this year will also help our students prepare for the stamina required of those high stakes exams in future years. 

Although most middle school children do not want parent involvement with academics and social decisions, this is a critical time. Please partner with us in monitoring your child’s homework, academic progress, and social media choices.  Here are a few ways you can support your child:

1. Check your child’s understanding of reading assignments.  We often find that they have a better understanding when you check for understanding.
2. Encourage your children to read nightly.  Reading 20 minutes a day enhances their comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and background knowledge. 
3. Help your child plan ahead for long-term projects.  Projects are an opportunity for children to express talents and apply themselves in an authentic way.  Projects should be taken seriously and turned in on time!
4. Check your child’s assignment pad and Power School nightly to make sure all work has been completed.  Nightly homework assignments review and reinforce material covered daily. 
5. Review class notes with your child.  A quick review of daily notes will aid in the understanding of materials covered and will help prepare your child for the final exams.
6. Talk to your child about their school day.  Building relationships through communication is such an important aspect of fostering life-long learners.
7. Monitor your child’s social media presence.  We continue to investigate situations where poor choices are made in group chats, Snapchat, and Tik Tok where students are sharing images and using inappropriate language with one another.  Once this is brought to our attention, we must investigate.  Please help us in monitoring your child and their use of these platforms.

Key Dates 

Spring Break – Friday, 3/29/24 – Sunday 4/7/24 and students will come back to school on Monday, 4/8/24.

Our New York State English Language Arts assessments will take place on Thursday, 4/11/24 and Friday, 4/12/24.  All students are to bring independent reading books and sharpened #2 pencils on these days.  Students have worked so hard this year and it is an opportunity to show their skills and apply what they have learned.  Please note that these are untimed, do not impact teacher APPR, and are a great opportunity to practice standardized assessments that students will need to take in high school.  Good luck to all!

The evening of Tuesday, 4/15/24 will be our mandatory Washington D.C. parent/guardian info meeting starting at 6:00PM in our Dining Hall.  All parents and guardians of the 80 students we have going on our trip May 15th – May 17th must attend.

Our PTA Book Fair will take place from Monday, 4/15/24 – Thursday, 4/18/24 during lunch and recess periods.  Our PTA is looking for volunteers to make this year’s book fair a success!  

The third quarter ends on Friday, 4/19/24 and our fourth quarter will begin Monday, 4/22/24.  Please log-on to PowerSchool on Friday, 4/26/24 and review your child’s grades with them.  This is a great opportunity for you to communicate expectations and reflect on the year up to this point.

The Student Council Spring Fling will be held on Friday, April 26, 2024 from 5:00 – 7:00PM.  There will be more information to come in the next few weeks.

As always, we appreciate your continued support as we continue to keep our children focused on the importance of school, their social and emotional well being and to ensure a successful last few months of the year.  Please contact us at any time with questions or concerns that you may have.

Sincerely,

Travis W. McCarty
Principal