Dear PVES Families,

Happy PV Pride Day!  It’s the first Friday of a new month, and many of us are wearing our blue and white colors today to show off our school pride today!  Please see the attachment showing the lyrics to our wonderful PVES Pride Song. Maybe your children can sing it for you!

I am hoping that you are all still feeling healthy and managing the “new normal” in your homes. Please know that our teachers are working very hard to provide quality distance learning for your students, with feedback and attention to student engagement and connection.  We know that this is a confusing, disappointing time for them. We also know that this can be scary and stressful.  Please let us know if you are concerned about your child.  Structuring the day with a varied schedule helps, along with limiting video games, and spending time reading together, playing board games, and playing outside as a family.  Please see this wonderful resource organized by our clinical staff, which contains many links and articles that families may find helpful.  If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Kilduff, Mrs. O’Connell, or Mrs. Sullivan.

https://sites.google.com/pvcsd.org/pvesstudentservices/home

In the weekly notices, you will also see a yearbook notice from our PTA.  Please check it carefully.  I thank the PTA for their extra efforts to bring our school community together during these extended closures.  We have a very strong school community, and we look forward to better days!

Thank you for helping to guide your elementary students with distance learning.  Please do not be overwhelmed by the assignments.  Our main goal is to keep the students connected to learning opportunities and to their classrooms, while supporting the main concepts of the curriculum.  If you are finding that every day is stressful with the schoolwork, please reach out to me or to your child’s teachers for support and guidance.  We want them to keep learning, but we hope that the days are happy and positive.  That is so important right now.

We are awaiting any updates with our school calendar.  In the meantime, please know that our April (invite-only) parent conferences will be cancelled, but you are welcome to check in with any of your child’s teachers at any time with questions or concerns.  Our teachers will be in contact with you when needed as well.  We will not be distributing the brief Progress Reports this April.  However, our teachers continue to collect data and base instruction on your children’s learning needs.

I hope that you all enjoy the week ahead.  Our faculty has provided wonderfully creative and engaging learning activities for you to enjoy with your child throughout the week.  Please stay home, stay safe, and enjoy your beautiful children.  We miss them so much!

Warmly,
Ms. Podesta