Dear PVMS Families,
I hope that you had a relaxing holiday break with your families. It started off with frigid temperatures and snowfall but ends with temperatures in the 50s and rainfall. To say our winter has been a roller coaster thus far would be an understatement. The new year brings hope of new opportunities and goal setting. It also allows the chance to reflect on the prior year and to learn and grow from past experiences. My hope for our children and families is a year of good health, to enjoy the process of learning, and to continue to approach challenges in a positive way. We are very lucky to live in such a kind and forward thinking community that values our children and families first and foremost.
With regard to our International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program journey, I wanted to provide you with a quick update. We have submitted our application so we are hopeful for a visit by a site team in March. The next few weeks will determine a more definitive date.
Our winter band and chorus concerts were extremely successful. Thank you to our music department and all of the preparation it took to get the entire band and chorus groups together to perform. It’s always nice to see our talented young performers on stage playing and singing their hearts out. Many of our students are able to excel in both band and chorus helping to enrich our music program all around.
Our modified winter sports are in full swing. Games and events will be starting this month and some will take place on our campus. Please note that should a student spectator want to attend a game or match at our school, they must have adult supervision. Many events start after 4:00PM so students must go home and come back to the event. This is imperative as we do not have supervision and students should be supervised at all times.
School will be closed on January 20th in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. day. This is a nice time to discuss the sacrifice that Martin Luther King Jr. made regarding equality and a vision of hope for all humanity.
No Name Calling Week will take place January 20th – 24th. The middle school years are a time where we work hard to remind students of making good choices and to be thoughtful of the words that they use. This week is a nice reminder as our student support team works very hard in creating activities for students. Ms. Malagiero and Ms. Ortiz have been busy going over scenarios and speaking to students about how to appropriately interact with one another in their SEL classes. Please expect more communication regarding the events taking place over the course of this week.
In recognition of the Asian Lunar New Year, we will have no school on Wednesday, January 29th.
The end of our second quarter is quickly approaching and will be Friday, January 31st. Please review PowerSchool and partner with us to contact teachers should your child have difficulty in a subject area. There are opportunities such as our H.W. Booster Lab to help support students in getting them back on track academically, should they fall behind.
Quarter 3 and the second semester of the school year begin on Monday, February 3rd. This is a great time to clean out binders and keep all items in safe storage until the end of the year.
Please mark your calendar to check PowerSchool on Friday, February 7th for Quarter 2 Report Card Grades and Comments. Please be sure to reach out to teachers regarding any academic, behavioral, or social concerns. You may also receive a paper copy of the Quarter 2 report card in the mail if you decide to opt in (opt in emails will be sent this month).
The 2025 school year will be a time where we will continue to foster lifelong learners. Our teachers have been working hard at weaving our 10 IB MYP Learner Profile Attributes into instruction and learning. These attributes encompass the whole child. It is our goal to continue conversations and learning that will pave the way for our future. In addition to having at least one IB MYP unit, our teachers are continuing their work on weaving in approaches to learning and focussing on the process of learning that leads to a product. It is about the journey of learning where we hope to develop lifelong learners.
With regard to students’ social and emotional wellbeing, please join us in teaching that words matter and we should all be thoughtful of the impact that they have on others. More often than not, we are finding that our students echo what they see on social media or the world around them. Please continue to work with us in educating our children that words matter. We all work together to help guide our children and to let them know that they are supported and cared for and that the middle years are a time for growth and reflection. This is our mission as educators!
May this year be one full of good health, happiness and opportunities to make good choices!
Sincerely,
Travis W. McCarty
Principal