Events, and Meetings, and Assemblies, OH MY!

Fun Run Day!

We've had quite a busy couple of weeks at PHE.  Between the APEX Fun Run, School Site Council, ELAC and new Character Assemblies students, staff, and parents have had their hands full.  Thank you, PTA, for organizing our 2016 APEX Fun Run.  We were able to reschedule the run for Thursday due to the rain storm on Friday, and lots of fun was to be had.  The students were absolutely ecstatic to run their races.  Thanks to everyone who helped make this event a success.

The educators of PHE have adopted a growth mindset and are shaking things up a bit this year by taking on some new learning challenges.  Have you ever heard about growth versus fixed mindset?  If not, I strongly recommend checking out Carol Dweck's book on the subject.  Growth mindset definitely played a role in the reconvening of a new and improved School Site Council.  Our council held its first meeting on 10/6.  At our first meeting, the newly formed team drafted three focus areas for our school:

• Supporting Balanced Literacy as a teaching methodology to help us better address the needs of all our students.  This year we are receiving training in Reader's Workshop.
• Providing support for a protected Response to Intervention (RTI) block within the school day where classes can be leveled to further meet the needs of students.
• Embarking on a journey to become a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) school.

PHE's playground at dawn.

To help support these new focus areas, we have begun bimonthly Character Assemblies.  You may have noticed that on two days last week, the students started off the day in the MUR instead of their classrooms.  The second and fourth Wednesdays (3rd - 5th) and Fridays (1st - 2nd) of the month students will be introduced to short lessons introducing and reinforcing six character traits:  trustworthiness, responsibility, respect, fairness, kindness, and citizenship.  While students are in these 30 minute assemblies, their teachers are meeting in grade level teams to analyze student work and strategize together on how to help students excel!  Therefore, these teacher meetings help guide and focus the instruction for the RTI block. 

We are now looking at investing in science and technology to supplement our awesome PHEEF-funded science workshops.  The goal is to get started before we end the first trimester of school.  21st Century here we come!

Upcoming Events:

• Please support our full-service cafeteria!!  There will be a pumpkin giveaway on Friday 10/28.  Look under your tray when you buy lunch on that day for a chance to win!
• 10/22 - Carnoween is almost here!  Contact PHE_Carnoween@yahoo.com for more info.
• 10/26 & 10/28 - Character Assemblies