Mr. Elkins' Weekly Wrap: Week of 2/3

Hey Panda Family,

Happy Super Bowl weekend! Eagles or Chiefs? If anyone picks the correct winner of the game and the correct score for each team they will win $20 cash from Mr. Elkins! If you would like to play, enter your guess here - Super Bowl Selection 🏈 You must get all three parts correct to win!

Here are the Weekly Wrap updates for this week:

New Updates

PGE Intent Form: In February, I will receive my allotment for next school year from the district. I need all staff to please complete the appropriate Intent Form so I can begin to plan for next year. Classified Staff will complete the Classified Intent Form & Certified Staff will complete the Certified Intent Form. Please be completely honest when completing these forms. I want to avoid any surprises as we begin to prepare for next school year & I also want to be able to help if you are considering a change. Please have this completed by February 14. Thanks! Here are the links to the forms:

Classified Intent Form 2025-2026

Certified Intent Form 2025-2026

District Teacher Intent (Certified Teachers Only): All Certified Teachers also need to complete their district intent form by February 21. You should have received an email from the district with instructions. You must be on the district network to complete this form.

Congratulations 👶: Congratulations to Ms. Iris Coleman and her husband! They are expecting their first child. We are so happy for you!

New Custodian: Please join me in welcoming Mr. Josh Wallace to the Piney Grove family! Mr. Wallace will be filling our custodian day-time vacancy beginning Wednesday, February 12. Mr. Wallace has over ten years of custodial experience, an infectious positive attitude, and comes highly recommended. Welcome to the panda family, Josh!

Updated District Calendar: WS/FCS will make up its weather closure days March 7, April 21, and May 21, 22, and 23. Please visit the district website to download the updated calendars for this year and next school year.

Updated Piney Grove Calendar: Please take time to review the PGE Event Calendar 2024-2025. We have added EOG Dates, adjusted Awards Day celebrations, and set a date for 5th grade graduation. Please review and mark your calendar accordingly. Here is a link to the calendar: PGE Event Calendar 2024-2025

Awards Celebrations

Kindergarten - May 16 @ 10:00
1st Grade - May 14 @ 12:00
2nd Grade - May 16 @ 12:00
3rd Grade - May 20 @ 10:00
4th Grade - May 20 @ 12:00
5th Grade - May 21 @ 10:00

EOG Dates

Reading EOG - May 13
Math EOG - May 15
Science EOG - May 19
Read to Achieve - May 19

Progress Reports: Progress Reports will go home next Friday, February 14. I will be doing a gradebook check at the beginning of next week. Please make sure you are entering grades in PowerSchool. Thanks!

Boosterthon Ideas: Boosterthon is coming up in a couple of months! If you have any ideas of ways that we can use these funds to help our school please let your SIT rep know.

EC Inclusive Practices Meetings Cancelled: All remaining EC Inclusive Practices meetings have been cancelled for the remainder of this school year. You can remove them from your calendar. I will be sharing an update on the EC Inclusive Practices initiative at our next staff meeting. The meetings on these dates have been cancelled: February 11, March 18, and April 8.

New Laptops: Our new staff laptops will be delivered and distributed on March 28. More info to come.

Fire Marshal Inspection: Our spring fire marshal inspection will be sometime this month. See Mrs. Gardner if you have any questions. Please make sure:

You have nothing blocking exits (5-6 blocks)
You unplug and put away all smelly plug-ins
There should not be anything hanging from the ceiling or hanging over the door
Extra desks in the hallway need to be brought into the classroom until after the inspection

MTSS Plan Review: Please see the updates below and reach out to Barnes and Gardner if you have questions.

Tier 2 plans will be reviewed during PLT's the week of February 17. (5th grade will review 2/27 due to conferences)

Make sure your data is entered if it does not automatically sync

Tier 3 plans will be reviewed the week of February 24

Feb. 27- Tier 3 review with WS/FCS Interpreter- schedule

Please share the date and time with your parents

Feb. 24, 25, 26 - All other Tier 3 meetings - schedule

PBIS Updates: Please see the PBIS updates below.

Our next PBIS event, Panda Chef, will be on February 21. Here is the schedule:

Grades 2 & 3: 9:30-10:00
Grades 1 & 5: 10:15-10:45
Grades K & 4: 2:00-2:30

The cost is 75 Paw Bucks. Please enter the number of students participating in this Sheet by Thursday, February 13. Please also note any food allergies (including the student's name).

There has been an increase in talking during the music at lunch. Please continue to monitor your class and remind them to be at a voice volume 0 (no talking) during both the music and when in line (coming in, waiting to order, leaving).

5th Grade Check-Ins (from Ms. Lloyd): We have 5^th grade Check In B for Math on Thursday 2/13.

For Math on Thursday 2/13 here is the schedule: 5th Math - 2/13

Start at 8:30
Testing central is Mrs. Lloyd's office
Testing Administrators are: 5^th grade teachers and Merick, Idol, Guffey and Russell.

Shoutouts 🎉: From Ms. Lawson - Shoutout to Coleman, Timmons, and Mathis. They have been so helpful as I have learned new kinds of paperwork that I really did not have to do at the middle school level. They answer all of my millions of questions and help out during complex meetings!! I have learned so much from these three ladies this year.

I also need to shout out to Gardner. She takes time to meet with me while I bounce around thoughts and ideas about certain kiddos. Her previous knowledge of some of the kids that I am just getting to know has been invaluable.

I am very grateful to have landed here at Piney Grove with such a strong, supportive team.

PTA Valentine's Day Treat: The PTA has a special treat planned for you all! Stop by the breakroom on Valentine's Day for a fun surprise.

Updates from Last Week

Second Step (K-5 Teachers): All K-5 teachers should be through Lesson 15 in Second Step by the end of March.

W-2 Tax Documents: W-2s are now available on e-Docs. If you need help accessing your e-Docs please see Ms. Owens.

Immigration Guidance: If a parent or student reaches out to you regarding concerns about ICE raids or safety of their child here at school, please feel free to reach out to me and I will help you respond. I have already spoken with a few families about their concerns. I will do my best to use the guidance from the district to help support the families that have concerns.

Retirements: If any staff members are planning on retiring at the end of the school year, please let Mr. Elkins know by February 14. In order for all retirement paperwork to be processed in a timely manner, so you don't miss a paycheck, we must start the process before March.

ACCESS Testing (from Ms. Lloyd): ACCESS testing starts on Monday 1/27/2025 for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. If you have students participating in ACCESS testing, you will have an envelope(s) in your mailbox to send home in the student's Friday folders explaining ACCESS testing. Thank you for your helping in putting those in their folders.

Mrs. Pereda will be testing for the next 5 weeks (1/27/2025 - 2/28/2025). Please do not send your students to Mrs. Pereda. She will come and get them when it is time for them to test.

Here is the schedule for ACCESS testing: ACCESS testing 1/27 - 2/28

Remember this schedule often changes with absences and we will not be able to fill out the rest until the students take the first 2 parts of the test. Kindergarten Assistants will be helping with proctoring during the times listed on the schedule.

Thank you and please let me or Mrs. Pereda know if you have any questions.

Mid-Year Parent Conferences: Unfortunately, with the new schedule this year, and the snow days, we don't have any workdays until the end of the year. Because of this, we are going to work as a school team to give our teachers some time during the school day to hold some of their parent/teacher conferences. Many hands make light work! Support staff, including myself and Ms. Gardner, will help cover classes over the next few weeks so teachers are not having to complete all their conferences before or after school. Teachers, please try and schedule as many of your conferences as you can during your assigned coverage day/time. If anyone has questions regarding the schedule, please see me or Ms. Gardner. I am sharing the schedule ahead of the staff meeting so you have a chance to review before we discuss it on Tuesday. Here is the schedule: Mid-Year Conference Schedule