Mr. Elkins' Weekly Wrap: Week of April 14

Hey Panda Family,

This week was super busy - I know! And I probably crammed in a little too much between the spring program, monthly staff meeting, fire drill, field trips, and field day 😲 But as always, you worked together as a family, handled it all with grace, and made lasting memories for our students! I am so proud of your hard work and effort this week. It definitely did not go unnoticed. However, I am most proud of the patience and positivity you all continue to show. This is the time of the year when we get tired and patience can run thin if we let it. Stay above the line and continue to be that amazing leader for your students and that amazing teammate for your grade level/department. The next few weeks should be calmer, so capitalize on that time to review and prepare for their end of year assessments. Enjoy your long weekend and Happy Easter to everyone! 🐰

Here are the Weekly Wrap updates for this week:

New Updates

Staffing Updates: I am excited to announce that we have two new additions to our 2nd grade team for next school year!

Kristen Biance - Ms. Biance is currently an Instructional Assistant in our PreK department. She has taught Kindergarten & 1^st grade in multiple states (including North Carolina). She brings a wealth of experience, and she has an amazing personality and demeanor. She also has two children with us at PGE, Brooks & Avery. Welcome to the 2nd grade team, Ms. Biance!

Kim Mitchell - Ms. Mitchell is currently a 3rd grade teacher at Sedge Garden Elementary. She knows a handful of our staff members and they spoke so highly of her! Ms. Mitchell also comes with a wealth of experience having worked at Union Cross, Cook, and Sedge Garden Elementary over the past twenty years. Her hard work ethic and sweet personality will make for a perfect fit for our 2nd grade team! Welcome to the Panda family, Ms. Mitchell!

iReady Reading Results: Awesome job to all our teachers and students for the amazing iReady Reading growth and proficiency! Overall, our school had 124% growth in Reading & 77% of our students are reading at or above grade level according to iReady! Shoutout to the Top 10 classes based off growth:

Top 10 Classes iReady Reading Growth

Gant 208%

Vaden 197%

Lomax 186%

Mabe 169%

Jones 163%

Laughlin 157%

Seabourn 157%

Corlett 155%

Edwards 155%

Musten 155%

iReady Math Diagnostic: All K-5 students will take the iReady Math Diagnostic next week. The diagnostic window is open until April 25. Please make sure both diagnostics are complete by next Friday, April 25. Thanks!

Progress Reports: 4th Quarter progress reports will go home on April 25. I will complete a gradebook check at the beginning of next week to make sure everyone has grades entered for this quarter.

Kindergarten Screening: Kindergarten Screening will take place in the Media Center on Tuesday, April 22 from 8:30 - 5:00. Media Specials on Tuesday will be in your classroom. Ms. Epperley will come to you.

Lunch from Imprints: Imprints is scheduled to treat our staff with lunch this upcoming Tuesday, April 22. We hope you enjoy!

Testing Updates (from Mrs. Lloyd): As discussed in the staff meeting here is the calendar for the last 10 days of school : Last 10 Days of School

Also, Here is the link to sign on to NC TEST : https://center.ncsu.edu/ncadmin

Remember for NC TEST Admin, you will need to do the 2 Factor MFA with your phone. PLEASE write down your log on and password on a sticky and keep in a safe place to use for testing.

MTSS Plans Tier 2 and Tier 3: Please see the MTSS updates highlighted below.

ECATS will not house MTSS plans for the 25-26 school year
We will not hold parent meetings for this last round
Teachers will communicate with parents after we hold the meetings
May 5-9 - close out plans and discuss student needs for next year

Tier 2 meetings will be held during PLT's
Tier 3 meetings - Schedule HERE

Shoutouts 🎉: From Ms. Rempe - Major shoutout to Kindred, Mason, Vermilyea, Collins and all the Specialists for the support and dedication towards the success of our 2^nd Grade Play!

From Ms. Gant - Shoutout to Harman for always plotting adventures and helping with my shenanigans. Thanks for always being "THAT" teacher with me!!! Shoutout to Fox - Thank you for another amazing field day, but also a HUGE thank you for putting moms next to their kids' classes! I really appreciate you thinking about the mommies on top of everything else! I loved being able to watch my real kiddo and my students at the same time! It was so thoughtful of you!

Updates from Last Week

Mclass EOY: The window for Mclass EOY is April 14 - May 6. If you need to invalidate anything please let Ms. Gardner know. Here is an Mclass help guide - One Page Help Guide

EOG Days: There will be no Specials on May 13 & May 15 due to EOG testing. We will also be using the majority (if not all) of our Instructional Assistants to help with proctoring on these days. I wanted to let everyone know now so you can properly prepare.

Hiding iReady Diagnostic: There are some new steps to hide the iReady diagnostic assessments until you are ready for your students to access them. Thank you to Ms. Gant for making these new directions for how to hide the iReady diagnostic - Hiding iReady Diagnostic

PBIS Events for the Remainder of the Year: The chances for the students to spend their Paw bucks are winding down. Below is a list of the ways students can spend their money in the last 34 days of school.

Panda Personalization - Google Form
Book Machine (1 book per student; $100 Paw bucks)
Paw Store - see schedule here

Continue to be positive, monitor the students, and hand out bucks when the students earn them.

Infinite Campus Courses: If you have completed your registration for Infinite Campus you should have begun receiving some emails about webinars and trainings. I have checked with the IT department and you do need to start completing these. You can complete these lessons at your own pace.

PTA Reimbursements: All PTA reimbursements are due by April 30. Please make sure you keep your receipt. Here is the link to complete your reimbursement request - PTA Reimbursement Link

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