Family News

This post contains DOUBLE the blessings, with the following additions to our Paine Family!

Congratulations to Carter and Kelly Anne Pharis on the birth of their beautiful baby girl!  Margot Page Pharis was born last night. She weights 7 lbs 4 oz and is 19.5 inches long.  

Congratulations to Alyssa and Corey Sellers on the birth of their beautiful daughter. Alaina Clare was born this morning and weighs 8 lbs 3 oz.

Weekly Update

 

A Week - April 22-26, 2024

PE:  South PE will be outside this week

 (weather permitting)

Character Trait Focus: PATIENCE

 Paine Power Word: Conclude

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Upcoming Important Dates

4/24 - Admin Assistant Day

4/22-4/25 - Spring Book Fair

4/26 - E-Learning Day for Students & PD Day for Teachers

4/30 - Timothy Alexander to visit 3rd, 4th & 5th students

5/1 - Kinder Music Programs

5/2 - Constitution Program for 5th Graders

5/2 - PES Choir Concert at 6:00 pm

5/10 - 5th Grade Extravaganza

5/15 - Tentative Date for End of Year Data Meetings

5/16 - HTMS Band Performance at PES

5/17 - EnRICh Showcase

5/20 - Assemblies (K-2)

5/21 - Assemblies (3-5)

5/23 - Last Day for Students (12:00 dismissal)

5/23 - End of Year Faculty/Staff Celebration (after 12:00)

5/24 - Faculty/Staff Workday

Paine Practice - Best Practice

Mrs. McCormick's 1st grade students are estimating lengths using cubes.

Mrs. Puryear's students KNOW their classroom routines which maximizes their learning!

Mrs. Wilks used an incredible "hook" to get students interested in their upcoming story!

Mrs. Cantrell is developing readers in her room one lesson at a time!

Outside Food in Lunchroom

It is Alabama law that we cannot bring fast food in it's original packaging into our lunchrooms. The only way fast food can be brought into our lunchrooms is if it is packed similar to a lunch from home.  We put our lunchroom in jeopardy when we do not adhere to this rule.  Teachers, this continues to be a concern communicated to me.  We have to fix this.  If you have any questions, please let me know.

PES Bookfair

Please remind your parents of our bookfair this week and encourage your students to visit. Some of the funds from the last bookfair were used to update our library with new furniture, rugs, shelving, etc., and I know the students are loving this space!  We also use these funds to purchase books for our library.

AimsWeb Spring Testing

Please administer the computerized portion of the reading and math tests within the following window:  April 22 - April 30.  

Wednesday - Collaboration

Please meet with your grade level teams to plan.  This week you may meet in grade level chair classrooms.

    EnRICh

We will have EnRICh for grades 3-5 Thursday at 1:00.

 Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

TBD 

Timothy Alexander Visit on April 30th

Timothy Alexander (remember his inspirational story from TCS Institute) will be here on April 30th to speak to our 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students about hard work, perseverance, etc.  Meetings will be held in the North Gym and the scheduled is listed below:

8:30 to 9:20 - All of 3rd & the half of 4th who go to specials on the North side

9:30 to 10:20 - All of 5th & the half of 4th who go to specials on the South side

Plan for April 26th Workday

April 26th is a workday for faculty & staff.  We will have required MTSS Turnaround Training and a Technology EdCamp that day. You can also use a portion of this day to catch up on your PlanBook and get a head start on your end of the year packet (we will have this to you before then).  A more detailed schedule will follow Monday or Tuesday.

Family News

Congratulations to Jennifer Hunt & family on the birth of Helena Anne.  She is precious!

Paine Precepts (Finishing Strong Quotes by Gary Ryan Blair, (Author and Motivational Speaker)

• Greatness will not accept anything less than a strong finish.
• What kind of competitor sees the finish line and slows down...always finish strong.
• Finish Strong. Two words. One powerful philosophy!
• Every task, goal, race, and year comes to an end...therefore, make it a habit to FINISH STRONG.

Weekly Update

B Week - April 15-19, 2024

PE:  North PE will be outside this week

 (weather permitting)

Note: We will need for 5th Grade & 3rd Grade to trade Specials/PE times on FRIDAY 4/19 because 5th graders will be traveling to HTMS in the morning.

Character Trait Focus: PATIENCE

 Paine Power Word: Demonstrate

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Upcoming Important Dates

4/15-4/18 - American Fidelity in South Conference Room

4/15 - TCS Board to Visit PES

4/18 - Progress Reports for 4th 9 weeks

4/22-4/25 - Spring Book Fair

4/26 - E-Learning Day for Students & PD Day for Teachers

4/30 - Timothy Alexander to visit 3rd, 4th & 5th students

5/1 - Kinder Music Programs

5/2 - Constitution Program for 5th Graders

5/2 - PES Choir Concert at 6:00 pm

5/10 - 5th Grade Extravaganza

5/15 - Tentative Date for End of Year Data Meetings

5/16 - HTMS Band Performance at PES

5/17 - EnRICh Showcase

5/20 - Assemblies (K-2)

5/21 - Assemblies (3-5)

5/23 - Last Day for Students (12:00 dismissal)

5/23 - End of Year Faculty/Staff Celebration (after 12:00)

5/24 - Faculty/Staff Workday

Paine Practice - Best Practice

Mrs. Burns leads a brainstorming session about data with our Math Team.

Mrs. Trowbridge leading a small group during the reading block.

Students engaged in EnRICh/Paine Fashionistas with Mrs. Lang & Ms. Vickers.

Ms. Barker is working with students during EnRICh/Experimental!

American Fidelity

American Fidelity will be here April 15 through April 18 in the South Conference room.  Every employee must check in with them sometime during the week. 

Board Visit on 4/15

The TCS School Board will be visiting Paine Elementary on Monday, 4/15 around 10:00 am.

AimsWeb Spring Testing

Our TCS Testing Team will continue pulling the following students for AimsWeb Reading within the following windows: 1st Grade (April 8-11), Kindergarten (April 12-17), ORF for 2nd & 3rd (April 8-17). 

We will begin testing Kindergarten & 1st grade students in math beginning April 15th (more information to follow). 

Please administer the computerized portion of the reading and math tests within the following window:  April 22 - April 30. (Please do not give these assessments prior to 4/22).  This will include 4th & 5th grade (both assessments), 2nd & 3rd grade math & the computer portion of reading.

Wednesday - Collaboration

• Work on ELearning Day student assignments for 4/26.
• Please also use this time to make sure you lesson plans in PlanBook are completely up to date. This year it will be on our year-end checklist that your individual plans are up-to-date in your PlanBook.

    EnRICh

We will have EnRICh for grades 3-5 Thursday at 1:00.

 Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

Faculty Meeting at 2:15.

Timothy Alexander Visit on April 30th

Timothy Alexander (remember his inspirational story from TCS Institute) will be here on April 30th to speak to our 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade students about hard work, perseverance, etc. More information to follow!

Plan for April 26th Workday

April 26th is a workday for faculty & staff.  We will have required MTSS Turnaround Training and a Technology EdCamp that day. You can also use a portion of this day to catch up on your PlanBook and get a head start on your end of the year packet (we will have this to you before then).  A more detailed schedule will follow soon.

Family News

Please keep Sara Wilks and her family in your thoughts and prayers; her precious grandfather passed away today.

Congratulation to Bailey Killingsworth on the birth of her beautiful baby, Stetson.  He was born onn April 10th, weighing 4 lbs 10 oz and is 18 inches long.  

Paine Precepts 

• “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – a.a. milne
•  “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” Marie Curie
• “If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you’ve never done.” thomas jefferson
• “Many of life’s failure are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” Thomas Edison
• "If you want love and abundance in your life, give it away."  Mark Twain

Weekly Update

Thank you to everyone for the great job you did during testing week.  It definitely takes a village to make it all work!  Our teachers did an amazing job! A special thank you to Christy Naylor, Sara Taylor, Kelly Bowles, and Kelly McGough. Thank you to our specialist teachers for pulling small groups and make-ups and for everyone who served as a hall monitor and proctor. A special thank you to Chelle Wallace and Kylee McCormick for serving as test administrators...and thank you to their teams for covering for them!  Also, thank you for our office staff who handled everything while we were testing.  

We have the most incredible team of people at Paine Elementary!

A Week - April 8-12, 2024

PE:  South PE will be outside this week (except Monday)

 (weather permitting)

Character Trait Focus: PATIENCE

 Paine Power Word: MODIFY

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Monday - Eclipse

Important:  We will not allow anyone to go outside between the hours of 12:00 noon and 3:00 on Monday for safety reasons! This is a consistent expectation throughout TCS.  Science teachers, please remember to use the previously provided online information to teach about the eclipse.

ACAP Makeup Testing

We will still be giving ACAP makeup tests starting Monday. We will let you know when they are complete. Please make sure students remain quiet in the hallways.

AimsWeb Spring Testing

Our TCS Testing Team will begin pulling the following students for AimsWeb Reading within the following windows: 1st Grade (April 8-11), Kindergarten (April 12-17), ORF for 2nd & 3rd (April 8-17). 

We will begin testing Kindergarten & 1st grade students in math beginning April 15th (more information to follow). 

Please administer the computerized portion of the reading and math tests within the following window:  April 22 - April 30. (Please do not give these assessments prior to 4/22).  This will include 4th & 5th grade (both assessments), 2nd & 3rd grade math & the computer portion of reading.

Wednesday - Collaboration

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade Teachers will have regular collaboration.  Teachers in grades 3-5, please use this time to prepare for Thursday EnRICh (yes, it is starting back on Thursday at 1:00).

    EnRICh

We will resume our EnRICh sessions in grades 3-5 beginning this Thursday at 1:00.  That will give us six meetings before the spring EnRICh Showcase.

 

Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

To Be Determined

Board Visit on 4/15

The TCS School Board will be visiting Paine Elementary on Monday, 4/15 around 10:00 am.

Paine Precepts (Patience)

• “Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.” – Saddi
• “Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance.” – Samuel Johnson
• “Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties appear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams
• “The strongest of all warriors are these two-Time and Patience.” — Leo Tolstoy
• “Trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.” – Moliere

Weekly Update

We hope everyone had a restful and fun spring break!

April 1 - 5, 2024

There will be NO specials this week due to ACAP testing, so we will designate next week as "A Week".  

National Assistant Principal's Week

It is National Assistant Principal's Week. We are so thankful for our two incredible APs, Maggie Jensen & Hunter Birdyshaw!  We definitely have two of the VERY best, and we are so thankful for all they do for Paine!!!

Monday, April 1st

This is our last day for ACAP preparation. Please make every moment count and use this day (including the IE block) to review key concepts, test taking tips, etc. with your students. 

Monday Morning Meeting

Please use your morning meeting time on Monday to show our PES ACAP video to your students.  They look forward to this and we hope it serves to encourage them to do their best and that we believe in them!  I will send the link out prior to Monday morning.

ACAP Testing

Students in grades 2-5 will take the ACAP State Test beginning Tuesday, April 2nd. Thank you for your continued hard work to prepare our students.  The schedule for testing is below.

Please remind your parents of our testing schedule and the importance of our students being on time, getting enough rest and eating a good breakfast.  Please encourage students to do their very best!  

We will also be finishing make-up tests on Thursday and Friday (as needed).

Important Testing Reminders

• There should be no activity/traveling through the building beginning at 8:10 until you receive word that morning group testing is complete.
• We will begin the PE schedule as soon as whole group testing is complete. We will get the word out, but will not make an intercom announcement due to continued small  group testing.
• Travel in hallways should be limited and students should remain supervised and quiet.
• Please avoid hallways that have "testing" signs.
• K & 1, If you have morning recess we are asking you to move this to a later time when whole group testing is complete.  This is to ensure there is no traffic in the hallways.  
• There will be NO lunch visitors on this week.

State Testing Week - PE Schedule

We will be on a modified schedule this week due to testing.  There will be no specials. We plan to begin PE at 10:50 (but please wait on word that testing is complete before proceeding to PE).  We will try to have outside PE if weather permits.  If we are able to do this, we will be using the north field and south playground.  PE times for this week are listed below.

11:00-11:30  - 2nd Grade

11:30-12:00  - 4th Grade

12:00-12:30   -  3rd Grade

1:00-1:30 - 1st Grade     

1:30-2:00  - Kindergarten    

2:00-2:30  - 5th Grade

If you have to change your recess time or location due to testing, please notify the office so we know when and where you will be.  

Paine Precepts (Trying Your Best)

• Doing your best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment” – Oprah Winfrey
• “You must do the thing you think you cannot do” – Eleanor Roosevelt
• “Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little difference” – Jimmy Johnson
• “No effort that we take to attain something beautiful is ever lost” – Helen Keller

Weekly Update

Thank you or another incredible week of teaching and learning at Paine Elementary. We have one more week until Spring break and then ACAP testing!  Let's make it count BIG!  You're the best!!!

B Week - March 18-22, 2024

PE:  North PE will be outside this week (weather permitting)

Character Trait Focus: Peace

 Paine Power Word: Represent

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Paine Practice - Best Practice

Mrs. Swatek's 4th graders learning how to use protractors.

Mrs. Weyerman's students demonstrating how a clock works on a double number line.

Mrs. Lutz's students discuss the word "invader" in depth!

Mrs. Benson & Mrs. Kathi Wilks students engaged in STEM lesson!

Third Grade Music Program

Our 3rd Grade Music Programs are Tuesday, March 19th at 8:30 and 10:00 in the North Gym.

Wednesday - District PD

Our final district PD is on Wednesday during collaboration in the North Training Room.  I am including a link to a Google Form from Dr. Berry in preparation for this PD. In the PD you will be discussing and reflecting on the outcomes from common, formative assessment implementation and data collected from a protocol Dr Berry provided. We would like for you to complete this BEFORE the PD on Wednesday so we can maximize your time.

 https://forms.gle/B48YmU55zrqypD536 

Solar Eclipse on 4/8/2024

On, Monday, April 8^th, 2024 a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. Although our area (Birmingham) is not in the path to view a total eclipse, we are in a band of 85% obscurity. What does that mean:)? It means that really the only time it is “safe” to view an eclipse is when there is total coverage, we will have 85% coverage or a “partial eclipse”.                                                                                                                                         

 

The best and safest way for all to view would be through the NASA link live stream (included below, 2^nd link) . The timeline for us is roughly 12:40 p.m.-3:17 p.m. to  experience the partial eclipse. This is a cool phenomenon and a great teaching moment in some of our science classes in particular, however, we need to make sure we are communicating that it is not safe to view a partial eclipse while looking directly at the sun as damage to our eyes  can happen! The first link below is a quick, easy way to indirectly view the partial eclipse if teachers wanted to have students make a pinhole projector (it only requires 2 pieces of paper) and the second link is to the NASA site that provides some cool interactive maps and how to view through their live stream.  

To summarize: To ensure safety of our students and staff we will only be viewing the eclipse via livestream. Please include this information in your parent communication.

 

https://youtu.be/2Hj8O-SLWpU?si=n4FOFRNSdDRnDa03

 

https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/

 

Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

To Be Determined

ACAP Video Production

Taylor Knuppel will be working with each grade level to record your portion of the video.  We will send you the final video at at the end of spring break.  Plan to show this video to your class during your morning meeting the Monday of ACAP week (Testing starts Tuesday). 

Lost and Found

Our Lost and Found has gotten out of control again.  Please communicate to your parents to check for any missing items next week.  We will donate any items not picked up the week of spring break.

ACAP Testing Schedule for PES

Paine Precepts (Trying Your Best)

• “I hope you will simply do what you can do in the best way you know. If you do so, you will witness miracles come to pass.” –  Gordon B. Hinckley
• “We have to do the best we can.  This is our sacred human responsibility”  Albert Einstein
• “I do the very best I know, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end” – Abraham Lincoln
• “If you try to do your best, there is no failure – Mike Farrell
• “Doing your best means never stop trying.” – Benjamin Franklin

Weekly Update

 

A Week - March 11-15, 2024

PE:  South PE will be outside this week (weather permitting)

Character Trait Focus: Peace

 Paine Power Word: Interpret

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Paine Practice - Best Practice

Mrs. Bland's Kinder students doing some outside journal writing.

It was a beautiful day to eat lunch outside!

Ms. Ashley Wilk's using Alphabet ARCS to work with 1st grade students.

Mrs. Hayes' 1st grade students were SO engaged in their research/writing about various birds.

GaTE Marketplace at Paine was a HUGE success!!! Thank you to Ms. Morrison & Mrs. Mann.

Congratulations Mrs. Burns and our 5th Grade Math Team. Our 3 teams placed 6th, 8th, & 9th in the Perennial Math Virtual Tournament! We are so proud of them!

.. 
 

Grade Level Assemblies-Monday & Tuesday

We will have our grade level assemblies to recognize students for the 3rd 9  weeks.  The schedule for the assemblies is listed below. 

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO ALTERNATE TESTING WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE AN ALL CALL FOR YOU TO COME TO THE ASSEMBLY. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR CLASSROOMS 10 MINUTES BEFORE ASSEMBLY TIME TO HEAD TO THE GYM. WE MUST STAY ON SCHEDULE AND START EACH ASSEMBLY ON TIME.

Monday:  K-8:30, 1st-9:30 2nd 10:30

Tuesday:  3rd-8:30 4th-9:30 5th-10:30

Alternate Testing

We will begin ACAP Alternate Testing this week.  Please look for signs and make sure students are quiet in those hallways.

Wednesday - District PD

 We will have required ACAP training in the North Training Room during our collaboration time.

 

Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

Grade Level Collaboration in Grade Level Chair Classrooms.

Leadership Trussville to visit PES on 3/14

Leadership Trussville will be visiting our school on Thursday, March 14th.  We are so excited to show all of the wonderful learning at Paine!!!

ACAP Testing Schedule for PES

Family News

Congratulations Hannah and Will Foust on the birth of Caroline Kelly Foust. She weighs 5 lbs 3 oz, 19 inches long and she is beautiful!

Please keep Donna Brumlow and family in your thoughts and prayers. Her mother-in-law passed away today.

Paine Precepts (Words of Encouragement)

• The key to success is you.
• Life will take you to amazing places if you have the courage to try.
• Not every choice is going to be the right one. But, it's the wrong choices that teach you the most.
• You are the narrator of your next great adventure.
• True heroes work hard to make their dreams a reality.