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.

Weekly Update

B Week - February 26 - March 1, 2024

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

Character Trait Focus: Peace

 Paine Power Word: Examine

Lesson Plan Checks - Monday Morning 

Paine Practice - Best Practice

Thank you to Mrs. Dickie for planning a GREAT Read Across America Week!

 t

Mayor Choat reads to students!

Dr. Martin reads to students!

A HTMS student reads to his 5th Grade Teachers' classes via Zoom!

GaTE Marketplace - Tuesday

ACCESS Testing for Paine EL Students

ACCESS Testing will continue through Tuesday.

Wednesday - District PD

 We will collaborate with our grade level teams.

Mark Calendars for ACAP required Testing Training During Collaboration on 3/13.

 

Thursday Afternoon - Early Release Time

We will have our MTSS Turnaround Training.

Leadership Trussville to visit PES on 3/14

Leadership Trussville will be visiting our school on Thursday, March 14th.  More information to follow soon.  Please go ahead and update the student work outside of your classrooms. Let's show all of the incredible learning happening at Paine!

ACAP Testing Schedule for PES

Please note: Our testing schedule has moved up a week from the original date communicated. We will now be testing the first week of April.

Family News

Congratulations to Lawson Cribb on her engagement!

Paine Precepts (PEACE)

M: Peace begins with a smile. - Mother Theresa
T: “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” Eleanor Roosevelt
W: Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. - Jill Jackson & Sy Miller
T: Peace is our gift to eachother. - Elie Wiesel
F: Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding. - Albert Einstein