Friday, October 28th, 2016

REMINDER!  No school on Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day.

SCHOOL PHOTOS:  Student school photos were passed out earlier this week and should have arrived home by now.  Those students who had make-up photos taken on October 17th will receive their photos in a few weeks.  Should you require additional photos or re-takes, please contact Catamount Studios directly at 888-7700.

SAVE THE DATE: The Mandatory Winter Sports Parent & Student Info Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd, at 5:30pm in the auditorium.  This meeting will be for students who wish to participate in basketball and cross country skiing.     

Reminder: PBL Awareness Survey for LSSU

Dear Peoples Academy Parent/Guardian/Community Member,

The window for this survey is closing soon, so please take a few minutes to complete the survey if you have not done so already.  

• This survey is designed to help us assess the level of awareness in the community regarding proficiency-based learning and personal learning plans i.e. student portfolios. We are working across Lamoille South Supervisory Union to develop a communications plan to get the word out on our progress on these two Act 77 initiatives. Your feedback will contribute to this plan and is much appreciated:  Click Here for LSSU Awareness Survey

Thank you, 

Karen Weeks, Principal

Friday, October 21, 2016

PAML SPIRIT WEEK:  Monday - Friday (October 24th-28th).  PAML students are encouraged to participate in PAML Spirit Week each day of the week as follows:

Mis-Match Monday

Twin Tuesday

Well-Dressed Wednesday

Comfy Clothes Thursday

Green & Gold Friday

QUARTER 1 ENDS:  October 28th

REMINDER:  No school on Friday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day

SAVING FOR SUCCESS!  Union Bank reps are in the PAML Lobby every Friday morning from 7:30-8:00am to assist students in making deposits into their savings account.

LSSU Awareness Survey

Dear Peoples Academy Parent/Guardian, 

This survey is designed to help us assess the level of awareness in the community regarding proficiency-based learning and personal learning plans i.e. student portfolios. We are working across Lamoille South Supervisory Union to develop a communications plan to get the word out on our progress on these two Act 77 initiatives. Your feedback will contribute to this plan and is much appreciated:  Click Here for LSSU Awareness Survey

Thank you, 

Karen Weeks

Principal

Positivity Post

Some notes on our Positivity Post!

   

Proficiency-Based Learning Information

PROFICIENCY-BASED LEARNING (PBL)

FROM THE GREAT SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP Resources

Here is a resource related our work at PAML as well as schools across Vermont:

Proficiency-based learning refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating that they have learned the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn as they progress through their education. In public schools, proficiency-based systems use state learning standards to determine academic expectations and define “proficiency” in a given course, subject area, or grade level (although other sets of standards may also be used, including standards developed by districts and schools or by subject-area organizations). The general goal of proficiency-based learning is to ensure that students are acquiring the knowledge and skills that are deemed to be essential to success in school, higher education, careers, and adult life. If students fail to meet expected learning standards, they typically receive additional instruction, practice time, and academic support to help them achieve proficiency or meet the expected standards.

Defining proficiency-based learning is complicated by the fact that educators not only use a wide variety of terms for the general approach, but the terms may or may not be used synonymously from place to place. A few of the more common synonyms include competency-based,mastery-based, outcome-based, performance-based, and standards-based education, instruction, and learning, among others.

In practice, proficiency-based learning can take a wide variety of forms from state to state or school to school—there is no single model or universally used approach. While schools often create their own proficiency-based systems, they may also use systems, strategies, or models created by state education agencies or outside educational organizations. 

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Friday, October 7th, 2016 (Click here to read entire posting)

STUDENT SCHOOL PHOTO MAKE-UP DAY:  Monday, October 17th

PARENT PORTAL WILL BE DOWN FOR PLANNED MAINTENANCE:  Beginning Friday, October 7th, 7:00pm until 12:00pm on Sunday, October 9th, the Parent Portal will be down for planned maintenance.  Thank you for your patience.

‘CYBER SAFETY IN MIDDLE SCHOOL’ PARENT MEETING:  Cpl. Ryan Bjerke from the Morristown Police Department, and Jessica Dambach, PA Guidance Counselor, will be at the PA Library on Tuesday, October 11th, 6:30-7:30pm to discuss ‘Cyber Safety in Middle School.’  Cpl. Bjerke will answer questions as well as provide education and safety measures which parents can take to reduce the likelihood your family can be impacted by this widespread practice.  Jessica Dambach will also address ways to have honest conversations with your student around the pressures they may face and consequences they may not fully realize.

YRBS GROUP TRAINING FIELD TRIP:  Peter Hathaway will be taking his ‘YRBS Group’ to the Capital Plaza Hotel in Montpelier on Thursday, October 13th for YRBS training.  Students will depart PAML by bus at 8:00am and will return  at 3:30pm.  Please arrange pick-up with your student at PAML.

A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE: Jeff Boudreau, PAML Climate Coordinator, and Jessica Dambach, PAML Guidance Counselor, will be taking a group of twenty-two PAML 7/8 grade students to downtown Morrisville for their final training to prepare them  to be peer leaders in the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference Peer Training Program at PAML on Friday, October 14, 2016 (8:00am-2:00pm).  

MEADOW FARMS FUNDRAISING PACKETS ARE DUE:  Please ensure your student’s fundraising envelopes have the exact amount of money to match their sales when they hand these envelopes in to their TA no later than Friday, October 14th.

EARLY RELEASE DAY:  Students will be released at 12 Noon on Wednesday, October 19th, for teacher in-service.

STUDENT-LED PARENT CONFERENCES will be held on Thursday, October 20th, between 8:00am-4:00pm.  You may contact Mrs. Herman at 888-1401 to schedule a 20-minute student-led parent conference with your child’s TA.  Should circumstances prevent you from being available for a conference on October 20th, you may contact your student’s TA to schedule a mutually beneficial time.

PLEASE NOTE!  No school on Friday, October 21st.

Parent Portal Down for Planned Maintenance 10-7 to 10-9

This is to inform you that beginning Friday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, Parent Portal will be down for planned maintenance.  Thank you for your patience.

Proficiency Based Learning - What and Why

In my blog post from last week I began to explain a bit about the work we are doing around Proficiency Based Learning (PBL). This week I am sharing a seven minute video that explains some of the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of PBL. I like this student narrated video because it is simple, short, and clear. When "transferable skills" are mentioned, at LSSU we use the term Mission Related Goals.

You can view the video by clicking here. The video represents a snapshot of high school examples of what PBL could look like in the future. Enjoy.

Community Safety Announcement

Many of you may have heard chatter about people dressed as clowns planning on doing harm to people in schools.  Law enforcement officials assure us that none of the threats to schools have been substantiated, including reports about incidents in Vermont schools.

We want to assure you that our school district and Morristown Police Department (MPD) officials work closely together to ensure students are safe and to respond to potential disruptions to school operations, such as this sort of  hoax.

You can help by avoiding the spread of rumors on social media.  Report concerns about student or community safety directly to the Morristown Police and/or to your child's school.  Please also report any information about individuals who may be involved in this sort of threatening, disruptive behavior directly to MPD at 888-4211.

If your child has questions about this hoax, or is worried or feeling stressed about this or any other matter, please encourage them to reach out to their school counselor or any trusted adult at school.

We thank you for your assistance with preventing disruptions to student learning, as this sort of hoax can cause.