Ms. Pell's Counselor's Corner

       

 The Counselor’s Corner

Working together to help each child reach their    

STAR potential!    

 

     

     

February and March have passed us by! 

Here are updates on what has been going on in the Valley Elementary Counseling Department:

FEBRUARY SNAPSHOT:    Kindness & Caring

It was a challenge with all of the bad weather days, but my students were still able to accomplish a lot in February!

Pre-Kindergarten: Carrie the Caring Cat visited the students and taught them the importance of caring for other.  We discussed what caring looks and sounds like.

Kindergarten & First Grade: Students learned from Froggy’s mistakes in this month’s lesson. Froggy was having a hard time remembering the importance of using kind words.  He found himself without friends because of his poor choices to name-call and tease others.  The students, along with Froggy’s friend “Jake the Snake,” did a great job helping to get their favorite green friend back on track!

Second & Third Grade: How do our words feel to others? The 2^nd & 3^rd graders’ lesson  was entitled “Cotton versus Sandpaper Words.”   Students were asked to feel two sides of a box, one side was covered in cotton and the other was covered with sandpaper.  We had great discussions about how this related to the words we choose to speak to others and how those words affect them.

Fourth Grade: After TWO attempts to reschedule their classes due to snow days this month, we gave up and I will provide their February lesson in June.

Fifth Grade: How can pepper, sugar, water and soap be used to teach a lesson about the impact of our words and actions on others?  Ask your 5^th grader to explain it to you!  The students did an awesome job with the “Pepper Experiment!”  Turns out pepper is like people.  Our hurtful words/actions (soap) drives people (pepper) away and our kind words/actions (sugar) brings people (pepper) back to us…

Fifth Grade: Students also received an anti-tobacco presentation, “Tar Wars’” from our local substance abuse prevention specialist, Martha White.

KINDNESS TREE: In addition to our lessons, many of my students also made kindness hearts that I placed on a tree that is in our hallway near the library.  If you need a little “pick me up”, stop by and read a few kind words from them!

 

MARCH SNAPSHOT:    Career Awareness

Pre-Kindergarten:  Due to bad weather days, pre-k March lessons will be made up in June.

Kindergarten & First Grade:  Students participated in an interactive lesson with a career riddle book called “What’s my Job?”  We also took a look at a few “tools of the trade” for several careers.

Second Grade: Playing career charades is so much fun! I had a great time along with the students when we chose a variety of careers to act out, either individually or in teams. We learned about the importance of all careers and talked about what things we should consider when choosing a career of our own. 

Third, Fourth & Fifth Grade:  Students played “Career Tic-Tac-Toe” by listening to clues about several occupations and trying to guess the careers.  We also discussed the importance of planning ahead for our future so that we are able to have the career we choose. 

In addition, our 2^nd and 4^th grade students participated in an assembly on March 12th with Miss West Virginia, Paige Madden, who spoke to them about bullying and violence.  She taught them how to S.I.T. (stop, ignore, tell).  It was a great presentation!

As always, thank you for sharing your child with me.

Crystal Pell

School Counselor

April Calendar of Events

Welcome to SPRING and Sunny Skies Everyone!!!!!!! April has arrived and with it comes our FINAL Three Months of the School Year. Below you will find the Calendar of Events for April  @ Valley Elementary.

• April 10th, 2015
• 4th Grade Dance (6pm-8pm) in the Gym
• End of the 3rd Ten Week Grading Period

• April 15th, 2015: Spring Pictures (Both Class and Individual)

• April 17th & 18th: PTA Officers & Mr. Graham will be attending the 2015 PTA Conference in Parkersburg WV. 

• April 20th, 2015: Circus/ Carnival Meeting @ 6:30pm in the library at Valley Elementary. If you would like to help out with the end of the year celebration please join us for the meeting!!!!

• April 21st, 2015: PTA Meeting @ 6:30pm in the library at Valley Elementary. 

•  April 23rd, 2015: Art Show @ Valley Elementary (3pm-6pm) 
• Parent Volunteer Coordinator Shirley Rogers is organizing BAKED GOODS Donations for the Art Show. If you would like to help out....Please Contact Shirley @304-698-3127.

• April 25th, 2015: Calendar Party Fundraiser @ the Cornerstone Church Invitation Only Event.

• April 28th, 2015: Kindergarten Field Trip to WVU Farms

• May 7th, 2015: Set-Up for teachers Luncheon. Contact Kim Wimer  (304-680-1969)
• May 8th, 2015: Teachers Luncheon 

Our Students and Teachers need YOUR HELP! Below you will find 2 Projects that are currently on our Donors Choose site. Take a look at these projects and read about our deserving children. Share the project with the community and help our children expand their academic achievement with these materials. 

Inquiry Minds: Learning by Experiencing 

Mrs. Strahin's trips & visitors project at Valley Elementary School in Arthurdale, WV | High Poverty

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/inquiry-minds-learning-by-experiencing/1466809/

20 days left!

  

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$5,924 to go

19 donors

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My Students: A typical day in my classroom involves hands-on learning, reading chapter book novels, Inquiry through research, science and math labs, writing, and positive reinforcement of my students learning.

My students are mostly from rural areas and come from low income families. Our school receives free breakfast and 

lunch for all students this school year. Most of my students are eager to learn and seem to 

enjoy coming to school. They enjoy being told what a great job that they do and how 

awesome they are.

My Project: My students would like to visit the State Capitol museum in Charleston, WV. 

They will take snap shots of various artifacts in the museum and use the pictures when 

writing their research paper and answering questions about the State Capitol.

My project will make a difference in helping the students to bring history alive. They will be 

able to visit the museum and actually see and hear in person what the State Capitol is really 

like. The class trip will change my students lives from not only reading about our capitol and 

how the government works, but they'll be able to see and experience touring the capitol for 

themselves. My students will also get to experience sitting down and eating a meal in a 

restaurant.

My students need transportation to tour the state capitol, and money for lunch.

Room on the Rug for All 

Ms. Moore's supplies project at Valley Elementary School in Arthurdale, WV | High Poverty

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/room-on-the-rug-for-all/1501590/

  

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My Students: Our classroom is one full of learning, energy and love. This is my first year as a kindergarten teacher, I have been in awe with how much my students have grown in such a short amount of time!

I have the pleasure of teaching 20 five and six year olds every day! My student's 

live in the beautiful mountains of rural West Virginia. We have a population of 60% + free 

and reduced breakfast/lunch at our school. My students and I have really been on an 

amazing journey together this year. Starting out as nervous, wide-eyed, children 

transforming into confident readers, authors, illustrators, mathematicians and 

so much more! Some of my students have difficult home situations, it is my hope 

that I can be a person of positiveinfluence, one they can look up to and count on for support. 

The biggest challenge I face is one of funding (who's isn't though!) I want to be able to 

provide my students with the best education possible. At times with the cost of 

educational supplies this can be very difficult. I want to be the teacher that helps them 

to fall in love with education the way many past teachers did for me.

My Project: My student's would benefit from these materials tremendously! We have a very 

small carpet to gather for calendar and morning meeting. Often this result in some children 

sitting on the cold tile with no space to fit on the rug. A larger rug would accommodate 

everyone with comfort! An easel in the room would help in so many ways. Often times we 

read using "big books" it is difficult to keep the book open while reading and still making sure 

my students are paying attention and engaged. With a book easel, I would be able to 

secure it to the board while being free to use my hands and eyes to keep my attention 

on my kids. My student's and I could also use an art drying rack. We have minimal space 

in the room and finding areas to dry 20+ art projects while still finding room to teach can 

be a task. With an art drying rack we will be able to neatly dry projects. In addition my 

students will use the sentence builders in writing workshop, and puzzles/ ABC pops 

for letter and number practice.I tell my students all the time that they are important, 

smart, special and can do anything they set their minds to. They need to hear this from 

me because for some it may be the only time they hear it. These supplies will enable 

my student's to receive the education they deserve! 

I know the materials will make my students happy, but for me, it is more about being able 

to show them that I and others care and want them to succeed!

My students need a carpet for morning meeting, an easel for read aloud/general instruction, 

an art drying rack, number puzzle, silly sentences and alphabet pops!

                                

As our school year slowly dwindles down, there is the ever watchful eye on 

the construction happenings at our school. Following a Construction meeting 

April 1st, 2015 we are excited to announce things will be moving forward by the

END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR!!!!

At the meeting the Bid was awarded to the General Contractor that build

Central Preston's new school. They will begin moving in and preparing the site 

as soon as the paperwork and the contracts are signed. No Major Work will 

begin until the END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR as the first part of the construction 

is some REMODELING that will occur in our Existing School. We are excited 

about the changes that are coming, and hope parents, teachers, and all VES

staff can work together to make the potential challenges, and obstacles that 

may occur as easy on all us as easy as possible. 

February and March Student of the Month

 February and March 

Students of the Month

February

• Mr. Foley: Damian Thomas
• Mrs. Nottingham: Alexander Warren

March

• Mr. Foley: Cody Pack
• Mrs. Nottingham: Gage Barto

 

February

Ms. Dewitt: Jake Gibson

Ms. Moore: Bailey Field

Mrs. Pifer: Brier Zinn

Mrs. Thompson: Tyler Glover

March

Ms. Dewitt: Payton McDonald

Ms. Moore: Virgina Arnold

Mrs. Pifer: Bailey Turner

 Mrs. Thompson: Chloey Paugh

February

Ms. Bishoff: Chase Weaver

Mrs. Fortney: Austin Tennant

Mrs. Williams: Madeline Funk

March

Ms. Bishoff: Kirsten Chipps

Mrs. Fortney: Jozie Burke

Mrs. Williams: Tobey Crawford

Mrs. Deberry: Joseph Smouse

February

Mrs. Hilling: Savannah Fields

Ms. Sponaugle: Lacey Glover

Ms. Goodrich: Gwendalyn Weaver

March

Mrs. Hilling: Tristan Smith

Ms. Sponaugle: Tyler Roman

                                             Ms. Goodrich: Jonathan Simms

February

• Mrs. Bell: Emma Volk
• Mrs. Sypolt: Ava Liston
• Mrs. Miranov: Matt Mayne

March

• Mrs. Bell: Camryn Smith
• Mrs. Sypolt: Skye Adams
• Mrs. Miranov: Mason Kelly

February

Mrs. Sisler: Kaylee Henigin

Mrs. Strahin: Koty Trenum

Mrs. Rose: Crystal Miller

Mrs. Deberry: Vanessa Helmick

March

Mrs. Sisler: Maggie Swain

Mrs. Strahin: Kyrah Barbato

Mrs. Rose: AJ Chico

Mr. Blaney: Burl Sapp

February

• Ms. Jones: Makayla Bell
• Mrs. Durr: Waylon Persinger
• Mrs. McDonald: Hayden Cecil

March

• Ms. Jones: Kella Moon
• Mrs. Durr: Natalie Annon
• Mrs.McDonald: Kacie Gallardo