Todd Binnicker, Principal

In September, the United States Department of Education made the official announcement that Powdersville Middle School was named a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Powdersville Middle is proud to be one of five South Carolina schools and the only middle school in SC to be recognized for this prestigious award.

I had the distinguished honor of representing our school at the National Blue Ribbon Schools awards ceremony in Washington D.C. on Friday, November 5, 2021. I was able to accept a plaque and flag on behalf of our entire school community. Our school will serve as an example for other schools throughout our nation. I am so proud of our school! Thank you to our students, faculty, staff, and families, both past and present, for all your efforts to make Powdersville Middle such an amazing school. Congratulations!

The next few months will prove to be very busy for us at Powdersville Middle as numerous activities are scheduled including basketball games and musical concerts. Please see “Events” section at the end of this newsletter.

As we enter this wonderful time of year, on behalf of the faculty and staff of Powdersville Middle, I would like to take this opportunity to say I am thankful for our students, parents, and community and wish all of you a most joyous holiday season.

Below is the link:

https://www.anderson1.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=364

What is ICU? ICU stands for the Intensive Care Unit, just like a hospital. ICU is an academic support system for students and a communication tool for teachers and parents and is built around a school-wide electronic database that tracks missing assignments. All students completing all assignments is the foundation of this program. Students learn quickly if they have one missing or poor quality assignment, their learning is suffering and needs attention.

Students with missing or poor quality assignments have their names placed on an ICU list that can be viewed by all staff members. Students are asked by a variety of staff members: "Who do you owe?" "What do you owe?" "What do you need?" "How can I help?" Staff members re-teach content material and provide students with extra assistance to complete their work: before school, during lunch, after school, etc. Names are removed from the ICU list when assignments are completed and quality work has been done.

It is crucial that parents, teachers, and administrators are all on the same page and convey the message that "All students will complete all assignments and do quality work."

If your child's name is placed on the ICU List:

You will receive a text and email message.

Your child will be given an opportunity to complete the assignment on his/her own.

If the work remains unfinished, additional arrangements may become necessary for your child to complete the assignment (e.g. before school, during lunch, after school, etc.)

Does your student have trouble managing their time? Are you receiving multiple ICU notifications saying your student hasn’t turned in xyz… Perhaps your student needs to work on their time management skills! Whether your student struggles in this area, procrastinates, or so far seems to do well, appropriate time management skills are essential to success in life. You can help by developing an after-school schedule with your student each week. Start by penciling in time for the obvious (supper, shower/bath, bedtime). Then schedule time for chores and any practices or extracurricular events. From there help your student assess how much time they have left between the time they get home and bedtime to complete assignments and study. Many students discover they have more time than they thought. Some students find that weekends need to be utilized more, especially if they are super involved in after-school activities. Don’t forget to schedule some downtime too! School is a full-time job, and middle school students’ bodies are changing and developing more than ever before. All of that consumes a lot of energy! Having some downtime where they can relax and destress is essential too. Showing your student how to purposefully schedule fun, like playing Xbox for 30 minutes vs 3 hours, actually helps them establish appropriate boundaries. Helping your student learn time management skills in middle school will increase their likelihood of success in high school and beyond. It will reduce your stress as well!

Megan Cole, Yearbook Manager

Yearbook sales are underway. They can be purchased online through a link on our website or you can bring cash or a check made payable to PVMS to the school office or Mrs. Cole. If you want to personalize your yearbook, you must order it through the Josten's website. The link is on our website.

The cost of the full color, 90+ page yearbook is $45 through December 30th

Beginning on January 1st, yearbooks cost $50

8th Grade Ads may be ordered online until February 4th

Last day to personalize your yearbook is February 21st

The final day to order your yearbook is April 24, 2022. After this date, yearbooks will only be available for purchase if there are extra ones, on a first-come-first-serve basis, and they will cost $50, cash only.

The "Wings of Fire" book club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. Please contact Ms. Gillespie with any questions at gillespiea@apps.anderson1.org .

Band's Winter Festival will be held on Tuesday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m. in the Powdersville High School auditorium.

Powdersville Middle School offers the opportunity to purchase gift cards as a great way to earn credit for your child’s school field trips and to help Powdersville Middle reach its goals for school improvement! Every gift card you purchase gives you 100% of the purchase value in addition to a designated credit percentage (80% of profit) towards your child’s trip and a designated percentage (20% of profit) towards the school's improvement goals. This program has paid the entire field trip cost for many of our students and their parents in past years. Consistency is the key! Don’t buy gas without gift cards! Ingles and WalMart/Sam’s Club give discounts on gas if you buy with gift cards! Don’t buy groceries, eat out, or go to the movies without gift cards! Don’t buy birthday, wedding, or shower gifts without gift cards! Don’t do home improvements or purchase appliances without gift cards! Definitely don’t go shopping without gift cards! Encourage relatives, neighbors, and co-workers to order gift cards in your child’s name.

There are many gift cards available through our online ordering. To get started, go to www.scripzone.com. Our group ID is 864269PMS. It is best to use your child’s name when you register as a new user.

• Order by Tuesday morning and get them Thursday afternoon. You may pick them up at the school or we can send them home with your child.

• We are not able to accept postdated checks.

• A record is kept of your child’s credit through our online software. A record of your credit may be requested through e-mail (pvmsgiftcards@gmail.com).

• We are not able to exchange gift cards after they have been picked up or sent home by your child. Please check your written or online order carefully before submitting. If we make a mistake in filling your order, we will be glad to make the necessary correction. We keep order forms on file for verification.

• Plan ahead for what you will need for holidays. Filling orders the week before holidays is very challenging and availability is not guaranteed. Order early to ensure that you get what you need!