Dear Parents,

I hope you had a restful Fall Break!  With the start of the second quarter, I have begun my visits into all of the middle school classrooms. On Friday, I observed a 7th Grade Honors Algebra class. Although I can't claim I was the best at math when I was in middle school, I did enjoy the challenge of solving multi-step equations and inequalities during this class! Perhaps what I loved best was seeing 100% of the students on task and engaged in the lesson.  I was delighted to see students rushing to gather mini whiteboards and markers with only four minutes left in class. They pushed each other along the way, supporting one another in understanding the graphing of inequalities.  I must confess my memories as a student of pre-algebra are a bit different!  Mrs. Rieder's B block class was an absolute joy to watch.  I'm looking forward to visiting all of our teachers' classes in the coming weeks.  I often walk by class doors and want to pop in to see what's going on with our students.  As a parent, I'm all too familiar with the grumblings associated with homework, but I can tell you there is a love of learning filling our hallways.  

Porter-Gaud's campus is always beautiful, but there's something about the crisp fall weather that we all love.  Classes have been meeting in our outdoor classroom or in the seating areas in Shady Acres or on the Green. I caught our teachers soaking up some sunshine on our dress down day to raise funds for breast cancer, and some of our 8th grade students took a break between classes on the railing outside Tyler Hall. The Halloween Carnival this week promises to be a fun event for all of our kids. If you haven't yet ordered wristbands for your middle school student, you can download the form at www.portergaud.edu/Halloween. We also have some extra forms in the Middle School office.  

Friday, October 30th is our Conference Day, and on Wednesday, students will finalize their work on preparing for their conferences. Please be sure to bring your student to the conferences, as at this age, their input on their academic performance is essential!  

This week, we have had one very special arrival! Chelsea Sealy, our 7th and 8th grade Latin teacher, and her husband Clark welcomed their son Levi David.  Our newest Cyclone  arrived at October 19th at 9:26 p.m., weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces and measuring 21.75 inches long.  He is healthy, as is his mom, who is thriled with her new role as a mother! Mrs. Sealy even reports Levi is sleeping well at night. Mrs. Sealy's classes are in the care of Ms. Van Syckel, who is capably carrying on the instruction in Latin classes.  I know our students miss Mrs. Sealy, but I have been pleased with the welcome they have extended to Ms. Van Syckel.  

I continue to be amazed by the work of our students, who manage to balance athletics, fine arts, and their academics.  Our Founders Day Concert showcased our students' talents, and with roles finalized for our upcoming production of Annie, Jr, we are eagerly anticipating this show!  Our Bantam and JV football teams have had incredibly successful seasons, with two huge wins this past Thursday.  The number of middle school athletes on the Varsity tennis team is astounding, as is their success and support of one another. It's a great time to be a Cyclone!  

 

Snapshots from the Classroom

Find your inner Barishnakov

Mr. Bolton's 8th grade World Cultures class has been exploring the tumultous history of Russia.  Students have mastered the geography of the region, the succession of leaders, as well as the different forms of government. They have made connections between articles and news stories currently in the news. I came by class to listen to the impression the students had of Russian history. They cited the changes over time and the impact on Russian culture. Mr. Bolton pointed out there are several Russian contributions, but ballet has certainly been a constant in Russian culture. Mr. Bolton then led the students through a sample dance lesson to deepen their appreciation of Russian ballet!

The Pen is Mightier than the Sword

 

For the second year, Porter-Gaud's Middle School is preparing for SCISA's Battle of the Books competition.  Under the direction of Mrs. Chandler, students have read from a list of twenty books.  Students volunteer to be experts on particular books, and quiz each other on passages to prepare for the competition.  Last year, I was thrilled to bring the kids to the competion and hope to do the same this year.  Our Battle of the Books team gives up their lunch to work in the classrooms to prepare. They represented Porter-Gaud with excellence last year, and I know this year will be no different!  

 

 

 

Always Wear your Safety Gear

Mrs. Flynn's Science classes recently completed a lab that involved doing two chemical reactions in closed systems.  Students learned to see the signs of a chemical reaction that they read about in their ck12.org book, taking a textbook lesson to a hands on learning experience.  Through this lab, students learn the Law of Conservation of Mass.  They see the reactions take place in a closed system, and despite a new substance being formed, the mass remains constant because matter can't be created or destroyed. This backs up John Dalton's Atomic Theory, which was written around 1800 and is still accepted today!  This essential learning will segue into balancing chemical equations and justifies why one must have the same number of each atom on both sides of a chemical equation.

 

 

Color Wheels 

With the start of the second quarter, 6th graders began their exploration of color by making Color Wheels.  The vanilla wafer and icing color wheel is a fun way for students learn about how to mix colors using only primary colors. Each group is given 13 vanilla wafers and red, yellow and blue icing. The students were to make all the colors for their cookie color wheel by using the primary colors. 

 

Award Winning Science Teacher 

At a recent faculty meeting, Jason Fricker was presented with a plaque from Broadcom for his work with a former student on her science fair project. In addtion to a planet named for Mr. Fricker, he also secured a $1,000 grant for our school for science curriculum.  

We currently have fourteen students developing projects for the Lowcountry Science Fair. Students are encouraged to come up with their own ideas, own approach (partners or solo), and their own variables. Mr. Fricker critiques and supports thoughts and processes, as well as monitors progress. It is an in-school and out-of-school commitment which requires time management. In years past, many successful ideas have stemmed from environmentally-focused topics, but any passion or interest is encouraged. Students will meet during lunch throughout the year to prpeare for the Science Fair. If your 7th grade student has an interest in the Science Fair and hasn't yet signed up to work with Mr. Fricker, please encourage him/her to do so this week!  

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them." John F. Kennedy

Thoughts from the Lower School Head

Following your parent/teacher conferences, I hope that you have a good sense of all that your children are doing and where they will be going throughout this school year.  Having completed our first quarter, we are beginning to see the fruits of our efforts as we work to improve various programs within our Lower School.  Our teachers are implementing all the components of our updated Open Court Reading series to enhance reading and language arts skills.  In addition to this, we are working to instill a true love of reading and writing through our workshop models, allowing students to read what they love and use writing to creatively express their ideas.  Our library circulation has jumped from 1550 books in August-September of 2014 to 2519 books for the same months of 2015, an amazing rise of 63% in one year. And speaking of our library - please come in to see our new furniture and redefined spaces.  We are grateful to the Parents Guild for our Wish List grant that allowed us to make our exciting improvements.  Please, stop by when you can.

I would like to share some words of Donnalyn Miller, the author of the Book Whisperer, a book that offers inspiration to all teachers of reading.  She states:

“I want my students to learn what life readers know: reading is its own reward. Reading is a university course in life; it makes us smarter by increasing our vocabulary and background knowledge of countless topics. Reading allows us to travel to destinations that we will never experience outside of the pages of a book. Reading is a way to find friends who have the same problems we do and who can give advice on solving those problems. Through reading, we can witness all that is noble, beautiful, or horrifying about other human beings. From a book’s characters, we can learn how to conduct ourselves. And most of all, reading is a communal act that connects you to other readers, comrades who have traveled to the same remarkable places that you have and been changed by them, too.”

So, I will leave you with a few questions and a word of encouragement:  What great book have you read lately?  What book are you currently sharing with your child?  Visit your local public library together with your child.  Choose books you love and set aside time to read each and every day - alone and together.

Reminders

• Thursday, November 5^th – Lower School Parent Coffee – 8:00am-9:00am in the cafeteria.  Please join us for coffee and conversation.
• We are accumulating an abundance of “lost and found items”.  Please make sure names are in clothing especially coats, sweaters etc…

Introduction to Thankfulness

Our third grade teacher, Mrs. Corbin, shared her vision of thankfulness with students this week.  Through pictures she introduced us to her friend, Lama Tenzin, and the children of his orphanage in India.  We learned through her presentation that thankfulness comes from the heart rather than the things we have.

Pumpkins Ghosts and Goblins

We celebrated Halloween with a fabulous parade and carnival.  Thank you to the PGPG and all of their volunteers for making this a terrific celebration

B Week

Thankfulness Virtue 
Quote of the Day! 

 “It is impossible to feel grateful and depressed in the same moment.” ~ Naomi Williams 

Community: US Assembly, AP Gov. Class Debate (Gwynette) 

* Next week 11/9-11/13 is Philanthropy Week! 

There will be a slightly altered schedule on Monday, 11/9 to accommodate an all school assembly.  We will eliminate the break and keep 45 minute classes.

College Counseling:

Thursday, November 5th 

11:00 am Loyola-New Orleans

Service: 

No Shave November! 

Please bring $5 to Mrs. Luff if you would like to participate in "No Shave November". In addition to no shave, we are offering the chance to wear jeans every Friday in November for $5 !! GIRLS/BOYS FACULTY/STAFF INCLUDED! (3 Fridays, including Philanthropy Week service projects).
Mrs. Luff will record your name and all names will be sent to advisors to check in homeroom. Faculty are encouraged to participate also!
All money needs to be donated by TOMORROW...Thursday, November 5^th to be eligible for the whole month! 

 ( money raised will be donated to local cancer research.)

ALL interested in traveling to Ghana in June, please attend the informational meeting TODAY (Wednesday, November 4th) at 8:30AM
in the library. Please encourage your parents to join us. We will talk in great detail about this incredible experience being offered to all of you! 

Clubs / Events: 

* US Fall Play, The 39 Steps

Sat., 11/7 at 7:00 and Sun, 11/8 at 3:00 p.m.  (THIS WEEKEND!)

Detention this week will be held Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 3:25 to 4:05 in the health classroom with
Coach Wood.

"Gratitude is the sign of noble souls." – Aesop

Reminders

• November 9-13^th is Philanthropy Week.  Please visit   https://www.portergaud.edu/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=6135 to find out more information about activities happening throughout the week. 
• Wednesday, November 11^th – A Day4PG – All students should wear PG spirit gear or come dressed a PG Cyclone (prize will be given to the homeroom class with the most “Cyclone costume” participation. No Chapel uniforms. 
• Due to the rainy Thursdays at the beginning of the intramural season, we are adding two more Thursdays to the intramural calendar this fall.  We will add the 12th & 19th to make up for those missed days.
• Please send in leftover Halloween candy.  We will be donating it to a few different charities.

Field Trip Fun!

Third graders enjoyed learning about food chains, producers, consumers, and decomposers throughout South Carolina's 6 regions at the SC Aquarium. Exploring the touch tank and new shark exhibit were highlights of the trip. Students even had opportunities to touch an American Alligator, sting ray, and king snake --- hands-on learning at its best!

The 4th grade went to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on James Island this week. They learned about plankton and even dissected a squid!

A Visit from Lama Tenzin

Ms. Corbin invited her good friend, Lama Tenzin, Tibetan Buddhist monk and founder of The Children's Education Development Society (CED), to visit third graders this week. He shared his experiences and passion for rescuing children. He also talked about what daily life is like for the boys and girls at CED. Lama Tenzin resides at his 25,000 square foot orphanage, working closely with children ranging in ages from 8-20 years old, many of whom are now graduating and going to some of the best colleges in India. He talked about the virtues of responsibility, friendliness, and thankfulness through his work of helping others. Third graders even learned how to say "thank you" in Tibetan: "Thuk je chey." We are thankful for Lama Tenzin!

Rainy Day Fun

Rainy day recess fun in Mrs. Sallee's 2nd grade classroom.  

Guest Reader

A student purchased a certificate to read to another class from Mrs. Sallee’s  prize box. 

She read to Mrs. Adams first graders. What a treat for everyone!

 Game Day

Mrs. Wey's class celebrated good behavior with a Game Day!

Instrument Encouter

Third grade enjoyed an instrument encounter this week with Mrs. Hull-Dambough. She played the flute and the piccolo. Thank you Mr. Monsell for arranging these encounters for our students with such gifted musicians.

Math App

5th graders used a new iPad app to help introduce the unit on long division. The use of technology seemed to make this important topic a little more enjoyable for all! 

PJs and Forts

Fifth grade students in DeVos' homeroom filled their marble jar and earned a marble celebration. After suggesting several ideas, the students settled on fort building and wearing PJs. Fun was had by all!

Can’t Buy Happiness . . . or Can You?

If you had to choose between buying a brand-new, flat-screen TV or a four-day trip to the beach, which one would you pick?

Visit Parent Talk on Mrs. Jennie’s webpage http://www.portergaud.edu/groups.cfm?groupID=1294

A Week

Thankfulness Virtue 
Quote of the Day! 

“Make it a habit to tell people thank you.  
To express your appreciation,  
sincerely and without the expectation of anything in return.  
Truly appreciate those around you,  
and you’ll soon find many others around you.  
Truly appreciate life, and you’ll find that you have more of it.” ~ Ralph Marston

Philanthropy Week! 

 SPECIAL SCHEDULE TODAY!  NO ADVISORY!

Community: Philanthropy Assembly 

Service:
PHILANTHROPY WEEK – We want you to participate! 

* PHILANTHROPIC CLASS SERVICE PROJECTS
on Friday, November 13^th from 10:30AM-11:30AM

Mrs. Tate will happily take any excess Halloween Candy! 

We are hoping to ship some to soldiers, hard candy in Operation Christmas Child boxes, and the rest will go to Neighborhood House and One80Place. 

 Clubs / Events: 

• The Students to Business club will be having a meeting November 12th from 7 a.m. to 8a.m. The speaker is, the head of human resources Susan Carullo, from MUSC and this meeting is open to anyone. 
   
• Anyone interested in playing Varsity Men's Soccer this year there is an important meeting in the health room after school at 3:30 today!   

• Detention this week will be held Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 3:25 to 4:05 in S&T room 102 with
  Ms. Smith 

 College Counseling:

Freshman College Night is Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 in Gwynette Auditorium.   This is a required meeting for all ninth graders.  The program is designed to introduce students to the college process.  Parents are also invited to attend.

Athletics:     There will be a brief meeting for all students interested in joining the new shooting sports team at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, Nov 10 in the Health Classroom.

Tuesday, November 10th

· Sporting Clays/Shooting Meeting in Health Classroom 3:30pm

Thursday, November 12th

· Cheerleading SCISA Competition at Newberry College 5:30pm (early dismissal 1:15pm)

· Varsity Track Pre-Season Meeting in Health Classroom 3:30pm

Friday, November 13th

· Varsity Football SCISA Semi-finals vs. TBA

Thank you for your constant support! GO CYCLONES!

Dear Parents,

Last week, I had the chance to facilitate conferences for several students in Mrs. Sealy's homeroom. I am always impressed with how well our kids run these conferences, and the pre-conference work the students did in Life 101 for two weeks created interesting discussions. I hope you had positive experiences in your own conferences. Advisors share feedback from these meetings with their grade-level teams. It's a helpful way to assess how we're supporting student learning and determine what steps we can do to further help our students.  

I returned late Friday from a trip to several independent schools in South Carolina and North Carolina.  Seeing what other schools are doing in their own middle schools was fascinating! We all seem to be in the process of analyzing schedule, curriculum alignment, and the social-emotional concerns of this particular age group. After visiting the schools, I felt inspired by their programs, faculty and leadership, but also affirmed by what we offer here at Porter-Gaud's Middle School. Although we have had a rainy start to this Monday, it feels good to be back home in Tyler Hall.  

We have finalized our Middle School exam schedule for December. Advisors will work with students to make sure they know which exam they have on each day. Please note students should only be on campus on the days they have exams, and there are no exams in special area classes. For the first semester, 6th grade exams count as a major test grade, and 7th and 8th grade exams count as 15% of the semester average. Students are encouraged to organize their materials and begin preparing steadily along the way. Teachers wrap up major assessments the week before exams begin, so students can focus on preparing for exams. Students should report to school on time, well-rested, and in dress code.  

EXAM TIMES:

In Life 101 last week, students completed surveys for Mission Skills Assessment. These surveys are a means of gathering data to assess skills not typically measured or recorded on a report card. The surveys show us how our students perform in areas like teamwork, creativity, resilience, and time mangagment. You can read more about this program HERE. The website also lists the other schools who participate in Mission Skills Assessment. We'll share the outcome of this survey at the end of this year.  

In Life 101 this week, students will begin rotating through different programs by grade level. The 8th graders will rotate through mini courses on Ethics, Health and Nutrition, and Mindfulness. They will also meet with Upper School students to discuss honor, handling social pressures, and maintaining strong academic habits. The 7th graders will begin a speaker series that deals with emotional well-being, substance abuse prevention, and digital citzenship topics. The 6th graders will be divided by gender with specific programming targeted for the 6th grade girls and boys. I look forward to my time with the 6th grade girls this week, which will be foucsed on positive peer friendships and kindness, and Ken Hyde will be faciliating a discussion with the 6th grade boys. Although this course is typically taught by Chris Tate,  he has been invited to speak at The Spiritual Child; Educational Practices and Youth Development conference at Teachers College, Columbia University in New York.  We are proud of this recognition of the work Chris has done in developing and implementing a comprehensive character education program in our Middle School. He will begin working with the 6th grade boys in Life 101 the following week.

With Philanthropy Week underway right now and Porter-Gaud featured on the news last week, there is a great deal to share with you!   We are excited to welcome another addition to the PG family - Mary Caroline Hawkins!  Mrs. Mostellar has stepped in to teach the 7th and 8th grade English classes while Mrs. Hawkins is on maternity leave.  

The pieces of our day to day come together with the help of many people, and I feel fortunate to work in such a committed environment.  To provide a different perspective of life in Middle School, I've asked for student volunteers to write about their experiences in school.  You'll find the first contribution below - I hope you enjoy reading her impression of our Middle School.  

We will be hosting a parent coffee on the morning of Thursday, December 3rd.  You'll receive an invitation closer to that date, and I hope to catch up with many of you during that time!  It seems like time speeds up this time of the year; I hope we can all find moments to be grateful for all we have! 

Guest Contributor: Courtenay, 8th Grade

"Here in the Middle School, if a 6th grader dares to sit on one of the 8th grade couches, there's bound to be a squabble. However, there's something about this scene that's undeniably reminiscent of a sibling argument. I've been at Porter-Gaud long enough to say that I have watched the doe-eyed 6th graders marveling at their newfound freedom, the 7th graders beginning to find their unique voice, and 8th graders discovering that they are just too cool for that thing called school. Everyone changes a great deal in Middle School. But one thing that doesn't change is that someone there is always going to have your back. Anyone could tell you that the Porter-Gaud community is a family. The Middle School is no exception, because despite all of our differences, everyone here either has been or is on the same journey as you are. There are days when I forget this, and I let the teen angst win for a moment. But there's always something or someone who can remind me of how incredible this road to knowledge, family, and, as scary as it sounds, high school truly is. Since this month's virtue at Porter-Gaud is Thankfulness, I would like to say that I am so thankful for everything I have been given here and everything that lies ahead."
 

Treats from around the World

Last week, our students in Global Union sponsored a celebration of Hispanic and Latin American month for Middle and Upper students and faculty. We all enjoyed Churros, a cake-like traditional Spanish dessert, Besitos de Coco, coconut flavored cookies popular in Puerto Rice and throughout the Caribbean, and Magdelenas, light and fluffy sweet cakes that originated in Aragon.

Altered Book Sculptures

Our 8th grade students have been working with old books to create sculptures.  These books were set aside for recycling, and students decontructed and repurposed them into lovely works of art!  There are many on display in the auditorium.  

"I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

Maya Angelou

Reminders

Upcoming Days in Rotation

Monday, November 16^th – Day 2

Tuesday, November 17^th – Day 3

Wednesday, November 18^th – Day 4

Thursday, November 19^th – Day 5

Friday, November 20^th – Day 6

• We will have Chapel on Tuesday, November 17^th instead of Wednesday, November 18^th.
• Friday, November 20^th – 1^st grade Thanksgiving Play performance for 1^st grade parents – 9:00am Gwynette Auditorium
• Tuesday, November 24^th – Half Day – Dismissal at 11:30 from the Lower School Carpool loop – We will have Upper School carpool at 12:00 but we will not have Extended Day.

Philanthropy Week

What a wonderful week we have had learning about what it means to be philanthropic.  Our students began Porter-Gaud’s Philanthropy Week with an all-school assembly that prepared them for all the fun planned for the week.  Wednesday was A Day4PG and all the students dressed in Porter-Gaud spirit gear and celebrated our community.  We even had students dressed as cyclones!  The week culminated with our grade level philanthropy projects on Friday where students participated in a variety of activities that benefited many local and international organizations.  A BIG thank you to all of the parents that helped throughout the week!!

Exploring the Ocean Floor

In science lab, 5th graders are exploring the properties of saltwater and the topography of the ocean floor.  After a series of water investigations that focused on following the steps of the scientific method, the students turned their focus to the ocean floor.  First, they drew what they imagined the sea floor looks like and then they used physiographic maps to locate linear and accurate features!

Second Grade Snippets

Finally enjoying the SUN!!!

Learning about non-fiction text features in second grade. 

Playing addition top-it in math is a fun way to practice math facts in 2nd grade 

Third Grade Scientists

Third grade scientists engineered organisms to live in the mountain stream habitat.

Tech Guru

Ms. Spann is our technology guru of the week! She has integrated a student response clicker system for quick checks with her students as well as trying to go paper free with emailing students and using Google Drive. Way to go, Ms. Spann!

Cashing in with Coupons! 

Fourth graders prepared for Thanksgiving dinner in math class this week. Students applied the rules for the order of operations to calculate savings from coupons as they pretended to shop for their Thanksgiving dinner!

Parent Talk

Ms. Jennie has updated Parent Talk – click here to read http://www.portergaud.edu/groups.cfm?groupID=1294

The Bridge

• Room Parents encourage your parents to get the necessary driving forms in in advance of field trips.
• Thank you to all the parents that participated in the coffees and lunches!

Our 3^rd grade room parents organized a fun luncheon for third grade moms.  It looks like fun was had by all!

B Week

Thankfulness Virtue Quote of the Day! 

“Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.”

~ Gertrude Stein

 Community: Chapel / Jewish Life

 Clubs / Events: 

• New to PG students grades 10-12 
  (Thursday in Boardroom @ Lunch)  

• Detention this week will be held Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 3:25 to 4:05 in S&T room LAM 416 with        Mrs. Fox 

 College Counseling:

College Visits This Week - 
Thursday, November 19th  

11:00 am Georgia Southern University 

Athletics:     

There will be a brief organizational meeting Thursday at 3:30 PM for all girls interested in becoming part of PG's new girls' lacrosse team.  The meeting will be held in Coach Fisk's room, S&T room #105.  following the meeting, feel free to stay for a pass-around session on the practice fields.

GO CYCLONES!

Upcoming Days in Rotation

Monday, December 7^th – Day 7

Tuesday, December 8^th – Not a Day in Rotation - Half Day – dismissal at 11:30am; We will have Upper School Carpool but we will not have Extended Day.

Wednesday, November 25^th – Friday, November 27^th – Thanksgiving Break

 The First Thanksgiving

Our first graders made us proud as they presented The First Thanksgiving.  They truly enjoyed performing for all of their audiences.  Welcoming the seniors is always special; it is fun to watch the seniors as they sit and remember back to when they recited these very same lines.  But, there is nothing more special than performing for parents and grandparents.  We are thankful that so many special guests were able to join us as our youngest cyclones took the stage for the very first time.

Spelling Bee

Porter-Gaud recently completed grade level spelling bee competitions for grades 3-8.  We extend a big thank you to Susan Easter who coordinated the Lower School bees, and also to the Lower School teachers (Mrs. Easter, Mrs. Rounds, Mrs. Lambroff, Ms. Spann, Mrs. Baran and Mr. Monsell) who conducted them.  The following students advance to the SCISA Regional Spelling Bee to be held on Thursday, January 14^th: 

• 3^rd Grade:  Rivers Clair & Mac Flynn  (Alternate: William Berger)
• 4^th Grade:  Thomas Beck & Josie Person  (Alternate: Amber Wilsondebriano)
• 5^th Grade:  Ransome Hudson & Daniel Nirenblatt  (Alternate: Camille Greenwell)

Please congratulate these students when you see them.  Go Cyclones!

4^th Grade Visit to the Turtle Hospital 

Marble Party

Don't worry, we are not sleeping on the job!  The Currie Crew is posing in their PJs from their MARBLE PARTY!  Congrats on amazing behavior and hard work in fifth grade.

Lower School Artists

Nine lower school artists recently represented Porter-Gaud at the annual Coastal Carolina Fair Youth Art Show.  Pictured with their work are Libby Miles (1st grade), Annika Baran (2nd grade), Luke Jaimes (2nd grade), Briggs Murray (5th grade), Phillip McClary (3rd grade), Ella McElveen (4th grade), Liendsey Le (3rd Grade), Lani Vo (3rd grade), and Amber Wilsondebriano (4th grade).  Ella's work was recognized with a judge's award and a cash prize.  We are very proud of the hard work of these talented artists!

Spy Math

Mrs.Kent’s math class became spies for the day to investigate the order of operations.

 Learning in the Third Grade

 Wigwam

Did you know that November is Native American Heritage Month? Third graders enjoyed hands-on learning about the first South Carolinians through construction of their very own Catawba wigwams.

Pizza Party for Mrs. Sallee’s Class

Students in Mrs. Sallee’s class enjoyed a pizza celebration for showing their PG spirit during Philanthropy Week. Thank you to the Foundation office for this fun recognition.

Dear Parents,  

I spent the end of last week traveling with several of our middle school students and their sponsor, Mrs. Copenhaver, for Youth in Government in Columbia.  I was sincerely in awe of our students. Their poise, confidence, and passion were energizing. I appreciate Mrs. Copenhaver's work preparing the delegation!  You can read more about the experience from a student perspective from our guest contributor for this week.  

We have a great deal of artwork and outerwear that has been left behind by students. If your child has had art either in the first or second quarter and hasn't brought home any work, please remind your child to bring projects home.  Also, our Lost and Found bin is full of outerwear right now. We will pull all of these items out of the Lost and Found the week we return from Thanksgiving break. Once exams begin, any unclaimed items will be donated to our uniform sale and Neighborhood House.  

I hope you are able to join us for coffee at 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday, December 1st in Washington Hall We will talk about our Reading Comprehension and Study Skills courses. However, the majority of this time will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and spend some time together informally. We hope to see you there!   

When we return from the Thanksgiving break, we have two full weeks of classes before the start of exams. Teachers will work with students to prepare carefully for these assessments.  While there is a great deal of excitement this time of year, it can also be a time of stress. Being well-rested, organized, and prepared will help take some of the stress out of this time of year. Advisors have worked with students to make note of their exam schedules.  Just as a reminder, students should be in dress code and report only during the times they have exams.  

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year, and I'm looking forward to spending the break with my family. Focusing on gratitude and the gift of each and every day puts everything in the right perspective.  I thank you for your support, belief in Porter-Gaud, and most importantly, I thank you for the gift of your children.  An eighth grader, remarking that for some reason most adults don't seem to like middle school students, told me, "We are too old to be considered cute, and too young to be considered responsible."  I told her she was mistaken - our middle school students are wonderful. I can't think of a better way to spend my days! Happy Thanksgiving!

Exam Information

EXAM TIMES:

Winterim Meetings

All out of town Winterim trips will have parent meetings on Tuesday, December 1st at 3:30 p.m.  If for some reason you are unable to attend, please contact Chris Tate at ctate@portergaud.edu

Battle of the Books 

Guest Contributor - Katie K.  (8th Grade) 

The Best of Times

Mrs. Chandler's 8th grade students are completing their study of Dickens' novel, Great Expectations.  Students created their own Victorian newspapers in the style of the newspaper in which Great Expectations was originally published. Their stories included references to plot points that were revealed along the course the novel. Their advertisements also alluded to characters, locations, and situations from the novel.  

Winning Art Work! 

Congratulations to the following middle school students for their winning artwork in the Coastal Carolina Youth Art Contest.  

Philanthropy Week  

I hope you've had the chance to see the pictures posted from Philanthropy week.  It is incredible to see what our school community can do when it comes together!  Our 7th and 8th grade students were strong leaders with the 1st and 2nd graders,  and I know our 6th grade students enjoyed their partnership with the 12th graders and students from West Ashley High School. November 11th also marked the second anniversary of the loss of Coach Clark. We remember Coach Clark each and every day, and his foundation of love and belief in the students fills our hallways.  

A Week

Thankfulness Virtue Quote of the Day! 

Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
-- Charles Dickens

 Tuesday -11/25- Half Day (25 minute classes) 

NO ADVISORY TODAY
NO COMMUNITY TODAY 

 HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY! 
11/25- 11/27 School is Closed. 

Service: 

1. We are currently hosting a gently used clothing drive. Children's clothes will be donated to Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Men's clothes will be donated to Neighborhood House, and Women's clothes will be donated to My Sister's House. 

2. Our 29th annual Toy Drive will be held December 7th - December 11th. Please begin encouraging your students! We will donate toys to 11 different organizations right here in Charleston. 

3. One80Place is hosting a large "Turkey and a $20" this Tuesday from 7AM-4PM. They hope to end homelessness: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/one80place. 

4. We will be forming a Porter-Gaud team to run/walk the Reindeer Run on Saturday, December 12th. Prices go up after tomorrow, so register today and let me know and I'll pick up your packet! http://reindeerrun.org/registration. This is such a fun race. 

5. HALOS is looking for individuals and organizations to "Adopt-a-Family" this holiday season. They will mail you names of neglected children, their ages, and their hobbies and they ask for you to sponsor that child this holiday season. You can email me or Tara Durham directly: tara@charlestonhalos.org. There are still over 400 children that need support this holiday season.