The Pizitz Post
for Students, Parents & Families - January 9, 2023
Student Feedback
We recently asked for feedback from our students regarding their thougts on the middle school experience at Pizitz. Their responses were very helpful. Generally speaking, students shared that the best part of Pizitz are the people- both their friends and the staff. I agree! They also shared that they enjoy pep-rallies, electives, athletics, clubs and opportunities for choice during the school day. Some kids even commented on the school's cleanliness and crisipitos in the lunchroom.
As you might guess, they dislike iReady lessons and GoGuardian the most. Many students have put in a request for free-seating in the lunchroom as well. Unfortunately for them, we do still need to utilize iReady to help us measure their growth throughout the year, but our teachers are working to ensure that iReady is not over-utilized in the classroom. We are also working to provide them with more opportunities for free-seating in the lunchroom. We are asking that students think about being responsible for clean-up and working to include everyone in their seating choices.
As for pep-rallies, our teachers and staff look forward to these events too. We love having opportunities to celebrate a wide range of student teams and groups at our school. Our next pep-rally is scheduled for Thursday, January 19. We look forward to our Red, White, and Blue Bash. Each grade-level is encouraged to wear an assigned color that day: 8th grade- red; 7th grade- white, 6th grade- blue. We look forward to cheering on our teams!
We will plan on streaming the event and sending out the link prior to our pep-rally that afternoon.
Overview of Expectations
On Friday, January 6, we held grade-level assemblies to remind all students of our expectations for school behavior. We challenged them to hold each other accountable to these expectations in the new year.
We highlighted the following areas: moving throughout the building (going where they say they will go); technology-use (using Chromebooks for school purposes and keeping phones put away); carpool (paying attention and going immediately when their name appears on the screen); shared spaces (leaving places better than we found them); and speech (thinking before we speak and ensuring that language is true and kind).
You can review our core values, the parent-student handbook and our behavior expectations on our website under the students and families tab.
Looking Ahead
Here are a few important dates to note:
- January 9: PTO Meeting at noon (let us know if you would like to join the meeting virtually)
- January 9: iReady Mid-Year assessment for Math (altered schedule)
- January 10: iReady Mid-Year assessment for Reading (altered schedule)
- January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- No School
- January 19: 8th Grade Morning Assembly (with VHHS); Pep-Rally
*You can check out our school calendar for more details on scheduled events at Pizitz.
Spring Athletics
*Some parents have asked about 6th graders participating in school supports. We follow the AHSAA guidelines which only permits 7th and 8th graders to participate at the middle school level.
Indoor Track & Field
Congratulations to the Track & Field team for their performance at the Middle Meet #2 on January 5. Twenty-five athletes qualified to compete in the Middle School Championship on January 19.
The following athletes placed top 3 in their events:
Krislyn Thomas - 1st in Pole Vault at 9'8", setting the All-Time CrossPlex record and is ranked #1 in the NATION for 8th grade Middle School Girl Pole Vaulters!!
Walker McInnis - 2nd in High Jump
Men's 4x200m Relay - 2nd Place with Cance Mills, Spencer Kyle, Garrett Jones, and Patrick Arnold
Track & Field will compete again on Thursday, January 12 at the CrossPlex at 4:00 p.m. Go Pirates!
Rebel Volleyball Academy
Attention 6th graders: If you are interested in participating in Rebel Volleyball Academy please complete the sign-up form below. The Academy runs from January to April with 2-3 practices each month from 6-7:30 at the Freshman Campus. The cost of the academy is $250. If you have any questions please see the form below or contact Coach Ashley Hardee (rebelvba@gmail.com).
Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeX5_4SGtibMpmoBi3PTh_QVrjcIYMjRmSQiIJ2WF_Nd-mxTQ/viewform
Spring Show Auditions
This year, we are excited to bring back a spring show for students interested in theatre. Students will be performing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory March 16, 17, and 18. Sign-ups took place last week. All auditions will take place during 8th period this week, January 9-12. The cast list will be made available on January 13.
If you have questions regarding auditions or expectations, feel free to contact our theatre teacher, Miss Starr via email at starra@vhcs.us.