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What does it mean to Self-Direct?
Self-Direction is the ability and learned skill to cast a vision of future goals and then take intentional steps toward who, where, and what we want to be. Instead of focusing on things to control or avoid, we emphasize our responsibility to make positive choices related to our emotions, attitudes, and actions.
Why focus on Self-Direction?
Self-Direction strengthens relationships. Self-Direction helps to grow social skills and develop meaningful, positive relationships with others.
Self-Direction teaches personal responsibility. Learning to Self-Direct teaches students to take responsibility for their own actions.
Self-Direction helps us to regulate emotions: Self-Direction empowers students to regulate their impulses and emotional responses to situations and circumstances in their life.
Self-Direction in Action:
Practice goal setting and action planning. When we establish goals and develop action plans, we learn to take intentional steps to successfully achieve goals.
Monitor and adjust. Provide students with regular feedback and opportunities to self-assess progress toward goals to make adjustments and improvements in their behaviors.
Reflect and evaluate. Facilitate discussions and reflection to prompt students to examine what they do, think, and say against their goals and vision for their life and learning.
This magnet includes:
Important school dates and breaks
End-of-nine-weeks reminders
A space to track student absences
A QR code for submitting absence notes online
Please place it on your fridge or another spot at home where it’s easy to see. Together, we can help every student know that attendance matters!
Today is National Talk Like A Pirate Day!
Give today your Pirate best, and so will we Pirates here at Paw Paw Schools!
Today we will host the peg leg balance competition, the walk the plank competition, best pirate impersonation, the best dressed pirate, and have a jolly good time!
Tomorrow is Talk LIke a Pirate day! Students are encouraged to wear their pirate gear and there will be a pirate pep rally at 2:30pm.
Meet Preston Jamison - Custodian
Preston Jamison has been working as an afternoon and evening custodian at Paw Paw High School for just under a year. Each day when he arrives, he takes out the trash and cleans the school, helping keep the building safe and welcoming for everyone.
Preston says he enjoys working at PPHS because it’s close to home and the work is straightforward. The most challenging part of the job, however, comes on game nights when there’s extra cleaning to be done. Outside of school, Preston enjoys singing karaoke. He shared that he wishes more students noticed the “little things”, like the messes that staff end up cleaning up, and encouraged students to be more mindful. If he could give advice to students about respecting and appreciating school staff, he would simply say: “Think about the things that you do.” Interview conducted by Nathan Dick and Braylen Paul
Meet Charlana Hornick – Elementary Aid ECAT
Mrs. Charlana Hornick has been part of Paw Paw Schools for the past five years and has worked as an elementary aide for three years. Her days can be different every day, but her work includes assisting students who need extra one-on-one support, helping teachers with additional tasks, and providing interventions for students struggling with their learning or managing their emotions. The part of her job she enjoys most is working with the students. She loves watching them grow and learn. She says she hasn’t faced any challenges because this is her dream job. Mrs. Hornick was drawn to this field so she could be on her children’s schedule after moving from Maryland. Outside of school, she enjoys horseback riding and farming. She believes students don’t always realize how much effort staff put in to make sure their needs are met. Every day brings new experiences, giving her memories that will last a lifetime. Her advice to students on respecting and appreciating school staff: “Be easy on the school staff, because one day, you could be in their shoes.” Interview conducted by Kyndal Corbett, Tori McConnell, and Malia Heath
Meet Brittany Armel – Kindergarten Aide
Brittney Armell has been working at Paw Paw Schools for just one month, but she’s already making a big impact. Each morning, she helps students with meals and cleanup, supports children with a variety of skills and needs, and gives extra help once classwork begins. She says Mondays are the most challenging part of her week. Since Brittney is still new, she hasn’t made many memories yet, but she looks forward to creating them in the years ahead. Brittney chose this job because she has always wanted to work with kids. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her own children. She says, something students may not realize is the level of hard work that goes into her job. Her advice to students about respecting and appreciating school staff: “Be nice! You never know the day someone has had or is having”. Interview conducted by Nathan Dick and Braylen Paul
Today we celebrate our school service personnel. Paw Paw Schools is thankful everyday for the love and support our school service personnel have for our students and our school!
Meet Jennifer Hoopengardner – School Cook
This is Jennifer Hoopengardner’s first full year as a cook at Paw Paw Schools. She enjoys the school environment and especially appreciates the close-knit feel of a small school. So far, she hasn’t found anything too challenging, and she wanted to work here because it makes it easier to be where her children go to school. A typical day for Jennifer begins early, preparing breakfast so students can start their morning with a good meal. After cleanup, she helps plan and cook lunch, serves students, and makes sure the kitchen is cleaned and ready for the next day. Like all school cooks, she works hard behind the scenes to make sure students are fed, safe, and cared for throughout the day. Outside of school, Jennifer loves riding horses. Since she’s still new, she hasn’t made too many memories yet, but she knows they’ll come with time. Many students don’t realize how much hard work goes into being a school cook. Her advice to students about respecting and appreciating school staff: “Be respectful to all staff”. Interview conducted by Nathan Dick, Braylen Paul
Today we celebrate our school service personnel. Paw Paw Schools is thankful everyday for the love and support our school service personnel have for our students and our school!
Meet Kim Galliher – School Cook
Kim Galliher has been part of Paw Paw Schools for 15 years and has worked in Morgan County for a total of 22 years. Inspired by her children, Kim chose a career as a cook and has enjoyed working with kids ever since. Her days start early, preparing breakfast so every student begins with a healthy meal. After cleanup, she moves straight into planning and cooking lunch, checking food orders, and making sure everything follows food safety standards. Thursdays are the hardest day of the week, since that’s food delivery day, and it takes extra time and energy to unload and organize supplies. Beyond the daily routine, Kim also helps prepare food for school field trips, making sure students are cared for outside the cafeteria too. Outside of school, Kim enjoys camping, swimming, and spending time with her grandchildren. She says most students think cooks just open boxes and cans, but there’s much more to the job. Over the years, she has gathered many wonderful memories from her time in the kitchen. Her advice to students about respecting and appreciating school staff: “Cooks deserve more respect”. Interview conducted by Nathan Dick and Braylen Paul
Meet Heather Kesner – High School Special Education Aid
Ms. Heather Kesner is a special education aide and autism mentor who has been working at Paw Paw Schools for four years. She spends her days attending classes with 9th grade students and assisting them with assignments, finding joy in seeing their faces light up when they finally understand a difficult task or when she hears their laughter. While she enjoys the rewarding moments, she finds it challenging to help students navigate social skills since everyone wants to fit in and make friends. Ever since she was a little girl playing school with her dolls, Ms. Kesner dreamed of working in education. Outside of school, she enjoys family time, camping, visiting waterfalls, participating in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, attending church, and continuing her college studies. Many students may not realize that aides attend just as much training as teachers. One of her favorite memories was chaperoning a Skyzone field trip in Hagerstown, where a dizzying ride left her laughing along with her students. Her advice to students is: “Remember that words hurt no matter what the role is, or a person's age. If you wouldn’t want it to be said or done to you, do not do it to others. Kindness makes the world go around.”Interview conducted by Ms. Ritenour
Meet Stephen Mcdoniel - Bus Driver
For the past three years, Stephen Mcdoniel has been the morning and afternoon bus driver for Paw Paw High School. His day begins at 6:00 a.m. picking up students and making sure they arrive safely by 7:30, and he finishes around 4:30 after the afternoon routes. In addition to his daily schedule, he also drives for field trips and helps with volunteer events like “Stuff the Bus.”
Stephen says his favorite part of the job is interacting with students. He loves being the first person to greet them each morning and watching them grow up year after year. The most challenging part, he admits, is driving new routes, which can be intimidating at first.
Before joining PPHS, Stephen retired from the fire department and wanted another way to give back to his community. Outside of school, he enjoys crafting, building, and traveling. He reminds students that driving a school bus requires constant attention and care not only by operating such a large vehicle but also making sure everyone on board is safe.
Meet Dave Bohrer – Custodian
Mr. Bohrer has been a custodian for Paw Paw School for ten years. A typical day for him is filled with lots of work, with the most difficult part being cleaning the bathrooms. His favorite part of his job is working with and helping the staff and students. He also enjoys being close to home. He started working at the school because he thought it would be a nice place to work, and he needed a job. Outside of school Mr. Bohrer enjoys racing, hunting, fishing, riding four-wheelers, and watching old western movies. He says most students don’t realize just how much time and effort it takes to keep the school running. His favorite part of the day is getting thanked for what he does. When asked for advice to students on how to respect and appreciate school staff, Mr. Bohrer said: “Learn to listen to your elders, do what you’re told, learn all you can and get a good education” Interview conducted by Kyndal Corbett and Matthew Abrell
Today we celebrate our school service personnel. Paw Paw Schools is thankful everyday for the care and support our school service personnel have for our students and our school!
Meet Wendy Cowgill – Secretary
Wendy Cowgill has been part of Paw Paw Schools since 2006. Her days are always busy managing attendance, lunch counts, and sometimes even stepping in as the school nurse. She enjoys the social side of her job, especially meeting and talking with new people. The most challenging part, she says, is handling the financial responsibilities. Wendy chose to work in a school so she could spend summers with her daughter. Outside of work, she loves playing games, watching the river from her porch, and spending time with her daughter and grandchildren. Something most people don’t realize is just how many responsibilities her job really involves. One of her funniest memories was when she tried fixing a jammed copier, only to spill toner all over the floor. Her advice to students on respecting and appreciating school staff: “Always respect and appreciate school staff, because they are dedicated to helping you succeed”.
Interview conducted by Kyndal Corbett and Matthew Abrell
It has a taste like a tropical-flavored fruit, which tastes like a mix of banana and mango. You can observe the day by visiting farmers' markets, picking pawpaws yourself, or trying out pawpaw recipes.
While once common, it is now considered a "forgotten fruit" but is a staple at many farmers' markets and can be foraged locally.
Our dedicated service personnel provide vital services to our children and we could not run our school systems without them. For many children, our hard-working service personnel are the first people who greet them in the morning, whether it be on the bus or serving breakfast in the school cafeteria. They keep our offices running smoothly, ensure our facilities are clean and well- maintained and provide critical assistance to our special needs students. It truly takes a village to educate and nurture our students, and our state’s school service personnel are a essential part of the village!
