2023 Milken Educator Award Recipient – Ainsley Van Buskirk, 1st grade teacher Pactolus Global School –
Film has the oscar, music has the grammy, science has the nobel, sports has the gold medal. What about educators? The Milken Educator Award honors top educators around the country. The Milken Family Foundation bestows the award annually to recognize exceptional early-to-mid career education professionals. Candidates for the award are identified through a confidential selection process and then reviewed by blue ribbon panels appointed by state departments of education. In addition to receiving a $25,000 prize, Ainsley will join a group of nearly 3,000 top teachers, principals and specialists. She is the first Milken Educator Award honoree in Pitt County since former J.H. Rose High School mathematics teacher Margert Wirth was recognized in 1999. Ainsley will attend an all-expenses-paid Milken Educator Awards Forum in Los Angeles in June 2024, where they will network with their new colleagues, as well as veteran Milken Educators and other education leaders about how to increase their impact on pre K – 12 education. Congratulations Ainsley Van Buskirk!
PCS Exceptional Children’s Department –
2 Educational Audiologists – October was National Education Audiology Awareness Month. The PCS Educational Audiologists serve over 100 students with IEPs and over 200 students with documented hearing losses. They have conducted over 2,200 hearing screenings this year, and provided in-service to over 700 staff to support students with hearing loss.
4 Physical Therapists – October was National Physical Therapy Month. PCS Physical Therapists provide direct and indirect services to over 110 students working with things like mobility and transportation needs.
1 Assistive Technology Facilitator – November is Assistive Technology Awareness Month. Assistive Technology includes any item, piece of equipment, or product system that increases, maintains or improves functional capabilities for individuals with disabilities.
15 School Psychologists + 4 interns – November 6 – 10 was National School Psychology Week.
Upcoming PPS-PC PEP Academy Workshops
Tuesday November 28th – Elmhurst Elementary School – 6 pm
Involvement vs. Engagement Workshop – Distinguish between parent involvement and parent engagement, enhance the effectiveness of engagement strategies, learn about legal (Federal) requirements in education for family engagement
Wednesday January 17th – Bethel Community Center 7449 North Main Street, Bethel, NC – 6 pm
Emotional Regulation & Resilience Workshop – Children are young and learn how to emotionally regulate from the adults around them. This means teenagers too! Come learn the biological basis for many children’s behavior while also learning skills to help them (and you) emotionally regulate in a healthy way.
January 25th – Kathy Taft Center – 6:30 pm AND January 25 – St. Timothy – 9:30 am
Kindergarten 101 Workshop – Learn all you need to know to attend Kindergarten at Pitt County Schools!
