Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, "Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of a true education." While I wholeheartedly agree with his sentiments, I also believe that we must define what we mean by character. At Pizitz, we have spoken often about anchoring all of our work in our creed: character, excellence, and family. We are committed to building our character by forming habits based on our reflection of shared beliefs (or core values). Adam Grant writes in his book, Hidden Potential, "Character is more than having principles...it is your capacity to prioritize your values over your instincts." At Pizitz, we have mutually agreed on our core values of courage, honesty, acceptance, respect, and teamwork. We teach what behaviors would be exhibited for these to be seen, felt and heard by those inside and outside of the school. We believe that the work of educating students requires a balanced approach of character and competence- leading us to excellence.

We are proud of our recent designation as a State School of Character- not because we are perfect, but because we are committed to getting better. We believe there is a lot of good to share within the school, and we are proud of the work of our teachers and staff and students who do this good work together every day. We have a shared understanding that this is hard work that begins with relationships and creates a culture we hope fosters loyalty and care for one another that feels like family.

Every year, our whole community comes together to support VHHS in their efforts to engage and serve The O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center in partnership with UAB through a spring event called R.I.S.E. Read more about the work at VHHS here.

At Pizitz, we support these efforts in a variety of ways. We host a kickball tournament for our 8th graders prior to spring break, we have a teacher team, and we host a PJ day for the school. In addition, our middle school students and their families can participate by being part of the Rebel Run to be held at the high school on Saturday, March 1st. Here is a quick video about the Rebel Run. Here is the link to register in Go Fan.

Students, check out the video they made for YOU, here.

We are thrilled to announce that we are preparing for the full-time arrival of our facility dog, Justice! He has been visiting Pizitz regularly for several months. The trainers are attending weekly sessions to ensure that he (and the team of handlers) are ready for his full-time work at Pizitz. He is currently finishing up his training and will be ready to join our team by the end of February.

In the meantime, we’ve created an Amazon Wishlist to help him get settled in. Check it out and consider contributing to his new adventure if you are able.

Thank you to those of you who have already contributed!

Have you ever gotten in an argument with a friend and didn't know how to fix it? Do you struggle with choosing the right friends? If so, grab your lunch and join your counselors, Mrs. Payne, Miss Little, and Mrs. Howell, in the library during your lunch and academic strategies period.

Sign-ups are available on your grade-level counselor's Google Classroom!

Come support the Pizitz tennis teams at our first match of the season THIS week!

We will be at Wald Park on Thursday, February 13 at 3:45 vs. Thompson. Go Pirates!