Located in North Scottsdale, BMES is proud to be the choice of families throughout Maricopa County. Black Mountain Elementary School focuses on the whole child, developing academic, social and emotional, and other skills needed for future success through purposeful and well planned school-wide programs. As a Kids at Hope and Love and Logic based school, BMES finds its success through a solid foundation of relationships. BMES teaches social and emotional skills through the globally recognized Second Step curriculum. Additionally, BMES cultivates creativity, communication, collaboration, and other future ready skills as an Arts School, where all students participate in ongoing and well structured arts opportunities in Visual, Musical, Dance and Drama classes. The unique aspect of Black Mountain is in how we meet the needs of all learners. We offer a single-grade classroom structure. We have high academic expectations for all students. We focus on the high proficiency levels of the Arizona State Standards through the use of Beyond Textbook and our highly collaborative work environment. Black Mountain is fortunate to have an extremely active parent group and we encourage volunteers to support our school. We are an arts and community minded school and our PTO has been instrumental in the full realization of our programs, culture, and climate. Our Parent Teacher Organization sponsors family oriented events from Grandparents Breakfast, Science Night, Give Back event, Festivals, and more. All parents, grandparents and guardians are general members of our PTO. In addition to these wonderful community building opportunities, our PTO helps to supply our classrooms with amazing learning materials and technology while funding our Drama and Dance programs and more. The strength of our school is also reflected in the high retention rate of our dedicated and caring staff. Black Mountain is a close knit community and a happy place to be! Black Mountain Elementary ... where we prepare students for the global stage. More information on Love and Logic:
Love and Logic® is a method of working with students which was developed by educational expert Jim Fay, child psychiatrist Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Charles Fay, Ph.D. Love and Logic has many tools for educators, principals and districts that promote healthy parent/teacher and teacher/student relationships and positive school wide discipline. And yes, Love and Logic works along with all other school discipline programs. It actually makes them work better! Love and Logic helps educators, administrators, and counselors:
•Set limits in the classroom without anger
• Provide underachievers hope and willingness when the going gets tough
• Raise the odds for kids to stay in school
• Build strong connections between home and school
• Improve attendance
• Manage disruptive students
• Make teaching and learning more fun and productive
• Immediately handle disruptive students
• Get and keep students' attention
• Build positive student-teacher relationships
• Help students own and solve their own problems
• Bully proof children, diffuse power struggles, and handle difficult people
It works because:
•When adults take care of themselves, they hand the problem back to the student who created it.
• When the student has to solve the problem, they have to think.
• When students have to think, they learn that decisions have consequences.
• When students have to deal with consequences, they learn to think.
• When we allow the student to deal with the consequences, they learn to think before they cause a problem.
• When the student learns to ask themselves, "How is my behavior going to affect me?" they have learned self control. Learn more about our Black Mountain Elementary Principal, Matt Owsley. Owsley's Education:
A New Degree Every Day, Parenting,, 2006-Current
Ed.D. Organizational Leadership, Grand Canyon University, 2012-2016
M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Northern Arizona University, 2006
M.Ed. Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University, 2003
B.A. Elementary Education, Arizona State University West, 2002
Mr. Owsley’s Professional Background:
Principal, CCUSD #93, 2011-Current
Assistant Principal, PUSD #11, 2008-2011
First, Fifth, & Sixth Grade Teacher, PUSD #11 & WESD #6, 2002-2008
Personal:
I was born and raised in Arizona to parents that valued hard work and education. Just like my three brothers and two sisters, I graduated from Moon Valley High School and spent much of my life participating in sports. After graduating from college, I married my high school sweetheart and have been smiling ever since. We have two wonderful boys, a beautiful daughter, and goldendoodle that keep us extremely busy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
