SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2010
1. Please be careful with the weather outlook the rest of the week. Use caution! If we end up having a 2-hour delay this week, each grade level will have one encore class that day. We will post the 2-hour schedule for you. Your core team can structure your core time as you see fit. Eighth grade, please consult Mr. Tucker when making your schedules. Please arrive to school as quickly but as safely as possible.
2. Cindy Adams' father-in-law is very ill. In addition, her grandfather is ill and undergoing surgery. Please keep Cindy and her family in your thoughts and prayers.
3. Thanks to all of you for joining us for Lillian's "retirement" party. She is very honored by your kind words.
4. NCWISE will be shut down over the holidays.
5. The school will be shut down over the holidays!
6. The PTSA will be serving breakfast on Friday morning. If we are delayed, the breakfast will still take place (8:30am instead of 6:30am). The social committee lunch is scheduled to take place on Friday.
7. Please remember to sign up for the Differentiated Instruction training that you all attended. In order to receive credit, you must sign up and then evaluate the training.
8. The School Improvement Team will have a meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 2:15pm. Topics of discussion: hallway behavior, bus dismissal patterns, and morning tardies. We are looking to possibly restructure some of these procedures. We are considering altering the morning schedule by 3-5 minutes at the end of homebase to alleviate our traffic issues. If you have input on any of these topics, please see your SIT representatives before January 11.
9. It is likely that we will have to use our inclement weather plan eventually. Please be sure to review this with your team. The school system will make one of three decisions on these days: 1) 2-hour delay, 2) Closed, or 3) Closed with optional teacher workday. The third option is not likely to happen. But if it does, that means that you can work if you choose to do so. If you choose NOT to work on that day, then you will either have to take an annual leave day or you must make up the time.
10. Even though Lillian will remain with us for the rest of the school year, it is important to note that some of the ISS structures may change in January. ISS will also house ALC students if the need arises. Because of that, Lillian may not have the time to run copies as she has up to this point. We are considering some changes with the copying procedures, but we will let you know that well in advance before taking any action. Just putting it on your radar!
11. Please have a wonderful holiday break. Spend time with family and friends and get some rest! Thank you for all that you do. I am proud to represent you!
Happy Birthday!
Don Fought 12/14
Kathy Albertelli 12/21
Katrina Tschekunow 1/8
Joan Munday 1/10
John Sigmon 1/10
Helen Miller 1/15
Leslie Ring 1/15
Sandy Derrah 1/23
Brendan Elkins 1/23
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Weekly Update 12/9/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010
1. NCWISE will be shut down starting December 17 and will not operate until as late as January 4.
2. In addition, you will NOT have access to your school webpage starting on December 14 at 5:00pm through January 3. Since many of you access the blog and calendar through the webpage, I will send you the link to this blog next week via email. I will also give all staff members a hard copy of the January schedule so that you can have access to that over the holidays.
3. You have all earned holiday leave before the break begins. Classified staff get two hours of holiday leave. Certified staff may leave right after students clear the building two afternoons of their choice next week.
4. Our fundraiser prizes and orders are scheduled to arrive next week. We will get you some details on how we will distribute those.
5. The school building will NOT be open during the holiday break. Happy Holidays to all!
6. Wednesday, December 15, the Student Council will be providing breakfast for the staff in the teacher's lounge. Thanks to Mrs. Murray and the students! Breakfast will be served at 6:45am.
7. The PTSA will be serving the staff breakfast on Friday, December 17. We will have Chick-fila biscuits, fruit, and juice. Thanks to the PTSA volunteers!
8. The SEMS Social Committee will be providing lunch on December 17 to those who have paid their dues. Each of those staff members will receive a ticket to redeem for lunch that day. Thanks for your hospitality!
9. Thanks to all of your for your participation in the Differentiated Instruction training this past Monday. I hope that you found the training useful and have some ideas of strategies that you can incorporate. This will be a focus for us going into January. As we do your walkthroughs, we'd like to see some of these strategies in action. Please be sure to register online for the training session so that you can get credit.
10. We have had an increase in discipline issues lately. We have found that several of these situations could have been prevented if an adult had been supervising properly. Please be sure that you are on top of your supervision duties at all times. This includes before and after school, in your classrooms, lunchroom, class changes, etc. I just don't want to see any of our staff members to suffer the consequence of not being present where required. Protect yourself by keeping supervision a priority.
11. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
12. The School Improvement Team will have a meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 2:15pm. One topic of discussion will be hallway behavior and bus dismissal behavior. If you have input you'd like to share, please see one of your SIT reps so that they can bring it to the discussion. There are some adjustments that we will need to make schoolwide in order to keep the students safe.
13. It is likely that we will have to use our inclement weather plan eventually. Please be sure to review this with your team. The school system will make one of three decisions on these days: 1) 2-hour delay, 2) Closed, or 3) Closed with optional teacher workday. The third option is not likely to happen. But if it does, that means that you can work if you choose to do so. If you choose NOT to work on that day, then you will either have to take an annual day or you must make up the time.
14. With Lillian's departure, it is important for me to mention that her leaving may affect the status of your copies getting made. This issue is being compounded by the fact that Lisa Horwath is no longer with us. We will get back with you regarding this issue so that you know what copying procedures are going to be used.
Happy Birthday!
Don Fought 12/14
Kathy Albertelli 12/21
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2010
1. NCWISE will be shut down starting December 17 and will not operate until as late as January 4.
2. In addition, you will NOT have access to your school webpage starting on December 14 at 5:00pm through January 3. Since many of you access the blog and calendar through the webpage, I will send you the link to this blog next week via email. I will also give all staff members a hard copy of the January schedule so that you can have access to that over the holidays.
3. You have all earned holiday leave before the break begins. Classified staff get two hours of holiday leave. Certified staff may leave right after students clear the building two afternoons of their choice next week.
4. Our fundraiser prizes and orders are scheduled to arrive next week. We will get you some details on how we will distribute those.
5. The school building will NOT be open during the holiday break. Happy Holidays to all!
6. Wednesday, December 15, the Student Council will be providing breakfast for the staff in the teacher's lounge. Thanks to Mrs. Murray and the students! Breakfast will be served at 6:45am.
7. The PTSA will be serving the staff breakfast on Friday, December 17. We will have Chick-fila biscuits, fruit, and juice. Thanks to the PTSA volunteers!
8. The SEMS Social Committee will be providing lunch on December 17 to those who have paid their dues. Each of those staff members will receive a ticket to redeem for lunch that day. Thanks for your hospitality!
9. Thanks to all of your for your participation in the Differentiated Instruction training this past Monday. I hope that you found the training useful and have some ideas of strategies that you can incorporate. This will be a focus for us going into January. As we do your walkthroughs, we'd like to see some of these strategies in action. Please be sure to register online for the training session so that you can get credit.
10. We have had an increase in discipline issues lately. We have found that several of these situations could have been prevented if an adult had been supervising properly. Please be sure that you are on top of your supervision duties at all times. This includes before and after school, in your classrooms, lunchroom, class changes, etc. I just don't want to see any of our staff members to suffer the consequence of not being present where required. Protect yourself by keeping supervision a priority.
11. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
12. The School Improvement Team will have a meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 2:15pm. One topic of discussion will be hallway behavior and bus dismissal behavior. If you have input you'd like to share, please see one of your SIT reps so that they can bring it to the discussion. There are some adjustments that we will need to make schoolwide in order to keep the students safe.
13. It is likely that we will have to use our inclement weather plan eventually. Please be sure to review this with your team. The school system will make one of three decisions on these days: 1) 2-hour delay, 2) Closed, or 3) Closed with optional teacher workday. The third option is not likely to happen. But if it does, that means that you can work if you choose to do so. If you choose NOT to work on that day, then you will either have to take an annual day or you must make up the time.
14. With Lillian's departure, it is important for me to mention that her leaving may affect the status of your copies getting made. This issue is being compounded by the fact that Lisa Horwath is no longer with us. We will get back with you regarding this issue so that you know what copying procedures are going to be used.
Happy Birthday!
Don Fought 12/14
Kathy Albertelli 12/21
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Weekly Update 12/2/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010
Welcome to December! I hope that all of you had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving break with your family and friends.
1. Please wish Lisa Horwath well as Friday is her last day with us. We are so sad to see her go but congratulate her on her new opportunity at Sedge Garden Elementary.
2. We have many staff members with illnesses, injuries, and family illnesses. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.
3. Lillian Thompson will be retiring at the end of December. We will celebrate her accomplishment on Monday, December 13, at 2:15 in the Media Center. Susie sent out an email to you earlier regarding the celebration. We are looking for funny stories and memories to share with Lillian and her family, and as always, we'd love to have some brave souls perform for us! If you can come up with something, please let Susie know as soon as possible. We'd like to make this a special time for her.
4. NCWISE will be shut down starting December 17 and will not operate until as late as January 4. In addition, you will NOT have access to your school webpage starting on December 14 at 5:00pm through January 3.
5. Bridgette Watson passed along some information recently regarding the Classified Employee of the Year. Flyers were placed in your mailboxes. If you'd like to nominate a classified employee, please follow those directions.
6. If you plan to take any class or group outside, you must approve that in advance with an administrator, let the main office know of your location, let the PE teachers know ahead of time that you plan on coming outside, and pick up a walkie-talkie from the office before you go. The PE classes have priority on their outside location. If your group is approved to go out, your group may not mix in with the PE classes. This creates a supervision issue.
7. The Guidance office copier has had many issues lately with individuals jamming the machine and leaving it behind. If you experience difficulty with that copier, please let someone in that office know so that it can be fixed as quickly as possible. Please help us to keep these copiers up and running properly since we have contracts on them.
8. Mrs. Montague-Davis enjoyed her official school visit on Tuesday morning. She was able to sit in on several SSC meetings and observe classrooms. She had many great things to say about our students and staff. She will be sending an email regarding her visit that I will forward to you when she sends it.
9. The Student Council will be having a candy sale during 6th period on Friday, December 10. Mrs. Murray will send you details.
10. Mrs. Montague-Davis has reviewed our School Improvement Plan. We received lots of positive feedback on our draft. The only major change that needs to be made is to add a fifth goal regarding Math performance. We will make these changes and post an updated copy available for view. In addition, our staff approval SIP vote was a 100% approval rating. Thanks to those of you who voted.
11. We have had an increase in discipline issues lately. We have found that several of these situations could have been prevented if an adult had been supervising properly. Please be sure that you are on top of your supervision duties at all times. This includes before and after school, in your classrooms, lunchroom, class changes, etc. I just don't want to see any of our staff members to suffer the consequence of not being present where required. Protect yourself by keeping supervision a priority.
12. Thanks to everyone who participated in our November school fundraiser. We were quite successful and actually increased our profits dramatically from last year. We will share exact numbers with you later. Here are our fundraiser winners:
Top Sellers (Administrator for a Day): Brianna Smith, Aryel Cloaninger
Top Homebases (Silly string the teacher): Hairston (91 items), DiPiazza (96 items), and Munday (51 items)
Top Grade Level (Duct-Tape the Principal): 6th grade (605 total items sold)
We will get you more information regarding when these events will happen. We also still need to schedule the Games 2U Day for those students who sold 6 items.
13. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
14. Some of our students have been "smoking Smarties." For those of you who have not heard that term, some kids are taking packs of Smarties candies, crushing the candy, opening the wrapper and inhaling the candy. Then they immediately blow it out, so it looks like smoke. This is a trend that started a few years ago and has trickled into our school. The possible health hazard that this could present is that a student could inhale the wrapper itself or could get the candy dust/pieces lodged in their throat or nose. If you see any students trying to do this, please ask them to stop. Just possessing or eating the candy is not a violation, but if they repeatedly are trying to inhale this and you have already intervened, please let us know. We can intervene at that point. However, if you see a student trying to snort this directly into their nose, an administrator needs to know that when it happens. We just don't want to see kids taking this farther.
15. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
16. Differentiated Instruction Training will take place on Monday, December 6, in the Media Center. Certified staff must attend. EC staff have already attended this training.
Please continue to check the online calendar regularly. There's LOTS going on in December!
Happy Birthday!
Don Fought 12/14
Kathy Albertelli 12/21
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2010
Welcome to December! I hope that all of you had a wonderful and restful Thanksgiving break with your family and friends.
1. Please wish Lisa Horwath well as Friday is her last day with us. We are so sad to see her go but congratulate her on her new opportunity at Sedge Garden Elementary.
2. We have many staff members with illnesses, injuries, and family illnesses. Please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers.
3. Lillian Thompson will be retiring at the end of December. We will celebrate her accomplishment on Monday, December 13, at 2:15 in the Media Center. Susie sent out an email to you earlier regarding the celebration. We are looking for funny stories and memories to share with Lillian and her family, and as always, we'd love to have some brave souls perform for us! If you can come up with something, please let Susie know as soon as possible. We'd like to make this a special time for her.
4. NCWISE will be shut down starting December 17 and will not operate until as late as January 4. In addition, you will NOT have access to your school webpage starting on December 14 at 5:00pm through January 3.
5. Bridgette Watson passed along some information recently regarding the Classified Employee of the Year. Flyers were placed in your mailboxes. If you'd like to nominate a classified employee, please follow those directions.
6. If you plan to take any class or group outside, you must approve that in advance with an administrator, let the main office know of your location, let the PE teachers know ahead of time that you plan on coming outside, and pick up a walkie-talkie from the office before you go. The PE classes have priority on their outside location. If your group is approved to go out, your group may not mix in with the PE classes. This creates a supervision issue.
7. The Guidance office copier has had many issues lately with individuals jamming the machine and leaving it behind. If you experience difficulty with that copier, please let someone in that office know so that it can be fixed as quickly as possible. Please help us to keep these copiers up and running properly since we have contracts on them.
8. Mrs. Montague-Davis enjoyed her official school visit on Tuesday morning. She was able to sit in on several SSC meetings and observe classrooms. She had many great things to say about our students and staff. She will be sending an email regarding her visit that I will forward to you when she sends it.
9. The Student Council will be having a candy sale during 6th period on Friday, December 10. Mrs. Murray will send you details.
10. Mrs. Montague-Davis has reviewed our School Improvement Plan. We received lots of positive feedback on our draft. The only major change that needs to be made is to add a fifth goal regarding Math performance. We will make these changes and post an updated copy available for view. In addition, our staff approval SIP vote was a 100% approval rating. Thanks to those of you who voted.
11. We have had an increase in discipline issues lately. We have found that several of these situations could have been prevented if an adult had been supervising properly. Please be sure that you are on top of your supervision duties at all times. This includes before and after school, in your classrooms, lunchroom, class changes, etc. I just don't want to see any of our staff members to suffer the consequence of not being present where required. Protect yourself by keeping supervision a priority.
12. Thanks to everyone who participated in our November school fundraiser. We were quite successful and actually increased our profits dramatically from last year. We will share exact numbers with you later. Here are our fundraiser winners:
Top Sellers (Administrator for a Day): Brianna Smith, Aryel Cloaninger
Top Homebases (Silly string the teacher): Hairston (91 items), DiPiazza (96 items), and Munday (51 items)
Top Grade Level (Duct-Tape the Principal): 6th grade (605 total items sold)
We will get you more information regarding when these events will happen. We also still need to schedule the Games 2U Day for those students who sold 6 items.
13. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
14. Some of our students have been "smoking Smarties." For those of you who have not heard that term, some kids are taking packs of Smarties candies, crushing the candy, opening the wrapper and inhaling the candy. Then they immediately blow it out, so it looks like smoke. This is a trend that started a few years ago and has trickled into our school. The possible health hazard that this could present is that a student could inhale the wrapper itself or could get the candy dust/pieces lodged in their throat or nose. If you see any students trying to do this, please ask them to stop. Just possessing or eating the candy is not a violation, but if they repeatedly are trying to inhale this and you have already intervened, please let us know. We can intervene at that point. However, if you see a student trying to snort this directly into their nose, an administrator needs to know that when it happens. We just don't want to see kids taking this farther.
15. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
16. Differentiated Instruction Training will take place on Monday, December 6, in the Media Center. Certified staff must attend. EC staff have already attended this training.
Please continue to check the online calendar regularly. There's LOTS going on in December!
Happy Birthday!
Don Fought 12/14
Kathy Albertelli 12/21
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Weekly Update 11/18/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
1. Please welcome back Chris Hancock. We are glad to see you back in the office!
2. Please keep Sharon Pitt's husband, Ted, in your thoughts. He recently underwent surgery. He should be home by the end of the week.
3. Collette Holbert continues to recover from her surgery. We wish her a speedy recovery! Lisa Turner forwarded her address to you earlier in the week for those of you who wish to contact her.
4. Betsy Smith had her knee surgery yesterday. Please wish her a speedy recovery!
5. Thanks to our Student Council and Mrs. Murray for the goodies. They are responsible for the candy to the staff to celebrate American Education Week. Enjoy!
6. Lillian Thompson will be retiring at the end of December. We will celebrate her accomplishment on Monday, December 13, at 2:15 in the Media Center. More details will follow.
7. Please remember that you each have one hour of leave prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. You may take it on Monday or Tuesday afternoon.
8. Jeff Nichols has sent out several emails regarding upcoming Nettrekker training as well as future trainings where you can earn CEU technology credits. Please take advantage of this opportunity, especially if you need some credits!
9. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
10. Deb Neal has an opportunity for any teachers who wish to participate in some staff development (with CEU credits) related to minimizing the achievement gap and raising the bar for African-American students. It concentrates on motivating them and giving them opportunities for success. She will be giving you some information on this in case you are interested.
11. Mrs. Cole sent an earlier email regarding hand sanitizers. According to the health inspector, hand sanitizers need to be stored in a closet or cabinet. Please be sure to take care of this in your classroom so that we do not receive a fine when they come to inspect.
12. The winter concerts are around the corner. If you have already worked one of the PTSA socials at the beginning of the year, you are not required to work a winter concert. For those of you who did not, you will need to sign up for one of them. I will send out a separate email to those who need to sign up. Concert dates and times:
Monday, December 6 - Chorus concert at Glenn HS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Tuesday, December 7 - Orchestra concert at SEMS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Thursday, December 9 - Band concert at SEMS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Sign-up sheets will be posted on Friday at 2:10pm.
13. Some of our students have been "smoking Smarties." For those of you who have not heard that term, some kids are taking packs of Smarties candies, crushing the candy, opening the wrapper and inhaling the candy. Then they immediately blow it out, so it looks like smoke. This is a trend that started a few years ago and has trickled into our school. The possible health hazard that this could present is that a student could inhale the wrapper itself or could get the candy dust/pieces lodged in their throat or nose. If you see any students trying to do this, please ask them to stop. Just possessing or eating the candy is not a violation, but if they repeatedly are trying to inhale this and you have already intervened, please let us know. We can intervene at that point. However, if you see a student trying to snort this directly into their nose, an administrator needs to know that when it happens. We just don't want to see kids taking this farther.
14. I did attend the MS principals' scheduling meeting on Tuesday. First, I must state that no scheduling decisions were made for next year. This session ended up being a working session for all of us to develop many different scheduling options. As a group, we did develop a list of priorities that we wish to preserve in our schedule, including teaming, amt. of planning time, common planning time, purity of 6th grade classes, and flexibility for each school. Mrs. Montague-Davis was able to walk away with lots of data for Dr. Martin to consider regarding each scheduling option. It is important to note that something/someone will end up suffering no matter what scheduling option the system goes with. This is going to be quite a difficult process. The system is hoping to make some decisions in December. Know that I will continue to keep you posted on the situation.
15. We just received information from the Finance Department regarding personal leave time. In the past, staff were not charged for taking their first personal day of the school year - you could take it without penalty. According to Finance, the General Assembly overturned that and no longer allow that to take place, which means that you will be charged for any personal day that you take. We apologize for any confusion on the matter. The Finance Dept. has apologized as well for not letting the schools know this important information.
16. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
17. Don't forget to review the online calendar regularly!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2010
1. Please welcome back Chris Hancock. We are glad to see you back in the office!
2. Please keep Sharon Pitt's husband, Ted, in your thoughts. He recently underwent surgery. He should be home by the end of the week.
3. Collette Holbert continues to recover from her surgery. We wish her a speedy recovery! Lisa Turner forwarded her address to you earlier in the week for those of you who wish to contact her.
4. Betsy Smith had her knee surgery yesterday. Please wish her a speedy recovery!
5. Thanks to our Student Council and Mrs. Murray for the goodies. They are responsible for the candy to the staff to celebrate American Education Week. Enjoy!
6. Lillian Thompson will be retiring at the end of December. We will celebrate her accomplishment on Monday, December 13, at 2:15 in the Media Center. More details will follow.
7. Please remember that you each have one hour of leave prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. You may take it on Monday or Tuesday afternoon.
8. Jeff Nichols has sent out several emails regarding upcoming Nettrekker training as well as future trainings where you can earn CEU technology credits. Please take advantage of this opportunity, especially if you need some credits!
9. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE at least every two weeks minimum - this is the requirement. We have had many parent contacts earlier this week where no grades had been posted for them to check their child's progress.
10. Deb Neal has an opportunity for any teachers who wish to participate in some staff development (with CEU credits) related to minimizing the achievement gap and raising the bar for African-American students. It concentrates on motivating them and giving them opportunities for success. She will be giving you some information on this in case you are interested.
11. Mrs. Cole sent an earlier email regarding hand sanitizers. According to the health inspector, hand sanitizers need to be stored in a closet or cabinet. Please be sure to take care of this in your classroom so that we do not receive a fine when they come to inspect.
12. The winter concerts are around the corner. If you have already worked one of the PTSA socials at the beginning of the year, you are not required to work a winter concert. For those of you who did not, you will need to sign up for one of them. I will send out a separate email to those who need to sign up. Concert dates and times:
Monday, December 6 - Chorus concert at Glenn HS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Tuesday, December 7 - Orchestra concert at SEMS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Thursday, December 9 - Band concert at SEMS (5:30 - 7:30pm)
Sign-up sheets will be posted on Friday at 2:10pm.
13. Some of our students have been "smoking Smarties." For those of you who have not heard that term, some kids are taking packs of Smarties candies, crushing the candy, opening the wrapper and inhaling the candy. Then they immediately blow it out, so it looks like smoke. This is a trend that started a few years ago and has trickled into our school. The possible health hazard that this could present is that a student could inhale the wrapper itself or could get the candy dust/pieces lodged in their throat or nose. If you see any students trying to do this, please ask them to stop. Just possessing or eating the candy is not a violation, but if they repeatedly are trying to inhale this and you have already intervened, please let us know. We can intervene at that point. However, if you see a student trying to snort this directly into their nose, an administrator needs to know that when it happens. We just don't want to see kids taking this farther.
14. I did attend the MS principals' scheduling meeting on Tuesday. First, I must state that no scheduling decisions were made for next year. This session ended up being a working session for all of us to develop many different scheduling options. As a group, we did develop a list of priorities that we wish to preserve in our schedule, including teaming, amt. of planning time, common planning time, purity of 6th grade classes, and flexibility for each school. Mrs. Montague-Davis was able to walk away with lots of data for Dr. Martin to consider regarding each scheduling option. It is important to note that something/someone will end up suffering no matter what scheduling option the system goes with. This is going to be quite a difficult process. The system is hoping to make some decisions in December. Know that I will continue to keep you posted on the situation.
15. We just received information from the Finance Department regarding personal leave time. In the past, staff were not charged for taking their first personal day of the school year - you could take it without penalty. According to Finance, the General Assembly overturned that and no longer allow that to take place, which means that you will be charged for any personal day that you take. We apologize for any confusion on the matter. The Finance Dept. has apologized as well for not letting the schools know this important information.
16. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
17. Don't forget to review the online calendar regularly!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
Friday, November 12, 2010
Weekly Update 11/12/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010
1. Chris Hancock will be returning to us Monday on a part-time basis. Please wish Stephanie Files well. Thanks for filling in for Chris - you have done an outstanding job! You will be missed!
2. Don Fought's father passed away earlier this week. Please keep him in your thoughts.
3. Collette Holbert has had surgery on her foot. Please keep her in your thoughts for a speedy recovery.
4. The Nettrekker technology workshop will take place on Monday afternoon. Jeff has a couple of slots left if you wish to participate.
5. The students have been slow to turn in fundraiser money. Please help to promote it in your classes for the next few days. We want to maximize our potential gains!
6. We just received information from the Finance Department regarding personal leave time. In the past, staff were not charged for taking their first personal day of the school year - you could take it without penalty. According to Finance, the General Assembly overturned that and no longer allow that to take place, which means that you will be charged for any personal day that you take. We apologize for any confusion on the matter. The Finance Dept. has apologized as well for not letting the schools know this important information.
7. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
8. Don't forget to review the online calendar regularly!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010
1. Chris Hancock will be returning to us Monday on a part-time basis. Please wish Stephanie Files well. Thanks for filling in for Chris - you have done an outstanding job! You will be missed!
2. Don Fought's father passed away earlier this week. Please keep him in your thoughts.
3. Collette Holbert has had surgery on her foot. Please keep her in your thoughts for a speedy recovery.
4. The Nettrekker technology workshop will take place on Monday afternoon. Jeff has a couple of slots left if you wish to participate.
5. The students have been slow to turn in fundraiser money. Please help to promote it in your classes for the next few days. We want to maximize our potential gains!
6. We just received information from the Finance Department regarding personal leave time. In the past, staff were not charged for taking their first personal day of the school year - you could take it without penalty. According to Finance, the General Assembly overturned that and no longer allow that to take place, which means that you will be charged for any personal day that you take. We apologize for any confusion on the matter. The Finance Dept. has apologized as well for not letting the schools know this important information.
7. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
8. Don't forget to review the online calendar regularly!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Weekly Update 11/4/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2010
1. Don't forget to "fall back" this weekend! Set your clocks back one hour and enjoy the extra hour on Sunday!
2. Congratulations to Mrs. Hatch. She is being honored at two events in the next week for Teacher of the Year. We are proud of you!
3. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. Information has been placed in your mailboxes and an email sent to you as well. Please review this information, as it affects all teachers.
4. Please remember that ACC folders go home every Wednesday. There may end up being one or two Wednesdays where there is nothing in the folder, but we still are expected to send it home each week.
5. In the coming weeks, I will be scheduling meetings with your SSC teams to review classroom walkthrough data from the first quarter. This is data that administrators collect when we visit your classrooms.
6. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
7. Information was sent to you via email on Tuesday regarding any grade changes. If you need to change a report card grade, you must fill out the grade change form and submit it to me. I will approve and give to Cindy Wilkes to process. This way, all changes are documented for future reference. This is the only process available to officially change a grade.
8. There have been lots of questions regarding use of substitute teachers once they come into the building for the day. If a substitute is in the building, please do not make arrangements with them to cover an activity for you during that school day. If they have open periods, we assign them to other places throughout the building that need coverage. If you are in need of assistance during the school day and need coverage for a class, please contact us in the main office to let us know of your emergency and we will help to take care of it.
9. Many of you have been utilizing the bullying resources that we have available. It has been impressive to see lots of teachers incorporating an anti-bullying message in your lesson plans. Please hold on to these lesson plans and resources. Since bullying is one of our targeted areas on the School Improvement Plan, it will be good to share ideas and resources with one another and document our actions as a school.
10. Staff meeting on Monday, November 8. Discussion items include: School Improvement Plan, online access to pay stubs, reporting crimes update, etc.
11. Jeff Nichols is going to offer some technology workshops on Monday, November 15. More information to follow.
12. Please be sure to keep up with the online calendar. November and December are full of activities!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2010
1. Don't forget to "fall back" this weekend! Set your clocks back one hour and enjoy the extra hour on Sunday!
2. Congratulations to Mrs. Hatch. She is being honored at two events in the next week for Teacher of the Year. We are proud of you!
3. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. Information has been placed in your mailboxes and an email sent to you as well. Please review this information, as it affects all teachers.
4. Please remember that ACC folders go home every Wednesday. There may end up being one or two Wednesdays where there is nothing in the folder, but we still are expected to send it home each week.
5. In the coming weeks, I will be scheduling meetings with your SSC teams to review classroom walkthrough data from the first quarter. This is data that administrators collect when we visit your classrooms.
6. Winter weather is just around the corner. It is time to review the inclement weather plan in case we have a delay. The delay schedule is posted under Teacher Resources on the website. If we do have a delay, you will be given a schedule that morning so that you know what encore classes your students will need to report to and the times that they need to report. The blocks of core time can be scheduled as the team sees fit. I hope that this provides a more flexible schedule for everyone and gives each group a short break.
7. Information was sent to you via email on Tuesday regarding any grade changes. If you need to change a report card grade, you must fill out the grade change form and submit it to me. I will approve and give to Cindy Wilkes to process. This way, all changes are documented for future reference. This is the only process available to officially change a grade.
8. There have been lots of questions regarding use of substitute teachers once they come into the building for the day. If a substitute is in the building, please do not make arrangements with them to cover an activity for you during that school day. If they have open periods, we assign them to other places throughout the building that need coverage. If you are in need of assistance during the school day and need coverage for a class, please contact us in the main office to let us know of your emergency and we will help to take care of it.
9. Many of you have been utilizing the bullying resources that we have available. It has been impressive to see lots of teachers incorporating an anti-bullying message in your lesson plans. Please hold on to these lesson plans and resources. Since bullying is one of our targeted areas on the School Improvement Plan, it will be good to share ideas and resources with one another and document our actions as a school.
10. Staff meeting on Monday, November 8. Discussion items include: School Improvement Plan, online access to pay stubs, reporting crimes update, etc.
11. Jeff Nichols is going to offer some technology workshops on Monday, November 15. More information to follow.
12. Please be sure to keep up with the online calendar. November and December are full of activities!
Happy Birthday!
Prudence Brooks 11/10
Sun Kim 11/10
Janie Murray 11/11
Jennifer Hairston 11/14
Meg Speziale 11/16
Brad Rhymes 11/17
Lisa Turner 11/17
Collette Holbert 11/20
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Weekly Update 10/27/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010
Thanks to all of you for your hard work over the first quarter. Please have a safe weekend and a Happy Halloween! Take time to enjoy your family and friends.
1. Thanks to Summit Church for cleaning our campus last weekend. We appreciate their help!
2. United Way update: So far, 26 individuals have contributed to the campaign. Right now, SEMS is at 25% of our school contribution goal. Let's make it happen!
3. October 29 is a teacher workday. You may take annual leave if you wish. A staff sign-up sheet is posted in the workroom for you to indicate your plans for this day. You may choose to work, choose to take an annual day, or choose to attend the Educator Symposium. The building will be open from 7:00am - 4:00pm. Certified staff must put in a minimum of 7 hours, and classified staff must put in their normal 8 hour day. If you plan to take an annual leave day or to be at the symposium, you must have your grades/verifications turned in to Sandy Derrah and verified beforehand. Grades are due by 3:00pm on October 29 (Please see earlier email regarding grades, comments, etc).
4. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
5. Wednesday, November 3 - Report cards go out! All students will switch back to their homebases at 1:50pm to receive their report cards. Please do not hand them out before this time.
6. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. Information has been placed in your mailboxes and an email sent to you as well. Please review this information, as it affects all teachers.
7. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
8. There have been lots of questions regarding use of substitute teachers once they come into the building for the day. If a substitute is in the building, please do not make arrangements with them to cover an activity for you during that school day. If they have open periods, we assign them to other places throughout the building that need coverage. If you are in need of assistance during the school day and need coverage for a class, please contact us in the main office to let us know of your emergency and we will help to take care of it.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2010
Thanks to all of you for your hard work over the first quarter. Please have a safe weekend and a Happy Halloween! Take time to enjoy your family and friends.
1. Thanks to Summit Church for cleaning our campus last weekend. We appreciate their help!
2. United Way update: So far, 26 individuals have contributed to the campaign. Right now, SEMS is at 25% of our school contribution goal. Let's make it happen!
3. October 29 is a teacher workday. You may take annual leave if you wish. A staff sign-up sheet is posted in the workroom for you to indicate your plans for this day. You may choose to work, choose to take an annual day, or choose to attend the Educator Symposium. The building will be open from 7:00am - 4:00pm. Certified staff must put in a minimum of 7 hours, and classified staff must put in their normal 8 hour day. If you plan to take an annual leave day or to be at the symposium, you must have your grades/verifications turned in to Sandy Derrah and verified beforehand. Grades are due by 3:00pm on October 29 (Please see earlier email regarding grades, comments, etc).
4. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
5. Wednesday, November 3 - Report cards go out! All students will switch back to their homebases at 1:50pm to receive their report cards. Please do not hand them out before this time.
6. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. Information has been placed in your mailboxes and an email sent to you as well. Please review this information, as it affects all teachers.
7. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
8. There have been lots of questions regarding use of substitute teachers once they come into the building for the day. If a substitute is in the building, please do not make arrangements with them to cover an activity for you during that school day. If they have open periods, we assign them to other places throughout the building that need coverage. If you are in need of assistance during the school day and need coverage for a class, please contact us in the main office to let us know of your emergency and we will help to take care of it.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Weekly Update 10/21/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better. There is a sign-up sheet/calendar in the workroom if you wish to sign up to take her food, etc. Thanks to all of you who have helped out so far. If she continues to get better, she may end up coming back to work part-time in several weeks. Good luck!
2. Laura Lyles is back to work. Welcome back! We hope that you are feeling better!
3. John Watson's grandmother passed away recently. Please keep John and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
4. Congrats to our girls soccer team. They finished second in the county. They lost 2-0 in the championship game against Jefferson earlier this week. We are still proud of you!
5. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
6. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly and contact parents if the student's grade has dropped to an F or down two or more letter grades. There should be no surprises for students or parents when report cards go out. Report cards will go out on November 3.
7. October 29 is a teacher workday. You may take annual leave if you wish. A staff sign-up sheet will be posted in the workroom next week for you to indicate your plans for this day. You may choose to work, choose to take an annual day, or choose to attend the Educator Symposium. The building will be open from 7:00am - 4:00pm. Certified staff must put in a minimum of 7 hours, and classified staff must put in their normal 8 hour day. If you plan to take an annual leave day, you must have your grades turned in to Sandy Derrah and verified beforehand. Grades are due by 3:00pm on October 29.
8. If you need assistance with getting your quarter grades in for the report card, Jeff Nichols is having an open lab for you on Wednesday, October 27. All new staff should take the time to stop by to ensure that you know how to properly post grades. All staff are welcome to attend.
9. The School Improvement Plan will be available for viewing on the Teacher Resource page of the school website. All staff are encouraged to review the plan. You will be asked to vote at a later date on whether or not you accept the plan as it is written. More details to follow.
10. Administrators now are required to use an incident reporting system to law enforcement in addition to the discipline referrals that are entered into NCWISE. Any crimes or potential crimes must be reported to Kernersville PD and investigated. This includes situations such as fighting, bullying, harrassment, and any type of physical contact. At times, this is causing a delay in our investigations due to the extra steps we are required to take. Please be sure to report any potential situations to an administrator so that we can prevent any issues before they get bigger. You have done a great job of letting us know what's going on so far this year.
11. We still do not have many details regarding the State Board of Education vote to end "Gateways." We do know that our 8th grade afterschool tutoring will still continue as planned and that there will not be a third opportunity for students to pass an EOG test. We do NOT know the status of Red Zone and whether or not students will be given a second opportunity to pass. The SBE is still considering the retesting, dates of EOG testing, and what level of accountability will be placed on the students. WSFCS is waiting to see what the state decides and will then review the current local promotion standards. There could be some revisions this school year on these standards. We will pass along information as we get it.
12. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. More details to follow.
13. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
Shout-Outs
Kudos to Sharon Pitt and Susie Hook for their hard work on organizing Picture Day. The day went quite smooth with no issues. Thanks for your hard work!
Lisa Turner has worked very hard on getting together our bullying resources for ready-to-use mini-lessons for teachers. Bullying is an issue that is growing in our middle schools. Thanks to Lisa for recognizing this and being so supportive of our students and teachers!
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better. There is a sign-up sheet/calendar in the workroom if you wish to sign up to take her food, etc. Thanks to all of you who have helped out so far. If she continues to get better, she may end up coming back to work part-time in several weeks. Good luck!
2. Laura Lyles is back to work. Welcome back! We hope that you are feeling better!
3. John Watson's grandmother passed away recently. Please keep John and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
4. Congrats to our girls soccer team. They finished second in the county. They lost 2-0 in the championship game against Jefferson earlier this week. We are still proud of you!
5. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
6. We are nearing the end of the quarter. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly and contact parents if the student's grade has dropped to an F or down two or more letter grades. There should be no surprises for students or parents when report cards go out. Report cards will go out on November 3.
7. October 29 is a teacher workday. You may take annual leave if you wish. A staff sign-up sheet will be posted in the workroom next week for you to indicate your plans for this day. You may choose to work, choose to take an annual day, or choose to attend the Educator Symposium. The building will be open from 7:00am - 4:00pm. Certified staff must put in a minimum of 7 hours, and classified staff must put in their normal 8 hour day. If you plan to take an annual leave day, you must have your grades turned in to Sandy Derrah and verified beforehand. Grades are due by 3:00pm on October 29.
8. If you need assistance with getting your quarter grades in for the report card, Jeff Nichols is having an open lab for you on Wednesday, October 27. All new staff should take the time to stop by to ensure that you know how to properly post grades. All staff are welcome to attend.
9. The School Improvement Plan will be available for viewing on the Teacher Resource page of the school website. All staff are encouraged to review the plan. You will be asked to vote at a later date on whether or not you accept the plan as it is written. More details to follow.
10. Administrators now are required to use an incident reporting system to law enforcement in addition to the discipline referrals that are entered into NCWISE. Any crimes or potential crimes must be reported to Kernersville PD and investigated. This includes situations such as fighting, bullying, harrassment, and any type of physical contact. At times, this is causing a delay in our investigations due to the extra steps we are required to take. Please be sure to report any potential situations to an administrator so that we can prevent any issues before they get bigger. You have done a great job of letting us know what's going on so far this year.
11. We still do not have many details regarding the State Board of Education vote to end "Gateways." We do know that our 8th grade afterschool tutoring will still continue as planned and that there will not be a third opportunity for students to pass an EOG test. We do NOT know the status of Red Zone and whether or not students will be given a second opportunity to pass. The SBE is still considering the retesting, dates of EOG testing, and what level of accountability will be placed on the students. WSFCS is waiting to see what the state decides and will then review the current local promotion standards. There could be some revisions this school year on these standards. We will pass along information as we get it.
12. Friday, November 5, we will kickoff our school fundraiser. We will have grade level assemblies on this day for the kickoff. More details to follow.
13. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
Shout-Outs
Kudos to Sharon Pitt and Susie Hook for their hard work on organizing Picture Day. The day went quite smooth with no issues. Thanks for your hard work!
Lisa Turner has worked very hard on getting together our bullying resources for ready-to-use mini-lessons for teachers. Bullying is an issue that is growing in our middle schools. Thanks to Lisa for recognizing this and being so supportive of our students and teachers!
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Weekly Updates 10/14/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better. Sandy Derrah sent an email earlier this week on ways that you can help her out. Chris mainly needs company. She is at home now and is lonely. There is a sign-up sheet/calendar in the workroom if you wish to sign up to take her food, etc. Thanks to all of you who have helped out so far.
2. Please continue to keep Sharon Pitt's husband Ted in your thoughts. He is still ill.
3. Laura Lyles is planning on returning back to school on Monday, October 18. She is in good spirits and continues to heal. We are looking forward to having her back!
4. Hospitality dues are due to the guidance office by October 18. Certified staff are $25 and classified staff are $12.50.
5. WSFCS is conducting several clinics for flu shots and hepatitis B shots. If you are interested in getting these shots or if you need your children to get one, please visit the WSFCS website, go to Employees, then to Personnel. There is a link on this menu for Seasonal Flu and Hepatitis B vaccinations. This link will give you dates and times and you may register on this site.
6. The School Improvement Team met on Monday. The consensus on the plan for substitute coverage was a unanimous vote that we use our grade level absorption plan to cover. The absorption plan will be used only in the case of an emergency. An emergency is if a staff member must leave at a moment's notice or cannot come in at the last minute due to illness or family emergency. This also includes instances where we do not have enough substitutes to cover all absences. This will not be a daily occurence. But it will happen if we have lots of staff out sick or if emergencies arise. Thanks for all of your input on this issue.
7. Monday, October 18 - We will have a short staff meeting specifically for the United Way kickoff. This will be the only item on the agenda.
8. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
9. You were forwarded the information on the State Board of Education vote to eliminate the gateways. We are slowly finding out information from WSFCS on how this affects us. So far, we know that our 8th grade tutoring will remain intact and that we will still conduct EOG testing in May. We do not know the status of retesting, red zone, or summer academy yet. Students will still have to meet the local standards that WSFCS has set. Students will still have some level of accountability. I will pass along more information as I receive it. A letter will be going home soon regarding these changes.
8. All staff are encouraged to show their support and join the PTSA. Membership is $5.00. The PTSA will be placing a membership form in your mailboxes soon.
9. You were sent an email earlier regarding an Educator Symposium on October 29, our teacher workday. If you would like to attend, please follow the instructions in the email.
10. Please be sure to send work down to the guidance office if a parent requests work for their child due to illness or suspension. We will be sure to give you a 24-hour notice so that you have plenty of time to get work there. It is important that we stick to this guideline so that we do not interrupt your class time to get student work.
11. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly. We have many parents who have just signed up and will be looking at grades as the quarter progresses.
12. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
Staff Handbook Focus: Field Trip Requirement
There have been many questions regarding field trip requirements, so it is important to review this section of the staff handbook. Highlights from this section:
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up to date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better. Sandy Derrah sent an email earlier this week on ways that you can help her out. Chris mainly needs company. She is at home now and is lonely. There is a sign-up sheet/calendar in the workroom if you wish to sign up to take her food, etc. Thanks to all of you who have helped out so far.
2. Please continue to keep Sharon Pitt's husband Ted in your thoughts. He is still ill.
3. Laura Lyles is planning on returning back to school on Monday, October 18. She is in good spirits and continues to heal. We are looking forward to having her back!
4. Hospitality dues are due to the guidance office by October 18. Certified staff are $25 and classified staff are $12.50.
5. WSFCS is conducting several clinics for flu shots and hepatitis B shots. If you are interested in getting these shots or if you need your children to get one, please visit the WSFCS website, go to Employees, then to Personnel. There is a link on this menu for Seasonal Flu and Hepatitis B vaccinations. This link will give you dates and times and you may register on this site.
6. The School Improvement Team met on Monday. The consensus on the plan for substitute coverage was a unanimous vote that we use our grade level absorption plan to cover. The absorption plan will be used only in the case of an emergency. An emergency is if a staff member must leave at a moment's notice or cannot come in at the last minute due to illness or family emergency. This also includes instances where we do not have enough substitutes to cover all absences. This will not be a daily occurence. But it will happen if we have lots of staff out sick or if emergencies arise. Thanks for all of your input on this issue.
7. Monday, October 18 - We will have a short staff meeting specifically for the United Way kickoff. This will be the only item on the agenda.
8. Monday, November 1 - We will have a short training for testing proctors. This is for all staff members and Deb Neal is required to do this by the Accountability Dept.
9. You were forwarded the information on the State Board of Education vote to eliminate the gateways. We are slowly finding out information from WSFCS on how this affects us. So far, we know that our 8th grade tutoring will remain intact and that we will still conduct EOG testing in May. We do not know the status of retesting, red zone, or summer academy yet. Students will still have to meet the local standards that WSFCS has set. Students will still have some level of accountability. I will pass along more information as I receive it. A letter will be going home soon regarding these changes.
8. All staff are encouraged to show their support and join the PTSA. Membership is $5.00. The PTSA will be placing a membership form in your mailboxes soon.
9. You were sent an email earlier regarding an Educator Symposium on October 29, our teacher workday. If you would like to attend, please follow the instructions in the email.
10. Please be sure to send work down to the guidance office if a parent requests work for their child due to illness or suspension. We will be sure to give you a 24-hour notice so that you have plenty of time to get work there. It is important that we stick to this guideline so that we do not interrupt your class time to get student work.
11. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly. We have many parents who have just signed up and will be looking at grades as the quarter progresses.
12. Lisa Turner has lots of mini-lessons, resources, and video clips related to bullying. These activities are perfect for short periods of time after testing or if you finish a lesson early and have a few minutes available. Several teams have already taken Lisa up on her offer of these resources. We encourage the rest of you to take advantage of this. Bullying prevention is one of our School Improvement goals for the next two years.
Staff Handbook Focus: Field Trip Requirement
There have been many questions regarding field trip requirements, so it is important to review this section of the staff handbook. Highlights from this section:
- Get your field trip approved at least 4 weeks in advance with all required details. You must provide a copy of your parent letter along with your field trip approval form when submitting it to Gentry for approval.
- You must inform the cafeteria of your plans to be out of the building and if you need bagged lunches. This must take place at least 3-5 days in advance. The cafeteria must have the appropriate amount of food available each day for all students.
- You must provide encore teachers with a list of students who will be on the field trip if they are not going to be in those classes. Also, you must notify the main office staff what students are going, who is staying behind, and where the students staying behind will be. This must be completed at least 24 hours in advance.
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up to date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Weekly Update 10/7/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
1. Congratulations to Cliff Prince. He is the proud grandparent of a baby girl!
2. Chris Hancock continues to get better. I spoke with her yesterday and she is feeling really good. Right now she is walking with a cane but will not need the cane much longer. She is still with her son's family but believes that she will return home by this weekend. If you'd like to make a donation or be involved in helping Chris out, please see Sandy Derrah.
3. Sharon Pitt's husband, Ted, is still in the hospital. We do not know how long he will be in there. We will be sure to keep you posted on these events. Please keep Sharon and Ted in your thoughts.
4. Thank you for a great staff meeting on Monday. I know that the status of next year's master schedule has many of you worried about the future. We're all in the same boat together. Know that we will do everything possible to keep you aware of changes and protect the staff as much as we can. We have a wonderful staff here - I couldn't imagine losing any of you! That would be a devastating loss! Remember that all we can do is come to work faithfully, do the best job that we possibly can each day, and rely on our co-workers, family, and friends to support us in the meantime.
5. Hospitality dues are due to the guidance office by October 18. Certified staff are $25 and classified staff are $12.50.
6. PDP's are due by October 8 to Gentry for all teachers not being evaluated this school year. Please be sure to sign. All teachers will receive a copy of their PDP for their records.
7. All staff are encouraged to show their support and join the PTSA. Membership is $5.00. The PTSA will be placing a membership form in your mailboxes soon.
8. With Becky Currin leaving and Sharon Pitt out for an undetermined period of time, please know that we are having to make quite a few adjustments in the main office to cover. We do not know if/when we will have subs for one or both of them. We are restructuring our schedules to make sure everything gets covered, especially at the busiest times of day. Know that there will be a delay on some of your needs and regular things that get completed in the main office. We will get to your requests and needs as quickly as we can. Thanks for your understanding.
9. You were sent an email earlier regarding an Educator Symposium on October 29, our teacher workday. If you would like to attend, please follow the instructions in the email.
10. Please be sure to send work down to the guidance office if a parent requests work for their child due to illness or suspension. We will be sure to give you a 24-hour notice so that you have plenty of time to get work there. It is important that we stick to this guideline so that we do not interrupt your class time to get student work.
11. You are now able to log into the copiers and begin making copies! You may use your code from last school year. Each copier in the workroom will have a list of teacher names that are assigned to that particular copier. Please look for your name. If you are new, please see Susie for your copier code. Each teacher has 500 copies per month alloted. For this reason, I strongly encourage you once again to utilize the Print Shop services. There is about a week and a half turnaround time for any copying needs that you may have there. In addition, you may still use the copying service that the front office offers for any of your copying needs. If you get to your copier and it is not working properly, please let someone know so that it can be fixed when someone is free to do so.
12. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly. We have many parents who have just signed up and will be looking at grades as the quarter progresses.
Great Ideas/Shout-Outs
* Denise Stephenson suggested a great idea at our staff meeting to help out our encore teachers. She suggested that since we only hand out one encore progress report per quarter, it may be a good idea to print out a spreadsheet of grades for each class at regular intervals. This will help to identify any students whose grades have dropped two letter grades or to an F, which both require a parent contact. This is most important between the date of the progress report and the end of the quarter.
* Cynthia Hatch had a great idea for our tutoring plan. She suggested that maybe we should have our tutoring on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays so that any student that gets pulled on a Wednesday would still be able to have that particular encore class twice that week.
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up-to-date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2010
1. Congratulations to Cliff Prince. He is the proud grandparent of a baby girl!
2. Chris Hancock continues to get better. I spoke with her yesterday and she is feeling really good. Right now she is walking with a cane but will not need the cane much longer. She is still with her son's family but believes that she will return home by this weekend. If you'd like to make a donation or be involved in helping Chris out, please see Sandy Derrah.
3. Sharon Pitt's husband, Ted, is still in the hospital. We do not know how long he will be in there. We will be sure to keep you posted on these events. Please keep Sharon and Ted in your thoughts.
4. Thank you for a great staff meeting on Monday. I know that the status of next year's master schedule has many of you worried about the future. We're all in the same boat together. Know that we will do everything possible to keep you aware of changes and protect the staff as much as we can. We have a wonderful staff here - I couldn't imagine losing any of you! That would be a devastating loss! Remember that all we can do is come to work faithfully, do the best job that we possibly can each day, and rely on our co-workers, family, and friends to support us in the meantime.
5. Hospitality dues are due to the guidance office by October 18. Certified staff are $25 and classified staff are $12.50.
6. PDP's are due by October 8 to Gentry for all teachers not being evaluated this school year. Please be sure to sign. All teachers will receive a copy of their PDP for their records.
7. All staff are encouraged to show their support and join the PTSA. Membership is $5.00. The PTSA will be placing a membership form in your mailboxes soon.
8. With Becky Currin leaving and Sharon Pitt out for an undetermined period of time, please know that we are having to make quite a few adjustments in the main office to cover. We do not know if/when we will have subs for one or both of them. We are restructuring our schedules to make sure everything gets covered, especially at the busiest times of day. Know that there will be a delay on some of your needs and regular things that get completed in the main office. We will get to your requests and needs as quickly as we can. Thanks for your understanding.
9. You were sent an email earlier regarding an Educator Symposium on October 29, our teacher workday. If you would like to attend, please follow the instructions in the email.
10. Please be sure to send work down to the guidance office if a parent requests work for their child due to illness or suspension. We will be sure to give you a 24-hour notice so that you have plenty of time to get work there. It is important that we stick to this guideline so that we do not interrupt your class time to get student work.
11. You are now able to log into the copiers and begin making copies! You may use your code from last school year. Each copier in the workroom will have a list of teacher names that are assigned to that particular copier. Please look for your name. If you are new, please see Susie for your copier code. Each teacher has 500 copies per month alloted. For this reason, I strongly encourage you once again to utilize the Print Shop services. There is about a week and a half turnaround time for any copying needs that you may have there. In addition, you may still use the copying service that the front office offers for any of your copying needs. If you get to your copier and it is not working properly, please let someone know so that it can be fixed when someone is free to do so.
12. Please be sure to update your grades in NCWISE regularly. We have many parents who have just signed up and will be looking at grades as the quarter progresses.
Great Ideas/Shout-Outs
* Denise Stephenson suggested a great idea at our staff meeting to help out our encore teachers. She suggested that since we only hand out one encore progress report per quarter, it may be a good idea to print out a spreadsheet of grades for each class at regular intervals. This will help to identify any students whose grades have dropped two letter grades or to an F, which both require a parent contact. This is most important between the date of the progress report and the end of the quarter.
* Cynthia Hatch had a great idea for our tutoring plan. She suggested that maybe we should have our tutoring on Wednesdays instead of Thursdays so that any student that gets pulled on a Wednesday would still be able to have that particular encore class twice that week.
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up-to-date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Weekly Update 9/30/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010
1. Congratulations to Megan Speziale. She is pregnant and due in April. Congrats!
2. Please be sure that your Bogen extensions list is posted by your Bogen phone. Highlight the main office and administrator Bogen numbers. If you need assistance, start with the main office secretaries.
3. If any parents have questions regarding the Parent Assist Module, please direct them to Cindy Wilkes. She is our point of contact.
4. We have some furniture in storage that we need to get rid of. We have several couches and chairs. They are the same style as the furniture in the main office, but the fabric is green (imagine that!). We are making them available to staff members to purchase for your best offer. Let me know what you'd like to have and we'll "wheel and deal" and make it happen!
5. We are having some server issues this year. Slow logins, no home drive, 2 data drives, no drives at all forcing the user to log off and log back on. On Thursday and Friday please log into all machines in your room. When you log into your computers, all profiles on those computers will be deleted and a new one will be put in its place. What this means is that any extra icon, file, shortcut etc. that you have saved to the DESKTOP of your computer will be DELETED. So if you have files on your DESKTOP that you want to save, you need to move them to your H: Drive or risk having them be deleted. This is for EVERYONE.
This does not mean your Home Directory is being swept or that you will lose your Internet Favorites - just anything saved to the desktop of your computer.
6. Starting Friday, October 1, all teachers will be able to log into the copiers and begin making copies! You may use your code from last school year. Each copier in the workroom will have a list of teacher names that are assigned to that particular copier. Please look for your name. If you are new, please see Susie for your copier code. Each teacher has 500 copies per month alloted. For this reason, I strongly encourage you once again to utilize the Print Shop services. There is about a week and a half turnaround time for any copying needs that you may have there. In addition, you may still use the copying service that the front office offers for any of your copying needs.
7. When you do start making your own copies, please make sure that you notify a secretary if the copier has an issue such as getting jammed or if it runs out of toner. The secretaries will attempt to fix the problem when they are freed up to do so. Please only use the copiers that you are authorized to use (i.e. the guidance copier is for the guidance office and for EC teachers).
8. Agenda for Monday's staff meeting: Leave time, substitutes and coverage, reporting crimes, student searches, ALC, possible schedule plan for next school year, etc.
9. Don't forget that if you are not being evaluated this school year, your PDP is due to Gentry by Friday, October 8. You and I both must sign your PDP.
Shout-Outs
* Congratulations to Brad Rhymes, Jane Trace, and Leslie Ring. They are all winners of the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce grants. They will each receive monies to support projects in their classrooms. We are proud of you!
A-Ha Moments: Staff Handbook Spotlight
This week's spotlight is on the 'Collecting Funds' section of the staff handbook. You are all doing a great job of turning your monies in daily. This takes the responsibility off of you if there is ever a discrepancy during an audit. Please remember to fill out a purchase order request for any purchases you wish to make. Once approved, then the order can be made. Do not make any purchases or orders without first getting the PO approval. This will result in you not getting reimbursed! Orders made without prior approval will be cancelled. Check out the 'Collecting Funds' section at the end of the staff handbook for more details.
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up-to-date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2010
1. Congratulations to Megan Speziale. She is pregnant and due in April. Congrats!
2. Please be sure that your Bogen extensions list is posted by your Bogen phone. Highlight the main office and administrator Bogen numbers. If you need assistance, start with the main office secretaries.
3. If any parents have questions regarding the Parent Assist Module, please direct them to Cindy Wilkes. She is our point of contact.
4. We have some furniture in storage that we need to get rid of. We have several couches and chairs. They are the same style as the furniture in the main office, but the fabric is green (imagine that!). We are making them available to staff members to purchase for your best offer. Let me know what you'd like to have and we'll "wheel and deal" and make it happen!
5. We are having some server issues this year. Slow logins, no home drive, 2 data drives, no drives at all forcing the user to log off and log back on. On Thursday and Friday please log into all machines in your room. When you log into your computers, all profiles on those computers will be deleted and a new one will be put in its place. What this means is that any extra icon, file, shortcut etc. that you have saved to the DESKTOP of your computer will be DELETED. So if you have files on your DESKTOP that you want to save, you need to move them to your H: Drive or risk having them be deleted. This is for EVERYONE.
This does not mean your Home Directory is being swept or that you will lose your Internet Favorites - just anything saved to the desktop of your computer.
6. Starting Friday, October 1, all teachers will be able to log into the copiers and begin making copies! You may use your code from last school year. Each copier in the workroom will have a list of teacher names that are assigned to that particular copier. Please look for your name. If you are new, please see Susie for your copier code. Each teacher has 500 copies per month alloted. For this reason, I strongly encourage you once again to utilize the Print Shop services. There is about a week and a half turnaround time for any copying needs that you may have there. In addition, you may still use the copying service that the front office offers for any of your copying needs.
7. When you do start making your own copies, please make sure that you notify a secretary if the copier has an issue such as getting jammed or if it runs out of toner. The secretaries will attempt to fix the problem when they are freed up to do so. Please only use the copiers that you are authorized to use (i.e. the guidance copier is for the guidance office and for EC teachers).
8. Agenda for Monday's staff meeting: Leave time, substitutes and coverage, reporting crimes, student searches, ALC, possible schedule plan for next school year, etc.
9. Don't forget that if you are not being evaluated this school year, your PDP is due to Gentry by Friday, October 8. You and I both must sign your PDP.
Shout-Outs
* Congratulations to Brad Rhymes, Jane Trace, and Leslie Ring. They are all winners of the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce grants. They will each receive monies to support projects in their classrooms. We are proud of you!
A-Ha Moments: Staff Handbook Spotlight
This week's spotlight is on the 'Collecting Funds' section of the staff handbook. You are all doing a great job of turning your monies in daily. This takes the responsibility off of you if there is ever a discrepancy during an audit. Please remember to fill out a purchase order request for any purchases you wish to make. Once approved, then the order can be made. Do not make any purchases or orders without first getting the PO approval. This will result in you not getting reimbursed! Orders made without prior approval will be cancelled. Check out the 'Collecting Funds' section at the end of the staff handbook for more details.
Upcoming Events
The staff calendar is up-to-date online. You can access it through the SEMS website under Teacher Resources. Many dates were just added, so please be sure to check it out. This calendar will be updated frequently.
Happy Birthday!
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Mara Lea Coston 10/3
Tonia Maxcy 10/14
Andy Suttles 10/14
Nancy Holmes 10/16
Bill Martin 10/26
John Watson 10/24
Teresa Hilbun 10/29
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Weekly Update 9/23/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better and better with her recovery. As of today, she is still staying with her son but should be going home soon. Continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Please welcome Becky Currin to the SEMS family. She is the long-term sub for Chris Hancock until she returns. She comes to us with much experience and should help the main office to run smooth with a full staff. Welcome!
2. Danny Bowman has been under the weather recently. We hope you are feeling better, Danny! In addition, Sandra Denson's mother is quite ill. Please keep these folks in your thoughts.
3. If you need to reach me for any reason at all in the evenings or on weekends, my Blackberry number is 345-7985 and my personal cell is 317-4412. You are welcome to call if you need something. My personal cell stays on all of the time. My Blackberry goes off about 10:00pm every night.
4. Student Council elections are later this week. Mrs. Murray has been getting information out to students. On Friday, Sept. 24, we will show the speeches on your TVs. The 6th/7th grade video will be shown at 7:45am and the 8th grade video will be shown at 9:30am. Students are to watch the video, then vote right away. Votes are to be tallied and given to Mrs. Murray for counting. You will have the voting slips in your mailboxes before that Friday.
5. If any parents have questions regarding the Parent Assist Module, please direct them to Cindy Wilkes. She is our point of contact.
6. Many of you have commented on the feedback sheets that I have been placing in your mailboxes as I come around and do walkthroughs. Please know that this is for your benefit - I want you to know that I am seeing some great things in your classrooms! If there is something listed in the "something to think about" section, that is simply what is going through my mind when I am in your room. Please do not feel obligated to come back to me to explain an item that appears there. It's just feedback that I wish to share with you. I have seen so many wonderful ideas - you are all so creative! Keep up the good work!
7. We have some furniture in storage that we need to get rid of. We have several couches and chairs. They are the same style as the furniture in the main office, but the fabric is green (imagine that!). We are making them available to staff members to purchase for your best offer. Let me know what you'd like to have and we'll "wheel and deal" and make it happen!
8. The online calendar is up and running in the teacher resource section of the website. All current events are posted for you.
9. There are tuition reimbursement opportunities for those of you who are taking classes. Information and the forms for reimbursement can be found on the WSFCS website - Departments - Human Resources - Education Assistance.
10. All certified staff members will have staff development on the teacher evaluation instrument on Monday at 2:15. This meeting will not take more than 30-45 minutes. It is simply a refresher on the requirements for all certified staff members. We will show a Powerpoint presentation. Instead of giving you all handouts of the presentation, it can be found in the teacher resource section of our website. You are welcome to bring your computer to access the materials, bringing a printed handout, or bring any of the evaluation paperwork for reference during this meeting.
11. The School Improvement Team meet earlier this month and discussed possible strategies for a sub coverage plan for the school. SIT members were asked to brainstorm with their grade level this month on what coverage plans would work for the staff. The issue is that during certain times of the year, we run into situations where lots of staff are out sick (or for other reasons) and we can't cover all of the absences. Sometimes this is due to not enough subs picking up the absence on Subfinder, and sometimes it is due to the fact that some teachers will call in a sub an hour before school begins. We must come up with some sort of fair system to cover these absences without hurting other instructional areas (i.e. pulling EC assistants and ESL assistant all of the time hurts the classroom over time). Talk to your SIT members and let them know your ideas and thoughts. No plan has been decided on at this point. SIT will meet again in October to discuss your thoughts and come up with a possible plan for the school.
12. Many of you have been asking questions about what our master schedule will look like next school year. This is a huge budget issue for WSFCS. While we do not have any definite decisions from Dr. Martin, it is a good possibility that next year we will not have core teaming and may go to a junior high scheduling model (all middle schools). At the October 4 staff meeting, we will discuss this issue more in depth. I will share with you the limited details that I have up to this point and how it will possibly affect us.
Shout-Outs
The 8th grade Science teachers are having fun in their classes this week. Students are completing a lab activity and are eating algae, seaweed, etc. The students are having a great time with this lab. So if you'd like a sample, stop by and see one of them! I'm sure they'd be happy to share!
Our Gateway tutoring for math is off to a great start! We have many students signed up to stay and our tutors are doing an outstanding job. Thanks for your help! Thanks to Deb Neal for her hard work to coordinate this program.
A-Ha Moments...
Are you dreading having to go through the teacher evaluation process? Are your PDP goals something that you can accomplish yet challenging enough for you? The evaluation process can feel overwhelming, especially with the amount of paperwork that is involved. But the evaluation tool is actually a valuable instrument for teacher growth. Your PDP goals should be objectives that you can meet but are also those that challenge your teaching skills so that you grow throughout the year. Here at SEMS, we believe that this process is all about your growth and is a continuous conversation about what you want/need to accomplish. It should be a positive experience without the "gotcha" moments - you should always know just where you stand. Please know that the administrators are here to walk with you through this valuable process so that we can all grow together as a school.
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/24 - 6th/7th Student Council video and election @ 7:45
8th Student Council video and election @ 9:30
6th Grade Social, 2:00 - 4:00
Mon, 9/27 - Staff Development - Teacher Evaluation Training, certified staff only, 2:15pm
Tues, 9/28 - District LTF SSC meeting @ Atkins HS
Board of Education meeting
Wed, 9/29 - Grade Level Meetings (PEP's w/Deb Neal)
Mon, 10/4 - Staff Meeting
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2010
1. Chris Hancock continues to get better and better with her recovery. As of today, she is still staying with her son but should be going home soon. Continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Please welcome Becky Currin to the SEMS family. She is the long-term sub for Chris Hancock until she returns. She comes to us with much experience and should help the main office to run smooth with a full staff. Welcome!
2. Danny Bowman has been under the weather recently. We hope you are feeling better, Danny! In addition, Sandra Denson's mother is quite ill. Please keep these folks in your thoughts.
3. If you need to reach me for any reason at all in the evenings or on weekends, my Blackberry number is 345-7985 and my personal cell is 317-4412. You are welcome to call if you need something. My personal cell stays on all of the time. My Blackberry goes off about 10:00pm every night.
4. Student Council elections are later this week. Mrs. Murray has been getting information out to students. On Friday, Sept. 24, we will show the speeches on your TVs. The 6th/7th grade video will be shown at 7:45am and the 8th grade video will be shown at 9:30am. Students are to watch the video, then vote right away. Votes are to be tallied and given to Mrs. Murray for counting. You will have the voting slips in your mailboxes before that Friday.
5. If any parents have questions regarding the Parent Assist Module, please direct them to Cindy Wilkes. She is our point of contact.
6. Many of you have commented on the feedback sheets that I have been placing in your mailboxes as I come around and do walkthroughs. Please know that this is for your benefit - I want you to know that I am seeing some great things in your classrooms! If there is something listed in the "something to think about" section, that is simply what is going through my mind when I am in your room. Please do not feel obligated to come back to me to explain an item that appears there. It's just feedback that I wish to share with you. I have seen so many wonderful ideas - you are all so creative! Keep up the good work!
7. We have some furniture in storage that we need to get rid of. We have several couches and chairs. They are the same style as the furniture in the main office, but the fabric is green (imagine that!). We are making them available to staff members to purchase for your best offer. Let me know what you'd like to have and we'll "wheel and deal" and make it happen!
8. The online calendar is up and running in the teacher resource section of the website. All current events are posted for you.
9. There are tuition reimbursement opportunities for those of you who are taking classes. Information and the forms for reimbursement can be found on the WSFCS website - Departments - Human Resources - Education Assistance.
10. All certified staff members will have staff development on the teacher evaluation instrument on Monday at 2:15. This meeting will not take more than 30-45 minutes. It is simply a refresher on the requirements for all certified staff members. We will show a Powerpoint presentation. Instead of giving you all handouts of the presentation, it can be found in the teacher resource section of our website. You are welcome to bring your computer to access the materials, bringing a printed handout, or bring any of the evaluation paperwork for reference during this meeting.
11. The School Improvement Team meet earlier this month and discussed possible strategies for a sub coverage plan for the school. SIT members were asked to brainstorm with their grade level this month on what coverage plans would work for the staff. The issue is that during certain times of the year, we run into situations where lots of staff are out sick (or for other reasons) and we can't cover all of the absences. Sometimes this is due to not enough subs picking up the absence on Subfinder, and sometimes it is due to the fact that some teachers will call in a sub an hour before school begins. We must come up with some sort of fair system to cover these absences without hurting other instructional areas (i.e. pulling EC assistants and ESL assistant all of the time hurts the classroom over time). Talk to your SIT members and let them know your ideas and thoughts. No plan has been decided on at this point. SIT will meet again in October to discuss your thoughts and come up with a possible plan for the school.
12. Many of you have been asking questions about what our master schedule will look like next school year. This is a huge budget issue for WSFCS. While we do not have any definite decisions from Dr. Martin, it is a good possibility that next year we will not have core teaming and may go to a junior high scheduling model (all middle schools). At the October 4 staff meeting, we will discuss this issue more in depth. I will share with you the limited details that I have up to this point and how it will possibly affect us.
Shout-Outs
The 8th grade Science teachers are having fun in their classes this week. Students are completing a lab activity and are eating algae, seaweed, etc. The students are having a great time with this lab. So if you'd like a sample, stop by and see one of them! I'm sure they'd be happy to share!
Our Gateway tutoring for math is off to a great start! We have many students signed up to stay and our tutors are doing an outstanding job. Thanks for your help! Thanks to Deb Neal for her hard work to coordinate this program.
A-Ha Moments...
Are you dreading having to go through the teacher evaluation process? Are your PDP goals something that you can accomplish yet challenging enough for you? The evaluation process can feel overwhelming, especially with the amount of paperwork that is involved. But the evaluation tool is actually a valuable instrument for teacher growth. Your PDP goals should be objectives that you can meet but are also those that challenge your teaching skills so that you grow throughout the year. Here at SEMS, we believe that this process is all about your growth and is a continuous conversation about what you want/need to accomplish. It should be a positive experience without the "gotcha" moments - you should always know just where you stand. Please know that the administrators are here to walk with you through this valuable process so that we can all grow together as a school.
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/24 - 6th/7th Student Council video and election @ 7:45
8th Student Council video and election @ 9:30
6th Grade Social, 2:00 - 4:00
Mon, 9/27 - Staff Development - Teacher Evaluation Training, certified staff only, 2:15pm
Tues, 9/28 - District LTF SSC meeting @ Atkins HS
Board of Education meeting
Wed, 9/29 - Grade Level Meetings (PEP's w/Deb Neal)
Mon, 10/4 - Staff Meeting
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Weekly Update 9/16/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, SEPT. 16
1. Thanks to those of you who have update your substitute folders and placed them in your mailbox. This will make things much easier if you happen to be out unexpectedly.
2. If you need to reach me for any reason at all in the evenings or on weekends, my Blackberry number is 345-7985 and my personal cell is 317-4412. You are welcome to call if you need something. My personal cell stays on all of the time. My Blackberry goes off about 10:00pm every night.
3. If you need to leave campus for any reason, please be sure to seek administrator approval first and then sign in and out on the staff signout sheet in the main office. This will prevent any confusion should you be needed at a moment's notice.
4. Our multi-purpose room is available for groups that need some extra space for events, etc. However, please know that this year, Mr. Munden will have Band students in the MP room on B-days in the morning. He does have priority so that students have a location to go to. The sign-up sheet for the MP room is posted in the teacher workroom. You must sign up in order to use the space.
5. Student Council elections are right around the corner. Mrs. Murray has been getting information out to students. Next week students will be campaigning for their offices. On Friday, Sept. 24, we will show the speeches on your TVs. The 6th/7th grade video will be shown at 7:45am and the 8th grade video will be shown at 9:30am. Students are to watch the video, then vote right away. Votes are to be tallied and given to Mrs. Murray for counting. You will have the voting slips in your mailboxes before that Friday.
6. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons. At 11:59, I will read an announcement on the intercom. Then the moment of silence will follow right after that. If you have lunch during this time, please talk to your students ahead of time about what will take place. We will give cues in the cafeteria and multi-purpose room when students need to be quiet. This should only last about one minute.
7. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
8. We are working on the staff calendar on the website. We will let you know when that is up and running!
9. An email was sent to you earlier in regards to your safety clipboards. Please be sure to place a copy of your rosters on your clipboard. Clipboards will be check at the end of next week. Also, your core team should be working on an emergency absorption plan in case a team member must leave quickly. This plan should be completed and posted by September 30. You should post on either your door or on the safety clipboard.
Shout-Outs
Last week I spotlighted the Tsunami team for their team calendar on the website. Now I realize that quite a few teams are doing this! Thanks to all of you for your hard work to do this and opening up communication with our students and parents!
Caught in the act...
Mrs. Eisbacher was caught doing a wonderful activity, "Bio Bags," with the students this week. The students really seemed to enjoy it!
Mrs. Guffey was caught doing a high-interest activity on the Smartboard, complete with sounds and pictures.
A-Ha Moment...
Are you a leader? What makes you a leader? Are your students leaders? Leadership is in the spotlight, especially on the teacher evaluation instrument. You can show your leadership both in and out of the classroom. Being a team leader, coaching or sponsoring an activity, and leading a workshop or meeting are all great examples. But what about inside your classroom? Are students given leadership opportunities in your classroom? In order to develop leaders, we must foster those opportunities for growth. You never know who might step up to the plate and shine - I'm sure we'd all be surprised at one time or another. The best question to ask is.......Are you leading in the RIGHT direction? Something to think about...
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Optional web training w/Jeff
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Wed, 9/22 - Optional web training w/Jeff
Fri, 9/24 - 6th/7th Student Council video and election @ 7:45
8th Student Council video and election @ 9:30
6th Grade Social, 2:00 - 4:00
Mon, 9/27 - Staff Development - Teacher Evaluation Training, certified staff only, 2:15pm
Tues, 9/28 - District LTF SSC meeting @ Atkins HS
Board of Education meeting
Wed, 9/29 - Grade Level Meetings (PEP's w/Deb Neal)
Mon, 10/4 - Staff Meeting
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
THURSDAY, SEPT. 16
1. Thanks to those of you who have update your substitute folders and placed them in your mailbox. This will make things much easier if you happen to be out unexpectedly.
2. If you need to reach me for any reason at all in the evenings or on weekends, my Blackberry number is 345-7985 and my personal cell is 317-4412. You are welcome to call if you need something. My personal cell stays on all of the time. My Blackberry goes off about 10:00pm every night.
3. If you need to leave campus for any reason, please be sure to seek administrator approval first and then sign in and out on the staff signout sheet in the main office. This will prevent any confusion should you be needed at a moment's notice.
4. Our multi-purpose room is available for groups that need some extra space for events, etc. However, please know that this year, Mr. Munden will have Band students in the MP room on B-days in the morning. He does have priority so that students have a location to go to. The sign-up sheet for the MP room is posted in the teacher workroom. You must sign up in order to use the space.
5. Student Council elections are right around the corner. Mrs. Murray has been getting information out to students. Next week students will be campaigning for their offices. On Friday, Sept. 24, we will show the speeches on your TVs. The 6th/7th grade video will be shown at 7:45am and the 8th grade video will be shown at 9:30am. Students are to watch the video, then vote right away. Votes are to be tallied and given to Mrs. Murray for counting. You will have the voting slips in your mailboxes before that Friday.
6. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons. At 11:59, I will read an announcement on the intercom. Then the moment of silence will follow right after that. If you have lunch during this time, please talk to your students ahead of time about what will take place. We will give cues in the cafeteria and multi-purpose room when students need to be quiet. This should only last about one minute.
7. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
8. We are working on the staff calendar on the website. We will let you know when that is up and running!
9. An email was sent to you earlier in regards to your safety clipboards. Please be sure to place a copy of your rosters on your clipboard. Clipboards will be check at the end of next week. Also, your core team should be working on an emergency absorption plan in case a team member must leave quickly. This plan should be completed and posted by September 30. You should post on either your door or on the safety clipboard.
Shout-Outs
Last week I spotlighted the Tsunami team for their team calendar on the website. Now I realize that quite a few teams are doing this! Thanks to all of you for your hard work to do this and opening up communication with our students and parents!
Caught in the act...
Mrs. Eisbacher was caught doing a wonderful activity, "Bio Bags," with the students this week. The students really seemed to enjoy it!
Mrs. Guffey was caught doing a high-interest activity on the Smartboard, complete with sounds and pictures.
A-Ha Moment...
Are you a leader? What makes you a leader? Are your students leaders? Leadership is in the spotlight, especially on the teacher evaluation instrument. You can show your leadership both in and out of the classroom. Being a team leader, coaching or sponsoring an activity, and leading a workshop or meeting are all great examples. But what about inside your classroom? Are students given leadership opportunities in your classroom? In order to develop leaders, we must foster those opportunities for growth. You never know who might step up to the plate and shine - I'm sure we'd all be surprised at one time or another. The best question to ask is.......Are you leading in the RIGHT direction? Something to think about...
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Optional web training w/Jeff
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Wed, 9/22 - Optional web training w/Jeff
Fri, 9/24 - 6th/7th Student Council video and election @ 7:45
8th Student Council video and election @ 9:30
6th Grade Social, 2:00 - 4:00
Mon, 9/27 - Staff Development - Teacher Evaluation Training, certified staff only, 2:15pm
Tues, 9/28 - District LTF SSC meeting @ Atkins HS
Board of Education meeting
Wed, 9/29 - Grade Level Meetings (PEP's w/Deb Neal)
Mon, 10/4 - Staff Meeting
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Weekly Update 9/9/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER 9, 2010
Apologies to Frankie Santoro. His name was left off of the birthday list for September. It has now been added back. Sorry Frankie!
1. Remind your students to visit the Crosby Scholars website to apply for the program: http://www.crosbyscholars.org/.
2. Teachers, please complete your substitute folders and put them in your mailbox if you have not already done so. We will check for sub folders on Wednesday, Sept. 15.
3. Our multi-purpose room is available for groups that need some extra space for events, etc. However, please know that this year, Mr. Munden will have Band students in the MP room on B-days in the morning. He does have priority so that students have a location to go to. The sign-up sheet for the MP room is posted in the teacher workroom. You must sign up in order to use the space.
4. 6th and 7th grade students will have eye screenings on September 16. The schedule is being created. This should not interrupt any more than 15 minutes of your time. We will make sure that you get a copy of the schedule as soon as it is complete. Please remind your students to bring their glasses on this day if they wear them.
5. We are planning for Gateway tutoring, which will start in a few short weeks. We are in great need of more Reading tutors. The pay is $25/hour, and tutoring sessions will meet on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for 5-6 weeks. Please see Deb Neal if you are interested in tutoring.
6. Student Council elections are right around the corner. Mrs. Murray will be getting you the information and details.
7. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
8. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. More details will follow. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons.
9. We would like to offer our students some opportunities to participate in intramurals this year (ideas include flag football, volleyball, etc.). Some money has been set aside to do this. If you are interested in doing intramurals, please see me or Nick Pizzino as soon as possible. The commitment for this would be approximately 8-12 sessions over about a month's time.
10. If you are certified in CPR, please let me know so that we can update our first responders list.
"Shout-Outs"
*This week's shout-outs go to the 7th grade level! In each 7th grade classroom, you will find an area marked 'Team News' or 'Team Assignments.' Teachers post their weekly assignments for students to reference in any of their core classrooms. Even more impressive, the Tsunamis have developed a team calendar, where students can access any of their core teachers' websites and find the same team assignments on the team calendar. You rock 7th grade!
A-Ha Moments...
How many times have you told someone, "My students like to talk!" This is common, especially in middle school. So why not use that to your advantage? Take advantage of opportunities to pair students together or put them in small groups. Who knows - the most talkative student could end up being the best leader of a small group! As long as we provide consistent expectations for collaborative work, then this situation can be quite productive. Studies show that students learn the most when the lesson is hands-on or collaborative. Give it a try, you just might be surprised! Will it work every single time? No. But it's worth trying, and trying, and trying again...
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline Committee members, various locations
Tues, 9/14 Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out; Colonial Life Rep here from 7:30 - 12:00
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Fri, 9/24 - 6th Grade Social
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
SEPTEMBER 9, 2010
Apologies to Frankie Santoro. His name was left off of the birthday list for September. It has now been added back. Sorry Frankie!
1. Remind your students to visit the Crosby Scholars website to apply for the program: http://www.crosbyscholars.org/.
2. Teachers, please complete your substitute folders and put them in your mailbox if you have not already done so. We will check for sub folders on Wednesday, Sept. 15.
3. Our multi-purpose room is available for groups that need some extra space for events, etc. However, please know that this year, Mr. Munden will have Band students in the MP room on B-days in the morning. He does have priority so that students have a location to go to. The sign-up sheet for the MP room is posted in the teacher workroom. You must sign up in order to use the space.
4. 6th and 7th grade students will have eye screenings on September 16. The schedule is being created. This should not interrupt any more than 15 minutes of your time. We will make sure that you get a copy of the schedule as soon as it is complete. Please remind your students to bring their glasses on this day if they wear them.
5. We are planning for Gateway tutoring, which will start in a few short weeks. We are in great need of more Reading tutors. The pay is $25/hour, and tutoring sessions will meet on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons for 5-6 weeks. Please see Deb Neal if you are interested in tutoring.
6. Student Council elections are right around the corner. Mrs. Murray will be getting you the information and details.
7. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
8. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. More details will follow. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons.
9. We would like to offer our students some opportunities to participate in intramurals this year (ideas include flag football, volleyball, etc.). Some money has been set aside to do this. If you are interested in doing intramurals, please see me or Nick Pizzino as soon as possible. The commitment for this would be approximately 8-12 sessions over about a month's time.
10. If you are certified in CPR, please let me know so that we can update our first responders list.
"Shout-Outs"
*This week's shout-outs go to the 7th grade level! In each 7th grade classroom, you will find an area marked 'Team News' or 'Team Assignments.' Teachers post their weekly assignments for students to reference in any of their core classrooms. Even more impressive, the Tsunamis have developed a team calendar, where students can access any of their core teachers' websites and find the same team assignments on the team calendar. You rock 7th grade!
A-Ha Moments...
How many times have you told someone, "My students like to talk!" This is common, especially in middle school. So why not use that to your advantage? Take advantage of opportunities to pair students together or put them in small groups. Who knows - the most talkative student could end up being the best leader of a small group! As long as we provide consistent expectations for collaborative work, then this situation can be quite productive. Studies show that students learn the most when the lesson is hands-on or collaborative. Give it a try, you just might be surprised! Will it work every single time? No. But it's worth trying, and trying, and trying again...
Upcoming Events
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline Committee members, various locations
Tues, 9/14 Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out; Colonial Life Rep here from 7:30 - 12:00
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Fri, 9/24 - 6th Grade Social
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Frankie Santoro - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Weekly Update 9/2/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
1. Thanks again for coming together as a staff to make our first full week so smooth!
2. Core teachers, please remember to fill out the necessary forms in the guidance office should you need to move any students around within your team. Also, you must contact a parent if you are moving a student between a regular and advanced level class. The deadline is approaching - you only have the first ten days of school to make changes.
3. Please be sure to supervise your students at all times. You must never walk away and leave a class unattended. In addition, please be prompt for your supervision duties before, during, and after school. This is a safety and liability issue if we are not properly supervising students.
4. Please spend some time reading over the staff handbook. There are some procedural changes this year, especially related to field trips and money. All staff are responsible for the information in the handbook. I would hate for something to go wrong for you simply because procedures were not followed. That has already happened this school year.
5. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
6. The Pierce Group/Colonial representative has added an additional date. He will be here for part of the day on Sept. 15 as well. So if you still need to sign up for a time, please see Susie Hook.
7. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. More details will follow. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons.
8. We would like to offer our students some opportunities to participate in intramurals this year (ideas include flag football, volleyball, etc.). Some money has been set aside to do this. If you are interested in doing intramurals, please see me or Nick Pizzino as soon as possible. The commitment for this would be approximately 8-12 sessions over about a month's time.
9. We are planning on showing the discipline video to all students on Friday. 6th and 7th grade teachers will watch the video at 7:35 and 8th grade teachers will show the video at 9:30. It will be broadcast on channel 19. The video will last approximately 15 minutes. Hope you are entertained!
10. If you plan on ordering any apparel for your club, organization, or team this school year, you must go through Susie Hook to purchase those items. Even if you have monies available, you must still follow proper procedures to ensure reimbursement or ordering will take place. We have one dedicated vendor this year for our school and will make all orders through that company.
11. I am finalizing club assignments this week. I will be sending confirmation emails out. For clubs, you will be asked to submit a plan for your meetings and your events. Once the plan is in action and events are taking place, your pay will be submitted. Please know that our budget is very tight and I was not able to accommodate all requests. Priority is being given to existing clubs and to those individuals who have led previous clubs successfully.
12. Please know that our car riders are arriving earlier than usual, so keep that in mind when getting to school in the mornings. If you arrive after 6:45am, the chances are much higher that you will get caught in the traffic, which will delay you by about 15-20 minutes.
13. There have been questions regarding field trips this year. There is no magic number for how many field trips groups are to take. But we encourage you to be creative and if you take more than one trip, at least one of those should be educational as opposed to incentive. Grade levels are encouraged to communicate about field trips - there shouldn't be one team taking 3 field trips and another taking none. We need to be fairly consistent throughout the year. There will be a short period prior to EOGs that will be blocked off for all field trips. I will get those dates to you.
14. Teacher sign-ups for the socials are posted in the workroom (certified staff only). There are still slots available if you want to work one of them. If you do not work the social, then you will need to sign up for one of the winter concerts in December. They will be posted at a later date.
15. If you are certified in CPR, please let me know so that we can update our first responders list.
Great Ideas!
* Mrs. Davis-King took her students out for the fire drill earlier this week. She put her name on the back of her safety clipboard and held that up so her students would know where to line up for the drill. Students were able to find her quite easily!
*If you're looking for an expert on the Airliner tablet, see Mrs. Worrell! She is phenomenal on this technology. And for those of you who have tried, the Airliner is not the easiest gadget to use.
A-Ha Moments...
How do students take notes in your class? Is there structure to your students' note-taking? Graphic organizers are a great way for your students to organize the information. Lots of you already use graphic organizers in your class and I'm sure can attest to the success with them. This is a great way for students to know the expectations, organize their thoughts, and be able to retrieve information easily. Be creative and see how your students respond!
Upcoming Events
Tues, 9/7 7:45 - 11:30am Gentry at Joint Principals Mtg.
Thurs, 9/9 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Set up your gradebooks - All teachers during your planning period in the Computer Lab
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline Committee members, various locations
Tues, 9/14 7:45 - 12:30pm Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Fri, 9/24 - 6th Grade Social
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
1. Thanks again for coming together as a staff to make our first full week so smooth!
2. Core teachers, please remember to fill out the necessary forms in the guidance office should you need to move any students around within your team. Also, you must contact a parent if you are moving a student between a regular and advanced level class. The deadline is approaching - you only have the first ten days of school to make changes.
3. Please be sure to supervise your students at all times. You must never walk away and leave a class unattended. In addition, please be prompt for your supervision duties before, during, and after school. This is a safety and liability issue if we are not properly supervising students.
4. Please spend some time reading over the staff handbook. There are some procedural changes this year, especially related to field trips and money. All staff are responsible for the information in the handbook. I would hate for something to go wrong for you simply because procedures were not followed. That has already happened this school year.
5. As the school year progresses you are bound to have parents/guardians who have concerns about their child's academic, social or emotional progress. Please remember before you refer them to the SAT Team or recommend they complete a Parent Referral for EC Consideration, that both avenues require documentation of interventions and outcomes of interventions in the area(s) of concern. There have been improvements to both processes in the last 2 years that make them more effective and efficient, but there are still no "short cuts" to EC or any other classroom services. Not having the required, appropriate information in the beginning stages (regardless of which process has begun) can further delay the start of any services the child may truly need to be successful. Teachers or parents needing additional information or having additional concerns can contact either Dara Hedgecock (SAT Team Chair) or Debi Kopchik (EC/ Case Manager.)
6. The Pierce Group/Colonial representative has added an additional date. He will be here for part of the day on Sept. 15 as well. So if you still need to sign up for a time, please see Susie Hook.
7. The International Day of Peace is on Tuesday, September 21. All schools will observe a moment of silence at noon on this day. More details will follow. You are welcome to incorporate the meaning of this day into your lessons.
8. We would like to offer our students some opportunities to participate in intramurals this year (ideas include flag football, volleyball, etc.). Some money has been set aside to do this. If you are interested in doing intramurals, please see me or Nick Pizzino as soon as possible. The commitment for this would be approximately 8-12 sessions over about a month's time.
9. We are planning on showing the discipline video to all students on Friday. 6th and 7th grade teachers will watch the video at 7:35 and 8th grade teachers will show the video at 9:30. It will be broadcast on channel 19. The video will last approximately 15 minutes. Hope you are entertained!
10. If you plan on ordering any apparel for your club, organization, or team this school year, you must go through Susie Hook to purchase those items. Even if you have monies available, you must still follow proper procedures to ensure reimbursement or ordering will take place. We have one dedicated vendor this year for our school and will make all orders through that company.
11. I am finalizing club assignments this week. I will be sending confirmation emails out. For clubs, you will be asked to submit a plan for your meetings and your events. Once the plan is in action and events are taking place, your pay will be submitted. Please know that our budget is very tight and I was not able to accommodate all requests. Priority is being given to existing clubs and to those individuals who have led previous clubs successfully.
12. Please know that our car riders are arriving earlier than usual, so keep that in mind when getting to school in the mornings. If you arrive after 6:45am, the chances are much higher that you will get caught in the traffic, which will delay you by about 15-20 minutes.
13. There have been questions regarding field trips this year. There is no magic number for how many field trips groups are to take. But we encourage you to be creative and if you take more than one trip, at least one of those should be educational as opposed to incentive. Grade levels are encouraged to communicate about field trips - there shouldn't be one team taking 3 field trips and another taking none. We need to be fairly consistent throughout the year. There will be a short period prior to EOGs that will be blocked off for all field trips. I will get those dates to you.
14. Teacher sign-ups for the socials are posted in the workroom (certified staff only). There are still slots available if you want to work one of them. If you do not work the social, then you will need to sign up for one of the winter concerts in December. They will be posted at a later date.
15. If you are certified in CPR, please let me know so that we can update our first responders list.
Great Ideas!
* Mrs. Davis-King took her students out for the fire drill earlier this week. She put her name on the back of her safety clipboard and held that up so her students would know where to line up for the drill. Students were able to find her quite easily!
*If you're looking for an expert on the Airliner tablet, see Mrs. Worrell! She is phenomenal on this technology. And for those of you who have tried, the Airliner is not the easiest gadget to use.
A-Ha Moments...
How do students take notes in your class? Is there structure to your students' note-taking? Graphic organizers are a great way for your students to organize the information. Lots of you already use graphic organizers in your class and I'm sure can attest to the success with them. This is a great way for students to know the expectations, organize their thoughts, and be able to retrieve information easily. Be creative and see how your students respond!
Upcoming Events
Tues, 9/7 7:45 - 11:30am Gentry at Joint Principals Mtg.
Thurs, 9/9 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Set up your gradebooks - All teachers during your planning period in the Computer Lab
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline Committee members, various locations
Tues, 9/14 7:45 - 12:30pm Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/20 - EC and ESL Development Mtg @ 2:15pm
Tues, 9/21 - International Day of Peace (Moment of Silence @ 12:00)
Fri, 9/24 - 6th Grade Social
Happy Birthday!
Cathie Hayes - 9/7
Andrea Stewart - 9/17
Cynthia Griffin - 9/19
Laura Lyles - 9/19
Allison Barnes - 9/30
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Weekly Update 8/26/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010
1. Thanks for a great first few days of school! I appreciate every one of you coming together and making it work!
2. Congrats to Frankie Santoro. He is, once again, an uncle. Go Uncle Frankie!
3. We now have a "staff art" hallway for our talented teachers to display their artwork. The hallway is outside the administrator offices in the main office. Susie has started the hallway with her photography. If you would like to display a piece of artwork, please see Susie.
4. Core teachers, please remember to fill out the necessary forms in the guidance office should you need to move any students around within your team. Also, you must contact a parent if you are moving a student between a regular and advanced level class.
5. Please make sure that your safety clipboards are hanging by your door and that your maps have been posted. We will have a fire drill by the end of August, so please review your routes with your students.
6. Any students walking to Caleb's Creek Elementary are to report to the main office every day after school. They will be escorted down by Mrs. Horwath each day.
7. The school store will start on Monday. This year there are two carts for students to visit: One in the hallway outside the Media Center and another floating down the main hallway towards the office and multi-purpose room. If a student needs to make a purchase, they must have their planner signed to go to the store.
8. If any of you are certified in CPR, please let me know. We need to identify those who are in case of an emergency.
9. We will offer $10 physicals to athletes this coming Monday, August 30, from 2:00 - 4:00. Students must sign up with Mr. Pizzino in the gym and must bring their money on Monday in order to complete. Physicals are valid for one calendar year.
10. For safety reasons, the encore hallway doors leading outside will be locked at 4:00pm each day. If you are still on campus and need to enter the building, you will need to enter through the front of the building.
11. Please be on time for your lunch in the cafeteria and multi-purpose room. Your class should be lined up in the cafeteria at your scheduled time. Please leave on time as well to ensure that everyone else can stay on schedule. Your class must sit in their designated spot noted on the schedule.
12. Please be sure to supervise your students at all times. You must never walk away and leave a class unattended. In addition, please be prompt for your supervision duties before, during, and after school. This is a safety and liability issue if we are not properly supervising students.
13. Please continue to follow the same procedure for attendance. Cindy Wilkes has emailed you some updates and reminders - please follow these instructions. If you have questions, please see her.
14. Please spend some time reading over the staff handbook. There are some procedural changes this year, especially related to field trips and money. All staff are responsible for the information in the handbook. I would hate for something to go wrong for you simply because procedures were not followed. That has already happened this school year.
15. I still need the names of quite a few team leaders. In addition, I need to know who the 6th and 8th grade chairpersons are.
Upcoming dates (I will provide this for you until the calendar is up and running):
Mon, 8/30 2:15pm Staff Meeting All Staff Media Center
2:15 - 4:00pm Sports Physicals for Athletes
6:30pm PTSA Board Meeting PTSA Board Main Office
Wed, 9/1 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Discipline Training w/ AP's All teachers during your planning period TBD
Tues, 9/7 7:45 - 11:30am Gentry at Joint Principals Mtg.
Thurs, 9/9 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Set up your gradebooks All teachers during your planning period Computer Lab
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline, Fundraiser Committee members, various locations
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out
Thurs, 9/16 7:45 - 12:30pm Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social Teachers
A-Ha Moments...
Homework - What's the purpose? What is best way to grade homework? How much should it really be worth? Let's face it, not all of our students will get homework completed and turned in. That's an obstacle that we will always face. The key to homework is to have students practice skills they have already been taught, reinforcing the previous lessons. Teachers should not spend all of their time grading homework, especially if it only counts 10-15% of the students' grade. So how do you balance that? Use homework as a tool to reinforce prior skills, visit homework assignments regularly in your classroom to show the importance of it and improve accountability, and think about how you grade homework. Just a thought...
August BirthdaysSharman Lakey 8/1
Portia Lakey 8/2
Chris Hancock 8/3
Stephanie Gentry 8/7
Ron Black 8/20
Laura Horn 8/20
Jeanne Hobson 8/23
Kay Hoag 8/25
Jordan Tucker 8/28
Jennifer Wells 8/29
THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2010
1. Thanks for a great first few days of school! I appreciate every one of you coming together and making it work!
2. Congrats to Frankie Santoro. He is, once again, an uncle. Go Uncle Frankie!
3. We now have a "staff art" hallway for our talented teachers to display their artwork. The hallway is outside the administrator offices in the main office. Susie has started the hallway with her photography. If you would like to display a piece of artwork, please see Susie.
4. Core teachers, please remember to fill out the necessary forms in the guidance office should you need to move any students around within your team. Also, you must contact a parent if you are moving a student between a regular and advanced level class.
5. Please make sure that your safety clipboards are hanging by your door and that your maps have been posted. We will have a fire drill by the end of August, so please review your routes with your students.
6. Any students walking to Caleb's Creek Elementary are to report to the main office every day after school. They will be escorted down by Mrs. Horwath each day.
7. The school store will start on Monday. This year there are two carts for students to visit: One in the hallway outside the Media Center and another floating down the main hallway towards the office and multi-purpose room. If a student needs to make a purchase, they must have their planner signed to go to the store.
8. If any of you are certified in CPR, please let me know. We need to identify those who are in case of an emergency.
9. We will offer $10 physicals to athletes this coming Monday, August 30, from 2:00 - 4:00. Students must sign up with Mr. Pizzino in the gym and must bring their money on Monday in order to complete. Physicals are valid for one calendar year.
10. For safety reasons, the encore hallway doors leading outside will be locked at 4:00pm each day. If you are still on campus and need to enter the building, you will need to enter through the front of the building.
11. Please be on time for your lunch in the cafeteria and multi-purpose room. Your class should be lined up in the cafeteria at your scheduled time. Please leave on time as well to ensure that everyone else can stay on schedule. Your class must sit in their designated spot noted on the schedule.
12. Please be sure to supervise your students at all times. You must never walk away and leave a class unattended. In addition, please be prompt for your supervision duties before, during, and after school. This is a safety and liability issue if we are not properly supervising students.
13. Please continue to follow the same procedure for attendance. Cindy Wilkes has emailed you some updates and reminders - please follow these instructions. If you have questions, please see her.
14. Please spend some time reading over the staff handbook. There are some procedural changes this year, especially related to field trips and money. All staff are responsible for the information in the handbook. I would hate for something to go wrong for you simply because procedures were not followed. That has already happened this school year.
15. I still need the names of quite a few team leaders. In addition, I need to know who the 6th and 8th grade chairpersons are.
Upcoming dates (I will provide this for you until the calendar is up and running):
Mon, 8/30 2:15pm Staff Meeting All Staff Media Center
2:15 - 4:00pm Sports Physicals for Athletes
6:30pm PTSA Board Meeting PTSA Board Main Office
Wed, 9/1 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Discipline Training w/ AP's All teachers during your planning period TBD
Tues, 9/7 7:45 - 11:30am Gentry at Joint Principals Mtg.
Thurs, 9/9 Planning Grade Level Meetings - Set up your gradebooks All teachers during your planning period Computer Lab
Fri, 9/10 2:15 - 4:00 8th Grade PTSA Social
Mon, 9/13 2:15pm Committee Meetings: SIT, Hospitality, Safety/Discipline, Fundraiser Committee members, various locations
Wed, 9/15 Core Progress Reports go out
Thurs, 9/16 7:45 - 12:30pm Gentry at MS Principals Mtg.
Fri, 9/17 2:15 - 4:00 7th Grade PTSA Social Teachers
A-Ha Moments...
Homework - What's the purpose? What is best way to grade homework? How much should it really be worth? Let's face it, not all of our students will get homework completed and turned in. That's an obstacle that we will always face. The key to homework is to have students practice skills they have already been taught, reinforcing the previous lessons. Teachers should not spend all of their time grading homework, especially if it only counts 10-15% of the students' grade. So how do you balance that? Use homework as a tool to reinforce prior skills, visit homework assignments regularly in your classroom to show the importance of it and improve accountability, and think about how you grade homework. Just a thought...
August BirthdaysSharman Lakey 8/1
Portia Lakey 8/2
Chris Hancock 8/3
Stephanie Gentry 8/7
Ron Black 8/20
Laura Horn 8/20
Jeanne Hobson 8/23
Kay Hoag 8/25
Jordan Tucker 8/28
Jennifer Wells 8/29
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Weekly Update 8/19/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010
1. Thanks for a great first couple of days! I really appreciate the enthusiasm that all of you returned with. I am looking forward to a great year!
2. Congratulations to Kristin Thorne. She is now an aunt! Her sister gave birth yesterday.
3. Susie Hook will have a get-together at her house in Kernersville on Friday night. Stop by for details. Flyers are up in the workroom in the main office. You can RSVP on the list on Susie's door.
4. Don't forget that PTSA is selling apparel, including the tie-dye shirts that were displayed at the opening staff meeting. The cost is $15. You can pre-order this week! We will do an additional staff apparel order in the coming weeks for t-shirts or polo shirts. More information to come.
5. You were sent an updated copy of the staff development for Central Office. Please make sure that you attend your required workshops. If there are any questions or conflicts, please let us know.
6. We are trying to fill all furniture needs as quickly as possible. We are short some desks, so if you have any extras in your room, please let us know. We are trying to be quite creative in solving our student seating issues. But I know that we will all make it work! Priority for furniture is given to teachers that are in need of student desks.
7. Copies will be done by the front office staff for the first month of school. After that point, you will be able to use the copiers with an ID number. We strongly encourage you all to use the Print Shop for copies - it saves our copiers and doesn't add to your copy count! If you need assistance, please see one of the secretaries.
8. Club and committee sign-up sheets are posted in the workroom on the green bulletin board. Please sign up for a committee if you have not signed up already. We still have several openings to fill. The girls volleyball position is still vacant. Also, we need 1-2 reps for the United Negro College Fund. This is not a year-long commitment - you may have to attend a meeting and then distribute/collect information from staff when the UNCF drive takes place. That's it! Clubs are optional sign-ups, committees are required. Please sign up by Tuesday, Aug. 24.
9. Teams should vote on a team leader and a grade level chairperson by Tuesday, August 24. If your team cannot decide, I will make the decision for you. Please email me this information once it is decided.
10. Please be sure to visit the Teacher Resource section on the SEMS website. The password feature has been removed so that you can access. Jeff is working on this issue. All schedules, etc. have been posted for your convenience. We will talk more about some of the documents in the coming weeks.
11. The August/September calendar is also in the Teacher Resource section as a spreadsheet until we get the main staff calendar up and running. Meetings and important dates to know are on this calendar, so you will need to get those dates on your calendars as well.
12. We talked about sending home ACC folders every Wednesday this year. With the amount of "stuff" that needs to go home the first few days of school, I'm going to ask you to send home ACC folders on Wednesday AND Thursday on the first week of school (Aug. 25 and 26). This will really help out with the encore teachers needing to send information home as well. After that point, we can go back to the schedule for every Wednesday. Homebase teachers are expected to keep up with storing the ACC folders once they are returned. New folders will be handed out at the start of the second semester.
13. We now have a "staff art" hallway for our talented teachers to display their artwork. The hallway is outside the administrator offices in the main office. Susie has started the hallway with her photography. If you would like to display a piece of artwork, please see Susie.
14. The building will be open from 8 - 12pm on Saturday morning in case any of you need to come in and work in your classrooms.
"A-Ha" Moments...
*Is your essential question user-friendly? Would your students be able to explain the purpose and goal of your lesson to a stranger walking in the door? When writing an essential question, it is important that it be in 'kid-friendly' language. This is a great communication tool with your students. It lets them know what to expect out of the lesson and it keeps us, as educators, 'in check' with our planning - did learning take place today? Something to think about...
Happy Birthday!
August Birthdays
Sharman Lakey 8/1
Portia Lakey 8/2
Chris Hancock 8/3
Stephanie Gentry 8/7
Ron Black 8/20
Laura Horn 8/20
Jeanne Hobson 8/23
Kay Hoag 8/25
Jordan Tucker 8/28
Jennifer Wells 8/29
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2010
1. Thanks for a great first couple of days! I really appreciate the enthusiasm that all of you returned with. I am looking forward to a great year!
2. Congratulations to Kristin Thorne. She is now an aunt! Her sister gave birth yesterday.
3. Susie Hook will have a get-together at her house in Kernersville on Friday night. Stop by for details. Flyers are up in the workroom in the main office. You can RSVP on the list on Susie's door.
4. Don't forget that PTSA is selling apparel, including the tie-dye shirts that were displayed at the opening staff meeting. The cost is $15. You can pre-order this week! We will do an additional staff apparel order in the coming weeks for t-shirts or polo shirts. More information to come.
5. You were sent an updated copy of the staff development for Central Office. Please make sure that you attend your required workshops. If there are any questions or conflicts, please let us know.
6. We are trying to fill all furniture needs as quickly as possible. We are short some desks, so if you have any extras in your room, please let us know. We are trying to be quite creative in solving our student seating issues. But I know that we will all make it work! Priority for furniture is given to teachers that are in need of student desks.
7. Copies will be done by the front office staff for the first month of school. After that point, you will be able to use the copiers with an ID number. We strongly encourage you all to use the Print Shop for copies - it saves our copiers and doesn't add to your copy count! If you need assistance, please see one of the secretaries.
8. Club and committee sign-up sheets are posted in the workroom on the green bulletin board. Please sign up for a committee if you have not signed up already. We still have several openings to fill. The girls volleyball position is still vacant. Also, we need 1-2 reps for the United Negro College Fund. This is not a year-long commitment - you may have to attend a meeting and then distribute/collect information from staff when the UNCF drive takes place. That's it! Clubs are optional sign-ups, committees are required. Please sign up by Tuesday, Aug. 24.
9. Teams should vote on a team leader and a grade level chairperson by Tuesday, August 24. If your team cannot decide, I will make the decision for you. Please email me this information once it is decided.
10. Please be sure to visit the Teacher Resource section on the SEMS website. The password feature has been removed so that you can access. Jeff is working on this issue. All schedules, etc. have been posted for your convenience. We will talk more about some of the documents in the coming weeks.
11. The August/September calendar is also in the Teacher Resource section as a spreadsheet until we get the main staff calendar up and running. Meetings and important dates to know are on this calendar, so you will need to get those dates on your calendars as well.
12. We talked about sending home ACC folders every Wednesday this year. With the amount of "stuff" that needs to go home the first few days of school, I'm going to ask you to send home ACC folders on Wednesday AND Thursday on the first week of school (Aug. 25 and 26). This will really help out with the encore teachers needing to send information home as well. After that point, we can go back to the schedule for every Wednesday. Homebase teachers are expected to keep up with storing the ACC folders once they are returned. New folders will be handed out at the start of the second semester.
13. We now have a "staff art" hallway for our talented teachers to display their artwork. The hallway is outside the administrator offices in the main office. Susie has started the hallway with her photography. If you would like to display a piece of artwork, please see Susie.
14. The building will be open from 8 - 12pm on Saturday morning in case any of you need to come in and work in your classrooms.
"A-Ha" Moments...
*Is your essential question user-friendly? Would your students be able to explain the purpose and goal of your lesson to a stranger walking in the door? When writing an essential question, it is important that it be in 'kid-friendly' language. This is a great communication tool with your students. It lets them know what to expect out of the lesson and it keeps us, as educators, 'in check' with our planning - did learning take place today? Something to think about...
Happy Birthday!
August Birthdays
Sharman Lakey 8/1
Portia Lakey 8/2
Chris Hancock 8/3
Stephanie Gentry 8/7
Ron Black 8/20
Laura Horn 8/20
Jeanne Hobson 8/23
Kay Hoag 8/25
Jordan Tucker 8/28
Jennifer Wells 8/29
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Summer Update #2 - August 1, 2010
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
AUGUST 1, 2010
1. Hello again! You all should have received some information in the mail from us in the last day or two. It contains lots of information regarding your first reporting day to school and details on our opening week's schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions.
2. Preliminary results indicate that SEMS met AYP - 33 out of 33 goals to make 100%! This is quite an accomplishment!
3. EOG scores and status will be released later this week. We are feeling good about our achievement here as well. Thanks to all of you for your hard work during the testing season. I hope that it was worth it!
4. The building is looking better and better by the minute. Again thanks to the custodians for their hard work. The cafeteria floor has been replaced, repair work has been completed on the pod, parking lot lights have been moved from the lot to the grass (so that Bill Martin can now park safely!), and the two mobiles are almost complete.
5. Our hires are almost complete. I will finish our last hire on Monday. We have much to celebrate with our new additions. They will definitely bring much success to our classrooms.
6. The budget has not yet been finalized for the district. They are looking to vote in early to mid-August. As a result, we are on hold for hiring for our ALC position (alternative learning center). In addition, mentor pay has been cut. Beginning teachers will still participate in the STAY academy, but schools will not be given money to pay for individual mentors. So we all must work together to make sure that our new teachers have lots of support. Please reach out to them - they are now part of our family.
Please enjoy the remainder of your summer. Remember that teachers can begin setting up their classrooms on August 11. See you all soon!
AUGUST 1, 2010
1. Hello again! You all should have received some information in the mail from us in the last day or two. It contains lots of information regarding your first reporting day to school and details on our opening week's schedule. Please let me know if you have any questions.
2. Preliminary results indicate that SEMS met AYP - 33 out of 33 goals to make 100%! This is quite an accomplishment!
3. EOG scores and status will be released later this week. We are feeling good about our achievement here as well. Thanks to all of you for your hard work during the testing season. I hope that it was worth it!
4. The building is looking better and better by the minute. Again thanks to the custodians for their hard work. The cafeteria floor has been replaced, repair work has been completed on the pod, parking lot lights have been moved from the lot to the grass (so that Bill Martin can now park safely!), and the two mobiles are almost complete.
5. Our hires are almost complete. I will finish our last hire on Monday. We have much to celebrate with our new additions. They will definitely bring much success to our classrooms.
6. The budget has not yet been finalized for the district. They are looking to vote in early to mid-August. As a result, we are on hold for hiring for our ALC position (alternative learning center). In addition, mentor pay has been cut. Beginning teachers will still participate in the STAY academy, but schools will not be given money to pay for individual mentors. So we all must work together to make sure that our new teachers have lots of support. Please reach out to them - they are now part of our family.
Please enjoy the remainder of your summer. Remember that teachers can begin setting up their classrooms on August 11. See you all soon!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Summer Update 7/2/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2010
We hope that all of you are having a great summer so far! We are working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. I will post another blog in the next few weeks with more updates. Please be sure to get some rest and enjoy your family and friends. Here are a few updates for you...
1. Please continue to keep Chris Hancock in your thoughts. She has not had surgery and is continuing to see several doctors. She is feeling very good and is in good spirits. We hope that she gets some resolution to her health issue.
2. Congratulations to Kim Gregg! She is the proud grandparent of a baby boy! He was born on June 30 at 12:56. He weighed 7lbs, 7 oz, and was 20.5 in. long. Enjoy your new addition Kim!
3. Deb Neal and I presented at the Schools to Watch conference in Washington, DC. Our presentation was quite successful. Thanks to Deb for preparing the presentation!
4. Our custodians are doing a magnificent job in getting our school ready for next year. They are right on schedule and most of the rooms look fabulous! If you plan to come in over the summer, please call or visit the main office first. We must make sure that your room is ready for you ahead of time.
4. The new district and school websites are up and running. Thanks to Jeff Nichols for all of his hard work. Our website is off to a great start! At the beginning of the school year, you will receive some instructions for your new website. Most of you have transferred your old website information over, but there are new requirements from the school system on what needs to be on your website. Jeff and I will make sure that you are aware of those expectations.
5. We are in the process of hiring new teachers. This week we interviewed and hired two individuals for our 8th grade Science and 7th grade Math positions. Both of these additions are strong teachers who are excited about being part of the SEMS family. We are still on hold with our 6th grade Science position by Human Resources. We will be interviewing for the 7th grade Math/Science position on Tuesday, July 13, all day. If you are interested in being part of that committee, please call and let Susie know. She will give you the details.
FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2010
We hope that all of you are having a great summer so far! We are working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. I will post another blog in the next few weeks with more updates. Please be sure to get some rest and enjoy your family and friends. Here are a few updates for you...
1. Please continue to keep Chris Hancock in your thoughts. She has not had surgery and is continuing to see several doctors. She is feeling very good and is in good spirits. We hope that she gets some resolution to her health issue.
2. Congratulations to Kim Gregg! She is the proud grandparent of a baby boy! He was born on June 30 at 12:56. He weighed 7lbs, 7 oz, and was 20.5 in. long. Enjoy your new addition Kim!
3. Deb Neal and I presented at the Schools to Watch conference in Washington, DC. Our presentation was quite successful. Thanks to Deb for preparing the presentation!
4. Our custodians are doing a magnificent job in getting our school ready for next year. They are right on schedule and most of the rooms look fabulous! If you plan to come in over the summer, please call or visit the main office first. We must make sure that your room is ready for you ahead of time.
4. The new district and school websites are up and running. Thanks to Jeff Nichols for all of his hard work. Our website is off to a great start! At the beginning of the school year, you will receive some instructions for your new website. Most of you have transferred your old website information over, but there are new requirements from the school system on what needs to be on your website. Jeff and I will make sure that you are aware of those expectations.
5. We are in the process of hiring new teachers. This week we interviewed and hired two individuals for our 8th grade Science and 7th grade Math positions. Both of these additions are strong teachers who are excited about being part of the SEMS family. We are still on hold with our 6th grade Science position by Human Resources. We will be interviewing for the 7th grade Math/Science position on Tuesday, July 13, all day. If you are interested in being part of that committee, please call and let Susie know. She will give you the details.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
End of Year Reminders 6/8/10
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
JUNE 8, 2010
1. Congratulations to Kay Hoag! She will be piloting an e-Linguafolio Pilot Project through NCDPI next school year. The students will have lots of access to technology on a regular basis and using it in their foreign language class. We are proud of you!
2. 8th Grade Celebration schedule is ready. 8th and Encore teachers: Please make sure that you are in your designated spots. Thanks to everyone for pitching in on this event. We are excited about the activities! Lunch schedule for the 6th and 7th graders on Wednesday:
Elkins/Guffey: 10:00 - 10:30 in Cafeteria
Thorne/Worrell: 10:05 - 10:35 in Cafeteria
Coston/Pierce: 10:10 - 10:40 in Cafeteria
Eisbacher/Hairston/Sherman: 10:30 - 11:00 in Cafeteria
Leftover 7th grade teacher: 10:35 - 11:05 in Cafeteria
3. Your End-of-Year Check Out sheet is due by the time you leave at the end of the school year. Please make sure that all tasks have been signed off on.
4. Our two mobiles are being delivered on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Please be sure to not park at/near the bus lot. The mobiles will be installed just to the right of the existing pod.
5. Stuffing party will begin on Friday morning. If everyone is in place, we can all work together to get all report cards stuffed and completed quickly. The PTSA luncheon will start in the multi-purpose room at 11:30am.
6. Just to remind you of a few technology clean-up items that Jeff covered in our staff meeting:
All movies and music on the H drive will be removed over the summer. Please save these items to another location.
All technology equipment is to be stored in its existing classroom. If you wish to take a laptop home with you and you are moving your classroom next school year, then you will need to let Jeff know. You will take the laptop from the classroom that you are moving to. Remember, all equipment is assigned to a specific classroom, not to a specific teacher. If you teach in a pod classroom, then Jeff will take care of your technology equipment for you.
7. We will have a staggered dismissal plan for Thursday. Car riders will be dismissed as they normally do. Bus riders will be dismissed as follows:
1:54 - All 6th graders will be dismissed by announcement
1:57 - All 7th graders will be dismissed by announcement
2:00 - All 8th graders will be dismissed on the 2:00 bell
Please be on top of your supervision spots. We are especially concerned with the bus lot in the next few afternoons. If you have bus lot duty, be sure to be at your spot as quickly as possible.
June Birthdays!
Betsy Smith 6/2
Suzanne Smith 6/6
Eugene Mabry 6/8
Phyllis Davis 6/10
Debi Kopchik 6/19
Cliff Prince 6/19
Cynthia Hatch 6/30
Rachel Holmes 6/30
JUNE 8, 2010
1. Congratulations to Kay Hoag! She will be piloting an e-Linguafolio Pilot Project through NCDPI next school year. The students will have lots of access to technology on a regular basis and using it in their foreign language class. We are proud of you!
2. 8th Grade Celebration schedule is ready. 8th and Encore teachers: Please make sure that you are in your designated spots. Thanks to everyone for pitching in on this event. We are excited about the activities! Lunch schedule for the 6th and 7th graders on Wednesday:
Elkins/Guffey: 10:00 - 10:30 in Cafeteria
Thorne/Worrell: 10:05 - 10:35 in Cafeteria
Coston/Pierce: 10:10 - 10:40 in Cafeteria
Eisbacher/Hairston/Sherman: 10:30 - 11:00 in Cafeteria
Leftover 7th grade teacher: 10:35 - 11:05 in Cafeteria
3. Your End-of-Year Check Out sheet is due by the time you leave at the end of the school year. Please make sure that all tasks have been signed off on.
4. Our two mobiles are being delivered on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Please be sure to not park at/near the bus lot. The mobiles will be installed just to the right of the existing pod.
5. Stuffing party will begin on Friday morning. If everyone is in place, we can all work together to get all report cards stuffed and completed quickly. The PTSA luncheon will start in the multi-purpose room at 11:30am.
6. Just to remind you of a few technology clean-up items that Jeff covered in our staff meeting:
All movies and music on the H drive will be removed over the summer. Please save these items to another location.
All technology equipment is to be stored in its existing classroom. If you wish to take a laptop home with you and you are moving your classroom next school year, then you will need to let Jeff know. You will take the laptop from the classroom that you are moving to. Remember, all equipment is assigned to a specific classroom, not to a specific teacher. If you teach in a pod classroom, then Jeff will take care of your technology equipment for you.
7. We will have a staggered dismissal plan for Thursday. Car riders will be dismissed as they normally do. Bus riders will be dismissed as follows:
1:54 - All 6th graders will be dismissed by announcement
1:57 - All 7th graders will be dismissed by announcement
2:00 - All 8th graders will be dismissed on the 2:00 bell
Please be on top of your supervision spots. We are especially concerned with the bus lot in the next few afternoons. If you have bus lot duty, be sure to be at your spot as quickly as possible.
June Birthdays!
Betsy Smith 6/2
Suzanne Smith 6/6
Eugene Mabry 6/8
Phyllis Davis 6/10
Debi Kopchik 6/19
Cliff Prince 6/19
Cynthia Hatch 6/30
Rachel Holmes 6/30
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
