Weekly Update 5/12/11

SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MAY 12

1. Kay Hoag will not return for the remainder of the school year.  She is continuing to work on her health.  We wish her the best! Katrina Tschekunow's grandfather passed away earlier this week.  Please keep these folks in your thoughts.

2. Please be sure to check out the budget updates that were emailed out to all staff members on Wednesday.  The School Board has started voting on cuts for next year.  Some of these changes are going to be difficult for all of us.  The furlough that our school board approved has to be approved by the State Board.  If they do not approve it, then the school system will probably consider a 1% permanent pay reduction for all employees. 

3. Information was sent out by WSFCS regarding insurance plans.  Members that wish to change their insurance plan may do so up until June 8.  Please refer to the information received from the school system.

4. It is hard to believe that testing is right around the corner.  Please continue to keep your students focused and on task.  Keep your routine as structured as possible from now through the last day of school, including after each day of testing.  I know that our kids get antsy very quickly, but continue to stay strong and push forward.  This staff is AMAZING at pulling things together!

Please take this next week to prepare your classroom for testing.  All information on the walls regarding your subject area or test taking skills, etc., must be removed.  Please be sure that your room is clean and orderly.  All classrooms will be inspected prior to May 24 to ensure that all of them are clear for testing.

5. Katrina Tschekunow, our TAC rep, will be getting out information to all staff members this week about calendar options for the 2012-2013 school year.  We will do a staff vote on those options at the staff meeting Monday.

6. Don't forget our retirement party for Betsy and Lillian on Monday afternoon!  We have have a brief meeting beforehand to vote on the 2012-2013 school system calendar and then the festivities will begin.  Thanks to both of you for your service to the school and our students.

7. Deb Neal has given all core teachers their Career Start instructions and survey material.  Please be sure to complete this in a timely manner.  We are held accountable for this information. 

8. The SIT team had a very productive meeting on Monday.  An email was sent to you earlier this week regarding topics covered, openings for representatives for next year, and input needed from staff members.  Please be sure to discuss these topics with your current reps.  SIT will have another meeting before the end of the school year to vote on several issues for next year. 

9. Red Zone plans were placed in your mailboxes last week.  Core teachers, please be sure to touch base with your encore teachers to coordinate enrichment activities/groups for the Red Zone days. All enrichment periods are expected to be just that - an enrichment sessions.  This time is not for a celebration or a movie.  We do not want our Red Zone students to feel like they are being punished while being tutored. 

In addition, we will more than likely use a similar schedule for the retesting days.  On retest days, we will need some teachers to administer tests and others to cover remaining classes.  Encore teachers not involved in testing will be asked to help out core teams, similar to the Red Zone days.

10. We plan on getting debt slips out to teachers next week so that students can go ahead and start paying them off.  More details to follow.

11. Allotment updates:  8th grade has voted to go to departments for next school year.  We are starting to finalize our plans to start making the master schedule.  We will share all information with teachers as decisions are made.

12. Please remember that everybody's H-drive and S-drive online will be wiped out by Central Office this summer.  So save any documents or files on a flash drive if you need to keep any of them for future use. 

13. We plan to distribute yearbooks on Friday, June 10. We will start with 6th and 7th grade that morning and then finish with 8th grade when they return from electives. More details will be sent out on the process.

14. The PTSA will have a dance for our 8th graders on Friday, June 3, from 7-9pm. All staff members are welcome to attend. Information and permission slips will be sent out to 8th graders soon regarding requirements, procedures, etc. We'd love to see you all come out and wish our 8th graders well!

15. We apologize that Tuesday's Chorus concert had to be postponed.  Jennifer Wells is very sick and we felt that this was the right decision.  We do not yet know the rescheduled date, but we will pass that information along when we get it. 

Calendar Updates
Monday, May 16 - Short staff meeting/Retirement Party for Betsy/Lillian
Tuesday, May 17 - UNCG meeting with cooperating teachers (2:20pm)
Thursday, May 19 - MS/HS Transfer Fair - Education Bldg, 4:30 - 6:00pm
Thursday, May 19 - SEMS Athletic Awards Ceremony, 6 - 7:30pm
Monday, May 23 - Staff Meeting, 2:15pm
Monday, May 23 - EOG Survey
May 24 - 26 - EOGs!
Friday, May 27 - Reflections Reception (only 14 students affected)

Happy Birthday!
Lesley Guffey 5/1
Irma Jones 5/6
Denise Stephenson 5/18
Wendy Furrer 5/18
Heath Benner 5/20
Kim Gregg 5/21
Bridgette Watson 5/23
Nick Pizzino 5/26
Kendra Mabry 5/28
Dustin Draughn 5/30