Weekly Update 1/26/12

SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

1. We have now scheduled our school fundraiser. We have worked hard to simplify this process to provide minimal disruptions to the classrooms. It is a very simple fundraiser and we have the potential to make a lot of money to help cover EOG prep material resources, general school supplies, and technology improvements. We will share the information with you at the February 13 staff meeting. We will have our fundraiser kickoff assemblies on Friday, February 17 (similar structure as in the past through encore classes), and then the fundraiser will conclude on Friday, March 2. The primary incentive for this fundraiser will be a slam dunk show. The show will take place on Monday, March 19, at about 12:30. More details coming soon...

2. The PTSA will have their Valentines' Day chocolate sale on Feb. 9, 10, 13, and 14 during lunches. They will be selling chocolate bars for students to purchase and give to someone. They simply purchase, fill out the sticker on the chocolate bar, and give to whomever they choose. We decided to limit this to the lunch periods so that you would have minimal disruption in your classrooms.

3. Winter weather is still a possibility over the next few months.  Please remember that if we are out of school due to weather conditions, then that A/B day will be skipped over and we will stay on the schedule of the county's A/B rotation (Example:  Monday is an A day, Tuesday is B, Wednesday is A.  School gets called off on Tuesday.  Wednesday will still remain an A day - the schedule will not change.).

4. Clarification on PM duties and dismissal patterns:  For 8th grade - all car riders, walkers, students staying for afterschool activities, and athletes are to wait in their classrooms until all halls are clear.  For 6th and 7th graders - all car riders and walkers can go like they normally do.  But any 6th or 7th grader staying after for anything (including athletics and tutoring) must go to the MP room with Mrs. Neal to wait for the hallways to clear.  Encore teachers going to car duty can simply take these students with their car riders and then drop them off at the MP room on the way. This will greatly clear up the congestion in the hallways so that we can get bus riders out efficiently. Please remember that we are trying to get 1,200 students out of the building and it will never be perfect.  Thanks to all staff members for their continued assistance with the dismissal process.
5. The new email system will transfer over to Microsoft Outlook on February 21.  There is nothing substantial that you are required to do to prepare for this transfer other than to clean up your mailboxes.  In preparation for this move, we will share some information at the February 13 staff meeting and then Mr. Downs will offer several help sessions throughout that week.  It is important to note that all of us will NOT have access to any email from February 17 - 20.  Hopefully the new system will be up and running on February 21. 
 
6. All staff should have received the student handbook review sheet to go over with students.  We are already hearing that students are questioning rules, etc.  Remember that they are middle schoolers and they will always question or have an issue with a rule.  I appreciate everyone's willingness to stay strong and push through with our students.  This is showing them that we have a more unified front on the school and system rules.  We have added a section for parents on the next newsletter so that they can also review the handbook with their child.
 
7.  If you need to make any second quarter grade changes for students, please fill out a grade change form and put it in my mailbox.  I will review, sign off, and give to Mrs. Wilkes to process.  Grade change forms can be picked up in Mrs. Wilkes' office or in the Guidance Office.
 
8. All homebase teachers should receive their homebase report cards by Monday. All students will return to their homebase on Wednesday, Feb. 1, to receive their report cards.  We will make an announcement for students to move.  We will then have a regular dismissal on this day.  Encore teachers will assist with the dismissal in place of the 7th grade teachers as we have done several times this year.  Mrs. Wilkes has asked that all homebase teachers scan over the report cards to ensure that no student receives honor roll with a D or F for the second quarter.
 
9.  We will conduct our second round of staff development on Monday, February 6.  The sessions will be very similar to the first round.  I will email the descriptions of all of your workshop choices so that you can decide which you would like to attend.  All certified staff are required to attend a session and must sign up on the school system website in order to receive credit.  All sessions will offer a 0.1 technology or reading credit.
 
10.  There is more information regarding the Standard #6 on the teacher evaluation instrument.  I will share that with you in our staff meeting.
 
11. We will have a staff meeting on Monday in place of our vertical planning meetings.  This is not a regular staff meeting.  There are only two items on the agenda.  The meeting will not last longer than approximately 20-25 minutes at the most. We will still have our regularly monthly staff meeting on Monday, February 13. 
 
Please be sure to check the online calendar weekly.  The second semester is full of events and activities. 
 
Happy Birthday!
Brittany Branch - Feb. 5
Anna Moore - Feb. 8
John Downs - Feb. 11
Deb Neal - Feb. 13
Tracie Eisbacher - Feb. 20
Karen Cole - Feb. 28