Weekly Update 9/6/12

SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2012

1. Please continue to keep our staff members in your thoughts and prayers:  Kathy Hayes (son sick, recovering from surgery), Sandra Denson (mother very, very ill and in hospice), Sharman Lakey (mother in the hospital). 

2. Thank you for a wonderful first two weeks of school!  Our working together is paying off with our students.  Please continue to supervise as assigned and review all CHAMPs expectations regularly. If we can maintain a unified front, then we could see a significant drop in our discipline issues.  Thanks to all staff members for doing their part. 
  
3. I have been asked to clarify a few details regarding your supervision duty spots during your planning.  It is the expectation that all staff are on their duty spots as assigned.  Those not on their duty spot will be addressed on an individual basis.  The only acceptable reason why a teacher is not present at their supervision duty spot is if they are in an IEP meeting.  If you are in a parent conference, evaluation conference, or are in a meeting/training, you are still expected to report to your location at the specified time.  Please make this a routine for yourself to ensure that you are there on time. This is considered a priority for student safety.

4. In addition to the above statement, there was concern over interruption of your weekly curriculum meetings and reporting to your duty spot.  When planning this supervision structure, that was taken into account.  It was decided to assign your supervision spot by teams rather than by subject area so that your team meetings, which take place more than once per week, would not be interrupted.  That interruption should only take place once per week at your curriculum meeting.  My suggestion is to start your meetings on time, take a 5-10 minute break for duty, and then follow back up once your supervision duty has concluded. 

5. Homework Guidelines:  We know that parents sometimes question homework that is assigned.  There is a School Board policy regarding homework for students.  This is a broad policy with suggestions for quality homework.  Those suggestions include:  clear directions, relevant and appropriate homework, and ample/reasonable time to complete the assignment.  In this policy, there is a recommended time for homework for middle school students.  Recommended time for homework for our students is 45-90 minutes total each night.  Please note that is a total amount, not per class.  Teams and teachers, please work together to ensure that you are not assigning more homework than would fall in this range of time.  Yes, some students work faster and some slower, but please continue to keep all students in mind when assigning homework.

6. The expectation for certified staff is that you work one evening event per semester.  This fall, you will have multiple events to choose from to satisfy this expectation.  We will have winter concerts in December.  Then we will offer grade level socials on three separate afternoons after school sometime this fall (we are working on those dates right now).  We will discuss this more at our next staff meeting.

7. The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce is offering their annual teacher grants again this school year.  Information is being placed in your mailboxes for your review.  The grant deadline is October 1.  If you plan to submit a grant, you are required to submit a copy to Gentry before turning it in. 

8. Core teachers, please be sure to notify all encore staff when planning a field trip.  All encore and main office staff must have a list of your field trip students at least 48 hours in advance so that they can plan accordingly. 

9. All parent contact logs should be turned in to Gentry by September 28.  

10. Last week, an adult in the community was able to gain direct access to a child and was not authorized to.  Please keep student safety in the front of your minds as the year progresses. If you see an adult you do not recognize or if they do not have a visitor pass on, feel free to stop and ask if they have registered in the main office.  In addition, please do not prop open any exterior doors at any time.  This presents an immediate safety concern for our students.  

11. All certified teachers received their evaluation information last week in your mailboxes.  You may go ahead and begin completing your self-assessment and PDP goals if you wish.  On Sept. 10, Gentry will train the certified teachers NEW to the school district and then on Sept. 14, we will have grade level trainings in the computer lab for McRel online access so that you may complete your self-assessment and PDP goals. Please note that the online deadline for completing your self-assessment and the sign-off for the PDP is September 21. 

12. Any staff members or clubs interested in doing the the Walk to Cure Diabetes, please let me know. I have a packet of information available. 

13. All teachers are asked to develop a student absorption plan by the end of September.  This plan is in case of an emergency if you have to leave the building.  Your students will need to be split up between other teachers each period until we can get your classroom covered.  Please get with your team, a neighbor, or a department to work together on your plan. Once finished, it should be posted on your safety clipboard by your door.

14. Encore teachers: Please be sure that you have a copy of the WSFCS A-day, B-day calendar.  This will come in handy when the weather hits in the winter.  We must stay on this schedule throughout the year.  The only adjustments that need to be made will be during high school exam time.  I will forward that schedule later in the fall once it is available.

15. Continue to encourage your students and parents to pay their fees, etc. online.  It is a very simple process.  They will need to go to the SEMS website and click on the link for online school payments.  They must have their student's NCWISE number to complete the process.  Anyone who sets up a field trip will need to work with Susie Hook to get that fee on the online payment system.

16. If any staff members are interested in coaching the dance team this school year, please see Nick Pizzino or me.  You will be compensated for coaching this team. 

17. November is just around the corner and presidential voting will be taking place.  Please remember that there is a policy regarding staff conduct with political activity in schools (Policy 1311).  The policy states that teachers are free "to study the political campaigns and the analysis of ALL sides of political issues.  Employees are directed to use good judgment and discretion when discussing political views and beliefs with students." It is also important to note that certain employee conduct is prohibited.  Employees are may not activity campaign or solicit the support of others while on duty, may not coerce or compel others to make contributions or support one particular candidate, and employees may not prepare, display, wear, or distribute campaign literature, materials, or signs against or for a particular candidate.  This includes wearing stickers, buttons, or clothing.  You can, however, have a bumper sticker on your personal vehicle.  More details are listed in School Board Policy 1311.   

18. Several staff members have asked about going to curriculum conferences.  Please understand that we no longer have a staff development fund.  This was taken away from us two years ago.  Although we highly encourage you to go these events,  you will have to fund the expenses if you wish to go.

19. If you have any students who need to make up a test or classwork, then please work out a plan with your teammates or neighbors to do so.  Sometimes ISS is available if it is not full.  But please do not send students to the Media Center, Guidance Office, or Main Office for this purpose.  These are functioning offices who do not offer that service.  

20. Staff Meeting - Monday, Sept. 17.  Topics include: Presentation from SECU, evaluation refresher, reporting child abuse, etc. 

21. Staff Handbook Focus of the Week:  Staff Absences (p. 4)
There is research to indicate that teacher attendance is tied directly to the success of the students in the classroom.  We all have families and our own situations that do warrant an absence, but we must continue to prioritize our own attendance for the sake of our students. If you have to be out for sickness, you are expected to call into the Subfinder system before 6:00am.  If you need to take a 1/2 or full personal day, you must fill out a personal leave slip and have it approved by me first.  Then you can enter it into the Subfinder system.  Most importantly, teachers may not earn "comp" time for any reason.  This time actually does not exist for certified teachers in the classroom (it does exist for classified because they are on a hourly timesheet).  Teachers cannot trade out time during the instructional day.  Please review this section of the staff handbook for more details.

22. Please be sure to check the online calendar regularly (accessed through your email system) for events and meetings.  It is updated weekly and sometimes daily.  Birthdays will soon be posted. We need to get all new staff birthdays added to our list.

DUE DATES
August 31 - 6th/7th grade team schedules to Mrs. Pitt in main office
August 31 - Send home syllabus with your students.
Sept. 21 - Evaluation self-assessment and PDP goals completed and signed online in McRel system
                (We will conduct training prior to this date to assist you - please see info in your mailbox)
Sept. 28 - Parent contact log turned in, Safety Clipboard complete (including absorption plan), teacher webpage completed, sub folder complete and in mailbox. 

UPCOMING DATES
Sept. 7 - Grade Level mtgs. - NCWISE gradebook setup
Sept. 10 - Grade Level mtgs. ONLY for NEW WSFCS teachers (evaluation training)
Sept. 10 - SIT meeting, Committee meetings, PTSA Board Mtg
Sept. 12 - Open technology lab
Sept. 14 - Grade Level mtgs. - Evaluation refresher, McRel online
Sept. 17 - Staff meeting
Sept. 18 - SECU onsite visit for interested staff members
Sept. 20 - Open technology lab
Sept. 24 - SIOP Training Kickoff (2:15pm)
Sept. 27 - OPTIONAL technology training during grade level planning - Learning Village resources
Oct.1 - Staff meeting
Oct. 2 - School pictures
Oct. 3 - Paper progress reports go out - core and encore