SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
1. Congratulations to our girls soccer team. They finished second in the county. They lost a tough match against Jefferson on Tuesday. But let's be proud of our girls' success! In addition, congratulations to all of the All-County Band students! Quite a few students were honored. Todd Howard, 8th grader, was honored as 1st Chair.
2. At the Monday, October 29 staff meeting, teachers
will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is part of a
contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will
give students a 10-15 question online survey quarterly throughout the year
regarding their engagement level in your class. It can be given after a
particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely
valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their
level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their
instruction. The school system will
select 60% of the teaching staff to participate, but others are welcome to
participate as well. We do not yet have confirmation on who those teachers will be. Starting at 2:15 on Monday in the multi-purpose room, there will be a WebEx presentation running that will give us all an introduction of what the program entails. So please get to the meeting as quickly as you can. It should last about 20 minutes and then we will continue with the rest of our meeting. In addition, after the participating teachers have been identified, we will provide additional sessions to ensure that all know how to use the program.
3. November 2 will be the end of the first quarter. Monday, November 5, is a Reserved-School day for teachers, which means that staff can take an annual day if they wish (as long as your grades are turned in and finalized). Tuesday, November 6, is a Reserved-Central Office day, which means that staff may not take an annual day. There are central office workshops and meetings taking place that day. We will post a staff sheet in the teacher workroom starting October 29 so that you may indicate your plans for November 5. Teachers may take this day IF their grades are completed and verified with Sandy Derrah (see next item). On November 6, you must attend any Central Office workshop that you are assigned to. If you do not have a workshop scheduled OR if you only have a half day workshop, then you are expected to be at SEMS for the remainder of that day. There have been some questions regarding the timing of some of your workshops - let me clarify.....for example, if your workshop is 11:00 - 1:00, then you have two choices. You can work a few hours before your workshop, then finish the day at the workshop. Or you may go to your workshop first and then report to work for a few hours afterwards. Regardless, please be sure to sign in when you are at school on November 5 and 6.
4. First quarter grades are DUE by 12:00pm on Monday, November 5. Your grades must be completed in NCWISE with your verification sheets turned in to Sandy Derrah in the Guidance Office by this time. Mr. Downs sent an email to all staff with helpful hints and instructions for completing grades in the system. In order to take an annual day on Monday, November 5, you must have your grades completed prior to November 5.
5. Report cards will be distributed on Thursday, November 8 at the end of the school day. All students will return to homebases at 1:45 on this day to receive their report cards. We will forward you details on how dismissal will take place.
6. After submitting your final quarter grades, you may not make any changes. If you wish to alter a quarter grade after finalizing, then you must fill out a grade change form and place it in my mailbox. I will review, approve, and give to Cindy Wilkes to manually change. Grade change forms will be available in the Guidance Office and in Cindy's office.
7. Due to numbers, we can no longer accommodate the straight A student incentive trips. Instead, we will offer a straight A celebrate after each quarter. If the numbers are high, we will have a short celebration for each grade level across three separate days. If not, then we will combine the groups. This will save money and time, yet we can still celebrate their success with them.
8. Halloween falls on a
regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal
school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no
costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear
something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as
normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
9. The SIOP online moodle is available for all staff to complete the
Strategies section. Staff members should complete this moodle section by
November 1. If you were absent on the day of the face-to-face training, we will
schedule you for a make-up session with Amanda Cannon.
10. If you are interested in being a tutor for our at-risk tutoring program in December - February, please see Deb Neal. Certified tutors can be paid $25/hour. Each tutoring session will last 1.5 hours.
11. Thank you for your attending at Monday's EVAAS session. Hopefully, you were able to walk away with a little more knowledge of how the EVAAS system works and its purpose. We will let you know when teacher EVAAS reports are available for you to access. We will be more than happy to assist you in accessing this program.
12. Several staff members have asked how to contact me after hours. My school cell number is 345-7985. I use that phone during the school day as well as during the evening hours until about 9:00pm. On the weekends, I typically do not keep my school phone on, but I do periodically check my email several times throughout the weekend. If you have an absolute emergency, you may contact me on my personal cell after hours at 317-4412. Examples of emergencies include something going on in your family that impacts work (or that of another staff member) or the personal safety of yourself or students. Examples of non-emergencies include seeking permission for a video the following day, permission for a leave day, or school business that does meet the criteria for an emergency. Please know that I am always available should you truly have an emergency.
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.
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 26 -
Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 26 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Oct. 29
- Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Team Discovery
Oct. 29 - Staff
Meeting (2:15pm)
Oct. 31 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Super
Novas
Oct. 31 - Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Grant celebration
Nov. 1
- SIOP Online Moodle - Strategies section completed
Nov. 2 - Heritage
Theater Field Trip - 6th grade All-Stars
Nov. 2 - End of First
Quarter
Nov. 3 - Robot Run Invitational @ Forsyth Tech West Campus
Nov. 5 - Teacher workday (may take an annual leave day)
Nov. 5 - Grades DUE by 12:00pm
Nov. 6 - Teacher workday - Reserved by Central Office
Nov. 8 - Report cards distributed to students
Nov. 8 - Picture make-up day
Nov. 9 - Music Dept. Wipeout Party (during encore blocks)
Nov. 12 - Veterans Day - No School!
Nov. 13 - Staff flu shots available - see Susie if interested
Nov. 15 - 7th grade eye screenings (7:30 - 9:30am)
Nov. 15 - Technology grade level meetings w/J. Downs and E. Herreid
Nov. 16 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Nov. 17 - Robotics Qualifying Tournament
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Weekly Update 10/18/12
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
1. We will have an EVAAS meeting on Monday, Oct. 22. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS Accountability and Research will be here to discuss EVAAS and how it can be helpful for teachers. Only certified teachers are required to attend this meeting. The meeting will take place in the Media Center.
2. The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce will be here next week to award our grant winners. We have two winners on campus! The winners will be revealed when they arrive.
3. Please pay your Hospitality/Social Committee dues if you have not done so already. The committee has some fun activities planned for the year. Don't forget to wear pink on Friday!
4. The PTSA Fundraiser kicked off last week. Please encourage all students to participate in this fundraiser. As of Wednesday, we have already sold 300 cards! Our goal is to sell at least 2,000 cards. Be sure to take advantage of the fundraiser - Jaguar cards are only $10 and are valid for one year. Get great discounts at some area restaurants and businesses!
5. At the October 29 staff meeting, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is part of a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regarding their engagement level in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. We will provide teachers with instructions on how to log in, how to administer the survey, and how to analyze the results. The school system will select 60% of the teaching staff to participate, but others are welcome to participate as well. I have not yet received our list of teachers. But all will receive instructions in order to access.
6. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
7. The SIOP online moodle is available for all staff to complete the Strategies section. Staff members should complete this moodle section by November 1. If you were absent on the day of the face-to-face training, we will schedule you for a make-up session with Amanda Cannon.
8. November 2 will be the end of the first quarter. Monday, November 5, is a Reserved-School day for teachers, which means that staff can take an annual day if they wish. Tuesday, November 6, is a Reserved-Central Office day, which means that staff may not take an annual day. There are central office workshops and meetings taking place that day. We will post a staff sheet in the teacher workroom sometime next week so that you may indicate your plans for November 5. Teachers may take this day IF their grades are completed and verified with Sandy Derrah (see next item). On November 6, you must attend any Central Office workshop that you are assigned to. If you do not have a workshop scheduled OR if you only have a half day workshop, then you are expected to be at SEMS for the remainder of that day.
9. Teachers: We are in the process of determining when first quarter grades are due. We have not received confirmation yet. John Downs and I will be emailing some helpful information for all teachers with full sets of instructions on how to complete your grades and turn in verification forms to Sandy in the Guidance Office. Stay tuned for more details.....
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Jones have sent out information soon regarding how to donate. The deadline for donating is October 31.
11. The Student Council Blow Pop sale will take place on Friday, October 19, during 6th period. They will visit all hallways during that period. All proceeds will be donated to United Way.
12. During the first week of November, the WSFCS Technology Department will be shutting down the "guest" wireless servers in all schools. This will affect you and your students. If you have a non-school device (i.e. Smartphone, iPad, Macbook, etc), then you will not have access to the wireless server in our building.
13. We now have an AED CPR unit on campus. It is housed in the main office right outside Susie's door. This unit is used in cases of cardiac arrest emergencies.
14. The school system is in the process of determining what our testing schedule will be at the end of this school year. We do know that we will still have our regular EOG's (Reading, Math, 8th Science), EOC's (advanced 8th grade Math), and now Common Exams (CE's) in Social Studies 6-8 and Science 6 & 7. Questions that still need to be answered are: What are the testing windows? What order will we go in? Will all listed tests be included in the student's grades? Who will score the constructed responses on some of the tests? We will continue to keep you up to date in this discussion.
15. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
16. Thanks to Mr. Downs, we now have an SEMS Student Activities blog, which includes all afterschool activity schedules. If you sponsor any afterschool activity, please email John any and all meeting and event dates. Some of you have already sent him your dates for the year. If you change a date or event, please forward that to him as well. The blog will be updated every two weeks. Parents and students can visit the blog at any time by clicking on the Student Activities blog on the SEMS website.
17. SIOP Snapshot: Scaffolding: Do you use scaffolding in your classroom? Chances are good that you practice this skill without even knowing it. Remember that scaffolding can be as simple as restating a student's answer, using "think-alouds," or collaborative group work. We all know that our students, regardless of their background or "label," all come to us with varying skill and ability levels. So one of our toughest jobs is to ensure that all of them get to that same goal or objective, and it's usually never at the same rate. So by scaffolding, all of our students can experience success......even with our smallest efforts.
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.
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
Oct. 19 - FCCLA Field Trip - FACS teachers + several students
Oct. 19 - Student Council Blow Pop Sale (1-2pm)
Oct. 22 - EVAAS Workshop (2:15pm) - for all certified staff in the MP room
Oct. 23 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 23 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Tsunamis
Oct. 23 - Flexible Benefits appointments available from 7am - 12:00
Oct. 24 - 6th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 24 - Music Dept. fundraiser pick-up (2-6pm)
Oct. 24 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Dragons
Oct. 25 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Pharoahs
Oct. 26 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 26 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Oct. 29 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Team Discovery
Oct. 29 - Staff Meeting (2:15pm)
Oct. 31 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Super Novas
Oct. 31 - Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Grant celebration
Nov. 1 - SIOP Online Moodle - Strategies section completed
Nov. 2 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade All-Stars
Nov. 2 - End of First Quarter
Nov. 3 - Robot Run Invitational @ Forsyth Tech West Campus
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18
1. We will have an EVAAS meeting on Monday, Oct. 22. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS Accountability and Research will be here to discuss EVAAS and how it can be helpful for teachers. Only certified teachers are required to attend this meeting. The meeting will take place in the Media Center.
2. The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce will be here next week to award our grant winners. We have two winners on campus! The winners will be revealed when they arrive.
3. Please pay your Hospitality/Social Committee dues if you have not done so already. The committee has some fun activities planned for the year. Don't forget to wear pink on Friday!
4. The PTSA Fundraiser kicked off last week. Please encourage all students to participate in this fundraiser. As of Wednesday, we have already sold 300 cards! Our goal is to sell at least 2,000 cards. Be sure to take advantage of the fundraiser - Jaguar cards are only $10 and are valid for one year. Get great discounts at some area restaurants and businesses!
5. At the October 29 staff meeting, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is part of a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regarding their engagement level in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. We will provide teachers with instructions on how to log in, how to administer the survey, and how to analyze the results. The school system will select 60% of the teaching staff to participate, but others are welcome to participate as well. I have not yet received our list of teachers. But all will receive instructions in order to access.
6. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
7. The SIOP online moodle is available for all staff to complete the Strategies section. Staff members should complete this moodle section by November 1. If you were absent on the day of the face-to-face training, we will schedule you for a make-up session with Amanda Cannon.
8. November 2 will be the end of the first quarter. Monday, November 5, is a Reserved-School day for teachers, which means that staff can take an annual day if they wish. Tuesday, November 6, is a Reserved-Central Office day, which means that staff may not take an annual day. There are central office workshops and meetings taking place that day. We will post a staff sheet in the teacher workroom sometime next week so that you may indicate your plans for November 5. Teachers may take this day IF their grades are completed and verified with Sandy Derrah (see next item). On November 6, you must attend any Central Office workshop that you are assigned to. If you do not have a workshop scheduled OR if you only have a half day workshop, then you are expected to be at SEMS for the remainder of that day.
9. Teachers: We are in the process of determining when first quarter grades are due. We have not received confirmation yet. John Downs and I will be emailing some helpful information for all teachers with full sets of instructions on how to complete your grades and turn in verification forms to Sandy in the Guidance Office. Stay tuned for more details.....
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Jones have sent out information soon regarding how to donate. The deadline for donating is October 31.
11. The Student Council Blow Pop sale will take place on Friday, October 19, during 6th period. They will visit all hallways during that period. All proceeds will be donated to United Way.
12. During the first week of November, the WSFCS Technology Department will be shutting down the "guest" wireless servers in all schools. This will affect you and your students. If you have a non-school device (i.e. Smartphone, iPad, Macbook, etc), then you will not have access to the wireless server in our building.
13. We now have an AED CPR unit on campus. It is housed in the main office right outside Susie's door. This unit is used in cases of cardiac arrest emergencies.
14. The school system is in the process of determining what our testing schedule will be at the end of this school year. We do know that we will still have our regular EOG's (Reading, Math, 8th Science), EOC's (advanced 8th grade Math), and now Common Exams (CE's) in Social Studies 6-8 and Science 6 & 7. Questions that still need to be answered are: What are the testing windows? What order will we go in? Will all listed tests be included in the student's grades? Who will score the constructed responses on some of the tests? We will continue to keep you up to date in this discussion.
15. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
16. Thanks to Mr. Downs, we now have an SEMS Student Activities blog, which includes all afterschool activity schedules. If you sponsor any afterschool activity, please email John any and all meeting and event dates. Some of you have already sent him your dates for the year. If you change a date or event, please forward that to him as well. The blog will be updated every two weeks. Parents and students can visit the blog at any time by clicking on the Student Activities blog on the SEMS website.
17. SIOP Snapshot: Scaffolding: Do you use scaffolding in your classroom? Chances are good that you practice this skill without even knowing it. Remember that scaffolding can be as simple as restating a student's answer, using "think-alouds," or collaborative group work. We all know that our students, regardless of their background or "label," all come to us with varying skill and ability levels. So one of our toughest jobs is to ensure that all of them get to that same goal or objective, and it's usually never at the same rate. So by scaffolding, all of our students can experience success......even with our smallest efforts.
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.
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
Oct. 19 - FCCLA Field Trip - FACS teachers + several students
Oct. 19 - Student Council Blow Pop Sale (1-2pm)
Oct. 22 - EVAAS Workshop (2:15pm) - for all certified staff in the MP room
Oct. 23 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 23 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Tsunamis
Oct. 23 - Flexible Benefits appointments available from 7am - 12:00
Oct. 24 - 6th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 24 - Music Dept. fundraiser pick-up (2-6pm)
Oct. 24 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Dragons
Oct. 25 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Pharoahs
Oct. 26 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 26 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Oct. 29 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Team Discovery
Oct. 29 - Staff Meeting (2:15pm)
Oct. 31 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Super Novas
Oct. 31 - Kernersville Chamber of Commerce Grant celebration
Nov. 1 - SIOP Online Moodle - Strategies section completed
Nov. 2 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade All-Stars
Nov. 2 - End of First Quarter
Nov. 3 - Robot Run Invitational @ Forsyth Tech West Campus
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Weekly Update 10/11/12
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012
1. This past Monday night, Sherri Worrell was honored at a WSFCS function as our current Teacher of the Year. Please join me in congratulating her once again!
2. A big thanks to our Safety & Discipline Committee, FCCLA club (Hatch and Je. Watson), and all of our staff for a successful Unity Day on Wednesday! It was wonderful to see everyone sporting their orange for the day! Thank you to all who helped in making it happen. I think we were really able to get the students' attention.
3. Please pay your Hospitality Committee dues if you have done so already.
4. If you are AED device trained (the device used for cardiac arrest situations), please let me know. I must supply a complete list of staff who are trained (I know that several of you trained last school year). We now have an AED unit on campus. It is housed in the main office right outside Susie's door.
5. We will have a School Improvement Team meeting on Monday at 2:15 in Mr. Elkins room. In addition, the Safety & Discipline Committee will meet at 2:15 in Room #810 (Mrs. Wallace-Smith's room).
6. The PTSA Fundraiser kicks off on Friday. Please refer to the forwarded information from earlier this week. All students should receive their fundraiser packets at the end of the school day on Friday. Be sure to take advantage of the fundraiser - Jaguar cards are only $10 and are valid for one year. Get great discounts at some area restaurants and businesses!
7. Several teachers have been asking about any Halloween plans that our staff has. There are staff members who wish to get together with other staff and their children for a safe and fun Halloween. If you have any ideas or would like to participate in something like that, please let me know.
8. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
9. We have received confirmation that we will receive four mobile laptop carts for our 8th grade Science department. There will be some training for those teachers in November. Other teachers will also have access to the laptop carts as well. This is great news!
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Jones have sent out information soon regarding how to donate.
11. The Student Council Blow Pop sale will take place on Friday, October 19, during 6th period. They will visit all hallways during that period. All proceeds will be donated to United Way.
12. During the first week of November, the WSFCS Technology Department will be shutting down the "guest" wireless servers in all schools. This will affect you and your students. If you have a non-school device (i.e. Smartphone, iPad, Macbook, etc), then you will not have access to the wireless server in our building.
13. Thanks to all staff who have signed up for the fall socials. The sign ups are complete. I will confirm the social date with each staff member who has signed up. Those who did not sign up will be expected to work one of the winter concerts in December: Band winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Chorus winter concert @ Glenn HS (Thursday, Dec. 13, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Orchestra winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm).
14. Any students wishing to stay for the socials must turn in their permission slips and $5.00 to Mr. Pizzino when they have P.E. class. If they need a form, they must see the P.E. Department during their P.E. period. Mr. Pizzino will supply teachers with a master list of all students who have signed up to stay for the socials. A detailed email will be sent out with directions so that you are aware of the procedures.
15. The school system is in the process of determining what our testing schedule will be at the end of this school year. We do know that we will still have our regular EOG's (Reading, Math, 8th Science), EOC's (advanced 8th grade Math), and now Common Exams (CE's) in Social Studies 6-8 and Science 6 & 7. Questions that still need to be answered are: What are the testing windows? What order will we go in? Will all listed tests be included in the student's grades? Who will score the constructed responses on some of the tests? We will continue to keep you up to date in this discussion.
16. If you are interested in working the ticket door for volleyball season and/or basketball season, please see me as soon as possible. In addition, we are looking for interested folks to work during basketball season - one to keep the scoreclock and one to keep the scorebook.
17. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
18. Thank you for all of your work taking place in your weekly curriculum meetings. As we, and others, have visited, it is evident that you are doing what you need to do for our students. Keep pushing on! Please know that it is likely that visitors will come and go regularly in your classrooms and in your curriculum meetings. My evaluator, Mrs. Brooks, may visit throughout the year. In addition, a team of SSC coaches may visit your meetings: Caroline Beam, SSC in LA, Sarah Huddleston in SS, Lisa Jensen in Math, and Judith White in Science. They are here to support your efforts in mastering and implementing your new curriculum.
19. Thanks to Mr. Downs, we now have an SEMS Student Activities blog, which includes all afterschool activity schedules. If you sponsor any afterschool activity, please email John any and all meeting and event dates. Some of you have already sent him your dates for the year. If you change a date or event, please forward that to him as well. The blog will be updated every two weeks. Parents and students can visit the blog at any time by clicking on the Student Activities blog on the SEMS website.
20. All 8th graders are required to take the EXPLORE test, which is a modified version of the ACT that students will take in 11th grade. On October 15, 8th grade students will take the EXPLORE Inventory Survey, so their 8th grade encore classes will be shortened on this day by about 10 minutes each. Other than that, we will follow a normal school schedule on this day. Then on October 18, 8th graders will take the EXPLORE test. Due to the requirements of the test, the number of EC/504 pull-out sessions required, and the need to have encore staff assist with the testing structure, we must go on an altered school schedule on this day. We will forward you a copy of the altered schedule well before this date so that you may plan appropriately. More information on the test and the training involved will come from Deb Neal this week.
21. Later in the fall, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regardless their engagement in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. We will receive a short training session from the company sometime this fall.
22. SIOP Snapshot: Lesson Planning: Lesson planning is key to ensuring quality activities for our students. What template do you use for your lesson planning? We currently do not require teachers to turn in lesson plans nor do we require a specific plan template. Some of the most important components in your lesson planning should include your objective(s), formative assessment, and strategies used to implement the new curriculum. Take a look at your planning process - do you include these essentials in your daily planning? As we continue to work on our SIOP training module, we will have more conversations about the importance of quality lesson planning. Please remember that the expectation from administration is that your lesson plans are available/visible to us as we complete our walkthroughs.
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.
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 11 - SIOP Training #2 - during grade level planning
Oct. 12 - PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff - all staff have copy of schedule
Oct. 13 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale @ SEMS (7:00am - 12:00pm)
Oct. 14 - Anti-Bully Rally/Walk (8:30am at Lawrence Joel)
Oct. 15 - 8th grade EXPLORE Inventory Survey
Oct. 15 - SIT meeting, Safety & Discipline Committee mtg. (2:15)
Oct. 16 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 16 - UNCG OSTE Mtg. (2:15pm)
Oct. 17 - 7th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
Oct. 19 - FCCLA Field Trip - FACS teachers + several students
Oct. 19 - Student Council Blow Pop Sale (1-2pm)
Oct. 22 - EVAAS Workshop (2:15pm) - for all certified staff in the MP room
Oct. 23 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 23 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Tsunamis
Oct. 24 - 6th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 24 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Dragons
Oct. 25 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Pharoahs
Oct. 26 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 26 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Oct. 29 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Team Discovery
Oct. 29 - Staff Meeting (2:15pm)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2012
1. This past Monday night, Sherri Worrell was honored at a WSFCS function as our current Teacher of the Year. Please join me in congratulating her once again!
2. A big thanks to our Safety & Discipline Committee, FCCLA club (Hatch and Je. Watson), and all of our staff for a successful Unity Day on Wednesday! It was wonderful to see everyone sporting their orange for the day! Thank you to all who helped in making it happen. I think we were really able to get the students' attention.
3. Please pay your Hospitality Committee dues if you have done so already.
4. If you are AED device trained (the device used for cardiac arrest situations), please let me know. I must supply a complete list of staff who are trained (I know that several of you trained last school year). We now have an AED unit on campus. It is housed in the main office right outside Susie's door.
5. We will have a School Improvement Team meeting on Monday at 2:15 in Mr. Elkins room. In addition, the Safety & Discipline Committee will meet at 2:15 in Room #810 (Mrs. Wallace-Smith's room).
6. The PTSA Fundraiser kicks off on Friday. Please refer to the forwarded information from earlier this week. All students should receive their fundraiser packets at the end of the school day on Friday. Be sure to take advantage of the fundraiser - Jaguar cards are only $10 and are valid for one year. Get great discounts at some area restaurants and businesses!
7. Several teachers have been asking about any Halloween plans that our staff has. There are staff members who wish to get together with other staff and their children for a safe and fun Halloween. If you have any ideas or would like to participate in something like that, please let me know.
8. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
9. We have received confirmation that we will receive four mobile laptop carts for our 8th grade Science department. There will be some training for those teachers in November. Other teachers will also have access to the laptop carts as well. This is great news!
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Jones have sent out information soon regarding how to donate.
11. The Student Council Blow Pop sale will take place on Friday, October 19, during 6th period. They will visit all hallways during that period. All proceeds will be donated to United Way.
12. During the first week of November, the WSFCS Technology Department will be shutting down the "guest" wireless servers in all schools. This will affect you and your students. If you have a non-school device (i.e. Smartphone, iPad, Macbook, etc), then you will not have access to the wireless server in our building.
13. Thanks to all staff who have signed up for the fall socials. The sign ups are complete. I will confirm the social date with each staff member who has signed up. Those who did not sign up will be expected to work one of the winter concerts in December: Band winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Chorus winter concert @ Glenn HS (Thursday, Dec. 13, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Orchestra winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm).
14. Any students wishing to stay for the socials must turn in their permission slips and $5.00 to Mr. Pizzino when they have P.E. class. If they need a form, they must see the P.E. Department during their P.E. period. Mr. Pizzino will supply teachers with a master list of all students who have signed up to stay for the socials. A detailed email will be sent out with directions so that you are aware of the procedures.
15. The school system is in the process of determining what our testing schedule will be at the end of this school year. We do know that we will still have our regular EOG's (Reading, Math, 8th Science), EOC's (advanced 8th grade Math), and now Common Exams (CE's) in Social Studies 6-8 and Science 6 & 7. Questions that still need to be answered are: What are the testing windows? What order will we go in? Will all listed tests be included in the student's grades? Who will score the constructed responses on some of the tests? We will continue to keep you up to date in this discussion.
16. If you are interested in working the ticket door for volleyball season and/or basketball season, please see me as soon as possible. In addition, we are looking for interested folks to work during basketball season - one to keep the scoreclock and one to keep the scorebook.
17. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
18. Thank you for all of your work taking place in your weekly curriculum meetings. As we, and others, have visited, it is evident that you are doing what you need to do for our students. Keep pushing on! Please know that it is likely that visitors will come and go regularly in your classrooms and in your curriculum meetings. My evaluator, Mrs. Brooks, may visit throughout the year. In addition, a team of SSC coaches may visit your meetings: Caroline Beam, SSC in LA, Sarah Huddleston in SS, Lisa Jensen in Math, and Judith White in Science. They are here to support your efforts in mastering and implementing your new curriculum.
19. Thanks to Mr. Downs, we now have an SEMS Student Activities blog, which includes all afterschool activity schedules. If you sponsor any afterschool activity, please email John any and all meeting and event dates. Some of you have already sent him your dates for the year. If you change a date or event, please forward that to him as well. The blog will be updated every two weeks. Parents and students can visit the blog at any time by clicking on the Student Activities blog on the SEMS website.
20. All 8th graders are required to take the EXPLORE test, which is a modified version of the ACT that students will take in 11th grade. On October 15, 8th grade students will take the EXPLORE Inventory Survey, so their 8th grade encore classes will be shortened on this day by about 10 minutes each. Other than that, we will follow a normal school schedule on this day. Then on October 18, 8th graders will take the EXPLORE test. Due to the requirements of the test, the number of EC/504 pull-out sessions required, and the need to have encore staff assist with the testing structure, we must go on an altered school schedule on this day. We will forward you a copy of the altered schedule well before this date so that you may plan appropriately. More information on the test and the training involved will come from Deb Neal this week.
21. Later in the fall, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regardless their engagement in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. We will receive a short training session from the company sometime this fall.
22. SIOP Snapshot: Lesson Planning: Lesson planning is key to ensuring quality activities for our students. What template do you use for your lesson planning? We currently do not require teachers to turn in lesson plans nor do we require a specific plan template. Some of the most important components in your lesson planning should include your objective(s), formative assessment, and strategies used to implement the new curriculum. Take a look at your planning process - do you include these essentials in your daily planning? As we continue to work on our SIOP training module, we will have more conversations about the importance of quality lesson planning. Please remember that the expectation from administration is that your lesson plans are available/visible to us as we complete our walkthroughs.
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.
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 11 - SIOP Training #2 - during grade level planning
Oct. 12 - PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff - all staff have copy of schedule
Oct. 13 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale @ SEMS (7:00am - 12:00pm)
Oct. 14 - Anti-Bully Rally/Walk (8:30am at Lawrence Joel)
Oct. 15 - 8th grade EXPLORE Inventory Survey
Oct. 15 - SIT meeting, Safety & Discipline Committee mtg. (2:15)
Oct. 16 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 16 - UNCG OSTE Mtg. (2:15pm)
Oct. 17 - 7th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
Oct. 19 - FCCLA Field Trip - FACS teachers + several students
Oct. 19 - Student Council Blow Pop Sale (1-2pm)
Oct. 22 - EVAAS Workshop (2:15pm) - for all certified staff in the MP room
Oct. 23 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 23 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Tsunamis
Oct. 24 - 6th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 24 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Dragons
Oct. 25 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Pharoahs
Oct. 26 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 26 - 8th grade level meeting (7:45am)
Oct. 29 - Heritage Theater Field Trip - 6th grade Team Discovery
Oct. 29 - Staff Meeting (2:15pm)
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Weekly Update 10/4/12
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
1. Congratulations to the following students for advancing to the NC Honors Chorus: Vivian Le, Kenedi Chrisp, and Alexis Jessup. Please congratulate these girls if you get an opportunity. Thanks to Mrs. Wells for her hard work as well.
2. Yesterday, SEMS was honored at the joint principals' meeting for participating in the American Red Cross Heroes campaign last year. We were one of six schools who raised money. Thanks to Irma Jones and the Builders Club for their hard work!
3. If you sponsor any club, sport, or afterschool activity, please let me well in advance of your scheduled meeting or event. There are lots of parents and students asking about clubs, etc., so we want to help promote your activity. In addition, we are planning to add a section to our website so that parents and students can see what activities are available to them and when.
4. The deadline for students to turn in their free/reduced lunch applications is October 8. Please remind your students that they if they need to turn in their application, they must do so by Monday. If they need an application, the cafeteria has them.
5. The PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff assemblies will take place on Friday, October 12. The schedule is being distributed this week for all staff members. The assemblies will take place during encore blocks of time. Instructions and details are all included in the memo.
6. If you are AED device trained (the device used for cardiac arrest situations), please let me know. I must supply a complete list of staff who are trained (I know that several of you trained last school year).
7. Please remember to complete your SIOP online moodle by October 10. The next SIOP training will be October 11 during grade level planning blocks. In addition, there will be a 2:15 session for those who could not attend during the planning blocks. I will send a detailed SIOP email to all staff with reminders and how to sign up for your professional development credit.
8. Several teachers have been asking about any Halloween plans that our staff has. There are staff members who wish to get together with other staff and their children for a safe and fun Halloween. If you have any ideas or would like to participate in something like that, please let me know.
9. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray will be sending out information soon regarding how to donate.
11. Thanks to all staff who have signed up for the fall socials. The sign ups are now complete. I will confirm the social date with each staff member who has signed up. Those who did not sign up will be expected to work one of the winter concerts in December: Band winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Chorus winter concert @ Glenn HS (Thursday, Dec. 13, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Orchestra winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm).
12. Any students wishing to stay for the socials must turn in their permission slips and $5.00 to Mr. Pizzino when they have P.E. class. If they need a form, they must see the P.E. Department during their P.E. period. Mr. Pizzino will supply teachers with a master list of all students who have signed up to stay for the socials. A detailed email will be sent out with directions so that you are aware of the procedures.
13. If you are interested in working the ticket door for volleyball season and/or basketball season, please see me as soon as possible. In addition, we are looking for interested folks to work during basketball season - one to keep the scoreclock and one to keep the scorebook.
14. October is Bully Prevention Month. Thanks to the Safety and Discipline committee for planning some activities for our students this month. We will be forwarding lesson ideas and information that we receive from WSFCS. In addition, students will receive information in their Wednesday folders and will participate in several activities throughout the month of October. October 10 is Unity Day - we are asking all students and staff to wear orange on this day to promote bully prevention. In addition, all homebase teachers will be given an envelope with orange bracelets to distribute to students. Feel free to wear one as well. Please join us in standing up! The WSFCS Anti-Bullying Event/Walk will take place on Saturday, October 13. We will have a team of students and staff attending this event. It is open to anyone interested.
15. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
16. Thank you for all of your work taking place in your weekly curriculum meetings. As we, and others, have visited, it is evident that you are doing what you need to do for our students. Keep pushing on! Please know that it is likely that visitors will come and go regularly in your classrooms and in your curriculum meetings. My evaluator, Mrs. Brooks, may visit throughout the year. In addition, a team of SSC coaches may visit your meetings: Caroline Beam, SSC in LA, Sarah Huddleston in SS, Lisa Jensen in Math, and Judith White in Science. They are here to support your efforts in mastering and implementing your new curriculum.
17. All 8th graders are required to take the EXPLORE test, which is a modified version of the ACT that students will take in 11th grade. On October 15, 8th grade students will take the EXPLORE Inventory Survey, so their 8th grade encore classes will be shortened on this day by about 10 minutes each. Other than that, we will follow a normal school schedule on this day. Then on October 18, 8th graders will take the EXPLORE test. Due to the requirements of the test, the number of EC/504 pull-out sessions required, and the need to have encore staff assist with the testing structure, we must go on an altered school schedule on this day. We will forward you a copy of the altered schedule well before this date so that you may plan appropriately. More information on the test and the training involved will come from Deb Neal this week.
18. Later in the fall, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regardless their engagement in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. I will be receiving much more information this month at my principals meetings - I will forward the details to you as soon as I have them.
19. Staff Handbook Focus of the Week: Collecting Funds (p.11)
Remember to turn in funds daily to Susie Hook with the proper documentation. She makes a daily deposit to the bank. In addition, please remember that all staff must have prior written approval from the principal for all purchases, no matter the source of the funds. Please take the time to review this section of the staff handbook, as it contains legal requirements related to money in schools. We must follow the required protocols in order to handle all of our funds.
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.
DUE DATES
Oct. 10 - SIOP Moodle - Section #1 completed
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 5 - 8th grade level meeting
Oct. 8 - Vertical curriculum meetings (2:15, locations TBD)
Oct. 10 - Unity Day - Wear orange and take a stand against bullying!
Oct. 10 - 8th grade social (2-4pm)
Oct. 11 - SIOP Training #2 - during grade level planning
Oct. 12 - PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff - schedule is TBD
Oct. 13 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale @ SEMS (7:00am - 12:00pm)
Oct. 15 - 8th grade EXPLORE Inventory Survey
Oct. 16 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 16 - UNCG OSTE Mtg. (2:15pm)
Oct. 17 - 7th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2012
1. Congratulations to the following students for advancing to the NC Honors Chorus: Vivian Le, Kenedi Chrisp, and Alexis Jessup. Please congratulate these girls if you get an opportunity. Thanks to Mrs. Wells for her hard work as well.
2. Yesterday, SEMS was honored at the joint principals' meeting for participating in the American Red Cross Heroes campaign last year. We were one of six schools who raised money. Thanks to Irma Jones and the Builders Club for their hard work!
3. If you sponsor any club, sport, or afterschool activity, please let me well in advance of your scheduled meeting or event. There are lots of parents and students asking about clubs, etc., so we want to help promote your activity. In addition, we are planning to add a section to our website so that parents and students can see what activities are available to them and when.
4. The deadline for students to turn in their free/reduced lunch applications is October 8. Please remind your students that they if they need to turn in their application, they must do so by Monday. If they need an application, the cafeteria has them.
5. The PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff assemblies will take place on Friday, October 12. The schedule is being distributed this week for all staff members. The assemblies will take place during encore blocks of time. Instructions and details are all included in the memo.
6. If you are AED device trained (the device used for cardiac arrest situations), please let me know. I must supply a complete list of staff who are trained (I know that several of you trained last school year).
7. Please remember to complete your SIOP online moodle by October 10. The next SIOP training will be October 11 during grade level planning blocks. In addition, there will be a 2:15 session for those who could not attend during the planning blocks. I will send a detailed SIOP email to all staff with reminders and how to sign up for your professional development credit.
8. Several teachers have been asking about any Halloween plans that our staff has. There are staff members who wish to get together with other staff and their children for a safe and fun Halloween. If you have any ideas or would like to participate in something like that, please let me know.
9. Halloween falls on a regular school day in October. Please remind your students that this is a normal school day and all students must follow the dress code regulations. There are no costumes nor dressing up allowed. Students who violate the code or wear something disruptive to the learning environment should still be addressed as normal. The Dress Code Check will still be available at 7:35 in room #712.
10. The United Way campaign is underway. We encourage all staff to participate. The United Way does some great things for our community. Our school goal for this year is $5,363. Mrs. Murray will be sending out information soon regarding how to donate.
11. Thanks to all staff who have signed up for the fall socials. The sign ups are now complete. I will confirm the social date with each staff member who has signed up. Those who did not sign up will be expected to work one of the winter concerts in December: Band winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Chorus winter concert @ Glenn HS (Thursday, Dec. 13, 5:30 - 7:30pm), Orchestra winter concert @ SEMS (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 5:30 - 7:30pm).
12. Any students wishing to stay for the socials must turn in their permission slips and $5.00 to Mr. Pizzino when they have P.E. class. If they need a form, they must see the P.E. Department during their P.E. period. Mr. Pizzino will supply teachers with a master list of all students who have signed up to stay for the socials. A detailed email will be sent out with directions so that you are aware of the procedures.
13. If you are interested in working the ticket door for volleyball season and/or basketball season, please see me as soon as possible. In addition, we are looking for interested folks to work during basketball season - one to keep the scoreclock and one to keep the scorebook.
14. October is Bully Prevention Month. Thanks to the Safety and Discipline committee for planning some activities for our students this month. We will be forwarding lesson ideas and information that we receive from WSFCS. In addition, students will receive information in their Wednesday folders and will participate in several activities throughout the month of October. October 10 is Unity Day - we are asking all students and staff to wear orange on this day to promote bully prevention. In addition, all homebase teachers will be given an envelope with orange bracelets to distribute to students. Feel free to wear one as well. Please join us in standing up! The WSFCS Anti-Bullying Event/Walk will take place on Saturday, October 13. We will have a team of students and staff attending this event. It is open to anyone interested.
15. Sometime this month, all teachers will receive information about how to access your individual teacher EVAAS reports. We will make sure that you know how to access these. In the past, I have given them to you from Central Office. In addition, you will have and EVAAS growth number posted in Standard 6 of last year's summary rating form in McRel. This is the "practice" year, where the numbers get entered and a standard rating is assigned, but there is no official status for each teacher (meaning that you are not truly subjected to the EVAAS number yet). As a reminder, if you have three years of EVAAS data, then your number will be a combination of your growth number and the school number. Everyone else will be assigned the school growth number. It is also important to note that the EVAAS color scheme has changed - it used to be green, yellow, and red. The new colors are blue (exceeded growth), green (met growth), and red (did not meet growth). If you are new to the school system, please be assured that we will help you to understand what EVAAS is and how it can be used. Dr. Marty Ward from WSFCS will be with us on October 22 to discuss EVAAS and show staff how to access helpful reports for you to use.
16. Thank you for all of your work taking place in your weekly curriculum meetings. As we, and others, have visited, it is evident that you are doing what you need to do for our students. Keep pushing on! Please know that it is likely that visitors will come and go regularly in your classrooms and in your curriculum meetings. My evaluator, Mrs. Brooks, may visit throughout the year. In addition, a team of SSC coaches may visit your meetings: Caroline Beam, SSC in LA, Sarah Huddleston in SS, Lisa Jensen in Math, and Judith White in Science. They are here to support your efforts in mastering and implementing your new curriculum.
17. All 8th graders are required to take the EXPLORE test, which is a modified version of the ACT that students will take in 11th grade. On October 15, 8th grade students will take the EXPLORE Inventory Survey, so their 8th grade encore classes will be shortened on this day by about 10 minutes each. Other than that, we will follow a normal school schedule on this day. Then on October 18, 8th graders will take the EXPLORE test. Due to the requirements of the test, the number of EC/504 pull-out sessions required, and the need to have encore staff assist with the testing structure, we must go on an altered school schedule on this day. We will forward you a copy of the altered schedule well before this date so that you may plan appropriately. More information on the test and the training involved will come from Deb Neal this week.
18. Later in the fall, teachers will be introduced to an online engagement survey. This is a contract with WSFCS in all middle schools for this school year. Teachers will give students a 10-15 question online survey periodically throughout the year regardless their engagement in your class. It can be given after a particular lesson or unit. The purpose is for the teacher to gain extremely valuable information about how students learn, what they enjoyed, and their level of engagement. Teachers can use this information to adjust their instruction. I will be receiving much more information this month at my principals meetings - I will forward the details to you as soon as I have them.
19. Staff Handbook Focus of the Week: Collecting Funds (p.11)
Remember to turn in funds daily to Susie Hook with the proper documentation. She makes a daily deposit to the bank. In addition, please remember that all staff must have prior written approval from the principal for all purchases, no matter the source of the funds. Please take the time to review this section of the staff handbook, as it contains legal requirements related to money in schools. We must follow the required protocols in order to handle all of our funds.
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.
DUE DATES
Oct. 10 - SIOP Moodle - Section #1 completed
UPCOMING DATES
Oct. 5 - 8th grade level meeting
Oct. 8 - Vertical curriculum meetings (2:15, locations TBD)
Oct. 10 - Unity Day - Wear orange and take a stand against bullying!
Oct. 10 - 8th grade social (2-4pm)
Oct. 11 - SIOP Training #2 - during grade level planning
Oct. 12 - PTSA Fundraiser Kickoff - schedule is TBD
Oct. 13 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale @ SEMS (7:00am - 12:00pm)
Oct. 15 - 8th grade EXPLORE Inventory Survey
Oct. 16 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 16 - UNCG OSTE Mtg. (2:15pm)
Oct. 17 - 7th Grade Social (2-4pm)
Oct. 18 - 8th grade EXPLORE test (Altered school schedule)
Oct. 18 - Raven Knob Field Trip - 7th grade Outbacks
Oct. 19 - Fundraiser Turn-In Day
Oct. 19 - Town Hall Field Trip - 6th grade Apollos
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