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