Weekly Update 11/1/12

SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2012

1. Don't forget to "fall back" one hour this weekend for Daylight Savings Time!

2. Congratulations to Cynthia Hatch.  She was granted renewal on her National Boards this week! Also, congratulations to Jennifer Wells, Rachel Holmes, and Jenny Watson.  Rachel and Jennifer received a $500 Kernersville Chamber of Commerce grant for African drumming.  Jenny received a $500 grant for several projects including lessons for Caleb's Creek students and for materials for a "Random Act of Kindness" week.  

3. Please continue to keep Meg Speziale and Venee Robinson in your thoughts and prayers. Meg's mother passed away on Tuesday and Venee continues to recover in the hospital. In addition, please keep our students and families in your thoughts and prayers.  We have a lot of students right now in crisis, almost too many to keep track of.  From losing a home in a fire to deep depression, some of students really need our support right now. 

4. Many thanks to our PTSA, especially Lisa Hedgecock and Tonya Crews.  They have been here at school almost every day to update our PTSA fundraiser monies and were responsible for your Halloween treats in your mailboxes this week.  In addition, they are planning several activities for teachers and students throughout the year.  Earlier this week, you received an email regarding PTSA lunch.  Staff members can pre-order lunch for $5.00.  They plan to offer this service one time each month. The sign-up sheet for the first lunch is in the staff workroom. 

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. Deb Neal forwarded a revised copy of the staff development training schedule for November 6.  Please be sure to register for your workshop.  In addition, there are details in the email from Deb on Monday regarding Common Core Training for beginning teachers as well as teachers new to the school district.  New staff, please be sure to review this information, as it affects all of you!  Please see Deb or me if you have any questions. 

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. We have several students who have potentially severe medical issues.  If you need to call for assistance for one of these students (the appropriate staff are fully aware of the students I am referring to), please identify who the student is, whether it's over the Bogen phone or through a walkie.  By doing this, we know what medicine or kit to bring with us to respond to the emergency. 

12. Teacher EVAAS reports online will soon be available.  In the next two weeks, you will receive an email indicating that you can access your EVAAS report (for those of you who tested an EOG last year).  Please let us know if you need assistance in accessing the report.  We will talk more about these reports in November.

13. 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.

14. We are looking for staff representatives for the PTSA Board.  The board meets once per month, usually on a Monday night at 5:30 here at the school.  If you are interested in a leadership opportunity by serving on this board, please let me know.  We'd be happy to have you with us!

15. If you are an EC staff member or support personnel, you may receive an automated email regarding a "Random Moment Time Study."  If you receive this, it is legitimate and you must complete the questionnaire at the specified time.  This study is linked to the funding that the school system receives from the federal government, so we must be compliant.

16. FCAE will be here on campus after school on November 13.  They will be doing some staff surveys.  

17. All non-WSFCS wireless devices will no longer have access to our wireless server starting November 12 (the previous date was Nov. 1).  Devices include your cell phones, laptops, iPads, etc. 

18. 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
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. 13 - FCAE onsite after school to conduct surveys
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
Nov. 19 - SIOP Training #3 (2:15pm)
Nov. 26 - EC Dept. meeting (2:15pm)