Weekly Update 3/21/13

SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013

Since we are at the end of the third quarter, the three days next week will be considered professional casual days.  Please enjoy!

1. Congratulations to John Watson.  He is our Port-A-Pit ticket staff winner.  John sold over 30 tickets! He will receive a day off at the expense of PTSA. 

2. Thanks to the Student Council for sponsoring our upcoming Teddy Bears for Smiles and Legos for Vinny donation drive. The drive will continue through Wednesday, March 27.  Students, parents, and staff can donate teddy bears or lego sets for Brenner's Children's Hospital.  The teddy bear drive is on behalf of one of our current students, Hailey Domian, and the lego donations are in honor of Vinny DiGerolamo, who was the younger sibling of our current student, Desi DiGerolamo. Vinny passed away recently. 

3. Teacher intent forms are due by Friday, March 22. Please see your email for the link and instructions on how to fill this form out.  Please remember that if you decide to put in for a transfer or to resign, you will need to let me know.  The only way to be eligible for the April 10 Teacher Transfer Fair is to select the transfer option. If you need assistance with this process, please let us know. 

4. We will conduct our annual FCAE Staff Survey on Monday, March 25.  All staff should report to the multi-purpose room at 2:20 with a pencil in hand.  We will quickly review expectations and Nancy Holmes will review all instructions with staff.  Staff will complete their paper-pencil surveys, turn in to Nancy on that afternoon, and sign off that they have completed. All surveys will be conducted through Nancy, as she is our FCAE representative. We will not have a staff meeting on this day.  The survey is the only business that will be conducted at this meeting. 

5. We will have a Spring Arts Festival interest meeting on Monday, March 25, immediately following the staff survey.  If you are interesting in participating in some way (i.e. performance, demonstration, etc), you are encouraged to attend.  

6. Homebase teachers: Please remember that all bright green student survey sheets are due to Gentry by March 28. Thanks to those teachers who have already completed this process! 

7. March 28 is an Rs day, meaning that staff can take annual leave if they wish.  Please indicate your plans for March 28 on the staff sheet in the workroom.  In order to be granted an annual day, you are required to  have your grades finalized and turned in to Sandy Derrah prior to March 28 (see grade information below). 

8. Third quarter grades are due by Thursday, March 28, at 1:00pm.  By this time, you will need to have your grades finalized in the computer and verification sheets to Sandy Derrah.  Please be sure to adhere to this deadline, as there is a very quick turnaround time for report cards this quarter.  Report cards are scheduled to go out with students on Wednesday, April 10.  Plan to prepare your homebase report cards once you return from Spring Break. 

Once you finalize your grades, you will be unable to change them.  If you wish/need to change a student's grade, please fill out a grade change form and place in my mailbox outside my door.  I will review, approve, and authorize the change to Cindy Wilkes. 

9. An email was sent to staff last week regarding the "Staff Wish List."  This is an opportunity for you to give me your thoughts on your teaching assignments for next school year. I will begin personnel planning later in the spring and would love to have your input as I complete that process. Please see email for more details. 

10. Our third annual Spring Arts Festival will take place on the evening of Thursday, April 18. This is an opportunity to bring the community together for the Spring Book Fair Family Night, arts and crafts show, and art and music performances by our students and even staff members. We are looking for staff members, students, and parents to show off your creativity and talent! If you are interested in participating, please let us know. More details and registration information is included in the flyers that went out to staff and students this week.

11. When you do receive your Powerschool registration email (most of you already have), then you will need to immediately follow the link in that email to register and activate your Powerschool account.  That is the only action you need to take at this time. After registering, you will receive another set of emails stating that you have been assigned online training.  Central Office has now indicated that the online modules are NOT required to be completed right now.  It is something you will all eventually need to complete, but it is not required at this time. So please save your emails for the training that you receive for future completion. 

12. Many staff members have asked about CEU credits for completing the upcoming Powerschool online training sessions.  According to Central Office, they are working on this option for all staff.  When you do complete an online module, it will create a certificate of completion for you for each section.  Please print this for your records.  You should be able to get credit for these sessions. I will revisit the Powerschool online modules at our next staff meeting to show staff members more. 

13. UNCG student teachers from the county may be visiting our classrooms during March and April.  They are being encouraged by their UNCG supervisors to do so.  Please welcome these visitors into your classrooms should they come by over the next month. They will be wearing a visitors' pass if they are not one of our current student teachers. We welcome this opportunity for our future teachers!

14. The Spring Book Fair will take place April 15-19. We will set it up similar to the schedule used last  year - Language Arts teachers will be scheduled for a 15-20 minute visit with each of their classes and then we will provide Book Fair passes to all LA teachers for students to come to make purchases during the second half of the week. More details will be provided. 

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
March 21-22 - Mock EOG-style Quarter Testing
March 22 - 8th Grade Social (2-4pm)
March 25 - Staff Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 25 - Spring Arts Festival interest meeting (following the staff survey)
March 27 - End of 3rd Quarter (as of now)
March 28 - Homebase student survey sheets due to Gentry
March 28 - Rs Teacher Workday - grades due by 1:00pm
April 8 - Staff Meeting (2:20pm)
April 10 - MS/HS Teacher Transfer Fair (4-5:30pm, North Forsyth HS)
April 12 - Fundraiser BMX Bike Show (12:30pm)
April 15 - SIT Meeting (2:20pm)
April 15 - 19 - Spring Book Fair
April 18 - Spring Arts Festival (6-8pm)