SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2014
1. I wish all of you a safe and relaxing Spring Break. It has been a chaotic third quarter, so please use this time to recharge and prepare for the next quarter. I appreciate all that you do.
2. The School Board voted unanimously last night to waive June 16 and June 17 for students. Central Office staff is now working on the adjusted calendar that will reflect these changes. I will forward you any updates that I get from them.
3. "Why can't we make up days during Spring Break?" This is a question we have been asked many times. The simple answer is that the building will not be open. In years past, the building was open during breaks because we were required to be open, so most of the 12-month staff (Gentry, Hook, and Wilkes) were present at the school. However, we are no longer required to keep the building open during breaks. Susie, Cindy, and I have each individually made the decision to take the time off during Spring Break - this is why the building will be closed. Remember that when you are at home on a snow day, we (the 12-month staff) are required to be here at school working unless we take a vacation day. We worked those snow days, so we wish to take the time off during Spring Break.
Please rest assured that there are going to be multiple opportunities during the 4th quarter to earn trade-out time for the end of the school year. I am currently in the process of having those opportunities approved by the Asst. Superintendent.
4. DUE DATES: Online letters of intent due on March 28, Teacher Working Conditions Survey due on March 28, 25% Teacher Contract deadline April 22.
5. All staff received information regarding the online letters of intent. The link is available for you to complete. Please refer to my earlier emails regarding this process. In my 3/18/14 email, I also attached a flyer from HR about the process as well. The deadline to complete your intent is March 28. As a reminder, if you plan to put in for a transfer, please let me know ahead of time either in person or via email. You are not required to disclose your reasons, but I do need to be notified in that case.
6. Update of status of ISS room: The ISS room is beginning to fill to capacity on a daily basis. This is causing our assistant principals to have a backlog of discipline referrals because they are waiting on space in ISS. In order to efficiently process referrals, the ISS room will be closed to period time-outs by teachers effective April 7. This means that staff cannot send a student to ISS for a class period. Instead, please work with your peers and colleagues to have time-out spots available between classrooms. That way, you can still time-out any students necessary, just in a different location.
7. Many events and activities continue to be rescheduled due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
8. In order to help get our students back in their school routines, it is imperative that we all come together and step up our CHAMPs expectations for hallways, lunchroom, as well as in your classrooms. We are experiencing lots of issues recently especially in the hallways, so please review all expectations with your students. With testing right around the corner, it is so important that students understand the potential impact of their behaviors in the hallways. The most frequent issues observed are taking place during lunch transition and in between encore class periods.
9. The teacher workdays scheduled at the end of the school year will be a combination of RC and RS days. The difference is that RC days are required workdays and RS days are eligible for annual leave. Typically the district designates RC days earlier than RS in the calendar (meaning that if there are RC days, they will fall earlier in the string of workdays rather than later). Again, I will forward any updates that I receive.
10. The end of the quarter is scheduled for Friday, March 28. The report card distribution date has been pushed back from April 9 to April 16. This means that quarter grades will NOT be due before Spring Break. All 3rd quarter grades will due to Cindy Wilkes byTuesday, April 8, at 4:00pm. That will allow enough time for her to finalize and prepare report cards for homebase teachers to prepare to distribute. Please adhere to this deadline.
11. The last 10 school days are designated as our official testing window. We are now working with the district to draft our potential testing plans. During this window, we must accomplish quite a few testing sessions - Reading and Math EOG, EOC Math I, Science and SS Final Exams, 8th Science EOG, Extend 2 test for EC students, CTE tests, and all make-up tests. There will be many details to share with all of you, but here are a few tidbits...
- There may be multiple tests given in one day, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Some students may end up taking more than one test during the day.
- The chances are very good that we will have altered schedules for most/all test days.
- Options for field trips and events will be significantly limited during this time.
More information coming soon.
12. The legislature has made the decision to split EOG test scores into five achievement levels as opposed to the current four-level system. This will go into effect for this year's tests. We are not sure what impact this will have on our students (i.e. What is proficient now?), but we will continue to keep you updated on this topic.
13. There is a scheduled EC Program Meeting on Tuesday, April 8, at 2:15pm.
14. There have been some adjustments made to the April meeting calendar. Please note the changes. The April staff meeting has been pushed from April 7 to April 14. Please use the afternoon of April 7 to complete your 3rd quarter grades.
15. The deadline for accepting a 25% teacher contract is April 22. Please let me know if you have any questions about the process. There have been many questions following our meeting last week. I will help to find answers to any further questions that you may have. There has been much confusion over how much the total bonus is worth and how much you get each year by signing a contract. We have asked for clarification on that. Theo Helm from WSFCS is in the process of creating an FAQ for employees, so hopefully that will help.
16. The PTSA Book Fair is set for the week of April 21-25. We will work out a schedule for LA teachers to take their students to preview the fair and then designate days for open purchases. The Spring Arts Festival is set for Thursday, April 24, from 6-8pm. More details coming soon!
UPCOMING DATES
March 27 - Track meet (Glenn HS, 3pm)
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day (B-day)! End of 3rd Quarter!
March 28 - Online letters of intent DUE!
March 28 - TWC Staff Survey DUE!
March 29 - April 6 - Spring Break!
April 8 - 3rd Quarter Grades DUE by 4pm!
April 8 - EC Program Meeting at 2:00pm
April 8 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 9 - Track Meet @ Atkins HS (3:30pm)
April 10 - Girls Soccer @ Hanes (Sara Lee Fields, 3:45pm)
April 12 - Music Trip to Carowinds!
April 14 - Staff Meeting (2:20pm, MP room)
April 16 - Report Card Distribution
April 16 - Track Meet @ Glenn HS (3pm)
April 17 - Girls Soccer vs. Northwest (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 18 - No school - Good Friday!
April 21 - Snow make-up day for students and staff! (A day)
April 21 - 25 - PTSA Book Fair
April 22 - 25% Teacher Contract deadline to accept!
April 24 - Spring Arts Festival (6-8pm)
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Weekly Update 3/20/14
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014
1. Please keep Sheree Raya in your thoughts and prayers. Her grandmother passed away on Wednesday.
2. We are required to have the lockdown drill and our monthly fire drill before Spring Break. Please review this with your students.
3. Upcoming Spirit Day: Friday, March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W. for March Madness.
4. Please remember to turn in your teacher laptops to John Downs by March 21. You can refer back to his staff email for details.
5. The March Madness event will take place on Friday, March 21, from 2-4pm. During this event, staff will play against students in a basketball game. If you are interested in participating in this event as a basketball player, cheerleader, or assist with supervision, please see Mr. Pizzino. In order for students to attend, they must turn in their money and permission slip by March 21.
6. Copy codes are now installed on all workroom copiers. Susie will be giving all groups their copy codes this week. We will begin using them on Monday, March 24.
7. Quarter testing is still set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26. The altered schedule has been sent out to all staff. Please know that EC teachers will be testing our Extend 2 EC students from March 19-21, so they may be pulled for these test sessions.
8. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey by March 28. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
9. School Improvement Team is scheduled for Monday, March 24, right after the brief survey meeting.
10. All 8th grade online surveys are due by March 28. A big thank you to the 8th grade Science department for taking this on.
11. All staff received information regarding the online letters of intent. The link is now available for you to complete. Please refer to my earlier emails regarding this process. In my 3/18/14 email, I also attached a flyer from HR about the process as well. The deadline to complete your intent is March 28. As a reminder, if you plan to put in for a transfer, please let me know ahead of time either in person or via email. You are not required to disclose your reasons, but I do need to be notified in that case.
12. Many events and activities continue to be rescheduled due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
13. In order to help get our students back in their school routines, it is imperative that we all come together and step up our CHAMPs expectations for hallways, lunchroom, as well as in your classrooms. We are experiencing lots of issues recently especially in the hallways, so please review all expectations with your students. With testing right around the corner, it is so important that students understand the potential impact of their behaviors in the hallways. The most frequent issues observed are taking place during lunch transition and in between encore class periods.
14. The teacher workdays scheduled at the end of the school year will be a combination of RC and RS days. The difference is that RC days are required workdays and RS days are eligible for annual leave. Typically the district designates RC days earlier than RS in the calendar (meaning that if there are RC days, they will fall earlier in the string of workdays rather than later). Again, I will forward any updates that I receive.
15. The end of the quarter is scheduled for Friday, March 28. The report card distribution date has been pushed back from April 9 to April 16. This means that quarter grades will NOT be due before Spring Break. All 3rd quarter grades will due to Cindy Wilkes by Tuesday, April 8, at 4:00pm. That will allow enough time for her to finalize and prepare report cards for homebase teachers to prepare to distribute. Please adhere to this deadline.
16. The last 10 school days are designated as our official testing window. We are now working with the district to draft our potential testing plans. During this window, we must accomplish quite a few testing sessions - Reading and Math EOG, EOC Math I, Science and SS Final Exams, 8th Science EOG, Extend 2 test for EC students, CTE tests, and all make-up tests. There will be many details to share with all of you, but here are a few tidbits...
- There may be multiple tests given in one day, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Some students may end up taking more than one test during the day.
- The chances are very good that we will have altered schedules for most/all test days.
More information coming soon.
17. The legislature has made the decision to split EOG test scores into five achievement levels as opposed to the current four-level system. This will go into effect for this year's tests. We are not sure what impact this will have on our students (i.e. What is proficient now?), but we will continue to keep you updated on this topic.
18. There is a scheduled EC Program Meeting on Tuesday, April 8, at 2:15pm.
19. There have been some adjustments made to the April meeting calendar. Please note the changes. The April staff meeting has been pushed from April 7 to April 14. Please use the afternoon of April 7 to complete your 3rd quarter grades.
20. The deadline for accepting a 25% teacher contract is April 22. Please let me know if you have any questions about the process. There have been many questions following our meeting last week. I will help to find answers to any further questions that you may have. There has been much confusion over how much the total bonus is worth and how much you get each year by signing a contract. We have asked for clarification on that. Theo Helm from WSFCS is in the process of creating an FAQ for employees, so hopefully that will help.
21. The PTSA Book Fair is set for the week of April 21-25. We will work out a schedule for LA teachers to take their students to preview the fair and then designate days for open purchases. The Spring Arts Festival is set for Thursday, April 24, from 6-8pm. More details coming soon!
22. The GYRLS Community Yard Sale has been postponed until May 3.
23. The last scheduled day for students is now Tuesday, June 17.
UPCOMING DATES
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W.
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 27 - Track meet (Glenn HS, 3pm)
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day (B-day)! End of 3rd Quarter!
March 28 - Online letters of intent DUE!
March 28 - TWC Staff Survey DUE!
March 29 - April 6 - Spring Break!
April 8 - 3rd Quarter Grades DUE by 4pm!
April 8 - EC Program Meeting at 2:00pm
April 8 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 9 - Track Meet @ Atkins HS (3:30pm)
April 10 - Girls Soccer @ Hanes (Sara Lee Fields, 3:45pm)
April 12 - Music Trip to Carowinds!
April 14 - Staff Meeting (2:20pm, MP room)
April 16 - Report Card Distribution
April 16 - Track Meet @ Glenn HS (3pm)
April 17 - Girls Soccer vs. Northwest (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 18 - No school - Good Friday!
April 21 - Snow make-up day for students and staff! (A day)
April 21 - 25 - PTSA Book Fair
April 22 - 25% Teacher Contract deadline to accept!
April 24 - Spring Arts Festival (6-8pm)
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2014
1. Please keep Sheree Raya in your thoughts and prayers. Her grandmother passed away on Wednesday.
2. We are required to have the lockdown drill and our monthly fire drill before Spring Break. Please review this with your students.
3. Upcoming Spirit Day: Friday, March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W. for March Madness.
4. Please remember to turn in your teacher laptops to John Downs by March 21. You can refer back to his staff email for details.
5. The March Madness event will take place on Friday, March 21, from 2-4pm. During this event, staff will play against students in a basketball game. If you are interested in participating in this event as a basketball player, cheerleader, or assist with supervision, please see Mr. Pizzino. In order for students to attend, they must turn in their money and permission slip by March 21.
6. Copy codes are now installed on all workroom copiers. Susie will be giving all groups their copy codes this week. We will begin using them on Monday, March 24.
7. Quarter testing is still set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26. The altered schedule has been sent out to all staff. Please know that EC teachers will be testing our Extend 2 EC students from March 19-21, so they may be pulled for these test sessions.
8. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey by March 28. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
9. School Improvement Team is scheduled for Monday, March 24, right after the brief survey meeting.
10. All 8th grade online surveys are due by March 28. A big thank you to the 8th grade Science department for taking this on.
11. All staff received information regarding the online letters of intent. The link is now available for you to complete. Please refer to my earlier emails regarding this process. In my 3/18/14 email, I also attached a flyer from HR about the process as well. The deadline to complete your intent is March 28. As a reminder, if you plan to put in for a transfer, please let me know ahead of time either in person or via email. You are not required to disclose your reasons, but I do need to be notified in that case.
12. Many events and activities continue to be rescheduled due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
13. In order to help get our students back in their school routines, it is imperative that we all come together and step up our CHAMPs expectations for hallways, lunchroom, as well as in your classrooms. We are experiencing lots of issues recently especially in the hallways, so please review all expectations with your students. With testing right around the corner, it is so important that students understand the potential impact of their behaviors in the hallways. The most frequent issues observed are taking place during lunch transition and in between encore class periods.
14. The teacher workdays scheduled at the end of the school year will be a combination of RC and RS days. The difference is that RC days are required workdays and RS days are eligible for annual leave. Typically the district designates RC days earlier than RS in the calendar (meaning that if there are RC days, they will fall earlier in the string of workdays rather than later). Again, I will forward any updates that I receive.
15. The end of the quarter is scheduled for Friday, March 28. The report card distribution date has been pushed back from April 9 to April 16. This means that quarter grades will NOT be due before Spring Break. All 3rd quarter grades will due to Cindy Wilkes by Tuesday, April 8, at 4:00pm. That will allow enough time for her to finalize and prepare report cards for homebase teachers to prepare to distribute. Please adhere to this deadline.
16. The last 10 school days are designated as our official testing window. We are now working with the district to draft our potential testing plans. During this window, we must accomplish quite a few testing sessions - Reading and Math EOG, EOC Math I, Science and SS Final Exams, 8th Science EOG, Extend 2 test for EC students, CTE tests, and all make-up tests. There will be many details to share with all of you, but here are a few tidbits...
- There may be multiple tests given in one day, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Some students may end up taking more than one test during the day.
- The chances are very good that we will have altered schedules for most/all test days.
More information coming soon.
17. The legislature has made the decision to split EOG test scores into five achievement levels as opposed to the current four-level system. This will go into effect for this year's tests. We are not sure what impact this will have on our students (i.e. What is proficient now?), but we will continue to keep you updated on this topic.
18. There is a scheduled EC Program Meeting on Tuesday, April 8, at 2:15pm.
19. There have been some adjustments made to the April meeting calendar. Please note the changes. The April staff meeting has been pushed from April 7 to April 14. Please use the afternoon of April 7 to complete your 3rd quarter grades.
20. The deadline for accepting a 25% teacher contract is April 22. Please let me know if you have any questions about the process. There have been many questions following our meeting last week. I will help to find answers to any further questions that you may have. There has been much confusion over how much the total bonus is worth and how much you get each year by signing a contract. We have asked for clarification on that. Theo Helm from WSFCS is in the process of creating an FAQ for employees, so hopefully that will help.
21. The PTSA Book Fair is set for the week of April 21-25. We will work out a schedule for LA teachers to take their students to preview the fair and then designate days for open purchases. The Spring Arts Festival is set for Thursday, April 24, from 6-8pm. More details coming soon!
22. The GYRLS Community Yard Sale has been postponed until May 3.
23. The last scheduled day for students is now Tuesday, June 17.
UPCOMING DATES
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W.
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 27 - Track meet (Glenn HS, 3pm)
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day (B-day)! End of 3rd Quarter!
March 28 - Online letters of intent DUE!
March 28 - TWC Staff Survey DUE!
March 29 - April 6 - Spring Break!
April 8 - 3rd Quarter Grades DUE by 4pm!
April 8 - EC Program Meeting at 2:00pm
April 8 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 9 - Track Meet @ Atkins HS (3:30pm)
April 10 - Girls Soccer @ Hanes (Sara Lee Fields, 3:45pm)
April 12 - Music Trip to Carowinds!
April 14 - Staff Meeting (2:20pm, MP room)
April 16 - Report Card Distribution
April 16 - Track Meet @ Glenn HS (3pm)
April 17 - Girls Soccer vs. Northwest (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
April 18 - No school - Good Friday!
April 21 - Snow make-up day for students and staff! (A day)
April 21 - 25 - PTSA Book Fair
April 22 - 25% Teacher Contract deadline to accept!
April 24 - Spring Arts Festival (6-8pm)
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Weekly Update 3/13/14
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014
1. Please keep Sheree Raya and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Her grandmother is very, very ill in the hospital. She is with her at this time.
2. We plan to have the lockdown drill and our monthly fire drill during the week of March 17. These required drills must be completed before we begin quarter testing.
3. Upcoming Spirit Days:
Friday, March 14 - College Colors Day!
Monday, March 17 - Luck of the Irish Day! Staff can dress casual if you dress in green.
Friday, March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W. for March Madness.
4. Many events and activities continue to be rescheduled due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
5. In order to help get our students back in their school routines, it is imperative that we all come together and step up our CHAMPs expectations for hallways, lunchroom, as well as in your classrooms. We are experiencing lots of issues recently especially in the hallways, so please review all expectations with your students. With testing right around the corner, it is so important that students understand the potential impact of their behaviors in the hallways. The most frequent issues observed are taking place during lunch transition and in between encore class periods.
6. If you have any activity bus questions or if you need to request a bus, please contact Gentry in writing.
7. On Tuesday night, the School Board voted to keep the make-up schedule that currently exists on the calendar. This means that the last day for students will be Monday, June 16. Our understanding is that the last teacher workday is scheduled for Friday, June 27. However, all staff members have either already worked the two optional workdays or have taken annual days on those optional workdays. Therefore, the last teacher workday for staff would be Wednesday, June 25. I have inquired with the district and asked for confirmation on the workdays. If there are any updates, I will forward them to you.
The teacher workdays scheduled at the end of the school year will be a combination of RC and RS days. The difference is that RC days are required workdays and RS days are eligible for annual leave. Typically the district designates RC days earlier than RS in the calendar (meaning that if there are RC days, they will fall earlier in the string of workdays rather than later). Again, I will forward any updates that I receive.
8. Attention beginning teachers: You should be working with your STAY coach on completing your Common Core online moodle. If you need assistance with this, please contact your STAY coach. The online moodle is part of your STAY requirement.
9. Since your last progress reports were very minimal in number of tasks, I highly recommend that teachers send out another paper progress report in March. This will help to ensure that all parents and students are aware of where they stand academically.
10. Please remember to turn in your teacher laptops to John Downs by March 21. You can refer back to his staff email for details.
11. The March Madness event will take place on Friday, March 21, from 2-4pm. During this event, staff will play against students in a basketball game. If you are interested in participating in this event as a basketball player, cheerleader, or assist with supervision, please see Mr. Pizzino. In order for students to attend, they must turn in their money and permission slip by March 21.
12. We are in the process of putting copy codes in the copiers by group. I will let you know when this process is completing and we are ready to start using them.
13. Soon all teachers will receive their online letters of intent information from Human Resources. You will need to take the time to review all options thoroughly and make the best decision for you. I will send a separate email with details on completing the letter of intent.
14. Quarter testing is still set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Math I benchmark will take place March 12-14, and the 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26. We will send out the altered schedule very soon. Please know that EC teachers will be testing our Extend 2 EC students from March 19-21, so they may be pulled for these test sessions.
15. The end of the quarter is scheduled for Friday, March 28. The principals have requested that the report card distribution date be pushed back at least one more week (right now it is April 9) to allow for plenty of time for teachers to complete their quarter grades. I have not yet received confirmation of this. But as of now, grades will NOT be due on March 28. Stay tuned for updated information on this topic.
16. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey before the end of the week of March 24. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
17. All 8th grade online surveys are due by March 28. A big thank you to the 8th grade Science department for taking this on.
18. The last 10 school days are designated as our official testing window. We are now working with the district to draft our potential testing plans. During this window, we must accomplish quite a few testing sessions - Reading and Math EOG, EOC Math I, Science and SS Final Exams, 8th Science EOG, Extend 2 test for EC students, CTE tests, and all make-up tests. There will be many details to share with all of you, but here are a few tidbits...
- There may be multiple tests given in one day, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Some students may end up taking more than one test during the day.
- The chances are very good that we will have altered schedules for most/all test days.
More information coming soon.
19. The legislature has made the decision to split EOG test scores into five achievement levels as opposed to the current four-level system. This will go into effect for this year's tests. We are not sure what impact this will have on our students (i.e. What is proficient now?), but we will continue to keep you updated on this topic.
UPCOMING DATES
March 12-14 - 8th grade Math I benchmark period
March 14 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip #2
March 14 - Spring Pictures!
March 14 - College Colors Day!
March 17 - Luck of the Irish Day!
March 17 - Differentiated Instruction PLC (2:20pm, MC)
March 18 - Girls soccer vs. Jefferson (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 19 - 8th Grade Field Trip to Chamber Theatre
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W.
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 22 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale (SEMS)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 27 - Track meet (Glenn HS, 3pm)
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day! End of 3rd Quarter!
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2014
1. Please keep Sheree Raya and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Her grandmother is very, very ill in the hospital. She is with her at this time.
2. We plan to have the lockdown drill and our monthly fire drill during the week of March 17. These required drills must be completed before we begin quarter testing.
3. Upcoming Spirit Days:
Friday, March 14 - College Colors Day!
Monday, March 17 - Luck of the Irish Day! Staff can dress casual if you dress in green.
Friday, March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W. for March Madness.
4. Many events and activities continue to be rescheduled due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
5. In order to help get our students back in their school routines, it is imperative that we all come together and step up our CHAMPs expectations for hallways, lunchroom, as well as in your classrooms. We are experiencing lots of issues recently especially in the hallways, so please review all expectations with your students. With testing right around the corner, it is so important that students understand the potential impact of their behaviors in the hallways. The most frequent issues observed are taking place during lunch transition and in between encore class periods.
6. If you have any activity bus questions or if you need to request a bus, please contact Gentry in writing.
7. On Tuesday night, the School Board voted to keep the make-up schedule that currently exists on the calendar. This means that the last day for students will be Monday, June 16. Our understanding is that the last teacher workday is scheduled for Friday, June 27. However, all staff members have either already worked the two optional workdays or have taken annual days on those optional workdays. Therefore, the last teacher workday for staff would be Wednesday, June 25. I have inquired with the district and asked for confirmation on the workdays. If there are any updates, I will forward them to you.
The teacher workdays scheduled at the end of the school year will be a combination of RC and RS days. The difference is that RC days are required workdays and RS days are eligible for annual leave. Typically the district designates RC days earlier than RS in the calendar (meaning that if there are RC days, they will fall earlier in the string of workdays rather than later). Again, I will forward any updates that I receive.
8. Attention beginning teachers: You should be working with your STAY coach on completing your Common Core online moodle. If you need assistance with this, please contact your STAY coach. The online moodle is part of your STAY requirement.
9. Since your last progress reports were very minimal in number of tasks, I highly recommend that teachers send out another paper progress report in March. This will help to ensure that all parents and students are aware of where they stand academically.
10. Please remember to turn in your teacher laptops to John Downs by March 21. You can refer back to his staff email for details.
11. The March Madness event will take place on Friday, March 21, from 2-4pm. During this event, staff will play against students in a basketball game. If you are interested in participating in this event as a basketball player, cheerleader, or assist with supervision, please see Mr. Pizzino. In order for students to attend, they must turn in their money and permission slip by March 21.
12. We are in the process of putting copy codes in the copiers by group. I will let you know when this process is completing and we are ready to start using them.
13. Soon all teachers will receive their online letters of intent information from Human Resources. You will need to take the time to review all options thoroughly and make the best decision for you. I will send a separate email with details on completing the letter of intent.
14. Quarter testing is still set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Math I benchmark will take place March 12-14, and the 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26. We will send out the altered schedule very soon. Please know that EC teachers will be testing our Extend 2 EC students from March 19-21, so they may be pulled for these test sessions.
15. The end of the quarter is scheduled for Friday, March 28. The principals have requested that the report card distribution date be pushed back at least one more week (right now it is April 9) to allow for plenty of time for teachers to complete their quarter grades. I have not yet received confirmation of this. But as of now, grades will NOT be due on March 28. Stay tuned for updated information on this topic.
16. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey before the end of the week of March 24. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
17. All 8th grade online surveys are due by March 28. A big thank you to the 8th grade Science department for taking this on.
18. The last 10 school days are designated as our official testing window. We are now working with the district to draft our potential testing plans. During this window, we must accomplish quite a few testing sessions - Reading and Math EOG, EOC Math I, Science and SS Final Exams, 8th Science EOG, Extend 2 test for EC students, CTE tests, and all make-up tests. There will be many details to share with all of you, but here are a few tidbits...
- There may be multiple tests given in one day, both in the morning and afternoon sessions.
- Some students may end up taking more than one test during the day.
- The chances are very good that we will have altered schedules for most/all test days.
More information coming soon.
19. The legislature has made the decision to split EOG test scores into five achievement levels as opposed to the current four-level system. This will go into effect for this year's tests. We are not sure what impact this will have on our students (i.e. What is proficient now?), but we will continue to keep you updated on this topic.
UPCOMING DATES
March 12-14 - 8th grade Math I benchmark period
March 14 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip #2
March 14 - Spring Pictures!
March 14 - College Colors Day!
March 17 - Luck of the Irish Day!
March 17 - Differentiated Instruction PLC (2:20pm, MC)
March 18 - Girls soccer vs. Jefferson (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 19 - 8th Grade Field Trip to Chamber Theatre
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - Blue Out! Wear blue in honor of S.W.
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 22 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale (SEMS)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 27 - Track meet (Glenn HS, 3pm)
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day! End of 3rd Quarter!
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Weekly Update 3/6/14
SOUTHEAST MIDDLE SCHOOL
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014
1. Many events and activities have been postponed due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
2. Sandy Derrah sends her love and appreciation for all of your support. Thank you to all staff members who have supported Sandy and assisted us in her absence.
3. Please keep several other staff members in your thoughts and prayers: Cathy Hayes' son is very, very sick at home, she is with him at this time; Irma Jones' aunt passed away earlier this week; Leah Gardner's sister has been very sick; Susie Hook is out and at home very sick as well all this week.
4. If you have any activity bus questions or if you need to request a bus, please contact Gentry in writing.
5. This weekend is Daylight Savings Time. So don't forget to spring forward and set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday morning!
6. We have a staff meeting scheduled for Monday. Topics include: Snow days, another professional development opportunity, next school year, School Board updates,etc.
7. Attention beginning teachers: You should be working with your STAY coach on completing your Common Core online moodle. If you need assistance with this, please contact your STAY coach. The online moodle is part of your STAY requirement.
8. Since last week's progress reports were very minimal in number of tasks, I highly recommend that teachers send out another paper progress report in March. This will help to ensure that all parents and students are aware of where they stand academically.
9. Quarter testing is set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Math I benchmark will take place March 12-14, and the 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26.
10. Grade level meetings on the master schedule for March 13 have been cancelled.
11. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey before the end of the week of March 24. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
UPCOMING DATES
March 10 - Staff Meeting
March 11 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip
March 12-14 - 8th grade Math I benchmark period
March 14 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip #2
March 14 - Spring Pictures!
March 17 - Differentiated Instruction PLC (2:20pm, MC)
March 18 - Girls soccer vs. Jefferson (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 19 - 8th Grade Field Trip to Chamber Theatre
March 19 - Track Meet @ Clemmons (3pm)
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 22 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale (SEMS)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 24 - Track Meet (location TBD)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day! End of 3rd Quarter!
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014
1. Many events and activities have been postponed due to the weather. Please take a look at the dates below as well as the master calendar. Where is the master calendar? It is accessible through your email system - click on the Calendar link and select the SEMS-Stephanie Gentry calendar.
2. Sandy Derrah sends her love and appreciation for all of your support. Thank you to all staff members who have supported Sandy and assisted us in her absence.
3. Please keep several other staff members in your thoughts and prayers: Cathy Hayes' son is very, very sick at home, she is with him at this time; Irma Jones' aunt passed away earlier this week; Leah Gardner's sister has been very sick; Susie Hook is out and at home very sick as well all this week.
4. If you have any activity bus questions or if you need to request a bus, please contact Gentry in writing.
5. This weekend is Daylight Savings Time. So don't forget to spring forward and set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday morning!
6. We have a staff meeting scheduled for Monday. Topics include: Snow days, another professional development opportunity, next school year, School Board updates,etc.
7. Attention beginning teachers: You should be working with your STAY coach on completing your Common Core online moodle. If you need assistance with this, please contact your STAY coach. The online moodle is part of your STAY requirement.
8. Since last week's progress reports were very minimal in number of tasks, I highly recommend that teachers send out another paper progress report in March. This will help to ensure that all parents and students are aware of where they stand academically.
9. Quarter testing is set for March 24 and 25 in Reading and Math. We will have a shutdown schedule for both days. The 8th grade Math I benchmark will take place March 12-14, and the 8th grade Science benchmark will be on March 26.
10. Grade level meetings on the master schedule for March 13 have been cancelled.
11. It is time for staff to complete the Teacher Working Conditions survey. We will have a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 24, for approximately 10 minutes. Nancy Holmes will instruct the staff on how to complete the online survey. It is the expectation that all staff members complete the survey before the end of the week of March 24. This is an opportunity for all of you to voice your opinions on school and district processes. We use these results to assist us in improving the processes, etc. with our School Improvement Team.
UPCOMING DATES
March 10 - Staff Meeting
March 11 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip
March 12-14 - 8th grade Math I benchmark period
March 14 - Students@Work CTE Field Trip #2
March 14 - Spring Pictures!
March 17 - Differentiated Instruction PLC (2:20pm, MC)
March 18 - Girls soccer vs. Jefferson (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 19 - 8th Grade Field Trip to Chamber Theatre
March 19 - Track Meet @ Clemmons (3pm)
March 20 - All A's Celebrations
March 20 - Girls Soccer @ Flat Rock (FRMS, 3pm)
March 21 - March Madness Event - Staff vs. Students (2-4pm)
March 22 - GYRLS Community Yard Sale (SEMS)
March 24-25 - Reading and Math Quarter Testing (Shutdown schedule)
March 24 - Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2:20pm, MP Room)
March 24 - SIT Meeting (following the TWC survey)
March 24 - Track Meet (location TBD)
March 25 - Girls Soccer vs. East Forsyth (Ivey Redmon, 3pm)
March 26 - 8th Science Quarter Testing
March 28 - Hoops for Heart Competitions
March 28 - Student Snow Make-Up Day! End of 3rd Quarter!
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