It is Friday! It is the end of the week and the last day!!! Staff you have done a fantastic job of delivering rigorous instruction and engaging our students the last three weeks. Thank you for getting it done! I encourage you to keep the positive momentum going as we are quickly approaching the end to the first month of school! We have many glows to celebrate. We also have several areas that we need to strengthen as we continue to implement and adjust to our new systems. Please continue to provide meaningful and timely feedback to student and parents. If you are unsure of the answers to any questions relating to our school wide procedures, please ask us for clarification. We want to remain on the same page as we are communicating to our school community. Keep up the great work! Please see the reminders and week at a glance below.
Announcements and Reminders
Transitions
Please continue to closely monitor our students during EVERY transitions. If we are expecting students to transition in the halls quietly then we must reinforce the expectation. It is going to take constant reminders and your active help in the halls to help students master this expectation. Transitions are getting better every day!
Cell Phones
Students are permitted to have their cell phones. They are not allowed to USE their cell phones from 8:25-3:45. This is known as the No Flex Zone! Please do not confiscate phones from students because they are visible. Phones should only be confiscated after you have followed the following procedures:
- Warning
- Phone is taken by the teacher until the end of class.
- Phone is taken by the teacher and given to an administrator or the SRO. The parent can retrieve the phone between the hours of 3pm-5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The severity of the consequence can change due to the nature of the situation.
Please allow students to eat a light snack during your 4 or 5th period. Our lunches are scheduled early for some and late for other students. Parent and student feedback suggests that they are allowed to have a light snack. This is permissible as long as instruction is not impacted and students are responsible for cleaning up their areas.
Classroom Doors
Your classroom doors are to be locked at all times. This is to help ensure the safety of our students and their belongings. If there is a problem with your locks or your key, please submit a work order request via the PL site.
Intervention/Enrichment Time
Please remember that Sunshine Breaks are limited. The time allocated before or after each lunch transition is dedicated to remediation and enrichment. Although the breaks are permissible once a week, they should not be occurring daily. Although this time is short, it is important as we help provide services to our students.
Rituals and Routines
Remember to be firm, fair, and consistent! You are strongly encouraged to assign seats in your class to help minimize distractions and discipline infractions. It is also a great way to get to learn all of your students names.
Instructional Framework
As we are visiting classrooms, we have noticed that there has been minimal use of the instructional framework. This is an expectation for all teachers. Instruction should be delivered using the following:
Bell Ringer: 3 to 4 minutes
Opening: 3-5 minutes
Mini lesson: 10-12 minutes
Work Session: 20 minutes
Closing: 3 to 5 minutes
SGP-Our School Growth Plan is due August 31, 2018. Please make sure that you are aware of our school goals and the school wide instructional strategies that will be implemented this year. A formal presentation will be presented to the staff during our September faculty meeting.
AVID
AVID Strategy of the Month: Focused Note-Taking and Binder Checks Teachers, please make sure you are continuing to practice some form of focused note-taking with your students. Remember to check out the AVID folder on the PLC page for any AVID information and templates. Check out this video about the importance of note-taking: How to Take Great Notes You can also show to students, but just know it’s on youtube. Starting next week 8/27 WE will be performing school-wide binder checks. Each grade level has been given rubrics but you also have access to a digital copy on the PLC Page. Please remind students that these rubrics need to placed at the front of their binder and they are EXPECTED to keep up with these in order to get the Dress Down Day incentive. Remember to email me with any specific student names for binder supplies and make sure you give your kids a warning about binder checks. This could be a great way to put in dates in their agendas.
Message from Mrs. Holland
Dear Team,
As we prepare for FTE, there may be the need for slight schedule adjustments to ensure we are following the services as noted in IEP’s for 7th and 8th grade. For 6th grade, however, the schedule changes are likely to be much greater as the IEP’s were just made available for my review on Thursday - and the projections that are shared with me are usually incorrect. Please know that I will be cognizant of your current roster and do my best to keep the changes to a minimum.
Here is the link to the parent letter for 6th grade: 6th Grade EXC Parent Letter
Thank you and please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions and concerns.
Jackie
Monday: Grade Level Meetings
Begin School Wide Binder Checks
MAP Training: 1st Planning for 6th and 7th grade
SRI Training: 1st Planning for 8th grade
Tuesday: RTI/Branching Minds
Building Wide Testing Schedule
Wednesday:Collaborative Planning ELA/SS
Building Wide Testing Schedule
Thursday: Collaborative Planning Math/Sci
Building Wide Testing Schedule
C-Team Football
Date: Thursday, 8/30/2018 Location: Cedar Shoals High School Time:5:30
Friday:
1st Planning: TKES Orientation with Tolbert
Student/Teacher Dress Down Incentive
Student Personality Survey (all 6th graders and new teachers to Hilsman)-During remediation time (time before or after lunch). Survey is located on the Student Start Page
