LVHS Weekly!
Excellence In All We Do.
April 22, 2019
CALENDAR THIS WEEK:
Monday, April 22 -
A Day
PLC - ELA - Common planning
State Boys and Girls Golf
Tuesday, April 23 -
B Day
PLC - Math - Common planning
Baseball at Jarrell HS
State Boys and Girls Golf
Wednesday, April 24 -
A Day
PLC - Science - Common planning
Alyssa Collinsworth Signing during advisory in the gym
Softball vs Randolph HS at Wimberley HS, 7:00 pm
Thursday, April 25 -
B Day
PLC - SS/Spanish - Common planningFriday, April 26 -
A Day
Club Day
Regional Track Meet
Cinco de Mayo Celebration, 6:00 - 8:00 pm, LVHS
What am I teaching next year?
After that, I will sit with team leaders and determine how many sections of each course we will need to offer, based on these numbers.
Then team leaders will return to their team to decide how the load will be split, focusing on teacher strengths and how to structure it to make the most effective use of your PLC - which, in turn, results in the highest degree of student learning.
So, I am hopeful that you will have some pretty solid information by the middle of May.
Teacher appreciation week is May 6-10!
Summer Exchange Days -
GenTX Day
GenTx Day is on Friday, May 3. What is GenTx Day?
Well, I'm glad you asked.
On GenTX Day, all students are recognized for their postsecondary plans in front of the entire study body. Think of GenTX Decision Day as a school spirit day, during which we all work together to build excitement and awareness surrounding the college selection and enrollment process.
We will also use this day to help transition the 8th graders to the high school.
If you want to incorporate this into an opportunity to talk about post-high school plans with your students, that would be great. At the very least, we definitely want everyone dressed in their favorite college gear on this day.
Here's the big-picture agenda:
9:30 - 8th grade students arrive at LVHS, greeted by cheerleaders and our Project Vinatta team, broken into groups and given tours of the school.
They return to the gym by 10:30, at which time, the cheer leaders prep them on our schoolwide spirit stick cheer, fight song, and school song and give them their welcome gift (TBD).
10:45 - High school students are released to gym for assembly.
10:50 - 11:15 - GenTx Ceremony
Summer School teachers needed for SS, ELA, Science, & Algebra.
8:30 - 11:30 - ELA 1 and US History
12:00 - 3:00 - ELA 2, Biology and Algebra
It pays $30 an hour for 4 hours a day (3 hours with students and 1 hour of paid planning time daily) for 4 days, which is $480. Let me know if you are interested!
Duty Assignments
April 15 - May 3 (14 Days)
Morning
Main Hallway - Koenning
Cafeteria – Standiford
Student Drop Off - K. Baugh
Bus Drop Off – Gonzalez
After School
Main Hallway - W. Phillips
Student Pickup - White
The Lawn – Lousma
Bus Pick Up- Hansen
Backups: Fogg, Saarinen
Blue and Gold Ceremony - department heads and those giving senior awards should plan on attending
Don't do it!
I can't emphasize enough the importance of us all maintaining high standards for both behavior and classroom performance.
A few areas I have seen lately that need reminding, schoolwide-
- Make sure students take a hall pass when they leave class. If you need more, let them office know.
- Be in the hallways during passing period.
- Be at your duty station on time and be diligent.
- Send students to the front office if they want to go to their car during the school day - we have a system.
- Start class with a student-centered activity and teach bell-to-bell. (Idle hands and all.)
- Don't leave students unsupervised. If something happens under your care, you will be held responsible. This includes during lunch time - don't leave students in your room alone.
- Enforce the dress code/Don't let students use their phones in class. It takes all of us consistently enforcing it to make it a schoolwide expectation.
Graduation Details
Staff will need to pick up a graduation gown from Mrs. Huerta prior to graduation and will need to report to the aux gym by 5:15.
All staff is required to attend. And don't forget...if you didn't help with prom, we really need your help folding chairs after the ceremony!
Testing this Spring
Monday, May 6: 8:00 - AP Government, 12:00 - AP Environmental Science
Tuesday, May 7: Algebra STAAR, 8:00 - AP Spanish Language and AP Seminar
Thursday, May 9: US History STAAR, 8:00 - AP Spanish Language
Friday, May 10: STAAR Make-Up tests, 8:00 - AP US History
Monday, May 13: 8:00 - AP Biology
Tuesday, May 14: 8:00 - AP Calculus "AB"
Wednesday, May 15: 8:00 - AP English Language and Composition
Friday, May 17: 8:00 - AP Microeconomics, 12:00 - AP Computer Science
Please do not plan anything that would cause participating students to miss out on something significant during these times.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE DOCUMENTING THE PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS TO PARENTS REGARDING STUDENTS WITH FAILING GRADES. YOU WILL HAVE TO TURN IN THIS DOCUMENTATION AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER. PLUS, PARENTS CAN HELP!
final exam schedule
9th, 10th, and 11th graders - 4th and 5th periods
Tuesday, 5/21 - Final Exams - 12th graders - 6, 7, 8, 5 exams
9th, 10th, and 11th graders - 1st and 7th periods
Wednesday, 5/22 - 9th, 10th, and 11th graders - 2nd and 3rd period exams
12th graders - Walkabout at LVES, 8:20, then Senior Trip
Thursday, 5/23 -12th graders - Graduation practice at 9:30 am, LVHS gym
9th, 10th, and 11th graders - 6th and 8th period exams
iPads will be collected during advisory.
We don't have early release on the last day of school... (don't shoot the messenger).
Friday, 5/24 - Workday for teachers
Graduation at 6:00 pm
Staff reports to aux gym at 5:00 pm
You must give a final exam
Reasons you need to give a final (in case you need some):
1. It will be used to provide you with feedback on your student's mastery of TEKS in your class.
2. It is 20% of their semester grade.3. It is used as an attendance incentive.
4. It gives students a reason to come to school and attendance = money.
5. It makes the last three weeks of school meaningful when they know they are going to be assessed on what they are learning.
YOU WILL NEED TO TURN IN A FINAL EXAM FOR YOUR CLASSES TO MRS. HUERTA WHEN YOU MEET WITH HER FOR YOUR END OF YEAR CHECKOUT. YOU WILL ALSO NEED TO GIVE HER DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU HAVE CONTACTED ALL PARENTS OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE FAILED YOUR CLASS. EXPECT A FORMAL REACTION IF YOU DO NOT PROVIDE THESE DOCUMENTS.
Old, but important, stuff -
Sub Plan Requirements
Subbing is a really hard job. We need to do whatever we can to make it easier for them.
You should be receiving a purple folder that will have your name on it. Inside, there will be all kinds of goodies preloaded in it for our subs:
- A copy of our bell schedule.
- Our master schedule.
- Phone number listings.
- Hall passes.
- Advisory expectations.
- A map of the school.
- Any other information the teacher wants you to have.
- A quick classroom feedback form for the teacher. Please leave this on top of this folder at the end of the day.
IN ADDITION TO THIS, when you are gone, you should include in the purple folder:
- Specific lesson plans for the sub to follow, including a schedule of your classes.
- ROLL SHEETS TO TAKE ATTENDANCE EACH PERIOD.
- Your classroom expectations and suggestions for classroom management.
- Helpful teachers to turn to in case they have questions or concerns.
- Details on specific student needs, such as assignment accommodations, health concerns, or small group testing, if applicable.
You may place these in your purple sub folder or you may leave directions in the purple folder on where to find your plans. Do not assume a sub will know where your plans can be found.
When a sub calls me and says, "I don't think they left me any plans/roll sheets", my response will be - "Look in the purple sub folder."
Very serious - Read - Update grades weekly...
...This includes entering zeroes for assignments that are missing. While I know you are trying to give the student some grace by not entering zeroes for missing assignments, it is not a very effective way to communicate a true reflection of their grade. I've received more than one email from parents lately about lots of grades/several zeroes being entered the morning of progress reports.
In summary, enter grades weekly, even if they are zeros. UNLESS it is for a student who gets extended time through 504/SpEd and it is still within their extra time allotment. :)
first 15, last 15 minutes of class are a no fly zone. don't allow students to leave your class during these times. first 5, last 5 during advisory.
School Safety - You are a big part of it
- Keep your classroom door locked.
- Always make sure visitors have a badge. If not, alert the front office immediately. Ask the visitor to go get checked in.
- Never prop open doors, including the outside doors.
- Encourage students to share concerns about other students - using SafeAlert (you should have an info poster in your room) or by confiding in an adult.
- Take concerns and threats seriously - contact the office if concerns arise.
- Be in the hallways during passing periods.
- Don't be afraid to be a little paranoid - alert the office if you have a concern ASAP.
- If you see something that should result in a lockdown (think active shooter), be prepared to use the phone system to alert the school. Do not count on someone else to make that call.
Semester Exam Exemptions!
Juniors and Seniors at Lago Vista High School with no outstanding fines or monetary obligations may be exempt from a final (second semester ONLY) exam if they meet the following criteria and follow the guidelines as written below:
Attendance Criteria:
Perfect Attendance during the second semester in ALL YOUR CLASSES: EXEMPT 3 FINALS.
NO MORE THAN 1 DAY ABSENT TOTAL in the second semester: EXEMPT 2 FINALS.
NO MORE THAN 2 DAYS ABSENT TOTAL in the second semester: EXEMPT 1 FINAL.
A student who has missed more than 6 absences per period in any class for the year may not be eligible to exempt ANY exams.
Grade Criteria: At least an 80% semester average and an 75% final (yearly) average in the class the student is exempting.
Guidelines:
· Exempting a final exam does not entitle a student to be absent on the day or period of the final. Students must still attend classes, regardless of exemptions earned. Students absent during finals will lose their exemptions in accordance with the above exemption criteria.
· For the sake of exemptions, any attendance disputes must be addressed and resolved with the attendance clerk within 3 school days of the absence or tardy.
· If you fail to meet the attendance eligibility requirements because of additional absences, you will receive an Incomplete in the course you requested to exempt. You will have 10 school days to come in and take the missed exam before a zero is recorded in its place.
The following absences do not affect exemption status:
1. Medical appointments which are documented with a doctor’s note furnished to the attendance office upon return to school.
2. Funeral for immediate family members up to 3 days.
3. School functions.
4. Religious holidays.
5. Military deployment of an immediate family member.
6. Required court dates.
7. College days (up to 2 per year).
Change this year - Because of the timing of the STAAR tests, 9th and 10th graders will not be able to use those results for exempting their semester exams and are therefore not eligible for semester exam issues until their junior year.
Advisory norms
1. Students who have failed a course for the semester shall not be allowed to leave advisory to attend a club. I will send out the failure list tomorrow morning.
2. In order for a student to attend another teacher's advisory, they must have a pass from that teacher.
Stop sending kids to other teachers classrooms without a pass from that teacher, please. Don't send a kid to another classroom unless you have written correspondence with that teacher that you want them.
Why join PTA?
2. By becoming a member, you are eligible for teacher grants and scholarships.
3. You more than make up the $10 fee with the luncheons they provide us every month!
Hard copies of this form will be placed in your box or click on the image above to download and print. Please turn in the form and money to Mrs. Kaiser or Ms. Becker. Thanks!
STAY ALERT SYSTEM REMINDER!
Users may anonymously report concerns 24-7-365 via the StayALERT website, an e-mail, a phone call to a recorded and monitored line, or via a text message from a cell phone. Photos and video clips pertaining to the StayALERT report may be included. No special app required! Reportable information will be forwarded in a timely manner to a pre-designated school official for review.
To make a report, use one of the methods below:
Website: stayalert.info
Call or Text: (206) 406-6485
Email: report@stayalert.info
first 15, last 15 minutes of class are a no fly zone. don't allow students to leave your class during these times. first 5, last 5 during advisory.
Duty Schedule
hall passes
Access it here: https://drive.google.com/a/lagovista.txed.net/file/d/0B9GUQCF2uqLcN1luZTFtZUtVYkU/view?usp=sharing