Wildcat Weekly
January 14th, 2019
Dates
Sarah Watkins
Important Dates
1/7 -- Teachers return, brief faculty meeting
1/15 -- Students gain or lose eligibility based on 2nd 9 weeks grades
1/17-1/21 -- Planoettes to Disney competition
1/19 -- Computer Club Programming contest
1/21 -- MLK Holiday
1/24 -- PSHS Career Fair, 8-11 a.m.
1/24 -- Leadership Team Meeting, 3:30
1/24, 25, 26, 27 (matinee) -- PSHS Theatre presents their musical Mamma Mia!
1/28 -- Calling All Cats! 6-8 p.m.
1/28 -- Three-week grade check
1/30 -- Team Leader Meeting, 2 lunches
2/2 -- North Texas German Winterfest, Jasper HS
2/7 -- Band MidWinter Concert
2/8-9 -- Regional Academic Decathlon competition, HPHS
2/9 -- Mr. Plano
2/13-16 -- TMEA, All State musicians to San Antonio
2/15 -- Three-week grade check
2/15-16 -- Dance Contest hosted here
2/15-18 -- Speech to Harvard
2/16 -- VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event) REGIONAL at Prosper High School
2/21 -- NAEP Testing
2/23 -- Band to Solo and Ensemble
2/23 -- Texas State German Contest, San Marcos
2/28 -- Plano's Got Talent
2/28-3/1 -- Orchestra UIL Contest
3/2 -- Jazz Invitational
3/4-7 -- TELPAS Reading and Listening
3/6-10 -- State Academic Decathlon, San Antonio
3/7 -- Orchestra Spring Trip to Orlando
3/8 -- End of 3rd grading period
4/4-7 -- Band Spring Trip to Corpus
4/6-9 -- Choir Spring Trip to New Orleans
4/26-27 -- State VASE, San Marcos
Taking Attendance
In addition, the District has determined that, in an effort to be in exact compliance with the State, we must take attendance within the first 10 minutes of 2nd period in particular.
One suggestion would be to set an alarm in Outlook to go off every day at 10:00 to make sure you've taken your attendance. Here's how:
1. Launch Outlook, click the "Calendar" tab to view your calendars and then click "New Appointment" in the New group.
2. Type a name for the new appointment into the Subject field and then choose "None" from the "Reminder" drop-down box in the Options group. If you want Outlook to warn you a few minutes before the alarm goes off, select the desired number of minutes from the "Reminder" drop-down box.
3. Click the "Recurrence" button in the Options group to open the Appointment Recurrence window.
4. Select "Zero minutes" from the "Duration" drop-down box and then choose the time when you want the alarm to go off from the "Start" drop-down box. Alternatively, you can type the time in the box.
5. Click the "Daily" radio button in the Recurrence Pattern section and ensure the "Every 1 day(s)" option is selected. If you select the "Every weekday" option, the alarm will not go off on Saturdays and Sundays.
6. Ensure the "No end date" option is selected in the Range of Recurrence section and then click "OK." If you want to end the alarm after a specific number of days, select the "End after" option and type the number of days into the field.
7. Click the "Save and Close" button in the Actions group to create the appointment.
Tip The alarm will go off daily until you delete the appointment or change its Recurrence settings.
Warning
- Information in this article applies to Microsoft Office Outlook 2013. Procedures may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.
***NOTE: Students who are marked absent but actually come in tardy will need to go to the Student Center on their own time (not during class) to get an attendance correction form and clear up the error.
It is also essential that we all dismiss our students on time to get to their next class.
Prom and Graduation
Prom is April 27.
Graduation is June 8.
New for Graduation
Cum Laude = 3.6-3.9
Magna Cum Laude = 4.0-4.2
Summa Cum Laude = 4.3 or higher
(GPA's are not rounded up.)
Honors shall be determined at the end of the 3rd nine-week grading period.
Currently, a student committee is looking at regalia for these designations and others of interest to the students.
Staff Wellness Program -- PLEASE COMPLETE the SURVEY
Then here are the details regarding Wildcat Biggest Loser
- $10.00 to join
- Initial weigh in the week of January 14th
- Challenge begins January 18th
- Weekly Friday weigh ins. (In the clinic)
- Winner will be based on the percentage of weight lost (starting weight 200 pounds, lose 10 pounds equals 5% loss)
- Last weigh in will be April 5th
- 12 weeks to work on your weight loss
- Winner will be announced the week of April 8th.
- Winner gets a cash prize!!!
- Prizes for 2nd and 3rd as well
- I will not spam the entire campus about TBL, but members will get weekly reminders to weigh in
- All weights are kept by me and are anonymous
Let me know if you have any questions,
Denise Kongs RN BSN
Campus Nurse
December 18 Faculty Council Meeting
Sara Bonser opened the meeting at 4:30. She welcomed the group and introduced Dr. Beth Brockman as the first speaker.
Dr. Beth Brockman addressed several questions that were submitted regarding Professional Development requirements. Professional Learning will look different from year to year based on the identified needs of specific campuses, departments and grade levels. Dr. Brockman reviewed the required 7.5 Personal Trade Hours and explained that there are a variety of options available to accommodate all staff. Teachers have opportunities to participate in professional learning related to their TTESS goals during the summer and throughout the school year, including both after-school and the two Saturdays of trade hour options. The next trade hour day is Saturday, January 26th. All professional learning hours that teachers choose to attend or facilitate must be approved by their principal/supervisor. Taking personal days in lieu of PDH/PL is not an option.
Sara Bonser discussed progress made with regard to the Texas Legislature 86th Regular Session that will reconvene in January. Plano ISD’s two legislative priorities are adequate state funding for public education that is fair and balanced, and property tax relief. A handout with additional information about Plano ISD legislative priorities was distributed and can be viewed on the website at https://www.pisd.edu/Page/17548. Ms. Bonser shared a presentation entitled “Nuts & Bolts of School Finance”, which will also be shared at the principal’s meeting in January and made available to principals and Faculty Council representatives after that meeting. Ms. Bonser informed the group that the consulting firm Davis Advocates has been hired to represent Plano ISD and to track all bills related to school finance. The Board met with all four of our elected delegates to discuss how legislative decisions made will affect Plano ISD.
They also met with the Plano Chamber of Commerce and the business community who are also rallying for school finance.
Ms. Bonser encouraged everyone to be proactive in letting their voice be heard to inform the public and reach out to our representatives so the State will fix the school finance equation and put money back into public education.
Ms. Bonser concluded the meeting by welcoming any questions.
The meeting adjourned at 5:02 p.m. The next meeting is February 26, 2019.
Control Environment Survey is coming
Want to learn Sign Language?
Professional Learning Information
Trade Learning Saturday: January 26th, 2019 @ Shepton High School
The flyer linked above was sent to all teachers, librarians, and counselors last Friday. It is our last face-to-face, district-wide, trade hour opportunity, so you may want to take advantage of the opportunity! This link also shares other trade learning opportunities offered this Spring.
Classroom Management Learning Lab:
We have 21 spots available in the Classroom Management learning lab on January 31st. If you would like to learn more about classroom management, talk with your administrator about going to this workshop.
February PL Day:
We will be publishing all activities, locations, and content on our District PL Calendar, and will be shared with you as soon as the calendar is complete and ready for you to distribute to your staff.
We have added a few additional online courses this spring that might be helpful for staff. Please log into MLP then click the link above to see the newly added titles.
For a full list of courses available for teacher trade hours, please log into MLP, then click the link above.
Regarding your W-2:
Just a quick reminder that W2 documents are available electronically as well as in the standard paper format. TEAMS automatically defaults to a paper W2 form. If you have NOT changed to an electronic W2 documents, please consider doing so. The electronic form is an exact replica of the paper form and can be printed from TEAMS to fulfill any need you may have for a paper document.
If you are a new hire during 2018 or have never considered changing to an electronic form, but would like to do so follow these quick steps.
· Sign into TEAMS
· Select Employee Service Center
· Sign into Employee Service Center
o The system may ask for verification of who you are by sending an access code by text or email for you to enter to confirm your identity
· Select My Payroll Information
· Select W-2
· Type of delivery will show either –
o Paper
o Electronic
· If Paper and you would like to change to electronic copy, click the edit button.
· Agree to statement displayed to confirm you wish to change to an electronic copy of your W2.
Thank you for considering the electronic W2 document.
Professional Learning
Here are the dates when we will have campus pdh. These will also be in the lecture hall from 7:45-8:30, 3:30-4:15, and 4:30-5:15 each day.
1/24/19 Kagan/Recent attendees (afternoon times in C111)
2/21/19 Self care/counselors
3/21/19 Grading Tips sharing/Coryn
4/25/19 TBD
5/16/19 Collaborative teaming (progress assessment and planning)/Ashley Helms (afternoon times in C111)
These DO count toward your flex/trade hours.
Our district Social Emotional Learning/Restorative Practices training sessions are now open for enrollment in MyLearning Plan. Please share with your staff members as you see fit.
January 9 -- 4:00-6:00- Self-Regulation Tools and Peace Areas- Bird Center-Building A
February 20 --3:30-5:30 -Active Listening/Effective Collaboration-Bird Center-Building A
March 20 --4:00-6:00- -Respect/Relationship Agreements-Bird Center-Building A
April 17 --3:30-5:30- Adult SEL Competence and Wellness- Bird Center-Building A
A gentle reminder that the deadline to enroll teachers in the Spring GT Academy is this Friday, December 21st.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-bz7ZGwbZbzpNTKHDTyMs5KhFAJcJ78IrfAprQiIHAnHSzw/viewform
Heart of the Scholar Now Available
This training is the foundational training specific to the district's equity work regarding closing the opportunity gap in advanced courses. All staff is welcome. Participants will examine barriers to enrollment, dominant narratives that may hinder success and steps we can take to move the work forward.
While this workshop is during the school day and therefore cannot be used as trade hours, it is powerful information for staff on this campus as we seek to close that opportunity gap. It is strongly recommended for AP and honors teachers in all disciplines.
See My Learning Plan to sign up. Dates are available in January and February. All teachers, administrators, and counselors are welcome to attend.
FROM YOUR RESTORATIVE PRACTICE TEAM
What Do You Need Today? by Craig McKinney
Craig Talks Teaching #16
Everyone these days seems to be talking about Bandersnatch, the Netflix movie that allows viewers to choose their own storyline by making onscreen choices while watching: Which type of cereal do you want for breakfast? Which cassette tape should you put in your Walkman? Do you destroy your computer or bang on the desk? Whether the hero ends up victorious or at the morgue depends on your choices. It’s exciting. We like to be in the driver’s seat, to have options, to make choices that suit our mood or meet our needs.
As we usher in a new year (and try to remember to write 2019 instead of 2018), allowing for options seems especially important right now. If I decide what you need to read about today, I’m likely missing the mark or ignoring something that would make your life—right here, right now—a little better.
So for this week’s Craig Talks Teaching, I invite you to think about what you need and choose your own Craig Talks Teaching. I’ve provided a selection of links to some of my articles from the archives for you to follow based on what you need today:
If you need to restart the semester with a resolution to be more playful, this might provide some motivation.
If you’ve resolved to talk less in class and let your students talk more, reading these scenarios might help you envision what that could look (or sound) like.
If you want to be that teacher who nudges kids in directions that change their lives, this might inspire you.
If you just need to feel thanked and appreciated for doing a frequently thankless job, click here.
If you’re trying to figure how the focus on Social-Emotional Learning intersects with all the stuff you have to teach, this might help.
If someone needs to remind you that teaching shouldn’t be a “us vs. them” experience, read this.
If you’re getting worried about state testing, this might talk you off the ledge.
If you just want some practical tips on how to give better instructions to your students, this will help.
If you’re trying to give up bad habits in the new year, here’s one that needs to be eliminated.
If you want to work on meeting the needs of the variety of learners in your classroom, read about differentiation here.
If you’ve let things get a little too lax in your classroom and need to tighten the reins a bit, here are a few suggestions to help you.
If you’ve been trying to help your students become better note-takers, but it hasn’t worked yet, this quiz might help them think about how to improve.
If you’re looking to improve professionally and want some help, read this (and then reach out to an instructional coach).
And if you just need to stop and reflect on how things are going midway through the school year, this might be a helpful guide.
This choose-your-own-professional-reading experience might not be as entertaining as watching Bandersnatch, but I hope it gave you a little bit of what you need right now. Next time, I’ll be back to making all the decisions on your behalf.
*****************SPORTS**********************
BASKETBALL
- LADY WILDCATS vs Allen at PSHS, Tue. Jan. 15th. JV plays at 6:00pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
- WILDCATS vs Allen at Allen , Tue. Jan. 15th. JV plays at 6:00pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
- LADY WILDCATS vs Plano West at Plano West, Fri. Jan. 18th. JV plays at 6:00pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
- WILDCATS vs Plano West at PSHS, Fri. Jan. 18th. JV plays at 6:00pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
SOCCER
- LADY WILDCATS vs JJ Pearce at JJ Pearce, Tue. Jan. 15th. JV plays at 5:45pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
- WILDCATS vs JJ at JJ Pearce, Wed. Jan. 16th. JV plays at 5:45pm and Varsity plays at 7:30pm.
- JV LADY WILDCATS at Byron Nelson Tournament at Byron Nelson Stadium, Thu. Jan. 17th thru Sat. Jan. 19th. First game is Thursday at 4:00pm vs. Keller. Friday and Saturday time isTBD.
- Varsity LADY WILDCATS vs Byron Nelson at Clark Stadium, Fri. Jan. 18th. Time is 7:00pm.
SWIMMING
- WILDCATS at Districts Diving @ McKinney, Thu. Jan. 17th at 5:00pm.
- Varsity WILDCATS at Varsity Districts at Dan Rodenbaugh Natatorium, Fri. Jan. 18th at 2:00pm.