The Sachem Memo
Week of June 15 - 19, 2020
Remain StaffSTRONG
Hello Sachem Family,
We did it! We are in the home stretch to begin a well-deserved summer vacation. This will mark the final Sachem Memo for the 2019 - 2020 school year and I could not be prouder of this team. You have given your heart and soul since our school closed to ensure that your students were given the very best possible. I know the past months have not be the easiest to navigate.
Please know...your hard work, determination, compassion, and love for your students has not gone unnoticed. I am beyond grateful for how you engaged teaching and learning and make it "work" for your students.
I am so proud to serve each of you and beyond happy that we are counting the hours to Summer 2020. It will go by very quickly and it is my hope that we are all back at MHS with some sense of true normalcy.
I with you a great week...and even a better summer break!
With gratitude,
Paul
Quarter 4 GRADING REMINDERS!
A few important items:
- Quarter 4 and Final Grades will be due by 8:00am on Thursday, June 18, 2020. This will allow for us to finalize all grades and make sure that everything is in good form to publish report cards.
- Please review your grade book and ensure that all "Incompletes" are changed to a grade.
- If you are certain that a student will FAIL your class for the year, PLEASE let the students' guidance counselor know for planning.
- Please be sure you are following the PANDEMIC GRADING PROTOCOL that was shared with a few weeks ago.
Thank you for your collaboration and engagement with our students for the final push to close this school year.
Closing of the 2019 - 2020 School Year
- Please use the week of June 15 - 18, 2020 for any last assignments that students are completing for you in regard to outstanding assignments or final reflection activities.
- We are in need of collecting all school materials, including school laptops beginning on Monday, June 15th. I will have a formal schedule out this week. However, I would kindly ask that you are NOT assigning new assignments the week of June 15. Once again, I will be looking for volunteers to help with the collection of school materials. I appreciate the consideration.
- If you still need to come and clean out your classroom/office space for the summer...please take a moment to complete this form. If you would like to set up a time to come into the school. Please sign-up here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZrmY8RbfLn110RMGuy07O3ehDOyriA2MMqIGwenyc7Y/edit
- The final day of school for students and staff is June 18.
Please reach out with any questions.
A Note From Mrs. Phillips
Mrs. Phillips heard from another librarian this week that Ibram X. Kendi’s National Book Award-winning title Stamped From the Beginning: the Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America is available for free on Audible. If any staff members would like to read/listen to and talk about this book, I’ll host a discussion on Zoom. People can send Mrs. Phillips their names, and she would be happy to set it up for you.
Description
Anti- Defamation League - Resources
EDUCATORS:
Summer Reading
Also, the English Department has two books that you may be interested to borrow if you would like. I would be happy to arrange a copy for you if you would like:
- White Fragility - This is a very popular book right now and is sold-out in many places. Since it is considered to be an essential reading for people who want to learn about systemic racism and how to begin being an ally...I wanted to be sure you knew about this book.
- Hillbilly Elegy - This book addresses the struggles of generational poverty in the White communities of Appalachia, it does shed some powerful light on the ways in which current systems make the American Dream unattainable for many people in this country and may help people who want to understand how poverty, socialization, and perceptions shape people’s lives in general.
Please know there is NO EXPECTATION for you to engage with any of these books over the summer. They are simply a resource for you if you were looking to learn more.
Virtual Meetings - This Week
- MHS Guidance Department Meeting - Wednesday, June 17 - 9:00am
Be on the lookout for Zoom Meeting Invitations. :)
Happy Birthday - This Week
Here are the birthday celebrations this week!
Rylie Bellerive - June 17
Gage Leonard - June 17
Shane Curran - June 18
Justin Plausky - June 18
Brady Beauchesne - June 19
Hannah Burdick - June 20
Emily Kelliher - June 20
Nick McGourthy - June 20
Charlie Montross - June 20
If you can...take a moment and with these amazing students a very happy birthday!
Technology Tool Box - Virtual Professional Development and Training Modules - Summer
Please consider exploring these training and tutorial modules throughout the summer on some really great technology resources for you and your students.
Welcome to the “Tech Toolbox”
Once you enter the Tech Toolbox...you will see the following to help you navigate this wonderful resource.
1) Webinars & Resources
Here you will find resources and webinars created to support the many programs that we are currently using. Below you will see a list of the sessions that have already been recorded and are available on-demand for you. We plan to always be adding to this list as new programs are released or we have a need for a deeper exploration of our existing programs.
List the webinars we have
- Advanced Google Classroom Management
- Basic Google Classroom Management
- Creating Graphic Organizers using Google Drawings
- Google Calendar and Appointment Slots
- Google Classroom for Teachers
- Google Hangout/Meet the Basics
- Google Sites Basics
- Google Slides for Student Created Storybooks
- Making Editable PDFs for Google Classroom assignments with Kami
- My Google Drive is a Mess - Tips for Organizing
- Using Interactive Whiteboard (JamBoard) during Google Meet
- Using the Grid View Extension in Google Meet
- Creating Interactive Videos Using EdPuzzle
- Free EBooks and Audiobooks
- How to get Started with Seesaw
- Recording Lessons with Screencastify
- Screencastomatic
- Sending Emails through Aspen
- The Basics of Quizizz
- Zoom Video Conferencing & Privacy Settings