The Seahawks Call
January 3 - 15th, 2023
A Message from Principal Taylor..........................................
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
New pilot with Literacy and Math Labs:
Teachers are seeing benefits with implementing literacy and math labs. Teachers like that students get consistent and rigorous instruction both in their Core and Lab classes. Due to all classes being 42-minute periods, teachers are able to hone-in and teach specific skills and concepts and progress monitor.
Powerful Instructional Practice (PIP) - Somers is focusing on Secondary Literacy, Comprehension of Informational Text across all content areas in all grades.
PIP Strategy #1 - Frayer Model - Teachers trained on how to use this strategy in their content area and every teacher observed by one of their peers using this strategy.
Culture and Climate Goal - Somers focus is Self-Management
Teachers and students trained on the true meaning of self-management. Staff was provided with de-escalation techniques as well as provided a DEAR (Drop Everything And Relax) kit to place in their classroom for students to access when needed. Staff and students also completed a survey regarding Social Emotional Learning. The results from the survey allow us to check the pulse of how staff and students are feeling, assess the implementation of techniques and strategies within classrooms, and see any correlations related to student behavior.
Total Number of Referrals received for the First Semester:
6th grade: 80 referrals for 1st Quarter and 66 for 2nd Quarter
7th grade: 193 referrals for 1st Quarter and 123 for 2nd Quarter
8th grade: 75 for 1st Quarter and 93 for 2nd Quarter
Student Attendance
September: 94.16%
October: 90.1%
November: 91.83%
December: 92.29%
The entire staff agrees that we see positive changes all around and we will stay the course. What we are doing is working to ensure the best teaching and learning environment for staff and students!
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
Important Dates to Remember!
- Schools and Offices Closed
- DI until 3:15 pm
- Girls Volleyball Practice until 3:30 in the gym
- Students are taking iReady Math Test
- 8th grade students zoned for McDonough will attend presentation @ 12 noon in the library
- GSA until 3:15 pm
- FEV Tutoring until 3:30 pm
- Boys' Volleyball practice until 3:30 pm
- VEX V5 (Adamson) until 3:30 pm
- Drama club until 3:30 in rm 305
- Students are taking iReady Math Test
- Math Counts until 3 pm
- FEV Tutoring until 3:30 pm
- ESOL Nest until 3:30 pm
- DI until 3:15 pm
- VEX V5 (Adamson) until 3:30 pm
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm
- Girls Volleyball Practice until 3:30 in the gym
(Monday) - January 2nd
(Tuesday) - January 3rd
(Wednesday) - January 4th
(Thursday) - January 5th
- Students are taking iReady Math Test
- 8th graders zoned for LPHS will attend presentation in the cafe' @ 8 am
- Drama Club goes to see Wicked @ the Kennedy Center (Showtime - 7:30 pm)
(Friday) - January 6th
(Sunday) - January 8th
- Tri-County Band Concert @ Calvert HS from 2-4 pm
- Grade Recovery from 2-5 pm
- Pizza Hotline School Fundraiser from 2-9 pm
- 8th graders zoned for LPHS will attend presentation @ 10:15 a.m. in the library
- Debate Club until 3 pm
- Educators' Rising until 3 pm
- VEX V5 (Adamson) until 3:30 pm
- Newspaper club until 3:30 pm
- Yearbook club until 3:30 pm
- 7th/8th Girls' Volleyball practice until 3:30 pm
- DI until 3:15 pm
- Students zoned for TSHS will attend presentation @ noon in the library
- Students are taking iReady ELA test
- Students are taking iReady ELA test
- Drama club until 3:30 pm in room 305
- NJHS until 3:30 pm in rm 111
- Boys Volleyball practice until 3:30 pm
- VEX V5 (Adamson)
- FEV Tutoring
(Monday) - January 9th
(Tuesday) - January 10th
(Wednesday) - January 11th
- Students are taking iReady ELA test
- DI until 3:15 pm
- ESOL Nest until 3:30 pm
- FEV Tutoring
- Girls Volleyball practice until 3:30 pm
- VEX V5 (Adamson)
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm
(Thursday) - January 12th
(Friday) - January 13th
- Students are taking iReady ELA test
- Students zoned for SCHS will attend presentation @ 8 am in cafe'
SAFE NIGHTS - January 3 - 31, 2023
From the Circulation Desk of Ms. HJ.................
Library News: Students are welcome to come to the library outside of scheduled class time with a hall pass. They can also return books anytime they pass by the library – there is a book return by the library door. Here’s hoping that you and your family had a restful winter break.
Just added to our library collection: Miss Quinces, a graphic novel about a girl who just wants to spend summer with her friends, but her mother wants to plan her quinceanara instead. And the Dactyl Hill Squad series, a fantasy history mash-up with dinosaurs and lots of action.
Tech Reminder: Coming back from break is a good opportunity for students to update their laptops. Don’t forget to ‘Check for optional updates’ and run those, as well. Make sure your student knows where their laptop charger is and has labelled it with their name.
Somers' Spelling Bee Team
Let's congratulate these 4 students who will represent Somers at the CCPS Spelling Bee!
1st -Addison Kelly
2nd - Rebecca Johnson
3rd - Jhourni Jones
4th - Jayden Hill
Ways to STAY CONNECTED
Follow us on Twitter: Somersptso
SCHOOL SUPPORTS
Shaneha Harvard-Lamb - 6th Grade AP - sharvardlamb@ccboe.com
Nancy Hines - 7th Grade AP - nhines@ccboe.com
Marlon Walker - 8th Grade AP -mwalker@ccboe.com
Zachary Ortolano - Administrative Intern - zortolano@ccboe.com
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
Ken Tojek - 6th Grade Counselor - ktojek@ccboe.com
John Craddock- 7th Grade Counselor - jcraddock@ccboe.com
Maureen Toler - 8th Grade Counselor - mtoler@ccboe.com
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Linda Forrest - Reading Resource Teacher (Reading) - lforrest@ccboe.com
Jennifer Branham - Instructional Resource Teacher (Math) - jbranham@ccboe.com
Jasmine Proctor - Learning Resource Teacher (Gifted Education and Testing Coordinator) - jnproctor@ccboe.com
Email: somersms@ccboe.com
Website: https://www.ccboe.com/schools/somers/
Location: 300 Willow Lane, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-934-4663
Twitter: @miltonsomersms