Warrior Beat
#worldchangingwarriors
Word for the Warrior....
Hello WARRIORS!
WE SURVIVED OUR FIRST WEEK OF ONLINE INSTRUCTION! I don't know about you, but I have never ZOOMED so much in my entire life!
Thank you for ALL of the efforts you have made for your kids! I know that this learning curve is steep! Continue to be graceful with yourselves! We can't do it all at once and what we do will not be perfect! We will learn along with our students and we will adjust! Thank you for all that you have planned! Thank you MOST for the ways you are ENCOURAGING your students! Thank you for the many ways you are supporting them and giving them additional chances to show learning during this time! This is hard for our kids, too, and your graciousness and willingness to reach out, help, give them second chances and provide words of affirmation mean the WORLD to our kids and our families!
Please make sure that you send out the survey for your students to complete so that you are aware of how this week of learning has been for them. It's important so that we can help each student in the way they need and we need to just double check that the time students are spending on each class is reasonable. I think we are doing a good job with this across the board...just a reminder that we really should not expect middle school students to spend more than 2 to 2.5 hours a day on schoolwork. If we can shoot for about 30 minutes per academic class, that is reasonable. Honors Math classes may require more time as those classes are covering more than one grade level of standards. I also realize that some days may not have 30 minutes of work and some may have just a little bit more. RA classes may not have 30 minutes of work for students to complete daily and that is understandable due to typical class length and content. We can talk in collaborative planning meetings on Monday to see how students respond and if we need to make any tweaks as a result! This will help us support kids well and make sure we keep them engaged!
THANK YOU for your creative means of communicating and connecting! We were CREATED for human connection and so this is just a hard time! Your efforts to connect with our kids MATTER!
STAY TUNED...our guessing game of "Who is this MIDDLE SCHOOL teacher?" will begin on Monday. We have 34 submissions so far! Please send your picture TODAY if you would like to be included. EVERYONE can guess...even if you did not submit your picture!
You are loved and missed....and you are SO APPRECIATED! I have been blowing up Dr. Moorhouse's email inbox this week sharing ALL of the many ways our Sevier staff is going to new lengths for our kids!
PROUD TO BE A WARRIOR!
Holly
JSMS JAM
Students Who Need to be Contacted-Located in JSMS Google Drive-COVID-19 STAFF FILES
Thanks!
Nick
CLICK HERE to access the STUDENTS WHO NEED TO BE CONTACTED file.
Student Referrals to Counseling
Reminders and Tips from Laura!
Here are a few Technology updates for you.
- Tickets and Issues:
- Teachers please continue email helpdesk@k12k.com to create work order tickets. ( Note do not forward emails to this address as anything below your signature does not make it into the ticket)
- If you have questions from parents regarding technology feel free to forward those to my email and I will work with the parents. Parents can also call the JSMS mainline 423-378-2450 and ask to speak to me. If they reach my answering machine they will need to leave their name, student name, issue, and a callback number, I will get back to them as soon as possible.
- For student device requests and repairs please send me the parents contact info or encourage them to reach me via the mainline or my email as I will have to work with them to arrange a pickup service by me at the front of the school.
- Teachers and students can now communicate via email.
- How to create a distribution list of all of your students so you can email them all at once. (See document attached document "Creating a Label in Gmail".)
- Zoom
- There's been a situation with Zoom meetings where previous users could access Zoom rooms at any time and cause disruptions to ongoing meetings. Here is how to avoid that.
- Require a meeting password
- Lock the meeting once it starts
- Turn off all screen sharing
- Setup a meeting waiting room and only admit users that are required to be in the meeting
- Turn off File Transfer
Click the link for a description of each of the above options: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/stop-zoom-bombing
I hope you are all well and I hope to see you all soon,
Laura Valentine
ENA GO APP
All,
Our phone provider, ENA, has allowed all district phones to be upgraded for free to include the ENA SmartVoice Go app. This app will allow you to make and receive calls from your cell phone but the number shows as your work phone. It will require connecting to either data or WiFi to make the call. This app can be downloaded via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. After you download the app and launch it, you will be prompted for a username and password/PIN. Your username is your 10 digit work phone number.
IMPORTANT: If you can receive external phone calls on your work phone, your 6-digit prefix will be 423378****
If you cannot receive external phone calls, your 6-digit prefix will be 700397****
The **** indicates your 4 digit extension.
The password/PIN is 3952. The only exception to this rule is for those that have access as their PIN is unchanged.
Instructions on how to set up the app can be found here: https://help.ena.com/Solutions/ENA_SmartVoice_Go.htm
If you have any questions or need assistance, please submit a ticket at K12k.incidentiq.com or send an email to helpdesk@k12k.com.
Thank you,
Dr. Tony Robinson
Chief Technology Officer
Kingsport City Schools
400 Clinchfield Street, Ste. 200 | Kingsport, TN 37660
423-378-2145
COVID-19 Staff Files
Please remember that we are housing all COVID19 resources in a shared drive in our JSMS Google Drive. This includes our JSMS Spreadsheet logging disengaged students who need to be contacted, Calling Script of what to say when we call families, and all forms related to personnel (logging time, bus directions, self-screening forms, etc.)
CLICK HERE for COVID19 File in JSMS Google Shared Drive
This is What I Sent to Families...
Hello Warrior Families,
Well, we made it through our first week of online instruction! THANK YOU for all of your work and connection with us! This is new for ALL of us and our learning curve is steep! We want to make sure that we are providing all of the support we can for your students! PLEASE do not hesitate to let us know how we can help you during this time! We know it can be stressful and we want to help ALLEVIATE any stress! Teachers are sending students a survey asking today, asking them for feedback about their online learning this week. Teachers are seeking to know how long students are spending on each class and they will be asking for input on what support we can provide to make this process even more supportive. Please encourage your students to feel free to be honest with us. Our intention is that middle school students not spend more than two/two and half hours a day on school work. If your child is in an honors Math class, that class may take longer than others, but on average, we are aiming for students to spend approximately 30 minutes a day for each class. Some days, and in some classes, students will not even have 30 minutes of work. We want this to allow students to continue instruction, but we are seeking for this to be manageable and not overwhelming.
We also want to make sure everyone is aware of our KCS Feeding Program. This is designed to serve ALL KCS families! Please see information below to access this service!
At this time, we have attempted to deliver all student devices to homes. If your child does not have their device at home, please call the school office at 378-2450 and arrange to come and pick up your child's device at school. If your child's computer was in a classroom, we have those devices located in crates in the main office. If it is not there, then it is likely in your child's locker and we can send your child to his/her locker to retrieve it.
Please read the information below that contains supports and further instructions that can help you with our online means of communication, counseling supports and other connections that may be supportive while we are out of school.
Please stay safe and stay connected with us online! We miss you and love you!
Student Basics of Using Gmail Sign
2. Enter your Google Account email username@students.k12k.com and password. (Students this is the same username and password you use to login to your computer)
- If information is already filled in and you need to sign in to a different account, click Use another account.
- If you see a page describing Gmail instead of the sign-in page, click Sign in in the top right corner of the page.
Tip: If you're signing in to a public computer, make sure to sign out before leaving the computer.
1. Create and send email
If you are not able to access student emails please call 423-378-8500 or email techservices@k12k.com to have a ticket created and our tech support will contact you to resolve any technical issues.
ZOOM Support by Sean Golden
Counseling Connection
Please know that our Counseling Center is available to connect with students! Families, please encourage your child to visit the Way of the Warrior Google Classroom to see a video from their counselors!
If your children would like to talk to a Sevier counselor, there are several methods of contact:
- Check Way of the Warrior Google Classroom. All students are enrolled in the classrooms.
Here are the course codes:
6th - 3byec5d
7th - 3237vwf
8th - c6dhv7f
--Students are also encouraged to join Mrs. Kincaid's Google Classroom: class code u2wpsxs
- Email counselors:
Ms. Ferguson: Kferguson@k12k.com 378-2436
Mrs. Kincaid: Dkincaid@k12k.com 378-2474
Mrs. King: Lking@k12k.com 378-2437
Also, follow us on Instagram @jsms_counseling
- Office hours, 12-2pm
Please let us know if you have any food needs.
If there is an emergency or you are feeling suicidal please call 911.
Suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text line: 741741
Mobile Crisis: (877) 928-9062
Creekside Behavioral Health Hospital *Offers crisis mental health evaluations 24/71025 Executive Park Blvd.Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: 833-370-7433
Website: http://creeksidebh.com/
Instrument Pick Up
KCS Feeding Program
- Program is available at 10 AM - 2 PM at all eight elementary schools, Sevier, Robinson, and Dobyns-Bennett each weekday. We will restart the program on Monday, 3/30 following spring break.
- This is for all children 18 and under. Children do not have to be Kingsport City Schools students.
- Breakfast and lunch will be given during the 10 AM - 2 PM time frame.
- Bus routes will leave schools starting at 10 AM.
- Sevier's "Drive Through" feeding location is at the front of the school, on the corner, by the parking lot.
- If you are not on a bus route and live within Kingsport City limits, please call (423) 392-4670 or (423) 392-4416 to be added to a bus route if needed.
KCS Playgrounds Closed to Public
As we continue to work with and align with the city on safety decisions, please note that playgrounds will now be closed to the public.
At this time (based on information from the city), other outdoor spaces, such as tennis, tracks, and walking paths, have not been closed. If anything should change regarding this, we will let you know as soon as we are able.
Free Webinar
The link below is a free opportunity to tune into a live webinar designed for parents and families.
Here's the webinar info:
- Title: "Managing Anxiety and Boosting Family Resilience in Uncertain Times"
- When: Wednesday April 8th @ 10:30AM
CLICK HERE to register for the webinar.
Podcast--DR. HILLARY MCBRIDE
CLICK HERE to listen to podcast.
A Challenge from our own SS Teacher, Chris Carr!
I hope your quarantine time is going well. Yesterday, I had an idea. In our 7th grade class, we read lots of primary sources about the major events we cover in our curriculum. I thought it would be interesting to create a student book of primary sources from this unprecedented time we are in right now. After thinking about it some more, I thought it would be important to document the thoughts and actions of ALL KCS families, not just my own students.
What I am envisioning is a collection of diary entries, essays, poems, drawings, photographs, etc. showing the daily activities of our students, while we are waiting this out. Students and parents would email me their submissions, which I would compile using an online publisher, and then have printed into a hard copy, or copies. The result would be a book of primary sources by KCS families, that would give future students insight as to the fears, concerns, and daily life our children are experiencing right now. This could also give children a creative outlet to alleviate the stresses of isolation.
I'm asking each teacher to make mention of this in his or her Canvas or Google Classroom (or whatever platform you are using) lessons. Depending on the grade level, hand-drawn pictures or a few sentences would be great; you know the ability levels of your children. If you wouldn't mind telling parents to email their child's submission directly to me (ccarr@k12k.com), or if you could forward them to me, I can begin compiling them. I would like for the work to include the student's name, and age.
I'm sending this to everyone, because I want your submissions as well! This is your chance to tell future generations how you spent your time during the spring of 2020. Get creative! I'd like to have May 1 as the deadline for submitting work. That way, I can assemble the book, and hopefully have a hard copy, or copies, by the start of the next school year. Thank you in advance for your help with this endeavor. If I haven't made myself clear, or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Stay safe, and stay sanitized!
Statewide Partnership with PBS to Deliver Daily Instructional Content Audience: Directors of Schools, District Staff, Eductaors Contact: K12.Health@tn.gov
Starting April 6, the six stations— WNPT Nashville, East Tennessee PBS, WCTE Upper Cumberland, WKNO Memphis, West TN PBS, and Chattanooga WTCI— will deliver two hours of programming with high-quality instructional content from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST. Four hours of content will also be streamed overnight, which viewers can watch live or record.
This is an incredible example of Tennesseans coming together to support kids. Families and students are hungry for content right now, and we are grateful our local stations have stepped up to help fill this need. Read more here.
April is Kids Garden Month!
Each April, KidsGardening celebrates the joy and wonder of gardening with children with Kids Garden Month. This year, our ways of connecting with one another have rapidly changed.
Families and educators, we want to see the ways you are using gardening activities to engage kids while you're at home. Let’s create a virtual space where we can exchange ideas, cheer each other on, provide advice, and generally share our love of gardening with the children in our lives. We’re in this together. Let’s #GardenTogetherAtHome!
We've got lots of fun prizes to give away, so we hope you'll join in! We can't wait to see what you'll share. Thanks for helping to make Kids Garden Month so special.
CLICK HERE for link.
Clothes Closet Needs
Is anyone Spring Cleaning?
We have a clothes closet at Sevier for students to use if they need to change clothes or if they are in need of clothes. We encourage students to keep what we give them when they come to the clothes closet. If you are doing any Spring Cleaning, consider donating your old clothes to the Sevier Clothes Closet. We are also always in need of new socks and underwear for students.
Thank you!
Free eCard Opportunity
The Kingsport Public Library is offering an eCard to any area student that would like it. The eCard would provide access to their READs collection through Overdrive/Libby. There are two ways to accomplish this:
Teachers:
- Email a list of names and email addresses of their students to youthserviceslibrary@kingsporttn.gov
- Library sends a list of eCard numbers to teachers
- Teachers pass card number on to students
- Students log on to overdrive or Libby and READ
Parents:
- Email name, email address, school attending, and zip code to youthserviceslibrary@kingsporttn.gov
- Library sends eCard number
- Students log on to Overdrive or Libby and READ
Positive Notes from Parents about YOU!
This one was sent directly to Dr. Moorhouse and he shared it with me celebrating your work!
I want to express my sincere appreciation for the administration, faculty, and staff at Sevier Middle School. My son Sam started there in late January after a very difficult year at another middle school in the area. As a teacher with KCS, I was able to offer him the option of transferring to Sevier in hopes of salvaging his 7th grade year. You can imagine how hard it was for a middle schooler to walk into a new school in a new town where he knew no one, but things had been so out of kilter at his other school that he was willing to give it a shot. And oh, how glad we are that he did! From day 1 the faculty, staff, and students at JSMS have welcomed him with open arms, making this transition one that we wish we had done long ago. Now that we are in the midst of this challenging pandemic period, I am even more reassured that we made the right decision ~ the communications from his teachers, the admin, even the baseball coach have been amazing! Without fail, every message relays their concerns, willingness to help, and love for their students. I like to tell myself that I'm not the only mom sitting at the computer with tears flowing after reading these messages...it moves me beyond words to know that they care so much about my child.
So, THANK YOU to whomever needs to hear this ~ my son's school year may not be ending like we planned, but I am forever thankful for having made the swap to JSMS.
Prayers and positive thoughts for staying healthy and safe!
This note was a follow up from our Parade!
Yesterday was a complete blast! It was wonderful to see smiling faces. Carlee enjoyed it tremendously, as well as Eden and my nephew.
Sevier has been such a wonderful experience for Carlee. She truly misses school and most definitely playing sports. She said I was harder on her yesterday than any of her teachers would have been...oops! I wanted to yell at all of the 6-1 teachers and say, "Stop! Come in! Teach my child! She needs you!"