Tiger Tracks Inside Edition
Travis High School Faculty Newsletter - February 11, 2019
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE:
Monday, February 11
Matching Monday! Find a TWIN and dress alike!
IMPORTANT: Attendance Reconciliation - pink folders in mailbox - do not forget to pick up before school!
Baseball: @ Clear Falls 4:00
Tuesday, February 12
TIGER TUESDAY: Wear your BEST Tiger gear to support Basketball, Softball, and Soccer!
It's SHARE a SMILE day! How will you make someone smile?
DEADLINE: Last Day for JUNIORS to register for SAT School Day - If you teach juniors- please remind them!
Boys Basketball: @ Wheeler vs Bush 7:00
Softball: vs Clear Falls @THS
Boys Soccer: @ Kempner 4:30, 6:00, 7:30
Girls Soccer: @THS vs Kempner 5:30, 7:30
Wednesday, February 13
College Wear Wednesday
Department Meetings - details from your Department Leader
NHS Induction - 7:00 PM
Thursday, February 14
It's Thursday...we Wear RED...and PINK! Happy Valentines Day!!!
Tech Thursday - visit P223 during lunch to learn a new tech tool for your classroom!
Boys Soccer: @THS vs Bush 4:30, 6:00, 7:30
Girls Soccer: @Bush 5:30, 7:30
Friday, February 15
DEADLINE: Turn in completed Faculty Graduation Gown form to Mrs. Grimm!
Professional Development Day
Baseball: @Stratford HS 4:00 PM
Good Luck Varsity Tennis at Tournament!
Saturday, February 16
UIL Academic Invitational
Track: Memorial Invitational 4:30 PM
Good Luck Softball at Katy ISD Tournament!
An Awesome TIGER SHOUT OUT to Mrs. Watassek! She works tirelessly with out DECA students and will be taking 60 students to State this year! This is a truly AMAZING accomplishment! Thank YOU, Karen, for all you do for our TIGERS!
A Message from THS Attendance Office re: Monday, February 11th
Wanted to make you all aware that our 4th Six Weeks Reconciliation is taking place on Monday, February 11, 2019. I apologize for the lengthy email, however I have listed some very important key information to remember, so please read thru when you have a moment.
The purpose of the reconciliation process is to verify that students enrolled in FBISD as of February 11, 2019 have been accounted for in Skyward and that No-Show students have been processed in the system, regardless of the fact that the student may be absent on Monday, February 11, 2019.
Please make sure to pick up your pink folder from your box first thing MONDAY morning. Also, if you will be picking up a folder or folders for teachers other than yourself, PLEASE make sure they get to the correct teacher. It is imperative that these folders are picked up and are with the correct teacher during our significant period (3rd period).
I have attached the Student Membership Reconciliation Process for your reference, however it will be inserted in your pink folder with your attendance worksheet(s).
- If you will be absent on Monday, February 11, 2019, your substitute must complete the process.
- Please do not simply sign off on the form, we encourage you to verify the data on your worksheet(s).
- You are NOT taking attendance on these worksheets so please DO NOT MARK PRESENT OR ABSENT. You will need to take attendance in skyward as usual.
- The teacher/substitute should ONLY draw a line through a student's name if they have NEVER attended that class and indicate NO SHOW next to the student's name.
- The teacher/substitute should ONLY add the names of any students that are present in their class on February 11, 2019 but are NOT listed on the attendance worksheet(s).
- Count the total number of students by grade level and enter them on the label provided on your first page.
- Once you have made any corrections (if necessary), please sign and date your attendance worksheets (if you have multiple pages, please sign and date ALL of them) in BLUE OR BLACK INK ONLY and return to the attendance office no later than 10:30a.m. on 02/11/19.
Let's Celebrate Love and Kindness this Month!!
Faculty Graduation Gown Form - Due February 15th
Attendance Reminder
This is just a friendly reminder....if you are submitting a teacher correction via email or an APPROVED extra curricular activity, PLEASE make sure to send it thru to our attendance email at:
Don't forget to recognize your students with a POSITIVE OFFICE REFERRAL!!
Junior Teachers! Remind Students the Deadline is Approaching to Take Advantage of SAT School Day!
Teacher Toolkit
Some Valuable information on Social-Emotional Learning from our very own, Mrs. Metoyer!
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) has become popular amongst K-12 educators and has become a collective movement to ensure educators meet the needs of the whole student.
Below are six activities that you can try with students as a way of connecting with them and promoting SEL.
Discussing worth vs. performance
Tool: Disposable cup
How to use: When students enter the classroom for an exam and/or project, hand them a cup and ask them to write their names on them. Instruct them to place the cup in a safe place. Explain to students that the cup represents their
worth and that their worth is not on the line while completing the exam or project. Once the exam or project is complete, return each student’s cup as a reminder that their worth is still intact. Use this tool to start a discussion with
students on reasons why worth can be associated with performance, the negative thoughts/feelings that can result, and ways to change their thinking.
Reducing anxious feelings
Tool: Pinwheel
How to use: Teaching students deep breathing techniques during the height of anxious feelings can be difficult. You can, however, show them how to operate a pinwheel (which will accomplish the same task). When a student exhibits anxious feelings, instruct them to blow on the pinwheel to make it spin. Without noticing, they will start engaging in deep breathing to calm down.
Exploring team dynamics/Seeing and
celebrating the best in others
Tool: Winnie-the-Pooh characters
How to use: The Winnie-the-Pooh characters represent some of the best and most challenging aspects of humanity. When each resident of the Hundred Acre Wood attempts a feat alone, it usually ends in failure. When the characters work together, they always achieve the best results. The same is true with teamwork. Engage students in a discussion about each of the characters, helping them to understand how teams can work well together.
Correcting negative thinking
Tool: Plastic ants and a gelatin mold
How to use: Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) happen to all of us and they never occur in isolation. For instance, “My mom wasn’t good at math, so I’m not good at math. I wasn’t good at math in elementary school, so I know I won’t get any better in high school. If I can’t understand math, I can’t go to
college. And, if I can’t go to college, I can’t get a job!” That’s the snowball effect. The gelatin mold, in the shape of a brain, represents thinking. The plastic ants represent negative thoughts. Teach students to smash their ANTS with positive self-talk. When a negative thought comes up again, you and the student now have a common language to identify it as an “ANT.” Then the
student just needs to figure out how to smash it!
Building trust
Tool: Rubber band
How to use: Hold one end of the rubber band while the student holds the other. Pull the rubber band as far back as the tension will allow. Then inform the student that you will be releasing the rubber band (they will start bracing for the snap). Count to three, and then gently bring the rubber band back to its original position. Explain to the student that relationships, including yours, can have tension, but you will not do anything to harm them.
Analyzing the consequences of
anger/Seeing people beyond their
exteriors
Tool: Coke bottle, Sprite bottle, and a water bottle
How to use: The Coke bottle can represent cloudy thinking, preventing our ability to see/understand clearly. It can also represent anger. The water bottle can represent clear thinking or the calm version of ourselves. The Sprite bottle
represents the appearance of thinking clearly and/or calmly, but if shaken up, it can make just as much of a mess as the Coke bottle. Use this tool to help students identify how they are feeling and the consequences of their actions based on their feelings.
Reminders for Students
Change in Grading Guidelines for THIS Semester
NEW SECONDARY Grading Guidelines for each nine week period
12 total
- 9 daily
- 3 major
Professional Growth Opportunity through Peer Observation!
To have your name added to the Tiger Board (volunteering to allow others into your classroom), please use this link or add your name to the Tiger Board in the front office behind the mailboxes: https://goo.gl/forms/7jK0Im7OS0bvqDSD2
If you or your PLC would like to observe classrooms, please use this request link: https://goo.gl/forms/qLZNDRfCTr4w4vOq2
Exemption Information
Clarifications/FAQ
- What absences count towards exemptions? All absences coded E and U will be counted towards exemption totals. T and L will also count - 3 tardies/lates equals 1 absence for exemption purposes.
Don't Forget to Sign Up for your Biometric Screening!
Staffulty Tiger Pride Points!
Points will be rewarded for school events, participation, attendance, and academics! Each “event” is worth 25 points!
· Any Travis Tiger Football Game
· Any HOME game for all sporting events
· Any Fine Arts Concert or Performance
· Homecoming Pep Rally—Monday, October 1st
· Participation in any theme or spirit day!
· College Wear Wednesday!
· Fridays We Wear RED!
· Perfect Attendance (monthly)
· Perfect Attendance to Duty (9 weeks)
· Attending additional duties for school events
· Other events to be added—stay tuned for more information!
· COVERING A CLASS – WORTH 50 POINTS!!!
Staffulty will be awarded their points by an administrator via your staff ID number. Mrs. Martinez can also award points for College Wear Wednesday—she will be in all lunches those days for kids! Remember—
whoever is awarding the points will have to see you!! Points for covering classes, perfect attendance and duty attendance will be uploaded automatically.
Staffulty may check their point total online using their ID via the portal on our website and linked in the
newsletter.
TIGER PRIDE points– Staffulty Edition—will offer an array of prizes and privileges to our staffulty members! It is a FUN way to get involved and enjoy the year!
ROARING AHEAD
February 18
End of PR 6
February 20
Department Leader Meeting
February 25
Table Top Exercise
February 27
Faculty Meetings (TELPAS Training)
CBLT
March 6
Department Leader Meeting
March 8
End of 3rd 9 weeks
March 11-15
Spring Break
March 20
Department Meetings
March 27
Faculty Meetings
April 5
PR 7 Ends
April 9
STAAR EOC English 1
SAT School Day
April 11
STAAR EOC English 2
April 19
Good Friday Holiday - No School
April 22
Student Holiday - Professional Development Day
ALL THINGS ADVISORY
9th grade Access Code: 9RPJK-MPNR7
10th grade Access Code: MTPC8-VJHXW
11th grade Access Code: 6P8DB-Q3QXP
12th grade Access Code: VWF3J-W62C3
Weekly Advisory Lesson Plans are located in the 3rd 9 weeks folder of your appropriate Schoology Course under the appropriate dated week. You MUST log in and JOIN the correct Schoology course to access the videos and materials for this week's lessons.
REMINDER! Power Points should be downloaded to computer from Schoology to view embedded videos and hear the voice overs!
Fridays We Wear RED - Tiger Pride Points Link
HAVING AN ISSUE WITH TECHNOLOGY?
How to Reset Your Network Password
Do you have news to share? Email THS Announcements! (THS.Announcements@fortbendisd.com)
Tiger Tracks Parent Newsletter
Frequently Used Links
Travis High School
Email: Lizzie.Herring@fortbendisd.com
Website: www.fortbendisd.com/ths
Location: 11111 Harlem Road, Richmond, TX, United States
Phone: 2816347000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WilliamBTravisHighSchool
Twitter: @ths_tigers