Team Trailblazer Weekly Update
January 11, 2015
Text Based Instruction Series
Enjoy!
Happy Birthday to MS Social Studies teacher, Melonie Porubsky, and HS math teacher, Lara Ibrahim, on January 10!
We welcome Jenica Hale to our team. She will be working with our high school special education students. WELCOME JENICA!
Congrats to Matt Morsehead and his wife on the birth of their daughter during winter break. Her name is Coral Catherine!
NWEA Winter Testing
The middle school schedule has been altered to accommodate the testing.
High school teachers, please be flexible should the special education students need to miss class due to MAP testing.
Thanks!
S2 Course Set Up
Semester 1 Report Cards
HS will receive their report cards as they have in the past - Tiffany will create and email to you.
7th grade will use a new tool with Engrade - details coming!
8th grade is still being developed as having 2 platforms is a challenge...stay tuned!
Teach Like a Champion Trainings in K12 Training
Ideas for Community Connector Newsletter NEEDED please
The link below was sent out last Monday asking for ideas, articles, and information for this month’s Community Connector Newsletter.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/103FEoLjG_BGR1lhYYGsg6LWBKSbw5XJiyjUQhfN52tE/viewform
We’d love to have articles from the teachers – the theme is getting off on the right foot for semester 2. If you are interested in working with FAST for a short article, please get in touch with Jenny Hines at jhines@k12.com.
THANK YOU!
SAT/PSAT Support
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/state-partnerships/michigan?excmpid=MTG308-AL-1-mat
ILP Action Item Notes - DUE JANUARY 22
For grades 7 and 8, the content coaches will be messaging the plan to homeroom teachers enter notes for all 7th and 8th grade students regarding the targeted NWEA small groups we have in ELA and math.
I will work with the content coaches, special education team, interventionist team and counselors to develop a plan for HS. If you have any ideas, please send them to your content coach.
Course Set Up - Please confirm that you have the MVCA Grade Scheme selected
We will use it for our semester 2 courses as well.
Thanks!
Family Internet Reimbursement
The internet stipend information went out to families on December 29 via Kmail. Families can submit the form for Sept-Dec. The cut-off date is 1/15/16. It will take up to 4-6 weeks for processing. Families are reimbursed $12 per month of actual enrollment. They must complete a form and mail it to the office. If there are any questions they can contact the substitute office manager at 616-309-1600 (1608).
FAST UPDATES FROM ANDREA KITOMARY
Weekly Orientation programming
-Orientations is scheduled for Monday each week with a make-up session on Tuesday for families who did not attend on Monday.
-Welcome calls will generally begin on Wednesday of each week for any new student.
-Ms. Baldwin will only invite students who are fully enrolled to orientation sessions and put those same students into ORN 010 courses for grades 8th-12th.
-Ms. Baldwin will monitor the completion of OLL and ORN courses by new enrollees
-Any student not attending orientation within a two-week window will be escalated to FAST as a referral
Pulse Checks (See email attachment for job aid)
-When teachers receive pulse check information from a principal, outreach to the family should happen within 1 business day.
-If a teacher receives pulse check follow-up request from FAST, the teacher should complete the requested outreach within 1 business day and should document using the pulse check template.
-Teachers are to document pulse check follow-up date, resolution and any notes in tvs notes using the FAST: Pulse Check template. See Pulse Check QRG. This is very important for accurately assessing if MVCA is completing Pulse Checks.
If you make a CONNECT referral for FAST...
Martin Luther King Jr Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS
Monday, Jan 18, 2016, 08:00 AM
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Semester Break for Students/Teacher Work Day
Monday, Jan 25, 2016, 08:00 AM
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Thank you note from Streams of Hope
Michigan Virtual Charter Academy
Attn: Ms. Tiffany Snyder
December 18, 2015
Dear Teachers and Staff –
Thank you for your recent food donations to Streams of Hope! We are appreciative of the support that you provide for our programs and services.
Our theme for the past couple of months and an objective for our year has been to raise
community awareness of the many activities that occur each week at our site. Many of our neighbors and supporters are surprised to learn about the variety of things that happen.
Here’s a snapshot from just the past month:
480 served at food center
40 kids tutored in reading each week
34 kids tutored in math each week
High school drop-in homework help
Recreational programs after school
12 teens in 6-week cooking class
10 adults in nutrition program
Saturday morning youth group
This is just a sample of the way that our campus is used for building relationships and
neighborhood development. We are much more than a food pantry! Please check out website and Facebook page to learn more, or stop by to visit.
Once again, thank you. Please know that you are appreciated by our staff and our neighbors!
Paul Holtrop
Executive Director
Email: Paul@StreamsofHope.org Ph: (616) 915-9393
eBooks
Upcoming State Testing
There are NO CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES for both ELA & Math Performance Tasks! This should make us all smile.
If you are not already subscribed to the weekly state update regarding state assessments, please do so by following the link below:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MIMDE/subscriber/new
I have attached last week's newsletter for you as well.
A big THANK YOU to the many volunteers who messaged me about additional needs for proctors and leads. I will send out an updated list of needs in upcoming weeks.
Mileage Update
Please update your calculations for mileage reimbursement to .575. The rate should be used beginning 01/01/2016.
Upcoming GVSU FREE PD in January and February
Event Start: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: Grand Valley State University
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, January 20, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, January 26, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, January 28, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Friday, February 5, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 10, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Friday, February 12, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Monday, February 15, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 at 1:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, February 18, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Friday, February 19, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Monday, February 22, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 10:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: L. William Seidman Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Wednesday, February 24, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Friday, February 26, 2016 at 8:30 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Monday, February 29, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $150.00
Location: GVSU Detroit Center
More Information or Registration
Event Start: Monday, February 29, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Member Cost: $0.00
Non-member Cost: $75.00
Location: GVSU Bicycle Factory
F2F All Staff PD
Friday, Feb 12, 2016, 08:00 AM
Lansing, MI, United States
ASCD PD - Thanks for sharing, Jon DeCou!
Free Webinar on Igniting Teacher Leadership
It is important to support teachers as they lead and learn, even while grappling with new challenges, innovation, and change.
Join ASCD author William Sterrett, a former teacher and award-winning principal, in an engaging webinar on the importance of teacher leadership and value of growing others within a learning organization. Featuring topics such as fostering teacher leadership, facilitating professional learning, and developing habits to promote innovation and collaboration, this webinar will help you develop plans to translate into action steps that can transform your school in a positive manner.
Sterrett will share action steps, strategies, and tips from the field from his new ASCD Arias Igniting Teacher Leadership as well as his recent publications, Short on Time: How do I make time to lead and learn as a principal? and Insights into Action: Successful School Leaders Share What Works.
Igniting Teacher Leadership:
How Do I Empower My Teachers to Lead and Learn?
Thursday, January 14, 2016, 12:00 p.m. ET (US)
Presented by William Sterrett