Betsy's Bits
August 25, 2019
In Case You Missed It:
I just checked our enrollment. We have 960 registered in our system. I looked back at last year's Bits where I reported we had 964 registered for the first day of school last year. Just as we had last year, in most cases, our advanced classes are the larger ones. We had several adjustments that had to be made after Open House last night. Most of these were in 6th grade, which is to be expected, since we know the least about these students. Thank you so much to our counselors and Marci Stark, from CO - filling in for Yanira, for working so hard Friday to get everything corrected and ready for Monday. Marci has run new schedules run and Alex placed in homeroom teacher's boxes along with an attendance sheet.
Homeroom teachers take attendance on paper for the first 10 days of school. You can use a check for here and x for not here. The sheet should be turned into the front office by 9:30 each day. Students are not marked absent in PS unless they have shown up at school. If you have a student not come to Open House and also not show up Monday, please attempt to call. If you do not reach anyone during planning, ask your students if they have any information. If you find out that a family has moved out of district, this needs to be in an email to the appropriate counselor and me. Make sure to include who you spoke to in the email. When you call, please obtain as much information as you can from whomever you speak to (city, state, school). We have to track down all students that do not show up.
If you discover a student has a problem on their schedule (Ex: missing an Exploratory class, is assigned to 2 classes in the same period, has two maths and no science class) please put the information on this form. Our counselors will work to resolve, make the comments in the box, and the data manager will highlight green when it is officially changed in PS. We do NOT take requests or make changes because a student/parent doesn't want to take a class or be in a particular teacher's room. The only scheduling emergency would be if a student does not have an exploratory class to go to. You should CALL the appropriate counselor (Whalen 6 & 7 N-Z or Poole 7 A-M & 8) if the child does not have a class to attend. Otherwise the student is to sit in the class assigned. *If a student wants band or orchestra or thought they were supposed to have AVID, please report this information in the form since these are choice classes.
PLEASE take time to teach students how to do everything this week. This includes how to read their schedules, how to log into PowerSchool, how to line up, walk up bleachers, walk in hallways, dismiss from gym, sit in the cafeteria, throw away tray....EVERYTHING! We can't be upset that they don't/can't do something if we haven't taught them the appropriate way to do this. The time you spend will save you so much time in the long run!
Exploratory teachers should also check attendance in your classes. A student should not just show up to your class. If someone is added/moved into your classes after Friday, you will get an email from the counselors with the schedule and the student will show up on your roster.
Lunch forms and shot records must be turned in immediately to the front office. These are both time sensitive. *Students start the year on the same lunch status as the end of the previous year. Parent have 10 days to get the new forms filled out and returned. Paper lunch applications are available in the front office and cafeteria. Parents also can fill it out online on through a link our website. Seventh graders have 2 shots required by the 30th calendar of school. Students new to NC also have 30 days to get physicals. PLEASE ask daily for any forms and turn these in immediately.
Don't forget that EVERYONE has afternoon duty in your assigned spot - even on rainy and/or cold days. Teachers that have car duty in the front MUST report with the first students on the grade level. They should have other teachers on the team take bus riders.
Katherine Allmond, front office assistant, will be having surgery on Wednesday and be out for a couple of weeks. Central Office is sending Belinda Tillman to help us while Katherine is out. Mrs. Tillman worked at East Lee and Tramway in different capacities before going to be the administrative assistant for the Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services for LCS. Please be understanding and supportive while we are down two regulars in the office.
NEW afternoon bus number: Bus 88 - Boys and Girls Club and Dreamland is now (it used to be Bus 185; the driver is still Casey Kiser)
Don't forget everyone must teach your slides everyday next week in your class.
Coming Up:
Mark Your Calendar:
Football practice and walk-on tryouts until 5pm (players report to locker room)
Tuesday: Softball tryouts (day 1) and football practice and walk-on tryouts (day 2) until 5pm
Wednesday: Softball tryouts (day 2) and football practice and walk-on tryouts (last day) until 5pm
Thursday: Softball tryouts (final day) and football practice until 5pm
Tennis tryouts at Kiwanis tennis courts - Tue-Thur 3-5pm
Monday,Tuesday, & Friday: Boys in PE and Girls in Health
Wednesday & Thursday: Boys in Health and Girls in PE
Things to do (all in one place):
- Teach all procedures and expectations for your classroom and our school. Do not expect students to know!
- Spend time developing relationships/getting to know your students and letting them get to know you and each other.
- Homeroom teachers must show the bus evacuation video and sign off on the form by Thursday.
- Social Studies teachers must teach the handbook unless decided differently on team.
- All subjects have slides to teach from our schoolwide expectations slideshow on Monday. The group responsible is noted in the right-hand corner. Your slides must be reviewed Tuesday - Friday.
- Grade level expectations assemblies on first day: 6th Grade @ 7:30 am in cafeteria, 8th Grade @ 8:00 am in Gym, 7th Grade -@ 10:20 am in gym. 6th Grade will meet in the gym Monday and Tuesday at 1:00 pm to help students find their exploratory teachers. ***Times listed denote when classes should be seated in the gym. We want to begin promptly at the time listed.***
- Call and follow up with families during planning if they did not come to Open House or the first day of school. Email me and the counselors any information you find out.
- Ask for and collect forms daily. Send any to office promptly that belong there (lunch forms, physicals, proof of residency, shot records, etc.)
Last Word (taken from Bits 2017 and are still very important reminders for all)
- Check your email, mailbox, and phone at least 2x's a day. Phone calls and emails from parents MUST be responded to/acknowledged within 24 hrs!
- Be on time and think about others! We depend on each other at SanLee. Being late and early can and will cause problems. We go by cell phone time at SLMS. Set alarms if you need reminders for bathrooms breaks, duties, lunch, exploratory class, end of periods, etc. If you have to hold someone back, you MUST call the teacher, escort the student to class, or write a note explaining where the student was.
- If a student comes in late to class without a note, VERIFY the story they tell you!
- Be "in the moment". Social media, texting, and other distractions should be done when our kids are not around. They need us.
- Call the front office if you have an EMERGENCY (fight, threats, injury, drugs/weapon, MAJOR distraction to teaching and learning ) and need an administrator. Do not wait to write up emergencies!
- Call parents during planning, before, and after school BEFORE problems get out of hand! If you are writing a kid up, you must call the parent!
- Change in transportation/bus notes must be sent to the front office or given to Dr. Perkins first thing in the morning (at least by 9:00 am)
- Do NOT embarrass a kid in front of their peers.
- Do NOT yell UNLESS it is to keep someone from harm.
- DO spend time getting to know your kids, letting them get to know you and each other, and establishing your procedures. The time spent now will save you time down the road.
- Remain consistent and follow through with what you say. We all,adults and kids, count on you.
- Choose to be POSITIVE!
- Choose to be SUPPORTIVE!
- Choose to be a TEAM PLAYER!
- We are in this TOGETHER! It takes a village to raise a Stallion! I'm so glad we are all in the same village together this year!