EMS Friday Focus
May 10, 2019 #31
Weekly Message
Team -
Hearing the laughter during our inservice on Thursday was a clear indication of our ongoing need to prioritize our own self care and connections with each other!
I look forward to more time focused on having fun together!
There are many wheels spinning right now during this very FULL time of year. I want to acknowledge my limited physical presence in the hallways et al this past week. My intention is to ensure I am more present next week. That said, please reach out with needs and requests to ensure you have the support you need.
This week was packed with a new rodeo & an inservice. Both require continued reflection and next steps. With that in mind please note:
that we will use our Wed. faculty time on 5/22 for 6th grade teachers to connect directly with 7th/8th grade teachers in order to ensure that questions are answered and insight is provided. We’ll plan to use the call back doc. to guide that time. During our Team leader meeting next Thursday - we’ll discuss this time in more detail so please share additional reflections with your Team leader in advance of that.
This coming week we’ll use Wed. faculty time to reflect on our inservice and identify requests for continuing our RP work going forward.
That the para/SPED discussion from in-service that was cut short due to the para’s day ending at 3 will be continued. Currently we are working to ensure coverage to make this come to fruition.
After our in service yesterday - I debriefed with the three women who were our circle keepers and the common sentiments shared by them all were:
how humbled they were by the way the faculty leaned in to these discussions and listened deeply to each other
the “kid first” stance that was universally taken by the faculty.
Thank you all for your patience, care, resilience and growth mindset - what a gift it is to work with you.
Meg
TASKS
7th/8th grade teams - please add additional questions for 6th grade teams regarding specific student wonders Please review the schedule for next Wed. 5/15 when Muji will be here. Please use the time on team before we transition to the gym to ready students to hear Muji’s story in person - see bio here. We will call students down to the gym starting with the first floor.
Announcements and Logistics For the Week
As Josh Sinz shared in an email to you earlier today - he joined our community in November on a Limited Teacher Contract. When we posted for the permanent position there was an internal candidate - thus Josh will be moving on from EMS at the end of this school year. I want to thank him for diving in the deep end right out of the gate and for the passion and collaborative spirit he has and will continue to bring to EMS these last few weeks.
Next year, the EMS art position will be held by Judy Klima - the long time art teacher at IAA and U32 Middle School before that. Judy is very excited to be transitioning to EMS - please join me in welcoming her to the community - where she’ll be both parent and art teacher.
End of Year student contracts will be distributed to all students in the coming weeks - for those students struggling there will be individual meetings with team teachers, parents and administration.
Last day of work for Para’s this year is a full day on June 13th.
We are still waiting for the final 2019-2020 school year calendar - stay tuned.
The spring orchestra concert is next Thursday, May 16th, at 7pm, in the gym. You are all invited! EMS Orchestra Rosters 2018-19
Dress rehearsals will be on the same day. Here is the schedule.
6th Grade Orchestra - 9:15-10:30 (regular class time + 26 mins)
7th/8th Orchestra - 12:14-1:30 (regular class time + 27 mins)
Chamber Orchestra - 1:30-1:58
May 20th - 24th - Vermont Science testing (8th graders only)
May 21st - Band Concert in EMS gym 7 - 8:30 p.m
May 24th - ½ day for students - noon dismissal *Step up day for rising 6th grade
May 27th - No school - Memorial day
May 30th - Chorus Concert in EMS gym 7 - 8:30 p.m.
May 31st - School dance in EMS gym - 6 - 8 p.m. *with 8th graders able to stay for an extra 30 min.
June 10th - 8th grade Celebration of learning rehearsal and Team trips
June 11th - Celebration of Learning in EMS gym - 1:00 -2:15 p.m.
June 13th - ½ day - Step up day/Last day of School
Wednesday's Faculty Objective
- SWBAT identify their requests to inform how we move forward in our Restorative practice work and next steps with increasing our comfort with Difficult Conversations.
- SWBAT identify end of year awards in readiness for the awards ceremony next month.