Secondary English Weekly #16
VOLUME FIVE, ISSUE SIXTEEN/March 6-10, 2023
Register Now: MARCH 8TH DISTRICT PD DAY for ENGLISH 6-12 Teachers
This will be a very special PD Day because CCS Teachers will be leading most of the sessions. Come and learn some before reading, during, and after reading strategies for the English 6-12 classroom that lead to standard mastery and address components of the CCS Literacy Plan. Spend some time exploring the newest literary releases that could be used in the classroom with the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Get your colleagues' perspectives on two newer pedagogical books as they highlight their contents. If you have a burning question about StudySync or Canvas, you will have a chance to chat with an expert. Also, there will be giveaways and raffles! SEE THE AGENDA BELOW!


SURVEY REQUEST FROM OSU COLLEGE OF SOCIAL WORK
Karla Shockley McCarthy at the OSU College of Social Work is asking teachers to complete a survey for research to measure factors from the teacher perspective that promote or hinder teacher-student relationship formation. It only takes 2-3 minutes to register and the survey takes 10 minutes.More information and registration links can be found at the study website https://u.osu.edu/teacherwellbeing/. Teachers who complete the survey can register to win one of four $100 e-gift cards. The total time commitment is less than 15 minutes.
Poetry + Spoken Word Workshops & Open Mic Nights at Freedom A LA CART
March 8, May 10, July 12, September 13, and November 8; 7-8:30pm
POETRY + SPOKEN WORD: Become empowered to express yourself through written and spoken word. Freedom a la Cart has partnered with the Black Women Rise Poetry Collective to bring you another Poetry + Writing Workshop. Through this workshop, we aim to empower each participant with the tools they need to express themselves, both in written and spoken format. Learn the art (& science) behind curating words of impact, acquire knowledge in how to shape your feelings into a tangible script, and inspire others in the community with your words. Your words matter.
April 12, June 14, August 9, October 11; 7-8pm
FREEDOM A LA CART empowers survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency. They believe that giving a woman practical job skills and developing strong work ethic is vital for creating a pathway to freedom. So, they’ve created a safe place of restoration where survivors can heal, learn and grow as they prepare for sustainable employment and reintegrate into our community. Location: 123 E. Spring Street, Columbus, OH 43215

CCS Poetry Slam-Register Your Team Now
General Information
It's never too early to begin forming your CCS Poetry Slam teams. This year, there will be a chance to attend two field trips to Spruce Run with your team (December 8 and February 28) to prepare for the District Slam which will happen on April 29th at Eastmoor Academy (5-9pm). Think about having some school slams to form your team and/or having writing gatherings for interested students.
SLAM INFO/REGISTRATION-Register by March 31st!
$25 registration fee
MS (8 poets), 4 slots: individual or group (2 to 6)
HS (6 poets), 4 slots: individual
HS Group poem round optional (up to 6 poets)
Slam Happens April 29th (5-9pm) $5 admission


March 6-10
Monday, March 6, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM From Tweets to Tomes: How Students Write in StudySync Register Now
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Project-Based Learning Opportunities in StudySync Register Now
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
- CCS PD Day: 7:30am-2:30pm Course #56848 English 6-12, March 8, 2023 PD Day: Strategies, Texts, and Pedagogy.
Thursday, March 9, 2023
- StudySync: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Keep Calm & Observe On: Supporting Classroom Evaluation for Administrators Register Now


StudySync’s 10th Annual Media Contest!
LET'S ENTER AND WIN StudySync’s 10th Annual Media Contest!! SEE THE LINK FOR ALL OF THE DETAILS.
Students can express their creativity, collaborate with peers, and strengthen their writing, speaking and listening, and presentation skills. Contest entries also make great stations. Give students voice and choice with station rotations that allow them to draft original StudySyncTV scripts, record podcasts or videos, draw book posters or create their own graphic novels. Search ‘contest’ in the Help Center to find contest best practices and steps to get started. All entries must include only original artwork, content, or audio. Entries are due on or before May 1st, 2023. See rules for details. Have questions about the contest or entries? Contact MySyncTV@studysync.com.
STUDYSYNC ARTICLES & PODCASTS
- 3 TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE TEST PREP Effective Test Preparation for StudySync Classrooms: Test preparation can be a dreaded subject among teachers and students, but getting kids ready for summative assessments doesn’t have to be tiresome. These tips can help!
- Connecting Literature to Life See how educator Dennis Pierce uses StudySync in the classroom and connects literature to current events in his students' lives.
- Reading and Literacy Podcast: Dr. Catlin Tucker invites Dr. Tim Shanahan, educator, researcher, and education policy-maker focused on literacy education, to discuss literacy across all subjects, student agency, and finding balance in education.
Easy Digital Differentiation and Scaffolds
Do you want to learn more about providing automatic support to help your students complete rigorous grade-level assignments? Check out this Easy Digital Differentiation blog and overview video about using StudySync’s digital scaffolds and automated differentiation for ANY student!
Read about how ESL and Special Education teacher Megan Collopy brings learning to life. Megan shares how she uses StudySync videos and media to engage her students and make reading fun in this blog.
STUDYSYNC: LIVE WEBINARS THIS MONTH
-Here is the PAGE FOR ALL UPCOMING STUDYSYNC WEBINAR DATES.
Below are the StudySync webinar offerings for the month. If you register and cannot attend, you will be sent a recording. StudySync is the core Tier 1 Resources for Secondary English. The CORE ELA Units are used in English 6-12. Items from the StudySync Library are used in all alternative English courses (Humanities Language Arts 8, Humanities English 9 & 10, African American Literature, Major British Writers Seminar, Shakespeare's Literature, and Women's Literature) and many of the elective courses (e.g., Essay Writing 6, 7, and 8).
Monday,March 6, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM From Tweets to Tomes: How Students Write in StudySync Register Now
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Project-Based Learning Opportunities in StudySync Register Now
Thursday, March 9, 2023
- StudySync: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM Keep Calm & Observe On: Supporting Classroom Evaluation for Administrators Register Now
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Independent Reading Program for Students Register Now
Thursday, March 16, 2023
- StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Stretch Goals: Differentiate Instruction for Advanced and Pre-AP Students Register Now
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
- StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM Customize and Create Assessments to Fit Your Classroom Needs Register Now
Thursday, March 23, 2023
- StudySync: 4:00 PM - 4:30 PM How to Create Reports and Respond to Data in StudySync Register Now
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Diversity and Representation in the StudySync Library Register Now
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Vocabulary Best Practices Register Now
Thursday, March 30, 2023
- StudySync: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Spotlight Skills: Build a Solid Foundation in Any Standard Register Now

The video above gives you an overview for Secondary English Curriculum. Use the Quick Links on the landing page of the ELA 6-12 Webpage for easy navigation to English Curriculum items (Curriculum/Instructional Resources 6-8 Quick Link; Curriculum/Instructional Resources 9-12 Quick Link). To access many curricular and district items, you must be logged into Google using your CCS credentials and not a personal account.
Curriculum Maps & Folders:
Adopted Curriculum Resources:
You can see all courses with core resources for English 6-12 in the items linked below:
- Course Resource Spreadsheet with Visuals and
- CCS Adopted, Supplemental, and Intervention Resources List.
The TIER 1 Instructional Resources
- StudySync: English 6-12, Alternate English courses, and some Electives
- StudySync Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- Bedford Texts/Launchpad: Honors and AP English
- Bedford/Launchpad Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- Some Elective Courses will have single resource adoptions.
- Achieve3000 (6-9) The contact person for this resource is Sonja Dill.
- Achieve3000 Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
- Progress to Success (9-12) You can request copies by emailing Carla Mae Phillips.
- Core Enrichment (6-8) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.
- College/Career Ready Literacy (6-12) This course can be used for Tiers II/III Intervention.
- TeachingBooks is the where the lists of novels available for teacher use from the warehouse, the curriculum office, in StudySync, and in Course Folders, are found.
- TeachingBooks Info Page (access, tutorials, trainings, and more)
Secondary Literacy Plan
- The CCS Secondary Literacy Plan provides teaching strategies/PD (how to teach) that can be used with the texts/lessons from your adopted resources (what to teach) to address these components of the plan: Academic Language, Reading Comprehension, Writing Competency, and Classroom Discussion. It is rooted in Ohio’s Plan to Raise Literacy Achievement and guided by the Adolescent Simple View of Reading. The plan spans from intermediate literacy that crosses curricular areas to disciplinary literacy that reflects the demands of specific disciplines while allowing for individualized intensive interventions, as needed. Inherent in the plan is that students are reading, writing, and discussing every day in classrooms.
- CCS Secondary Literacy Plan Info Page
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JANUARY 17TH PD DAY
NEW TEACHERS: If you are new to teaching a secondary English course and did not attend the new teacher orientation sessions, here are some links for you to the items you may have missed.
2022 OST REPORT WITH RECOMMENDATIONS
Crosswalk between i-ready boy/moy domains and curriculum resources


Ohio Teacher of the Year
Ohio Teacher of the Year nominations are open.More than an award, the Ohio Teacher of the Year program offers a way to elevate the teaching profession. The nomination period for the 2024 Ohio Teacher of the Year is open through March 31.
OEA Exceptional Educator Nominations Open
Celebrate Ohio’s exceptional educators. Nominate an educator in your community today! Ohio’s educators make a difference in their students’ lives every day. From classroom teachers to paraeducators, professors, bus drivers, school secretaries, custodians, and more, Ohio’s public school employees have dedicated their lives to serving our kids and making our schools great.m Join the Ohio Education Association in recognizing our Education Champions across the state. Use this Nomination Form to nominate a special educator.
More outings, classes, contests, grants, and pd
THURBER HOUSE SPRING AUTHOR EVENTS
3/14: Jennifer Egan—The Candy House
3/28: David Wright Faladé—Black Cloud Rising
4/12: Dr. Genevieve West—You Don't Know Us Negroes and Other Essays
- 4/25: Laurie Notaro—Excuse Me While I Disappear
- 5/3 Alexandra Petri—U.S. History: Important American Documents (I Made Up)
5/23: Mia Mercado—She's Nice Though
Register for any of these author events here.
CORWIN PD
Free Opportunities (Check out the entire FREE Corwin Spring 2023 Webinar Lineup HERE.)
UPCOMING AUTHOR EVENTS
- COLUMBUS METROPOLITAN LIBRARY Sesquicentennial Author Series The Columbus Metropolitan Library Carnegie Author Series has a new name for 2023, celebrating Columbus Metropolitan Library’s 150 years of bringing joy to readers. It is the Sesquicentennial Author Series. Here are some of the authors visiting in 2023: Leonard S. Marcus, Donte Woods-Spikes, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Saeed Jones, and Jason Mott. Check out the lineup HERE.
SOMETHING NEW THIS SUMMER: COLUMBUS BOOK FESTIVAL
The Columbus Book Festival will happen July 15-16 in the heart of the city’s downtown Discovery District. The two-day event featuring national and local authors, exhibitors, entertainment and more will showcase Columbus Metropolitan Library’s historic Main Library, the adjacent Kaufman Plaza and Topiary Garden Park. Call for authors, exhibitors and entertainers is now open! Get Involved/Learn More; About the Event Here.
GIVEAWAYS
- TeachingBooks February Contests & Giveaways
- Bulk Bookstore Discounts & Contests (People really do win: I won a $150 shopping spree from the November drawing:)
- We Are Teachers Contests & Giveaways


Ready, Set, Action!! BRING LITERATURE TO LIFE WITH CCS COMMUNICATIONS
GET YOUR COSTUMES READY!! The Department of Communications Wants to Record Your Students Bringing Literature to Life for our CCS Channels!
Are your students rewriting and acting out scenes? Will you be acting out part of a drama with costumes? Do you have a special dress-like- a-character day for works of literature? If so, use this link https://tinyurl.com/Lit2Life to contact Christopher Croft in Communications to have your students recorded for social and broadcast media.
2023 SEJONG WRITING COMPETITion (Essay and Poetry)
The 2023 Writing Competition is open. The deadline to submit is March 31, 2023 (11:59pm CDT)
- SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION PAGE
- Sijo Poetry Competition Specifics
- Essay Competition Specifics
- Application Page
The sijo is a traditional three-line Korean poetic form organized technically and thematically by line and syllable count. Using the sijo form, write one poem in English on a topic of your choice. For examples of sijo, more information, and teaching materials – including teaching guides for sijo, please visit this website.
The goal of our sijo category is to introduce students to a lesser-known style of poetry, the traditional Korean sijo. Read about how to write sijo, or see last year's winning entries.
Adult division (age 19 & older)
Pre-college division (age 18 & younger)
Sijo Category Prizes:
- Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
- Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
- Honorable mention (for both divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)
Focusing on introducing students and young adults to Korean culture and history through literature, this essay category utilizes folk tales and contemporary literature to explore Korean culture, past and present.
Adult division (age 19-30 years): Contestants are to read Kim Jung-hyuk's short story “The Glass Shield” and write an essay in response to the provided prompt.
Snior division (grade 9th - 12th): Contestants are to read Ha Seong-nan's short story “Waxen Wings ” and write an essay in response to the provided prompt.
Junior division (grade 8th and younger): Contestants are to write an essay in response to one of two provided prompts regarding a folktale of the contestant's choice. Contestants must choose one of the stories listed on this folktales page.
Essay Category Prizes:
- Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500)
- Senior division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300)
- Junior division: First ($300), Second ($200), Third ($100)
- Honorable mention (for all divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each)
Mission: The goals of the Sejong Writing Competition are to discover children and young adults talented in writing and to encourage them to learn and write about Korean and its culture. Through this writing competition we hope to increase the awareness and understanding of Korea’s cultural heritage amongst the younger generations growing up in the United States. Note: Only one entry per category per applicant is permitted.
Thurber House Young Writers' Studio-Spring 2023 Registration Open
"DON'T GET IT RIGHT, JUST GET IT WRITTEN." - JAMES THURBER
Every other week, local teens gather to write, create, and explore ways to get their stories on paper. Whether it's a passion, or just a hobby, Thurber House invites any student in grades 9-12 to join them for an opportunity to spend time with others who also like to write. Sessions take place on select Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm Eastern Time. Young Writers' Studio is held at Thurber Center, 91 Jefferson Ave, and simultaneously Zoomed for virtual participants. Each session is $17, or $150 for the season (a savings of $20), and can be paid in advance by registering online. There are a limited number of scholarships available for students who would like to attend. All sessions will be hybrid—held in-person at Thurber Center and simultaneously Zoomed for virtual participants from 6:30–8:30 pm. REGISTER
Remaining Dates: March 7, March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16

A SONG FOR THE WEEK! Hope the Records in Your Head are Not Spinning Out of Control! Hang in there: Spring Break is on the horizon!

Carla Mae Phillips
Southland Center, Suite 125
Previous Newsletters are available on the CCS ELA 6-12 Webpage.