Sunday Shakedown
Weekly Memo for Washington Elementary
Principal Post
I recently read the following headline from our education secretary, Betty Devos, "I'm not sure we can deteriorate a whole lot more" when speaking of the public education system. I am never one to discuss politics. I do not want to now, however I am a supporter of public schools. I hope you know my leadership style and beliefs. but I do feel compelled to share the following with you in hopes that your beliefs about public education might be stirred. Our public school system should be more valued and those of us called to teach ALL children should be more supported. Most importantly, our students deserve the best from us and our community. Below are my feelings on why public schools are so important:
I stand for public schools. The key word here is PUBLIC. I want the doors of my school to be open to children and families from all walks of life. This diversity helps me to understand that every child and family has a story. We gain something from each interaction with those who come through our open doors. As we grow to understand each child’s story we learn some amazing lessons that people outside our doors may not know. We learn that some kids go home to an empty house and others have a home filled with siblings, parents, and grandparents. This teaches us to build true and meaningful relationships at school to model unconditional love. We learn that some children learn traditionally and others have a path of their own. This teaches us to provide challenge and support so all children can succeed. We also learn that children’s actions can be extremely kind and extremely hurtful. This teaches us compassion and forgiveness. We learn that some kids don’t have snack and that others bring enough for the whole class. This helps us learn gratitude and service to others. We learn that some children seek to do what is right, and some challenge boundaries. This teaches us the importance of positive guidance. We learn that some families speak English at home, others speak a language from their country of origin, and others do not speak to each other much at all. This teaches us that words have great importance and connect or divide us. We also learn that some families trust and support us and others feel challenged by our decisions. This teaches us that we must focus on what is best for children. I say all this to say…our open doors highlight great similarities and great differences among us. I hope we will always work together to learn from our shared beliefs and differences through open, trusting and most of all kind relationships with one another. So my public school is a beautiful blend of people who teach us to love, learn, accept, forgive, serve, communicate and challenge respectfully. I stand for public schools. After all, our children, all of our children, deserve it and we are the right people for the job.
Thanks, celebration and appreciation:
- Thanks to Virginia and team for your hard work organizing the science fair
- Congratulations to Kylie Sutherland, previously LCD assistant who will now be a full time SPED assistant in a one on one position with an LCB student
- Thanks to Sue and Amy for getting our testing schedule and security training underway
- Thanks to Laura for helping teach Etiquette lessons to student leadership groups around Kingsport
- Thanks to our science fair judges for taking the day off to come be part of our work here
Employee Recognition
This year, there is a new way to highlight the work of these outstanding educators! The KCS Employee Recognition Initiative serves to award those that go above and beyond in their service to the students, staff, and families of KCS.
How can you nominate an employee for this honor?
Simply submit a nomination form to your principal/supervisor by clicking here!
Week of April 3-7
Tuesday:
Lincoln Memorial Global Staff members to tour and visit classrooms 9:30-10:30 (no prep needed by you)
Wolf leaving after visit to attend state training
BOE meeting-Trent to present on our global schools work this year
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Wolf at Blended Learning course in Bristol
PTA Board Meeting 9:00
Leadership team meeting (may need to change until Friday-working with a guest's schedule as well)
Required sped training
Friday:
club time
LCF using auditorium from 11-1
Future dates to be aware of:
April 11-Kindergarten screenings all day at GWES
April 11-FACULTY MEETING-please plan to attend
April 12- Instructional Rounds with Roosevelt, Lincoln, and Adams (more details below)
The "Heart" of a Patriot
Instructional Rounds-What will we study as a problem of practice this year?
- Do teachers and students know the behavioral expectations?
- Are there consistent practices for recognition and acknowledgements for students and adults?
- What do our students say about how they use or demonstrate the expectations?
- What evidence from the physical environment communicates what we are striving to be about?
- How are these expectations aligned to school mission statements and daily practices?
- What evidence do we have that these practices are positively impacting student learning?
- How might we sustain a tiered approach to behavioral supports?
Innovation Tool
KCS has developed a new innovation tool to allow all stakeholders to share an idea (new or could be an improvement on a current practice). Sometimes a great idea comes to mind and when we collaborate on it, it gets even better. This tool can assist us in "giving legs" to those great thoughts. If you are like me, these are the ideas that keep you awake at night, but sometimes feel impossible. Lose sleep no longer! Your idea can be submitted and it can help our district constantly grow and develop.
The KCS new Innovation Tool is up and running. KCS wants your ideas! This tool is active for use. It can be accessed here.
Professional Musings and Notes from Shasta:
EDpuzzle:
Online resource for short instructional videos (often 3-5 minutes in length). There are also several online books. You can even create your own video and upload. You can crop videos in length and create questions for students during the video. Students are unable to skip questions once you set it up. Anyone using Google Classroom can easily link their EDpuzzle class to Google Classroom. If you are not a Google Classroom user, you can share your EDpuzzle class code with the class to join. Another option is show the video on the SmartBoard whole group. In order for you to see a student view, I have uploaded a short video for you to watch. This is just for fun! If you would like support in setting this up for your classroom, please let me know.
For Your Information
Please take a few minutes to provide feedback for Sue and me. From Andy True: This annual survey has been shortened and hopefully that helps it be less of a burden. It will be open from April 3-14.
Pre-K/Elementary Faculty - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/F8ZD5XW
Pre-K/Elementary Staff - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FLQ9YVY
We are still awaiting a visit from the fire marshal, please be prepared and check with Vicki if you are unsure about any materials in your learning center.
2017 Tri-Cities Egg Drop Competition Announced
The 2017 ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) will be holding the annual Tri-Cities Egg Drop competition at the Kingsport Town Center, formerly the Fort Henry Mall in Kingsport, on April 8, 2017 from 1:00-3:00. The event is open to all ages and devices can be entered as individuals or as a team. ASME holds this event annually to promote the practical use of engineering, math, and science skills. Most importantly the event is a great afternoon of fun. Teachers have used this event in the past as a class project for the sciences and have even held class room competitions before the event. For more information please visit www.asme-eggdrop.org or contact Michael Bailey. This is a community outreach for ASME and it does not profit from this event. Early registration ends on March 20th, which for $3 for an individual or $5 for a team, participants will receive a t-shirt and are eligible for cash prizes.
Click here for registration form. Click here for school letter.
Educator Liability Insurance Coverage Available
In 2015, the General Assembly adopted the Educator Protection Act, which created the Tennessee Educator Liability Fund (Public Chapter 493). The fund provides excess liability insurance coverage to all public school teachers and student teachers assigned to public schools and protects against damages or claims arising out of the performance of their work and within the scope of their employment or assignment. The coverage is automatically provided to teachers and student teachers at no cost. The fund is administered by the State Board of Claims, which is attached to the Tennessee Department of Treasury. Additional information, including a “Frequently Asked Questions” document, program guidelines, and a claim form, is available through the Treasury website (here). If questions, please contact Maryanne Durski or the Division of Risk Management and Claims Administration within the Treasury Department at (615) 741-2734.
TDOE Seeking Applicants for Standards Setting Committees
The department is seeking applications from educators, higher education partners, parents, and community members to participate in subject and grade-level committees to determine the cut score ranges for each performance level on state assessments. Ultimately, this information helps us understand students' level of mastery of the state standards. This is called the “standards setting" process. The standards setting committees will meet this summer and share recommendations with the State Board of Education for approval.
We are seeking applicants for the following standards setting committees:
Grade 2
TNReady
TCAP-Alternate Assessment
- Math
- ELA
- Math Grades 3-8
- ELA Grades 3-8
- Math Grade 2
- ELA Grade 2
- Social Studies Grades 3-8
- Science Grades 3-8
- High School Biology
All interested applicants should complete an online application. You can find the application on the assessment homepage (here), or you may click on the following links: TN Ready Assessment Standard Setting application; TCAP-Alternate Assessment Standard Setting application. The application window is now open and will close on Wednesday, April 5. All applicants will be notified of status no later than May 5. For more information, contact Christina Fox
Inaugural Tennessee STEAM Festival Planning
On October 12-22, Tennessee will hold its inaugural Tennessee STEAM Festival in a state-wide event based on the celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. This is not a one location event...we are invited to sponsor STEAM events in our schools and community. It is suggested that these would be a perfect fit for libraries. The planners of this state-wide event are looking to fill a calendar of events including symposiums, educator/expert talks, lunch and learns, community/family events, entertainment events, etc. for all ages. Other festivals like the Philadelphia Science Festival and North Carolina Science Festival serve as inspiration for what the TN STEAM Festival can be. Submit your STEAM event by April 3rd and be included in the state-wide promotion of the Tennessee STEAM Festival in October. By participating, you will also receive promotional materials to use in marketing your event. Contact Becca Baker at the Blount County Public Library if you have questions.
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