UHMS Rising Phoenix
Uplift Hampton Middle School August 12, 2019
A Word From Administration
Hello Phoenix Nation!
We have completed our first week of school! Best. First. Week. EVER! You are very important to us and we don’t need to remind you how important you are to our scholars and the community. We are hoping everyday this year is as awesome as this first week. There was such a great sense of pride and urgency on campus this week. WE are humbled that we get to work with each one of you. This week was so amazing, we can’t begin to imagine what next week will bring as we transition into teaching rigorous content. Continue to define our high academic expectations for scholars and hold 100% of them to meeting and/or exceeding those expectations. To create scholar-centered classrooms we need to continually shift the thinking onto to scholars by requiring them to investigate, read, write, problem-solve, and discuss. This weekend take time to take care of yourself. We must be whole to make others whole. Have a relaxing and restful weekend!
“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception; it is a prevailing attitude.” – Colin Powell
With love, admiration, and gratitude,
Priscilla, Chataqua, Chrissy, and Jabez
SLA Coming Together
Mr. McWorter Teaching Procedures
Baby Phoenixs' Practicing
Walk-Through Focus
ELA and Humanities: Close Reading and Writing in response to reading
Math and Science: VMA, pre-assessments, math vocabulary
Routines and Procedures: Plan and practice critical routines and procedures moment-by-moment
- Classroom Entry/Exit
- Greeting of Visitors
- Expectations when working in small groups
- Independent work expectations
- Transitions
- Use of attention getters
- Restroom
- Pencils and materials
Strong Voice: Stand and speak with purpose
- Square Up, Stand Still: when giving instructions, stop moving and strike a formal pose
- Formal Register: when giving instructions, use formal register, including tone and word choice
When administrators walk through your room, please do not stop instruction.
We Appreciate You!
Kelly Anna and Kennedy for calling parents and keeping the momentum with scholar accountability
Xavier for having rigorous Close Reading passages chosen and ready to go
Kennedy for being shouted out during lunch by the 8th grade scholars
Brenda G. for tight management procedures and a positive scholar culture
Mark for being a team player by volunteering to help with lunch duty, covering classes, using positive narration to give specific positive praise, and doing whatever it takes!
Marisha for executing SLA with fidelity
L. Thomas for being a team player, ensuring everyone on the team has what they need
Lauren and Trenese for incorporating mindfulness and SEL into SLA
Chisim – Stepping in to help the team
De'onna, Phillip, and Tammy for going the extra mile on car line
What's Happening This Week?
Important Announcements and Information!
Weekly Staff Huddles: We will begin UHMS Weekly Staff Huddles on Friday, 8/16/19 in the Secondary Library at 7:15am. Be on time.
Lesson Plans: Add your lesson plans to the Everything Binder. You will find a lesson plan folder in there. Follow the agreed upon deadline submission for your content area.
Class Rosters: We are continuing add scholars and to update class rosters. We are over 40 scholars short and are unable to meet our enrollment goals. This has a direct impact on our budget. Please welcome scholars with smiles and open arms regardless of how many scholars you already have in that period. We will balance classes starting next week. We are currently actively seeking 6th and 7th graders.
Backpacks: Do not allow scholars to bring backpacks to lunch.
Visitors: We will have visitors on campus two days this week.
- Monday: Teaching and Learning Team will walk all classrooms in the building looking for culture and academic rigor. Professional dress
- Tuesday: Yasmin, Aurora, and Every MD in the network will be on campus. They will walk primary classrooms for 9 am - 12 noon. We would like for you to wear professional dress.
Dress Code: We are rescinding the black and white shoe policy for scholars this year. Scholars may wear any color shoe as long as it's skid resistant. Our UHMS website was not updated in a timely manner and parents and scholars have a legitimate argument they followed the dress code on our website. We will work on keeping our website up to date. We apologize that all of our our communications were not in alignment. No scholar should be reprimanded for different color shoes or being in the shirt color from last year moving forward. Priscilla takes full responsibility for this lack of consistent communication.
Attendance: The expectation is that all teacher are to take online attendance via PowerTeacher starting this upcoming Monday – August 12, 2019. If you do not know how to take attendance in PowerTeacher or need a refresher, a new video has been developed and may be accessed on Blackboard. If you have any questions reach out to your dean or interventionist for support. https://uplift.blackboard.com/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_335_1&content_id=_73659_1&mode=reset
MAP: MAP assessments will take place August 19 - August 30 for new scholars. 6th and 7th grade scholars will take their MAP assessments in the technology classes. 8th grade will take MAP assessments in the Library Computer lab. MAP schedules will be given out soon.
Repeated for Your Convenience
TEAMS: This is the portal for absence reporting and getting subs. Please save this link to your computer! https://uplift.tx01.teams360.net/servicecenter/EntryPointSignOnAction.do
Use It or Lose It: https://ishine.uplifteducation.org/cmo/HR/Pages/Shared-Leave-Donation.aspx
Use It or Lose It: All employee Vacation and Local Days will be lost if not used or donated by August 31. HR reminder:
· Vacation and Local Days do not roll over.
· State Days (we receive 5 per year) do roll over
Employees can donate the soon to be lost time to the Shared Time Donor Program with the below link. This allows our colleagues who have exhausted PTO for things such as medical emergencies, to access additional time. We strongly encourage you to participate in this opportunity. https://ishine.uplifteducation.org/cmo/HR/Pages/Shared-Leave-Donation.aspx
Ideas Worth Spreading
Turn and Talk
This strategy permits all students to participate in discussion, rather than only a few students participating in a class-wide discussion. All students are able to process new learning while engaging in meaningful conversation with a classmate.
There are 14 Days Until the Start of College Football!
Phoenix Tribe!
Here's How to Reach Us!
Priscilla Parhms 469.236.2900 pparhms@uplifteducation.org
Chrissy Cormier 214.326.3002 ccormier@uplifteducation.org
Chataqua Mangum 972.897.4659 cmangum@uplifteducation.org
Jabez Deacon 414.562.7592 jdeacon@uplifteducation.org
Website: https://www.uplifteducation.org/Page/13790
Location: 8915 South Hampton Road, Dallas, TX, USA
Phone: 972-421-1982