Mr. Tonagel's Weekly Update
Week of March 19
Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum
Let's meet our goal of having the current standards mapped for the semester format before the end of this school year. Use this form to document priority standards as a part of each course's guaranteed and viable curriculum. In the new semester format, LPHS curriculum will be mapped out in four 9-week quarters. Next year we will use the maps to work on assessments that will measure the 12-20 essential standards. Our work is being documented as a part of our school accreditation.
Summer School applications are available online. The last day to apply for Summer School is Friday, March 30. You must log into Skyward, go to Employee Access. and click on the light blue box near the top entitled FastTrack Open Positions. Then scroll down in the upper right-hand box to find the Summer School positions.
Safety
Several LPHS staff members attended the "Top Cop Say Stop" event at the Civic this week. This training helped educators and community members to better understand the drug culture and signs of substance abuse. As with all professional development, we will look to share the valuable information about the drug culture that could be one of the greatest threats of danger that our kids will face.
All SRTs must complete the harassment prevention training and sign a verification log in Donna's office. Signatures are due by Thursday, March 29. No exceptions.
Challenging Goals & Feedback
Staff members are welcomed and encouraged to serve on school committees to improve collaboration and teamwork. Safety, Parent and Community Engagement, and Professional Development committees meet monthly on continuous school improvement and our avenues for staff to engage in improvement efforts. Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum is being addressed by all staff in our faculty meetings each month as a part of our accreditation process. And, we currently don't have a team for Challenging Goals and Feedback.
The district will be planning a public auction to properly remove unwanted/unneeded equipment. Items appropriate for the auction are capital equipment items that might be valuable, but not in use at LPHS. As you do "spring cleaning" please look around and let me know if there is any possible equipment in your area to remove. As you are aware, space is very limited at LPHS.
Candidates for the Class of 2018 Valedictorian and Salutatorian will have their picture taken for a banner to hang in the main commons to recognize academic achievement on 3/28 at 12:30 pm. Twenty-five, yes 25, students with a 4.0 GPA are vying for Val/Sal recognition. Congratulations to these students.
Parent and Community Relations
National Honor Society sponsor Mrs. Lebo and the faculty selection committee did a great job with this year's inductees and ceremony. Thanks to Mrs. Lebo and the student officers on a successful induction ceremony this week. The new inductees are an incredible group of students that our staff is proud to recognize.
The "Learn Today to Excel Tomorrow" banquet is right around the corner. During this special evening we recognize the top 10% students of the graduating class as well as special educators who have been an inspiration to the students. We also induct special Slicer graduates into the "Learn Today to Excel Tomorrow" recognition program. This special program is meant to showcase graduates who are living out our mission statement. April 12 will be a big evening with lots of smiles!
Each school year we try to compile a list of school year highlights, celebrations, and accomplishments. All teachers, clubs, and groups are invited to participate. Teachers/coaches can submit items for the 2017-2018 School Year in Review project by clicking on the following link. Celebrations/accomplishments will be printed as written so please be concise.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vR5f04F9rzw9dzVB3XN3zmjWEBzNjzWcTz-rtPhy9RQ/edit?usp=sharing
Congratulations to our very own Alynn Eggert (Technology Education) for leading a STEM event in Elkhart County this week. Alynn served on a panel about women in STEM and we're proud she's a Slicer!
Last school year some of our graduates did a "graduation walk" at the elementary level and it was a huge success. Some of our elementary schools are requesting we do it again this year. I will be working with our senior class sponsors to possibly plan a few walks to celebrate graduates, inspire teachers and elementary students, and maybe even start a new tradition. Check it out!
Professional Development
AdvancEd.
Be on the lookout for information on the next Plan Period Workshop. With the school year winding down, we might be at the end of the offerings.
Staff from MCHS will be visiting March 27 to learn about our SRT program. Some classroom visits are likely. We will be sharing our success stories and lessons learned about SRT with them.
Counselors and CTE teachers who are interested in getting paid over the summer and building community partnerships are encouraged to review the the Teacher Externship Opportunity application.