The Gator Grind
November 20 - December 1, 2023
News and Notes
11/26/23
As a reminder - this newsletter serves for this upcoming week. I am putting a the top of your email for easier access. Not much was added except for the reminder about the DTL walkthroughs happening this week.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
11/19/23
Good afternoon! I hope this finds you enjoying the beautiful weather as we head into the Thanksgiving Break. This newsletter will serve this coming week and the week after Thanksgiving.
We will be using the next couple of weeks during planning and MTSS to look at Benchmark Data and adjust teaching and learning. I was doing some reading on Taylor Swift and the work she puts in designing her set list for a concert. This is not too dissimilar to what teachers do for planning each week. TSwift thinks about the current tour, the city she is going to, the venue she is playing in, who on her crew is going to present or absent and finally take into consideration any current societal factors. This is similar to what we do as educators - we have to know our audience, know what resources are available to us, adjust for societal factors and use the data we have to plan instruction. I know its a stretch - she has record sales as data and we have benchmarks....but....work with me.
Finally - as we head into Thanksgiving week, I hope you do know how THANKFUL and GRATEFUL I am to each person that walks through our school doors each day. Our school is s special place and it is because of each of you. All of us together make the community we are. Thank you for all you do and for being part of our community.
To Do:
- Review the Neptune Navigate list with your students and help students create a plan to finish the modules! Due December 1st. Reminder - you can complete it as a class and send the roster to AWilliams or Silvers.
- Finish "Sticky Note" Sheets
- Vector Training by the District
- Share a picture and positive story of student learning that is occurring on your team with Ms. Silvers for social media.
- Enter your leave into Frontline if you are not coming to school on Wednesday.
- Review and submit your time in Kronos.
Information
- Reminder - we will be completing the DTL (digital teaching and learning) Walkthroughs this week
- Lost and Found Slide Deck
- Please remember to share benchmark scores with families and students via PowerSchools - but the benchmark itself should carry ZERO WEIGHT. We are simply reporting it. I would recommend including the grade level average to provide context for families.
- Custodial Newsletter
- Link to the Duty Schedule
- Utilize the PTSA Grant - here is a link to the reimbursement form.
- Please use this spreadsheet to add websites you would like Blocked through Lightspeed: BOOKMARK this sheet!
November
November 20 -
November 21-
Turkey in your Pocket day (more info coming from Wellness)
November 22 -
Undesignated workday (reminder - enter your leave into Frontline)
November 27 -
November 28-
Bball and Soccer away
Cogat Testing
November 29 -
School Wide Planning
4:00 - Department Meetings
November 30
Club Day
Fall Picture Make Up (in media center)
BBall and Soccer Home
4:00 - Data Committee
Bliss off campus
December 1
Micro Tech PD
Upcoming
December 4-8 - Scholastic Book Fair Week
December 5 - Wellness Committee
December 6 - SIT Team
December 11 - Family Engagement Team
December 12-14 - Holiday Swamp Shop
December 12 - MTC Meeting; Winter Concerts at MEAC; PTSA General Meeting
December 13 - Faculty Winter Celebration
December 14 - Club Day
December 15 - Interim Reports; Tech PD; PTSA Luncheon
December 18-19 - Undesignated TWD (if out; enter leave into Frontline)
January 2 - 1st Day for Students and Teachers after Winter Break
Our Strengths Our Story
Sharing Marigolds! ShoutOuts!!!
Shout out to Ms. Harrell, Ms. Lee and Ms. Akinli for helping with an unexpected situation with a staff member. You ladies are so thoughtful.
Shoutout to Silvers for being an amazing Co-Teacher and making everything flow smoothly at the end of the day!
Shout out to Mauk and Heath for letting me talk about books.
Shout out to Sullivan for her concern and interest in our students. She cares and it shows.
Shout out to Smithson and Mauk again for all things testing.
Shout out to Herrick for brainstorming..very nice to have someone else who loves to talk pedagogical shop.
Marigold to Mrs. Lumpkin for jumping right in and getting her hands dirty with ALL the Fine Arts money! We're happy to have you and thank you for all you do and will do for our students' successes!
Marigold to all who had to cover for me when I was out sick on Monday!
Marigold to Maus for helping me out by picking up my job when I was out sick!
Thank you to Ms. Mauk, Ms. Kincaid, and Ms. Herrick for preparing and presenting at the faculty meeting! The ideas shared will be very helpful as we pre-write questions for lessons and ask them during class.
Thank you to our presenters at Science of Learning Night! It was a wonderful opportunity for students to attend a variety of sessions in one evening. It was a great way for students to "take class" from many teachers on campus.
Thank you to Mr. Smithson, Ms, Mauk, and Ms. Herstine for preparing our school for testing week!
Shout out to Ms. Silvers for offering professional development about MagicSchool.AI! We enjoyed learning about a tool that can help make our work lives easier!
A bouquet of marigolds to the P.T.A. for sponsoring our November luncheon! We are so thankful for the thought and planning that goes into our monthly meals!
Thank you to our custodial team for always taking the time to greet teachers in the hall and in classrooms, ask about our day, and connect with students! We are appreciative of all of you!
Shoutout to Herrick for always doing her absolute best for students
Shoutout to Rhue for all of her guidance and support
Shoutout to Fowler for her first week! You’re doing great.
Shoutout to Rogers for getting Starbooks cafe in business
Shout out to the 7th grade team for helping me navigate my first week! You guys are awesome!
Marigold to Mrs. Guite to helping me out with testing
Marigold to Mr. Ojaniit for letting us steal all his desks
Shoutout to all of the teachers who stayed and made a success of Science of LEarning night
Marigold to Mrs. Katsikis for putting together an amazing UNCW themed basket.
Marigold to Mrs. Mauk the best BTC ever ever ever
Marigold to all of those who helped with small groups or administering or proctoring a test.
Shoutout to Mr. Harrell for letting me borrow his car.
Bushels and bushels of marigolds to Ms. Fowler for truly diving into her role this week. The students sent very kind words about you :) Thank you for providing a supportive and encouraging environment right from the get-go!
Marigolds to Guite and the sunshine committee- thank you for making me smile this week.
Marigold to Smithson and Mauk and everyone who ensured benchmarks went smoothly this week!
Our Story
A parent shared with me that her 8th grade student didn't really want to attend. She made him come anyway...then had to DRAG him home. He kept saying he wasn't ready to leave. Thank you for making it a place that people didn't want to leave!
This came in with the marigolds - but I think it fits our story much better:
I have so much to be thankful for this week! A big big big thank you to literally every single one of you for making this unexpected leave really smooth for recovery. Your texts and messages made my stressed self a bit more at ease. Thank you to Lord, Cox, Holder, Lopez, Meyer, Silvers, McSwain, Smithson, Bliss, and definitely more people I don't know about who supported and supplemented my classroom this week. You all are living breathing proof of COMMUNITY- thank you for it.
This Week's Reading - EduProtocols
Introduction for eduprotocols- A simple way to create procedure in the the class so students and teachers can focus on the content. Eduprotocols can be called out and applied without explanation.
I will also include a follow up article in the next Gator Grind.
Myrtle Grove Middle School
Email: cyndy.bliss@nhcs.net
Website: https://myrtlegrove.nhcs.net/
Location: 901 Piner Road, Wilmington, NC, USA
Phone: 910 350 2100
Facebook: facebook.com/MyrtleGroveMiddleSchool
Twitter: @MyrtleGroveMS