Warrior Connection
#worldchangingwarriors
Word for the Warrior....
I am just checking in with you all and updating you all with information I know below.
I can't stop saying THANK YOU to you all for all of your outstanding efforts to continue instruction and support kids during this time. It's just amazing and I am sure that no other school system in the state is coming close to the time and intentionality and support you are providing for our students! This work matters now and will matter whenever we return!
If you will, please send the Student Google Survey to students again this week in order for us to just keep our finger on the pulse of how they are doing week to week and what needs are present for them. You can either make a copy of the survey that you sent out last week or make a copy of the link below. This feedback is just for you and your department. You do not need to send it to admin. This effort is just for our awareness as a whole and to be used for your planning and support of students.
The link pasted below has been changed to say SECOND WEEK OF VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1f0aPfZSps6FKtdVL5UB1MP5baCe7CQHun1K_bFUYjWg/edit?usp=sharing
Instructions to make a copy of the link are below. If you have questions as to whether or not you have copied it correctly, so you get THIS week's feedback separately, please email Nick BEFORE you send it out.
THANKS!
JSMS JAM
Students Who Need to be Contacted-Located in JSMS Google Drive-COVID-19 STAFF FILES
A couple of things to note, if you are the teacher adding the name to the spreadsheet, please leave columns G, H, I, J blank. If you are adding their name to the spreadsheet, we are assuming you have attempted contact already and now are asking for others to help make contact. This will help us know who to prioritize for attempting contact.
On Monday, we will be mailing a letter to those families who we have not had any contact with so far. Again, thank you for your work with this! It is making a difference!
Nick
CLICK HERE to access the STUDENTS WHO NEED TO BE CONTACTED file.
Schedules
Friendly Reminder! Teachers, please make sure you have completed your recommendations for students for next year. Once we have these, we can proceed to making decisions regarding our schedule for next year!
JSMS....WHO is that MIDDLE SCHOOL teacher? Game link below...
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSet9hn2KIIJlpQHDjlXPWIGS3p2NSeGor3fOORQyHKBv_P6bw/viewform
SO FAR...our high scores with a score of 53/55 are: Megan Roop, Kaelin Toney, Michael Stewart, Michelle Kincaid!
If you have not taken our "Who is that MIDDLE SCHOOL teacher" game....try it! It's about an hour of a GOOD time! HAHAHAHA!
DISTRICT GUIDANCE FOR 6-12 GRADING/INSTRUCTION
Click here for a link to a resource created at the district level for 6-12 virtual learning. This document is regularly updated. The hope is that this resource will allow us to have concise information during this time where we are receiving lots of information.
1) Are we allowed to assign new content?
You may assign new material but please be judicious, knowing that students don't have direct access to teachers to assist with clarifying expectations and understanding. Also, be understanding and flexible with the work and grading until you know for sure students have access to technology and internet access.
2) Are we allowed to assign grades for assignments?
You may take grades with the understanding that the TDOE will make a decision on 4/8 as to what schools will be allowed to do with grades. What we do could be changed...or not. Ask yourselves what you are hoping to accomplish with the grade. Ultimately, a grade is intended to be feedback that will facilitate improvement. Are you able to provide feedback without the grade? Make sure the grade reflects learning goals and not doing goals.
3) Should we code attendance?
No. Do not address attendance. We will continue to monitor students who have not connected with you or your work and make efforts to reach out to them. Please use this spreadsheet to log students who are not making contact:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mE7lE9bR-7JwfDwkz_mUKG5Ft8xyG3Djx8aHB9N7Iks/edit#gid=0
6) What if students don't respond to to CANVAS or email?
More communication will come on Monday or Tuesday regarding how to communicate the names of students who have not engaged or who you believe or know to not have wi-fi/technology access.
This section will be updated over the next four weeks.
Ensuring Equity During Online Learning
In the wake of the COVID-19-propelled public health crisis, schools around the nation are turning to online learning for students. Technology presents a huge opportunity to engage students to continue their schooling.
However, online education also brings a host of equity and access concerns, misconceptions around students’ technology abilities, and unique challenges for some student populations, including special education students and English learners.
This special edition issue brief provides educators ideas on how technology can best serve us during these times. The following suggestions rely on best educational practices, logical conclusions drawn from school district equity audits and classroom observations, research on technology access, and our collective empathy toward families and students
Click here to link to the full resource. The resource is intended as information for consideration and not the official opinion of our district.
District Level Guidance for Zoom Meetings
You may have seen the many reports on the news concerning the security risks when using Zoom. the district office has reviewed these stories as well as reviewed the steps Zoom is taking to mitigating these risks. They have created a list of steps you can follow to ensure that your Zoom sessions are secure.
These include:
- Require a meeting password
- Lock the meeting once it starts (You may give students a grace period to join before locking)
- Turn off all screen sharing for meeting participants
- Setup a meeting waiting room and only admit users that are required to be in the meeting
- Turn off File Transfer
- Disable Private Chat
- Do not use a generic school password for your sessions. Use a teacher-specific password
They will continue to monitor this and will provide further guidance should things change.
Student Referrals to Counseling
Reminders and Tips from Laura!
Here are a few Technology updates for you.
- Tickets and Issues:
- Teachers please continue email helpdesk@k12k.com to create work order tickets. ( Note do not forward emails to this address as anything below your signature does not make it into the ticket)
- If you have questions from parents regarding technology feel free to forward those to my email and I will work with the parents. Parents can also call the JSMS mainline 423-378-2450 and ask to speak to me. If they reach my answering machine they will need to leave their name, student name, issue, and a callback number, I will get back to them as soon as possible.
- For student device requests and repairs please send me the parents contact info or encourage them to reach me via the mainline or my email as I will have to work with them to arrange a pickup service by me at the front of the school.
- Teachers and students can now communicate via email.
- How to create a distribution list of all of your students so you can email them all at once. (See document attached document "Creating a Label in Gmail".)
I hope you are all well and I hope to see you all soon,
Laura Valentine
COVID-19 Staff Files
Please remember that we are housing all COVID19 resources in a shared drive in our JSMS Google Drive. This includes our JSMS Spreadsheet logging disengaged students who need to be contacted, Calling Script of what to say when we call families, and all forms related to personnel (logging time, bus directions, self-screening forms, etc.)
CLICK HERE for COVID19 File in JSMS Google Shared Drive
This is What I Sent to Families...
Spring Picture Information
Message from LifeTouch
Lifetouch picture facilities have been temporarily closed due to government mandates and our staff has been greatly reduced because of stay at home orders. We will let you know when we have more information. Lifetouch is actually holding all shipments at the plant until we get the green light to ship pictures. ---From LifeTouch
Duty to Report: In Tn, this is the law. If you believe that a child has been abused or neglected, you have a legal obligation to report it.
For Parents and Child’s Mental Health During COVID-19
For Parents and Child’s Mental Health During COVID-19
Resources for Families
Harmony at Home - Excellent Resource During COVID-19
Excellent Articles for Parents
Helping Children Cope With Changing Results from COVID-19
Helping Children Cope With Emergencies
Counseling Connection
Please know that our Counseling Center is available to connect with students! Families, please encourage your child to visit the Way of the Warrior Google Classroom to see a video from their counselors!
If your children would like to talk to a Sevier counselor, there are several methods of contact:
- Check Way of the Warrior Google Classroom. All students are enrolled in the classrooms.
Here are the course codes:
6th - 3byec5d
7th - 3237vwf
8th - c6dhv7f
--Students are also encouraged to join Mrs. Kincaid's Google Classroom: class code u2wpsxs
- Email counselors:
Ms. Ferguson: Kferguson@k12k.com 378-2436
Mrs. Kincaid: Dkincaid@k12k.com 378-2474
Mrs. King: Lking@k12k.com 378-2437
Also, follow us on Instagram @jsms_counseling
- Office hours, 12-2pm
Please let us know if you have any food needs.
If there is an emergency or you are feeling suicidal please call 911.
Suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text line: 741741
Mobile Crisis: (877) 928-9062
Creekside Behavioral Health Hospital *Offers crisis mental health evaluations 24/71025 Executive Park Blvd.Kingsport, TN 37660
Phone: 833-370-7433
Website: http://creeksidebh.com/
KCS Feeding Program
- Program is available at 10 AM - 2 PM at all eight elementary schools, Sevier, Robinson, and Dobyns-Bennett each weekday. We will restart the program on Monday, 3/30 following spring break.
- This is for all children 18 and under. Children do not have to be Kingsport City Schools students.
- Breakfast and lunch will be given during the 10 AM - 2 PM time frame.
- Bus routes will leave schools starting at 10 AM.
- Sevier's "Drive Through" feeding location is at the front of the school, on the corner, by the parking lot.
- If you are not on a bus route and live within Kingsport City limits, please call (423) 392-4670 or (423) 392-4416 to be added to a bus route if needed.
A Challenge from our own SS Teacher, Chris Carr!
I hope your quarantine time is going well. Yesterday, I had an idea. In our 7th grade class, we read lots of primary sources about the major events we cover in our curriculum. I thought it would be interesting to create a student book of primary sources from this unprecedented time we are in right now. After thinking about it some more, I thought it would be important to document the thoughts and actions of ALL KCS families, not just my own students.
What I am envisioning is a collection of diary entries, essays, poems, drawings, photographs, etc. showing the daily activities of our students, while we are waiting this out. Students and parents would email me their submissions, which I would compile using an online publisher, and then have printed into a hard copy, or copies. The result would be a book of primary sources by KCS families, that would give future students insight as to the fears, concerns, and daily life our children are experiencing right now. This could also give children a creative outlet to alleviate the stresses of isolation.
I'm asking each teacher to make mention of this in his or her Canvas or Google Classroom (or whatever platform you are using) lessons. Depending on the grade level, hand-drawn pictures or a few sentences would be great; you know the ability levels of your children. If you wouldn't mind telling parents to email their child's submission directly to me (ccarr@k12k.com), or if you could forward them to me, I can begin compiling them. I would like for the work to include the student's name, and age.
I'm sending this to everyone, because I want your submissions as well! This is your chance to tell future generations how you spent your time during the spring of 2020. Get creative! I'd like to have May 1 as the deadline for submitting work. That way, I can assemble the book, and hopefully have a hard copy, or copies, by the start of the next school year. Thank you in advance for your help with this endeavor. If I haven't made myself clear, or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Stay safe, and stay sanitized!
Clothes Closet Needs
Is anyone Spring Cleaning?
We have a clothes closet at Sevier for students to use if they need to change clothes or if they are in need of clothes. We encourage students to keep what we give them when they come to the clothes closet. If you are doing any Spring Cleaning, consider donating your old clothes to the Sevier Clothes Closet. We are also always in need of new socks and underwear for students.
Thank you!
Free eCard Opportunity
The Kingsport Public Library is offering an eCard to any area student that would like it. The eCard would provide access to their READs collection through Overdrive/Libby. There are two ways to accomplish this:
Teachers:
- Email a list of names and email addresses of their students to youthserviceslibrary@kingsporttn.gov
- Library sends a list of eCard numbers to teachers
- Teachers pass card number on to students
- Students log on to overdrive or Libby and READ
Parents:
- Email name, email address, school attending, and zip code to youthserviceslibrary@kingsporttn.gov
- Library sends eCard number
- Students log on to Overdrive or Libby and READ
Warrior ROCKstar!
She has worked tirelessly to make sure all the students have
their devices. Laura has worked to make sure everything has
been organized, prepared loaners/chargers for students who
need them and made sure everything has been sterilized, etc.
I feel she deserves The Rock!
Thanks!
Vicky Stoops