Miner Minutes
September 28, 2018 #itsgreattobegold
The Week Ahead
Tuesday: Progress reports go home; SLT 7:45am media center
Wednesday: PLCs
Thursday: PLCs; Happy birthday to Ms. Mascari!
Friday: Mentor/Mentee 7:45 media center; HS program choice talks 9:15-10:15am LGIA; Happy birthday to Ms. Jasmine Smith!
Please take a moment to recognize your colleagues!!!!
Three Thank Yous
Gold Committee Reminders
- CONGRATS!!! We made it through an entire week of a FULL MOON!!! People not in education truly don’t understand how it affects behavior in students!!!
- This past week, we had an increase of behavior referrals for incidents that occurred in the hallway!Please revisit the Hallway expectations with your students on Monday during Homeroom!
- Respect Self- Arrive to class on time and ready to learn. Use lockers at designated times. Have all of your materials (pencil, paper, etc)
- Respect Others- Walk on the right side of the hallway no more than 2 people wide. Use manners. Keep all body parts to self.
- Respect School- Follow staff directions. Talk at level 2. Put trash in the trash cans.
- An adult presence is enough many times to keep misbehavior from occurring and can help with specific students and areas that have a high prevalence of behavior issues. When this adult presence is unpredictable and frequent, Behavior incidents decrease.
- Just a friendly reminder-ALL teachers should be supervising the Hallways & Bathrooms during class change! All teachers should walk their students to the BUSSES at the end of the school day!
Discipline Comparison Information
This is merely FYI and a point of reflection on where we are NOW versus where we were last year with discipline data. Please take a moment to read and reflect. Our GOLD committee will continue to discuss. In the first month of school:
84 referrals last year - and now at 50
12 days OSS last year - 69 now (5 incidents of fighting that results in 60 days of the suspension)
24 days ISS last year - 41 now (skipping, tardiness)
MTSS Beliefs Survey - this FRIDAY
Staff Handbook Tip of the Week - Communication
Communication with parents is crucial. Phone calls, notes, progress reports, emails, web pages and student agendas are required tools that we use to communicate with our parents and school community. Please encourage parents to use PowerSchool as a means of checking their child’s progress. PowerSchool DOES NOT replace other required forms of personal communication. All teachers will also send progress reports out once a quarter. Signed reports will be returned and kept on file by the teacher.
To ensure that every staff member has the opportunity to bring to administrative attention any issues or concerns, an Open Door Policy by the administrative team will be observed. If you prefer to communicate your concerns through other venues, please consider speaking with team or department leaders. Please ensure that all communication from parents is returned within 24 hours of contact. Communication between staff also needs to be responded within 24 hours.
Benchmark Information
When we give our benchmarks in tested subjects, we will model the same setup as EOGs in order to get our students understanding the structure and expectations of testing situations. The 8th grade science benchmark will be given in science classes (October 16th and 17th), but the reading and math benchmarks will be administered in homeroom. On the reading and math days, we will operate on a 2 hour delay schedule. The reading benchmark will be given on October 18th, and the math benchmark will be given on October 19th.
Some nuts and bolts
Our IB Goals for the Year
Conceptual Teaching
Are you truly teaching conceptually? Remember to emphasize your key and related concepts in your lessons throughout each unit. Please also have them posted for your students to see.
Assessments
As your summative assessments approach, please be sure you are using IB rubricgrading and entering those grades into Powerschool. I'll be glad to help create rubrics with you!
Here is another opportunity for summer global travel for teachers:
Global Fellowship: https://www.neafoundation.org/for-educators/global-learning-fellowship/
NEWSELA
MTSS Reminders
- Last Wednesday, you should have received an email from Karen Hollarto complete the “NC MTSS Beliefs Survey”. This is an anonymous survey to begin examining Concord Middle’s educator beliefs about MTSS & allow us feedback to insure that PD & coaching is targeted for our staff’s unique needs. Research shows that educator beliefs about the system they work within and the students they work with can have profound effects on student achievement. Please complete this survey ASAP. It should take less than 2 minutes to complete!
- In the CMS MTSS Handbook, you will find important information about which students are currently receiving Tier 2 & Tier 3 supports as well as YOUR Role in the MTSS Framework (CMS MTSS Handbook Link)!
Student Recognition: Caught being IB...
Each day we need to try to find the GOLD in each and every student. Remember that one kind word can change someone’s entire day! Thank you to Mrs. Shoe & Mrs. Farrell for finding the GOLD in our students and uploading two pictures each to the Google Drive you have both earned a jeans pass!!! I am pretty sure as a staff we can do better though! Since we would like more entries, we are providing a ONE WEEK EXTENSION before student names are drawn! Give out your cards over the next few days and upload to the Google Drive by Thursday, October 4th!!! Winners will be announced after Oct. 4th!
- MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:Praise your kids this week and find the gold!!!!A sheet of Caught Being IB... cards was placed in mailboxes at the beginning of school. Each of us needs to give out at least onecard per month, however I challenge you this week to give out ALL 9 cards!!! One for each IB Learner Profile Trait. When you give out the card, please take a picture of the child with his/her card and add to the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1o7m7L0nAU0qJ6MVcNNSXGF932-eIlKZR?usp=sharing (Please make sure you include the following information: student's first and last name and your name eg. MyStudent- Shoe). We will draw a few students names at the end of the week for a special prize!
Extended Calendar
October 12: Happy birthday to Ms. Hatley!
October 15 - 19: Fall Spirit Week
October 15 - 22: Benchmarks
October 16: Faculty meeting 7:30am
October 18: Gold committee meeting 7:45am; Happy birthday to Ms. Hurlocker!
October 19: SIT meeting 7:45am; fall pep rally last block
October 22 - 26: Fall book fair
October 23: Happy birthday to Ms. Farmer-Edds!
October 25: 7th grade to Renaissance Festival; Happy birthday to Mr. York and Ms. Ramos!
October 26: End of quarter; Halloween Dance 4-6pm by STUDCO
October 29: Uncapped workday for professional development
October 30: Absentee pictures; grades due by 4pm