MAST Journey Notes
Intentional Pursuit of Excellence
December 12, 2022
We have almost made it for another calendar year. This time of year is so busy and for 2 years we experienced very limited events due to the closures. I am not sure if you are like me but this year has been a little harder as I feel like I can't get everything I did before done! Hopefully, the next 2 weeks will allow us to do just that and spend quality time with the ones we love. I want to also tell you how thankful and blessed I am to work with each of you. Educating young ones is not an easy task, but our MAST family does it so well! Some days are harder than others, but our team works to get it completed.
On Tuesday, PTO will be catering our lunch for our Christmas lunch and the Leadership team will cover your lunchtime. This is just a small token to tell all of you how much we appreciate and love you all! I hope this week is full of joy, fun, and laughter as we celebrate such a wonderful time of year!
Committed to Success,
Heather Touchberry
#DIVINGDEEPER
#makingWAVES
#ourjourneyTOGETHER
MAST Prayers and Celebrations
Continued prayers for our Future Shark babies that are on the way!
We are also excited for Mrs. Phillips to add her 3rd little girl in late December! (3 is the BEST :))
Prayers for Ms. Phillips as she continues to have a healthy pregnancy!
We are also very excited for Mrs. Schmidt as they are now expecting their 3rd baby in May!! We are so excited about all of these growing families in our MAST family!
Continued prayers for Mrs. Stovall's dad and his overall health.
Continued prayers for Debra Harris who had a recent brain bleed-she is doing much better and was able to travel with her daughter recently.
Continued prayers for Ms. Martha's leg from her wreck a couple of weeks ago.
Continued prayers for Stacey's dad who was in the hospital for breathing and heart issues. He is at home now—continued prayers for his breathing.
Continued prayers for Amee Gaston, our SPED assistant's mom. The doctors were able to target what was wrong with her heart and hopefully can adjust with medicine.
Please be in prayer for Stacey's son, Nick. I know Carol Jo has been keeping us updated in email and Stacey updates us via Facebook. However, he will have another major surgery this week but has been eating and resting this weekend which is a huge progression! We are so thankful for that! Stacey will be out this week so she can be by his side in the hospital. Prayers for her as well.
Please be in prayer for Mrs. C. Martin's daughter, Peyton. She has been seeing an eye specialist for her left eye. The doctor has determined that in order to get everything 100 percent correct, she will need to have surgery. The surgery is scheduled for January 2023. Prayers for Caitlyn too as she will be with her.
Please be in prayer for Catherine Elliott's uncle. He recently had emergency surgery for an
aortic aneurism.
Easley Christmas Parade 2022
2022 MAST Staff Christmas Dinner and Party
Christmas for Kids Field Trip
Deck the Halls - staff only!
Please share with your parents
Students will go during their Coding Corner time or before school starts.
MAST Applications for NEW Students
Applications are now OPEN for new students that would like to apply for our Magnet and Montessori programs. If you have friends or family members interested, please use the link below. There are also tours and open house nights available at the second link.
Book Fair
Our Book Fair this year earned $3,500.00 in FREE BOOKS for our library! We couldn't have done it without you, so thank you very much!
If you would like to continue to support our library, here is a link to an Amazon Wish List of books that students have requested or that are missing books from series that we already have. I will happily place a book plate in any book that you donate in honor or in memory of someone that you would like to recognize. Thanks for all you do to keep our kids enjoying reading!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/C8V0ADX5FJM7?ref_=wl_share
3rd Annual Holiday Spectacular
Great Job, 1st grade!
Shark of the Month-December
Please make sure you add your Shark of the Month in the link below. We will be doing the Shark of the month celebration on Wednesday, December 14 due to the 4th grade field trip on Thursday.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TY37hq2oqZCA2bmF5u5AbUNSBU7hBOGdalcCdSFtmis/edit?usp=sharing
PBL Request for Items
We know that PBL units take lots of items, consumables, and pieces. If you need those items, please use this form and try to have all of the items you need in the form within a week to give the leadership team time to buy or order them. We don't want you to have to use your own money for those things!
Spotlight on Instruction: November
Dates of projects to be filmed by Mr. Rodgers UPDATED with dates!
12/9 is the date that Mr. Rodgers has open if you are working on a product presentation or would like for your students to be interviewed about what they are working on. Here is the link to what he was able to do this week! https://www.dropbox.com/s/gc0nv2okk832sxf/221107%20Kindergarten%20STEMsgiving.mp4?dl=0
McK-Vento Certification/PD online piece- can be done before 12/16!
All,
Each year, districts are required to train all staff members on McKinney-Vento law and how it applies to their specific position. This year, the S.C. Department of Education has provided training videos for districts to use to ensure that we meet this requirement. This training will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. Staff can download a certificate of completion after viewing the video and taking a quick quiz. Please complete your training and turn in the certificate as a pass to leave early on the afternoon of Friday, December 16.
In order to select the brief video for your role, you will need to register at McKinney-Vento.org. The QR code found below that will take you directly to the registration page. Or link here: https://mckinney-vento.org/register/
Shark News each morning
Masters and Doctorate Degrees from CU
Special Education M. Ed ad PhD with Clemson
- Please share: Clemson University will host an information session on November 29th for Special Education M. Ed and Special Education PhD programs beginning Fall 2023.
- Click here to register.
Bulletin Boards Due dates for the year
Employee Absences-Red Rover and forms
This allows Mr. Shipman and me to manage the subs in Red Rover and block some from picking up. Thank you!
For our Maker Space from Ms. Wilson and Mrs. Mayo!
We need the following items for our MakerSpaces:
~Paper towel, toilet paper, and gift wrap cardboard tubes
~Shoe boxes
~Yarn and string
~Duct tape
~popsicle sticks
~plastic lids of all colors and sizes (from water bottles, milk cartons, Gatorade, etc.)
~Milk cartons
~Egg cartons
~Plastic water bottles
PTO wants to help!
We are so excited about this year and allowing our volunteers to come in the building to help! We had a wonderful turnout at our first PTO meeting this year as well. Before all of the regulations, our PTO would come in and help complete items for you that take time. If you have a request for them to complete, just fill out the google form and they will help! Also, I know some teachers like to request items. If you do so from PTO, please fill out the 2nd form.
Some examples of what teachers have requested in the past are things like laminating, cutting items out, or even making certain items with materials.
Volunteer help:
https://forms.gle/GEzPYcYfrLDaXfEd6
Materials Request:
Memory Jars ***Reminder!
Instructional Technology from AITS
TechSavvy Tips: AITS has some TechSavvy Teacher Tips that need to be communicated to all staff. You can find the links below as well as a link to the TechSavvy Tips Index where we keep all the tips, troubleshooting, and training presentations. Teachers can join our Schoology TechSavvy group by using the Group Access code of TX5TP-CWQSM.
- TechSavvy Tips Index
- TST: Audio Enhancement
- TST: Digital Resources 2022-23
- TST: Lanschool Air
- TST: Respondus
- TST Updating Chrome OS on Chromebooks
- TST: Using Incident IQ to Change Your Password
Bits & Bytes more December
McKissick School Profile with School Goals for 2022-2023
Here is the link we went over in our Back to School Presentation with goals for our year. It takes all of us together to reach our goals for our Sharks!
Encourage parents to stay connected....
Please have parents fill out!
Fundraising for our School
SHARK Spirit Rock
We have a new addition this year to our school! It's a spirit rock to be rented out by families to celebrate their student! The guidelines and sign up link is below. All proceeds will help fund our field trips this year!
Here is a photo from Friday of the first family that paid to paint the rock, the Zeiglers! We are so excited about this fundraiser which is also a school spirit activity!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vBLqddeF8_VIOX9hdDiv9yMhXzOjgDY4qjpdcpUdO84/edit?usp=sharing
Quick Links for a successful #journeyTOGETHER in 22-23
22-23 Duty Schedule - We have learned that the extra person in the cafeteria is no longer needed- so I took that one off as well.
Dec.12-16
12.12-Please makes sure your newsletters and lesson plans are uploaded in your Google Drive~Pajama Day!
12.13-Easley Band Plays in front of Shark tank at 7:30~Merry Christmas from PTO, they will cater lunch and the Leadership Team will cover lunches for all to have duty-free lunch! Dress as your favorite holiday book or movie character
12.14-Flannel Day!~Shark of the Month Celebration at 2pm~PTO Skate Night at 5:30-8
12.15-Coyote Coffee Truck will be here!~4th Grade Grade Field Trip to Roper Mountain~MAST Christmas Musical 6:30pm at EHS Auditorium~Deck the halls-wear your Christmas accessories
12.16-1/2 Day dismiss at 11:10~Santa vs. Grinch - dress in green or red
Upcoming Dates
15 Safety Meeting~ MAST Winter Musical EHS 6:30pm~ Shark of the Month Celebration
16 End of 2nd Nine weeks~ Half Day for Students dismiss at 11:10/ Holiday Celebrations that morning~MCK Vento Cert. due
19-30 Winter Break
January 2- No School- PD Day for teachers
10 Report Cards/Send home Title I “Garden” Survey
11 10:45-11:15 Pup Tales
13 Honor Roll Call and Principal's All A's Breakfast
16 MLK Day no school!
McKissick Academy of Science and Technology
Email: heathertouchberry@pickens.k12.sc.us
Website: MAST.pickens.k12.sc.us
Location: 156 McKissick Road, Easley, SC, USA
Phone: 864-397-2200
Facebook: facebook.com/McKissickAcademyofScienceandTechnology
Twitter: @MASTfinsup