SLP Superintendent's Newsletter
Week of October 1, 2018
SUPERINTENDENT PATRICK JENKINS
This is perfect for what my focus has been this year. Customer Service
Teach. Learn. Lead. Repeat.
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Being Great: Choosing the Down Escalator
“If you are not successful, then I fail.”
Johnetta Wiley
Last Sunday during our church service, the pastor began her sermon with the following question: “Why do you work so hard?” What an apt question to ask of so many educators I know around the world, who are among the hardest working people on the planet. She went on to spend much of her remaining time exploring the question, suggesting that the answer for many is that they wish to become great. She then devoted the bulk of her remaining time exploring what greatness really looks like. Frankly, much of what follows is taken from her sermon along with my own thoughts on how this applies to educators and leaders.
So what is greatness, or success? Too often we hear the term, “Climbing the ladder of success.” Rather than think of greatness as ascending the ladder of success, we should, in fact, think of it as descending the ladder of service. The truly great and successful people I have encountered across the nation in hundreds of schools and thousands of classrooms epitomize this concept, consistently focusing on the latter and not worrying much about the former. Somewhat ironically, but not surprisingly, these same great people who are keenly focused on others, rather than their own success, are the ones we most often look up to as truly great. They embody the spirit suggested in Wiley’s quote above, worrying less about their own success and more about the success of those they teach and lead. Moreover, they understand that no matter how “successful” they become, they ultimately fail if they have not helped others to become great.
An overriding trait of truly great and successful people is a focus on service and serving others, not themselves. Such service is displayed through many actions and by many character traits. Servant educators share with others, they care about others, and they love what they do and with whom they serve. They create environments marked by joy and belonging and they model vulnerability. They treat others with dignity and respect and practice authentic empathy. They are present in the moment and assume the best of others. They give--without expecting anything in return. By serving in these and other ways, they often, in time, become recognized by those who know them as truly great educators yet that is never their “why” behind what they do. Their “why” is to ensure that those they are serving become great. They ascend by descending the ladder of servanthood.
“Great” is a word employed so frequently in our society that we risk rendering it meaningless. But my friend Dwight Carter--an educator I consider not only a “great” educator but a “great” person--took the time to define it, partly, in fact, because he, too, feared that telling others to “Be Great” held no real meaning over time. Dwight has written and spoken extensively about his model for greatness, using the following acronym to describe what it means to “Be Great”:
Be Grateful
Be Relational
Be Enthusiastic
Be Authentic
Be Teachable
Obviously, Dwight expands on each of these at some length when discussing the topic, but simply put, being grateful, relational, enthusiastic, authentic, and teachable are indeed characteristics of great educators. They are also characteristics of servant educators. Great teachers and great school leaders know that it is not about them. Instead, great teachers know it is about helping their students become great and great school administrators know it is about doing everything in their power to help their teachers become great. Rather than focus on themselves and climbing up, their laser focus is always on how they can best serve others, right here, down on the ground all around them.
So why do you work so hard? I suspect that for many of you reading this, the answer is you want to be great and you want to achieve such greatness through service to others. It seems that we throw the terms “great” and “successful” around pretty loosely in all areas of society, including in our schools. The truth is, in all likelihood, that Jim Collins is correct in suggesting we have a whole lot of really “good,” but not that many truly “great,” organizations. Those that are truly great achieve their success because they are staffed by individuals who choose the down escalator of service rather than always looking up to the next rung on the “ladder of success.” These people know--as the Ditka quote above suggests--that success is not about having, but about being, including being a servant educator, eschewing the climb up the ladder in favor of the journey down to servanthood. Choosing the down escalator to serve our students and each other in our schools is another way we Teach, Learn, and Lead with Passion!
Jeff Zoul at Friday, September 28, 2018
Job Duties
Quote for the Week
Great leaders lead with the right combination of love and accountability. Too much love, not enough accountability and your team will love you but they won't become great because of you. Too much accountability, not enough love leads to disengagement and burnout.
SLPSB / NETWORK NORTH Calendar
Regular Board Meeting
Thursday, October 4, 2018
5:00 PM
Resource Center
Administrator's Meeting
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
8:00 AM
Resource Center
ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT - JOSEPH CASSIMERE
October is Bullying and Suicide Prevention Month
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM - ANGELA CASSIMERE
High School Planning Guidebook
● planning for struggling students;
● foundational academic skills in the first two years of high school;
● developing basic and advanced college and workplace skills;
● providing Jump Start opportunities that can help all students, in all parts of the state, create the foundation for a successful adulthood;
● counseling and supporting all students throughout their high school career; and
● earning recognition for school excellence through an accountability system that rewards schools for helping students successfully pursue their college and career aspirations. The print version of the 2018-2019 High School Planning Guidebook will be distributed at the Fall Counselor Collaborations. The online version will be available on the Department’s Principal Support Toolbox on October 1.
2018 ACT College and Career Readiness Workshop
● September 26: Lafayette – University of Louisiana at Lafayette
● September 27: New Orleans - University of New Orleans
● October 3: Shreveport - Centenary College of Louisiana During this free, half-day workshop participants will:
● get answers to the questions you have about data and the tools used,
● get advice on educational measurement, and
● be introduced to free personalized instructional resources.
Please visit the ACT’s registration page for the latest on all workshops.
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS - CLAUDIA BLANCHARD
Custodian Meeting:
A meeting/training will be held Thursday, October 18th in the Resource Center at 8:30 am. for all Head Custodians and 1 additional full-time custodian from each school.
SUPERVISOR OF SECONDARY ED - SPENCER ARNAUD
OpenSciEd Training
Registration Information:
Date: October 6-7 and 13-14
Vendor Cost: Louisiana Tech $500
Date: October 12-13 and 26-27
Vendor: LSU Cain Center
Cost: $200
Date: November 3-4 and 10-11
Vendor: Louisiana Tech
Cost: $500
St. Landry Parish Reading and Math Pacing Guides (Grades 3-12)
Pacing guides and/or curriculum maps have been provided to all 3-12 teachers in ELA and Math. Please be sure teachers are adhering closely (within a reasonable timeframe) to these guides at your schools.
Assessment Practices
- One of the focus areas this year for both Math and ELA is to FULLY align Instruction and Assessment with Louisiana Standards & Assessment (for Grades 3 & above—this means PARCC). It is critical to make sure that teacher assessments are meeting the level of rigor and reflect the level of work which will be required on End-of-Year formal assessments. Please monitor this important aspect of learning at your school (Instructional Specialists can help in this area).
- Shorter, more frequent, FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS (with feedback to improve) are also a focus this year. Please make sure teachers are incorporating ongoing formative assessments in all subject areas.
Guidebook 2.0 Materials
- Guidebook 2.0 materials will be delivered to your school from Office Depot and/or Barnes and Noble periodically throughout the school year. Please ensure that materials are delivered directly to the teachers of the grade level/unit title that appears on the package.
St. Landry Parish Detention Program
- St. Landry Parish Detention Program allocations have been emailed to all administrators. The attachments contain your allocation amounts, detention program instructions, detention program documentation form, payment request documents, and parent contact templates.
- Please send all documentation for the St. Landry Parish Detention Program to my office before the 5th of each month for the previous month. Include both the detention documentation form and the request for payment sheet. The date, number of hours, and student attendance must be documented in order for payment to be processed.
- Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can assist you or your faculty in any way.
SUPERVISOR OF CHILD WELFARE AND ATTENDANCE JEROME ROBINSON
LASE Conference
The 2018 LASE Conference is coming soon! Mark your calendar.
Ø Dates: Sunday, November 11 – Monday, November 12, 2018.
Ø Location: Crowne Plaza Baton Rouge
Ø As in the past couple of years, there is no registration fee.
Attached is a tentative agenda, registration form and Principal of the Year information.
This conference will be time well spent, and I look forward to seeing you in November.
SUPERVISOR OF PERSONNEL - MATTHEW SCRUGGINS
Compass Timeline and Training
● November 2 - All rosters should be updated in CIS for 2018-2019.
● December 21 - Leader evaluations cannot be calculated until SPS scores are released. For this reason, leader evaluations can be updated in CIS after SPS scores are released in late fall until December 21.
Compass Training:
Per state policy, all compass evaluators must attend a new evaluator certification training or a returning evaluator recertification training. If you were unable to attend the final Compass Evaluation webinars, they may be completed as a self-guided training using the presentation decks linked below.
● New Evaluator Training Presentation
● Recertification Training Presentation
In order to receive credit for the training, please make sure to complete the survey link provided on the final slide of either training to be marked as attended.
Teacher PGP & SLTs
All PGPs and SLTs must be entered into HCS by October 12th.
Mandatory Form Completion - Louisiana Worker's Compensation Second Injury Board Post Hire/Conditional Job Offer Knowledgeable Questionnaire
Principal SLT Guidelines
SUPERVISOR OF STEAM - THERESE ELLENDER, Ed.D.
Louisiana Farm to School Conference
OpenSciEd
October 6-7 and 13-14 Louisiana Tech $500 Registration Link
October 12-13 and 26-27 LSU Cain Center $200 Registration Link
November 3-4 and 10-11 Louisiana Tech $500 Registration Link
Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Equipment Grants
CTE - Monitoring: OCTOBER 22nd through October 26th
The Louisiana Department of Education will be on-site to audit all schools who benefit from Carl Perkins. Prior to this on-site visit, I will be contacting you for the desk review audit. I will need information from all schools to submit. I am thanking you in advance for your assistance.
General STEAM Reminders for 2018-2019
Career Futures
Career Futures Expo and Reality Store will be on Wednesday, October 31, 2018 at Northwest High for all 10th graders. More information will be sent out in October in order to prepare your students for this event. ALL School Counselors will be helping to facilitate this counseling event.
Curriculum Design Team – Business / Industry Advisory Board Meetings
Curriculum Design Team In-service will be held at each school with their Business / Industry Advisory Board members attending. Each Curriculum Design Team is to inform the CTE Coordinator of the date, time, and place of the meeting, along with an invitation to Dr. Therese D. Ellender to participate. This should begin no later than November.
This is a requirement to receive Perkins funding and for NCCER Accreditation.
Grant Opportunities
Grant opportunities are available in all disciplines. Grant opportunities are updated monthly and can be found at http://www.slp.k12.la.us/Grants/Grant_Opportunities.htm. Please notify my office if you receive a grant so that you can be acknowledged. Thanks
Allocations
Allocations must be encumbered no later than December 17, 2018 and invoiced no later than April 15, 2019. All requisitions requests MUST include three quotes except on food items and anything under $1000.00 (this is total order).
Advanced Placement (AP) Updates
Resources
● College Board is offering a webinar on October 17 at 1:00 p.m. on new AP program resources.
Registration is now open.
Data and Reports
All data related to AP student exam performance including AP Instructional Planning Reports are now available. For assistance with account access, please contact the AP program directly at 877-274-6474.
Supervisor of Instruction, School Choice, & School Improvement - Trina Preston
Principal Training Deck for School Performance Score Release
New: Updated ELPT and LEAP ConnectParent Guides
Placement Tests
If you are unsure whether or not a student needs to take a placement test, please do not hesitate to contact me. The placement test letter and application can be found on the district website homepage or by going to these links:
· Students entering grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and high school:
https://4.files.edl.io/9963/08/13/18/201228-41316a02-1a77-4764-a8bf-32647e4efab2.pdf
· Students entering grades 5 and 9:
https://4.files.edl.io/5dad/09/20/18/180654-271fa33b-da43-4f46-a9d8-a72bcefb9207.pdf
Assessment Updates
A one-page reference of all updates for assessments for the 2018-2019 school year has been posted in the LDOE Assessment Library under Resources + Forms. Updates include information about:
• LEAP 2025 and EOC Biology tests
• Science Practice Tests
• English Language Proficiency Screener (ELPS)
Assessment Guides for all state assessments can be found at this link: https://www.louisianabelieves.com/resources/library/assessment-guidance
Online Tools Training (OTT)
The Online Tools Training (OTT) for LEAP 2025, LEAP Connect, and the English Language Proficiency Test should be utilized throughout the year in order for students to become familiar with the online testing tools (e.g., highlighter, magnification, etc.) used for the operational test.
DIRECTOR OF TITLE 1 - SCOTT CHAMPAGNE
Title I
Principals, please be reminded that 75 percent of your expenditures from your Title I Schoolwide Budget for supplies/materials and equipment must be spent by November 1st, 2018.
Title IV Student Support & Academic Enrichment Grant
Please be advised that Title IV Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant School Needs Assessment/Plans were due on Friday, September 7, 2018. If you have not submitted your plan for approval, please do so.
Title I Documentation
Please ensure that Title I documentation is submitted on your school’s server by the required date as indicated on the 2018-2019 Title I Compliance Upload Deadlines (Title I Handbook, pages 12-13). There are a number of schools that have not uploaded the required documentation.
Parent & Family Engagement Policy - Public Input
TITLE I PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR PAT MASON-GUILLORY
SLPSB Veteran Employee Recognition Day
In honor of Veterans Day, St. Landry Parish School Board in Partnership with LHC Group
will recognize former and present employees who have served in the United States Armed Forces.
Veteran Employee Recognition Day will be held Thursday, November 8, 2018 at the Opelousas Civic Center.
The program will begin at 5:00 P.M.
In preparation:
© The Veteran Employee Form MUST be completed.
© Forms can be downloaded from the School Board website: www.slp.k12.la.us
© Forms MUST be submitted to Pat Mason-Guillory no later than October 26, 2018.
© Show your Pride – Wear your Service Uniform, if possible!!!!!
© Family members and friends are welcome to attend.
“We defend and we build a way of life,
Not for America alone…but for all mankind.”
Franklin D. Roosevelt
PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT:
*The District Monthly Newsletters for Parents and Students are available for download on three (3) levels:
Elementary School
Middle School
High School
The newsletters contain tips for parents and families to help their children do better in School.
Please share during your school’s parent activities and with your staff.
Thank you.
*If you designated a member of your staff to oversee the Parent and Family Engagement Component of Title I, please send me their contact information.
*The School, Family, and Community Partnerships Handbook is to be used as a resource guide for implementing the Six-Types of Involvement: Parenting, Communicating, Volunteering, Learning at Home, Decision Making and Collaborating with the Community.
*Parents Right-to Know: Please remember to send parents the notification letter if their children are being taught by a non-certified teacher.
*Parent and Family Engagement requirements are to be uploaded to the Title I Compliance Folders.
This process is on-going, therefore, please try to keep your folders as current as possible. Thank you.
Students of the Year Program – Levels 5th, 8th & 12th
*The Name of the Student (s) representing your school as the 2018-2019 Student of the Year
Must be submitted to me on or before November 7, 2018.
*The Writing Component will be held on November 14, 2018, at the Resource Center for 5th, 8th and 12th Grades.
Time: 8:00 A.M. Students MUST be in their assigned seats at the Resource Center by 7:45 A.M.
*Special thanks to the Faculty Representatives for their attendance at the organizational meeting on September 12, 2018.
Please reach out to me if additional assistance is needed.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR/WEBMASTER TRICIA FONTENOT
EDLIO - NEW SCHOOL WEBSITE ADMIN TRAINING
Date of Training: October 8, 2018
Time: 3:30 - 4:30
Location: SLPSB Computer Lab
*Please forward the link below to them in order for them to register for this training.
TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR MEETING
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Resource Center
Child Nutrition Supervisor - Helen Robinson
National School Lunch Week is October 15-19, 2018.
"School Lunch: Lots 2 Love" is the theme for the 2018 National School Lunch Week. This theme is about the unique details that make your cafeteria a special place that students want to eat every day – creative menus, choices, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, whole grains. More than 30 million students are served a lunch every day at school by devoted school lunch staff — that is Lots 2 Love!!!
Submitting Content for Administrative Reminders
Email: TOF9686@SLP.K12.LA.US
Website: www.slp.k12.la.us
Location: 1013 E. Creswell Lane, Opelousas, LA 70571
Phone: 337.948.3657