Andrew Johnson Weekly Updates
We Are Eagles...Watch us SOAR!
Thanks...
- Special Thanks to all instructional assistants who covered lunch duties, classrooms, proctored / administered tests and covered where needed. All of you are Awesome!
- Thanks to Ms. Slemp for coordinating the DB Band and Orchestra Visit this week.
- Thanks to Ms. Hernandez and our Special Ed Team for helping us celebrate our students with Down Syndrome on 3/21.
- Thanks to Ms. Doty for presenting to our parents on how to have literacy rich homes.
Two of our Teachers are Featured as Tennessee Success Stories
Student Leadership in Action...
Watch Real Eagles LIVE!!!
The link below will take you to a live feed of the eagles' nest in our area. I think you students would really enjoy checking in with them throughout the day. What a great prompt for a draft book entry!
http://m.wcyb.com/news/live-watch-local-eagles-getting-ready-to-become-parents/38325692
Our Problem of Practice
Rationale:
We know that school culture trumps all. Our faculty and staff have long experienced a positive culture that has many characteristics of an extended family. We have come to understand that this same sense of community has not translated to our student body. As a result, we have embraced the 7 habits and student leadership as a way to intentionally transform our student culture. We recognize that this work impacts every other area in the life of our school and is worth the investment of our time and energy.
Where we are stuck:
We are striving to make student leadership the cornerstone of our work. We are unsure how deeply our students understand the concept and application possibilities associated with the 7 habits and student leadership. To what degree, is this work strengthening/enhancing our instructional program?
Questions:
1. What student evidence demonstrates conceptual understanding or application of the 7 habits (beyond just using the language)?
2. What evidence do you see of teachers connecting the 7 habits/leadership to content, real world scenarios, or classroom practice?
3. What evidence demonstrates school pride, ownership, and empowerment?
Reminders...
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You will be pleased to know that Thursday, March 24 will be a district-wide JEANS FOR STREAM DAY! With a $5 minimum donation any KCS employee may wear jeans to work! The money collected from the JEANS FOR STREAM DAY will be used to help fund scholarships for students who would not be able to attend the KCS STREAM Summer Camp (rising 2nd—6th grade), KCS X-STREAM Summer Program (rising 7th—9th grade) or the new KCS X-STREAM Design Summer Program (rising 10th – 12th grade) without assistance. Please make checks payable to the City of Kingsport with KCS STREAM Camp in the memo line.
- Worksheet Use Reminder- We were reminded in our principal meeting this week to consider how often work sheets are being used, the rigor and quality of work being produced when completing a worksheet and our initiative to reach our 21st century learners by embedding technology into our lessons. Students should not be spending their time completing worksheets that only require lower level thinking skills (ex: word searches, coloring sheets, fill in the blank, etc.) Please assess the rigor and relevance of any worksheet you are considering.
Please distribute the second semester Grounds and Maintenance Survey to your staff. Remember, this is completed twice each year as a part of the KCS Strategic Plan. Please ask staff to have this done by Friday, March 18.
Here is the link:
- Since Monday, we have had a change in the self-scoring process for our post conferences. Administrators will no longer be given access to enter self-scores. So, teachers will need to do this themselves by logging on to the tncompass site and entering their own. Please go ahead and register and log in to expedite this process. Go to https://tdoe.tncompass.org and register. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
As warmer weather is on the horizon, Misty Keller reminds us of our KCS Coordinated School Health Wellness initiatives:
1. Denying student participation in recess or other physical activities as a form of discipline is discouraged; furthermore, the use or implementation of physical activity as a form of discipline is discouraged"
2. Encourage the use of “non-food" items when rewards are used.
From the ASC
NEW
Friendly Reminder
Please remember and share with KCS staff that, according to the Employee Handbook, the use of scented perfumes, lotions, etc. is discouraged in all KCS buildings. Spring is a time when allergies really flare up, so anything we can do to reduce allergens in a building is appreciated!
Thank you for sharing this reminder with your staff.
NEW
Learnng Sessions Announced
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Summit will be held May 17-18, 2016 in Nashville, TN. Summit sessions are designed to provide attendees opportunities to interact with educational leaders and practitioners who are seeing success with integrating STEM practices in their classrooms and communities.
For more information or to register, click here.
Last Day for the Spring Grounds and Maintenance Survey!
Please distribute the second semester Grounds and Maintenance Survey to your staff. Remember, this is completed twice each year as a part of the KCS Strategic Plan. Please ask staff to have this done by today, Friday, March 18.
For the survey, please click here.
Pre-Kindergarten Screenings for the 2016-2017 school year will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., located at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium. Screenings only and NOT registration.
Kindergarten Registration for the 2016-2017 school year will be held on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 from 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. at all KCS Elementary Schools.
Apply to Join the 2016 TNCPE Board of Examiners
Want to be a part of the best professional development program in the state? The TNCPE Board of Examiners forms an elite group of business leaders who drive continuous improvement in their organizations. Apply now to join them in making a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of Tennesseans.
Serving on the Board of Examiners is an enormously powerful leadership and performance excellence experience. Examiners have the opportunity to:
- Receive training in the internationally acclaimed Baldrige Excellence Framework™,
- Sharpen their leadership skills,
- Broaden their business acumen,
- Experience best-practice benchmarking,
- Develop relationships with other quality professionals, and
- Learn from the best professional development program Tennessee has to offer.
Deadline for applying is Monday, April 4.
2016 Essay Contest
Every year, the TDOE hosts an essay contest to honor talented teachers through student voices. This year’s contest celebrates how great teachers inspire their students daily with the prompt: "My teacher has inspired me to …" All Tennessee public school students in grades kindergarten through twelve are eligible to participate. The complexity of the essay will vary by age; K–2 students should record their thoughts on video. One winner will be selected from each of the following grade bands: K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12, and the winning students and honored teachers will be celebrated during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6.
All submissions must be received by the Tennessee Department of Education office by 5 p.m. CDT on Friday, April 8. For contest details, click here.
Contact Educator.Communications@tn.gov if you have questions.