Our Family Matters
CPES Staff E Newsletter September 21
Five Focus Areas
Safety and Security
First and foremost, I want to express my appreciation for doing what you know we should do. You made lots and lots of wise choices in the middle of a chaotic situation. I am so proud of you. Here are a few thoughts and reflections I've had since Wednesday.
1. Accounting for Kids--Not only do we need to let someone know if we are missing kids but also if we have kids who we shouldn't have (i.e. we gathered them up if they were in the halls), please convey that to our area callers (Melinda and Michelle, Maggie and Joseph, Lisa and Stacy, Robbie and Amy).
2. Safety is Fast and Security is Slow--Remember that getting kids safe should be a quick process. Evacuating out the building, moving into lockdown positions, coming inside, and moving to a sheltered location should happen fast. Once we know we have kids out of harm's way, we can literally take all day to ensure that we have counted all our kids and that they go home correctly and securing. We want to be patient in that process.
3. Know the Tension between When to Lead and When to Follow--It is OK to take initiative to make decisions in order to keep our kids safe. Don't ever wait for someone else to tell you what to do to keep kids safe. If you see something, say something and do something. On the other hand, if the safety issue has been addressed, wait for clear direction for the next steps. Even on Wednesday, there was some miscommunication happening (not from us) and I appreciate you not acting on it until you heard from us how we would finish the day. Well done.
4. Keeping Our Composure--On Wednesday, the eyes of our kids and parents were on you to know what to do. Because you stayed calm, our kids and parents did. We had 200+ parents in car lines watching you. It is a miracle that none got out of their cars. I think that is because they saw that you had things under control. Again, well done. After an event is over, we can all fall apart together.
5. Did You Have All You Needed? Did you have your red bag, roster, and walkie talkie? Did you know what to do and where to go even if you were in a different part of the building from your normal room? Did you have the support you needed if you were one of the area callers? If you did not have an assigned responsibility, were you helping in whatever way you could?
6. Suggestions or Questions--Email me mailto:pmaness@rhmail.org if you have any from Wednesday's events. We always want to get better.
Recruitment and Retention
2. New School Security Officer--Is on his/her way. I met with Steve Thompson this morning to discuss our needs. I know that they will make a great placement. He/she should be here in the next two weeks.
3. A District Recruitment and Retention Meeting will be held Oct 2nd 4:00 in conference room C. If you would like to serve on this district committee, please email me before September 25th and I will send your name to Dr. Campbell.
Student Achievement
Dr. Cook's Thoughts on Leverage--In his weekly newsletter, he is discussing with us Essential Elements of Leadership. This week, he discusses "leverage" which is doing what really makes a difference. He applies that thought to what research says makes the difference in student achievement. His one page article is below and is well worth reading.
Tuesday Afternoon--3:00 MAP Training (Focused on Using MAP data for differentiation and grouping)
Progress Reports--Thanks for getting these out this week.
Read Your Way to the Big Game-- See last week's Family Matters email for info about this.
Data Meetings--3rd and 1st will be Monday, Sept. 23 in the AM and PM respectively. Try to come as soon as you can so we can get everything done. We want to celebrate our success and determine areas of growth and improvement in this process.
Culture
Understanding Trauma: The Learning Brain v. The Survival Brain (5 Minutes)--This is a great video that Dr. Martha Edwards shared about how our kids learn who have trauma. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoqaUANGvpA&feature=youtu.be
Girls on the Run--Starts this Monday and they will meet on B Hall after school. Coaches are Sadie Kirell, Jill McCall, Wendy Roby, Anna Echols, and Roseann Koellner. We will have two teams of girls and they will run over at Cherry Park. They will meet after school on Mondays and Wednesdays this fall. Please tell these ladies how much we appreciate them when you see them. GOTR is for 3rd-5th grade girls.
Let Me Run--Is for boys in fourth and fifth grades. They will begin on Tuesday afternoon and they will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 3:30. Their coaches will be Alice Davis, Mary Ann Kennedy, David Guyton, Leonard Tant, and some other men who work out with the F3 group here in town. They are looking for a staff member who could help on Thursdays until 3:30. If you are interested, see me.
Communication
Grade Chairs--Lisa Smith (K), Erin Webb (1st), Bonnie Jean Avilez (2nd), Meriam Polanco (3rd), Michelle Preston (4th), Melinda Reid (5th), Christi Beard (Related Arts), Kristina Marshall (Resource/Support)
Safety--Lisa Smith, Maggie Pezzello, Kathy Guarino, Tracy Mitchell, Javier Marin, Amy Giles, Melinda Reid, Martha Miller
Recruitment and Retention--Manon Lopes, Yahaira Reddy Sindgedi, Lucia Hoyle, Missy Wright, Enrique Saavedra, Alberto Leon, Chana Sanders
Student Achievement--Stacy Doyle, Joseph McFadden, Merisam Polanco, Sharon Crocker, Ninfa Leon, Robbie Bartless, Susan Dixon, Emily Anderson
School Culture--Claudia Notaro, Rocio Kiker, Sonia Garces, Bonnie Jean Avilez, Aida Garcia, Heather McNay, Kristina Marshall, Cara Rezzai
Communication--Jordan Pope, Sara Brenton, Tanjie Woods, Emily Parrish, Michelle Preston, Jenn Fant, Molly Garrard, Zulmarie Allison
We will plan for committees to meet on the first Tuesday of each month.
Calendar of Events
Monday, September 23--7:45 Third Grade Data Meeting (Guidance Conference Room); 11:00 First Grade Data Meeting (Guidance Conference Room); 2:30-4:00 Girls on the Run (First Day)
Tuesday, September 24--Emily Parrish's Birthday; 3:00 MAP Training and Related Arts/Resource Support PLC Districtwide Meetings; 2:30-
Thursday--Giles Class on Kayak Trip, 8:00 AM Teacher Listen and Learn (Fishbowl)
Friday--8:30 Terrific Kids (Cafeteria); 9:15 Northwestern Football Coach Wofford "Win Today" Program for Fifth Grade (Cafeteria)
September 30-October 4--Open Enrollment Appointments for All Staff--Go here to schedule an appointment: http://wardservices.com/rockhillschools
Tuesday, October 1--Foundation Grants Due for Submission (See previous Family Matters emails for more info.)
Friday, October 4--10:30 2nd and 5th Grades to Presentation at SPHS; 12:30 3rd and 4th Grades to Presentation at SPHS
District Dates (See Below)
Assessment Calendar for 2019-2020 [Click Here]
Elementary Meeting Dates for 2019-2020
Please view/access the Google Doc here
New! ELA Professional Learning Opportunities provided by Dr. Susan Green, Liz Bridges and Barbara Fewell
[Click here for more information]
Math Newsletter August/September 2019 [Click Here]
Professional Development --Click Here for an overview of 2019-20 the Professional Learning Opportunities.
***September/October 2019 Professional Learning Newsletter (Be Sure to Check This List for PD Opportunities to Consider. Be sure you get approval from me if it requires you to be out of the building and that you'll need a sub.) Read HERE