Eagle Express
LHS Staff Newsletter--Year 17, Vol. 38, 05/28/2018
SCA End-of-Year Help
Faculty and staff can use the form below to request student help with classroom cleaning and packing department offices, and any other end-of-year tasks as needed.
Senior Final Assessments
EARLY FINAL ASSESSMENTS FOR SENIORS ONLY WILL BE GIVEN ON
MONDAY, JUNE 4 DURING BLOCKS 1B AND 2B CLASS TIME
TUESDAY, JUNE 5 DURING BLOCKS 1A AND 2A CLASS TIME
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 DURING BLOCKS 3B AND 4B CLASS TIME
AND THURSDAY, JUNE 7 DURING BLOCKS 3A AND 4A CLASS TIME
Guidelines:*
- Seniors in “mixed” classes who are required to take a final assessment will report directly to the SCHOLA at the beginning of the block. These students will take their assessment in the Schola. Teachers must provide copies of their final assessment to Mrs. Muench by Tuesday, May 29. Please make sure you give Mrs. Muench everything your students will need to complete the final assessment (scantrons, calculators, passwords, etc.).
- Teachers must also submit the form from the end-of-year packet listing senior students who will be reporting to the Schola on June 4 through 7. This form must be given to Mrs. Muench by Tuesday, May 29.
- Seniors who are in “pure” (senior only) courses such as English 12 and Government will complete their final assessment during the appropriate block in the classroom with the teacher.
- Once the senior has completed the final assessment for a particular class, they are excused from that class (i.e. after Monday, June 4, seniors will not report to Block 1B and 2B, etc.).
- Grades for seniors should be entered by 3 p.m. on the day following the assessment. All senior grades must be entered by 8 a.m. on Monday, June 11.
- SENIOR FAILURE NOTICES should be completed for each of your classes. You can access the failure notice using the Google Form link below.
*These guidelines are also included in the end-of-year packet.
Senior Grades
Teachers will submit senior failure notices to the school counseling office each day of senior exams. Senior grades are due in Synergy by 8:00 am on Monday, June 11th. Once all senior grades are submitted on Monday, June 11th, we will begin the process of calculating the rankings for Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Honor Graduates. NO grade changes can be made to senior grades in Synergy after this point. If you identify an error in your grade calculations, you must notify Margaret Burgess and Beth Bryant immediately.
Final Assessment Exemption Forms
SOL-EOC First Time
FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/pfbAZxFA3KNEWjkq2
Responses: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wys55zX1xRUMuNme1QNqYYX14mh86YaxW4AVMyovKyM/edit?usp=sharing
SOL-EOC Repeat
FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/pkr5DIzWoY9OHvHQ2
Responses: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19GhYB_axF2v-M-fVsWGCNrlqA9lIbMPyej76pZwvHT0/edit?usp=sharing
Senior, AP, Industry, and HPE students
FORM: https://goo.gl/forms/bNhJjsdvGf1in9i13
Responses:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11SDer119hRvQLDweYeV12FtQ57eEZAvrRA___4jGDss/edit?usp=sharing
Details of the forms:
Students will need to be logged in to their VBCPS accounts to complete the form. Teachers will not have editing capabilities on the original responses spreadsheet. The response spreadsheet is a whole school document that you will only be able to view. You will be able to easily check to see which students have submitted the form. You won’t need to make a copy of the spreadsheet because all the info will auto populate and Jason can set it to sort by the teacher column.
Advisory for 2018-2019
We are beginning to work on plans for the 18-19 Advisory Program. We wanted feedback from you before we begin any changes to advisor assignments. Please use the link below to answer a few questions. Please submit by Friday, June 1st.
I Make a Difference
This week's I Make a Difference recipient is Janet Tull. Last week's winner, Mark Doyle, writes, "LHS has so many unsung heroes who work tirelessly at night to make sure the school looks perfect in the morning. Often we do not even know the faces or names of these professionals. Janet Tull is one of these people that not everyone gets to meet. For many of us, our classrooms are our second home, and coming into a clean home is always a great feeling. Janet is one of the wonderful people who makes sure students and teachers come “home” to a comfortable place. She always has an infectious smile that shows no hint that this is only one of her two jobs, and that immediately following her shift that ends here at 10:30 PM, she works as a nursing assistant from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM taking care of sick and elderly patients at a nursing facility. She always has a kind word to say and a positive attitude. She always is doing her best to find out what she can do to make our days easier. She always is making a difference, and I would like to humbly thank her for it."
Maintaining Quality Instruction
Please remember that there is an expectation that the VBCPS Teaching and Learning Framework should drive instructional practices in every classroom, every day. As the Framework calls for, daily experiences should include: clearly designed standards-based learning targets, well planned standards aligned instruction, and opportunities that maximize student engagement. As the school year draws to a close and many instructional units have been completed, teachers are encouraged to utilize instructional time to engage students in inquiry based learning experiences that integrate content and foster the 5 Cs. Teachers may wish to utilize the many curricular embedded suggestions and resources for performance tasks and Problem Based Learning. Please contact the departments of Teaching and Learning or School Leadership with any questions or for assistance.
In the past, parent calls have expressed concern that students “watch videos” or “just play” the days after testing is completed. These final school days should be productive learning days for students.
National Board Certification Support
The division is providing opportunities for current National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) and teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification. The National Board Certification process is a rigorous professional learning endeavor reflecting both achievement in content knowledge and teaching practice. The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation is pleased to provide a support program designed to promote and assist candidates seeking certification, and NBCTs are needed to serve as role models by sharing their expertise and enthusiasm as Candidate Support Providers or Ambassadors.
The Candidate Support Provider (CSP) is a teacher who has successfully been through the process and has knowledge of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. CSPs will be paid a stipend based on the hours reported on the NBCT CSP Log in Frontline for time leading collaboration with candidates. Responsibilities of the CSP include but are not limited to the following:
Scheduling, designing and facilitating individual or small-group collaboration meetings with candidates that promote thoughtful reflection in the development of the National Board Certification components.
Becoming familiar with the component directions and rubrics in order to guide candidate(s) to describe, analyze and reflect on teaching and learning.
Demonstrating professionalism and integrity, especially in terms of maintaining confidentiality and following ethical guidelines.
Current NBCTs interested in serving as a CSP must first complete a Candidate Support Provider Interest Survey form, which includes a principal recommendation. This may be found on the Forms menu on vbcps.com, under Professional Growth and Innovation. Candidate Support Provider Interest Surveys are due by June 18. Selected CSPs will be notified about training opportunities and will receive workshop pay and license renewal points for this training. If NBCTs have served as mentors to candidates in the past, then they are not required to reapply but will be expected to attend a workshop on the refinements made to this role’s responsibilities.
Teachers may also choose to become an NBCT Ambassador, which provides NBCTs an opportunity to promote the National Board Certification program. Current NBCTs interested in serving as an Ambassador must complete the application, which includes a principal recommendation. The application may be found on the Forms menu on vbcps.com, under Professional Growth and Innovation. Applications for the NBCT Ambassador program are accepted on an ongoing basis. Current NBCT Ambassadors do not need to reapply. The expectations for Ambassadors are as follows:
Promoting National Board Certification by hosting an informational session at their school. Materials will be provided.
Supporting National Board Certification by answering questions about the process and benefits of certification to potential candidates.
The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation is pleased to continue support for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) teachers interested in pursuing National Board Certification (NBC).
Summer Workshops
Jump Start to NBC will be held in VBCPS during the summer. These workshops will provide an in-depth learning of the foundations and requirements on the components. Teachers should register for the sessions in Frontline.Support Workshops
A series of eight workshops led by VBCPS National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) will take place on Saturdays throughout the year. License renewal points are earned at each workshop. Teachers should register for the Initial NBC (years one through four of candidacy) or the Renewal NBC sessions (current NBCTs renewing their certification) in Frontline. The Saturday workshops will be held at Plaza Annex from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the following Saturdays: October 6, November 3, December 1, 2018, and January 5, February 2, March 2, April 6 and May 4, 2019. Afternoon support sessions will also be held throughout the school year.Professional Learning Facilitator
Candidates will be paired with trained Candidate Support Providers for individual or small-group collaboration throughout the candidacy process on a first come, first served basis.Financial Support
Initial candidates will be reimbursed up to $250 per component upon receiving a score of 1.75 or higher.Professional Leave
All Initial, Retake and Renewal candidates may request one professional leave day per year.
Announcements & Reminders
Free Football Camp: Virginia Beach native and NFL player, Shamarko Thomas is hosting a free football camp this Saturday, June 2 from 9am – noon at the Sportsplex. It is free for children 8 -18. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn from a pro!
Prom Chaperones Needed: Don't forget that Prom is this Saturday (June 2) at the Sheraton Oceanfront Hotel. All staff who help out by chaperoning will earn flex hours that can be applied to the June 18 staff work day.
GMU Online Master's Degree: George Mason University is offering Blended and Online Learning in Schools Master’s Degree (30 credits) and Graduate Certificate (16 credits). This teacher-friendly program is fully-online and prepares teachers to personalize students’ learning by blending face-to-face and online learning activities or by teaching/designing fully-online courses. Check out this program flyer for more information.
Senior Awards Assembly
Closing Out the School Year
From the TST . . .
End of Year Technology Issues:
- Please be sure you back up all your files. Any files you have on the computer could be gone. Files on Google Drive, Office 365, and the H drive are safe.
- Teacher desktops will be gone when you return. Any files you have on the computer will be gone. Files on Google Drive, Office 365 One Drive, and the H drive are safe.
- Teacher laptops must be signed out via the “DOT Technology Equipment Check-out Agreement.” Please fill out the form and turn it in to the TST. Otherwise, your laptop must be turned in prior to leaving for the summer. These laptops can be reimaged which means files could be gone when you return unless they are backed up.
- Teacher Chromebooks are already considered checked-out for the summer.
- Change your password prior to leaving for the summer so it doesn’t expire prior to you returning. I can only give passwords to you in person, not via the phone, e-mail, or another person.
June 18 Staff/Flex Work Day
All teachers and teacher assistants may work a flex schedule for the staff day June 18. You may begin working the extra time May 15 and keep a log of the time worked on your WISE timesheet. Please be sure to record this time in the "additional hours worked" column and total your time at the end of the pay period in order to help Terri as she must account for everybody's time.
Teacher assistants, ISS coordinators and library assistants may not work more than 40 hours in any one week. The time sheets will provide documentation to support the hours reported in WISE. The flex day applies only to the following group of employees:
- All teachers whose schedule ends June 18.
- Teacher assistants, ISS coordinators, and library media assistants.
- Security assistants are not eligible because of security needs of the building.
Eligible employees who do not choose to make use of the flex day and do not wish to report June 18 may choose to take personal reasons leave with approval of the building principal. All staff members who participate in graduation will be granted 3 hours of time towards this work day.
Kudos
Congratulations to our Boys Track team for taking third place at the regional track meet. Kyrian Idlebird won first place in the high jump. Congrats also to our Girls team for their 9th place finish.
Upcoming Events
Monday, 5/28
Memorial Day--No School
Tuesday, 5/29 (B)
World Geography & World History II SOL
Wednesday, 5/30 (A)
Earth Science & Chemistry SOL
NHS Inductions, Schola, 1:30
Heritage Week Meeting, ECC, 2:25
Thespian Inductions, Schola, 2:30
Wrestling Fundraiser @ Jimmy John's, 5-9 p.m.
Thursday, 5/31 (B)
VA/US History SOL
Rho Kappa Inductions, Schola, 12:00
Friday, 6/1 (A)
World Languages Inductions, Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, 6/2
Prom, Sheraton Oceanfront
05/30 William Wales, NJROTC
06/03 Woody Gehlert, Band
VBGradwall
Families and friends of graduates in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) Class of 2018 may share their congratulations now by posting a message on the VBGradWall. Available online at www.vbschools.com/gradwall, each of the school division's comprehensive high schools has its own wall for visitors to share posts for graduates. VBGradWall will be available through June 30.
Applying the VBCPS Definition of Student Engagement
Put it to the test . . .
- Is it rooted in standards?
- Are students making connections between content and self?
- Do students have opportunities to take ownership?
- Is it collaborative work?
- Is it relevant?
- Is it authentic?
- Is it purposeful?
- Is there an appropriate level of cognitive stimulation?
Landstown High School
Email: cheryl.askew@vbschools.com
Website: http://www.landstownhs.vbschools.com/
Location: 2001 Concert Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Phone: 757-648-5500
Twitter: @LandstownEagles