Sunday Shakedown
Weekly Memo for Washington Elementary
Thanks, celebration and appreciation:
- Thanks to Christy Belle and team for preparing so many breakfasts and a great Thanksgiving meal for students/families
- Congrats to Jayson Arnold and wife -expecting a baby in June
- Thanks to Lauren and Vicki for getting the Christmas tree up in time for Warm and Fuzzy Bears
- Thanks to our fourth grade students for packing and sorting all of the canned food items
- Congrats to the Hincke's on the birth of Adler Grey! He's so adorable!
- Thanks to all who donated decorations for the fall welcome table. Your items are in my office and can be picked up at any time.
- Thanks to Kayla Stevenson for her service. She will be resigning to begin her teaching career as a resident teacher after Christmas. We know she will take the GWES spirit with her as she begins this journey.
- Thanks to Traci Harris, Carrie, Lisa, Billy and team for persevering with a difficult IEP meeting
- Get well wishes to Laura, who had gall bladder surgery over the break. Let's hope she is feeling better soon!
Collaborative Commitment to Homework
We believe that homework should be appropriate for the age and ability of students. Fundamental to our belief is that reading to, with, and by family members is of the utmost importance. For this reason, all students are asked to read 20 minutes per night regardless of grade level. Math homework is assigned based on the grade level and as indicated in the unit of study. We use the guidelines below in planning for homework. Should additional work be necessary in other subjects or classwork is not complete, you may receive individualized information from the classroom teachers. Homework support is available each morning from 7:45-8:15. We ask that you notify us a day in advance if your child will attend at tharris@k12k.com. In addition, this may be assigned in advance by teachers in order to support individual student needs.
Week of Nov 27-Dec 1
Faculty Meeting for Action Teams
Mountain Trail Parent Meeting at 5:30 in auditorium
Tuesday:
Wolf's Announced Observation with Dr. Arnold and Dr. Potter (details to come)
PBL Collaboratives all day (LCA just finished PBL, so we will not meet)
First Patriot Pals Meeting (LCD during lunch 10:30 and LCE during lunch 12:50)
Innovative Solutions to Behavior Cohort at DBE afterschool for those involved
Wednesday:
Birthdays with the Principals
Book Fair Begins
Thursday:
SST meetings in the counseling office all day
Wolf at Elementary Principal's Collaborative 10-1:30
Friday:
Club day!
Wolf and Trent at ASC to make data presentation 9:00-11:00
A look ahead:
2nd grade planning day Dec 4
K planning day Dec 5
LCF to Rocky Mount on Dec 5
GWES tech night - Dec 5 at 5:15
Easy CBM window Dec 1-15
RTI meetings Dec 7
Girls Family Life Dec 4,5,6,7
Tribe Games Bowling Dec 8
GWES 12 Days of Christmas Cheer (more info to come) Begins Dec 6
IAs invited to training at ASC Dec 14 -they will be out 9:15-10:45
For Your Information:
*Please help !! If you are able to hang out with some robots on Tuesday night, December 5th please let me know. I have a couple of smiling faces but we need more to make it magical. Thank you for your willingness and support.
TDOE Seeking Members for K-8 Computer Technology Standards Revision Committees
The TDOE is responsible for overseeing the review and revision of the K-8 computer technology standards and is seeking qualified educators to partner in this process. Qualified candidates include those that have expertise in teaching and/or integrating technology in their instruction. This may include, but is not limited to, classroom teachers, instructional coaches, school administrators, or central office supervisors.
Selected applicants will work on committees to revise the standards within grade bands (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8). Participants will meet in Nashville on Dec. 9-10 and will continue their work through virtual meetings. Qualified applicants should apply here by Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. CST.FREE - Restorative Practices Training
Restorative practices have been proven effective in reducing misbehavior, bullying, violence, and crime among students while improving the overall climate for learning in schools. In collaboration with STARS Nashville, the department will provide the following free training opportunities. Space is limited for these trainings, and registration will close on Nov. 20.
- Introduction to Restorative Practices training will cover the basics of restorative practices and how to use classroom circles as a restorative practice. For details and registration information, click here.
- Restorative Justice Conferencing training designed for administrators will cover how to facilitate restorative conferences. For details and registration information, click here. Note that Introduction to Restorative Practices is a required prerequisite for this training.
tnAchieves Seeking Mentors for Class of 2018
tnAchieves is seeking mentors for students who will graduate in Spring 2018. The mission of tnAchieves is to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance. Mentors invest about 10-15 hours each year (typically less than one hour per month) to serve as a resource for high school seniors/college freshmen. Requirements to be a mentor include being at least 21 years of age, applying to serve by December 1, passing a background check, completing the one-hour mandatory mentor training, attending two one-hour meetings per year with your students and communicating with students every two weeks via email, phone or text as they transition from high school to college. Click here for more information about tnAchieves. Click here to apply to become a mentor. To chat with KCS personnel who have already served as mentors, please contact Misty Keller or Scott Pierce, Megan Bryant and Amy Ardire
Starting Jan. 3, 2018, Kingsport City Schools will move from the current Microsoft Outlook email/calendar/contacts provider to Google G Suite.
Ultimately, Google G Suite was selected by the TAC as the best path forward. The move (migration) from Outlook to Google G Suite will increase email/calendar functionality, provide better collaboration and availability features, and offer unlimited storage, which our current systems cannot provide. This was recommended as the most cost-effective solution for our district.
WHO: All KCS Employees.
WHAT: Outlook emails, calendars and contacts will migrate from Outlook to Google G Suite (Mail, Calendar, and Contacts).
WHEN: The migration of data has already begun and will continue through Winter Break. The last day to use Outlook will be Jan. 2, 2018. Starting Jan. 3 only Google G Suite will be used.
WHY: The move to Google G Suite will increase email/calendar functionality, provide better collaboration and availability features, and offer unlimited storage, which our current systems cannot provide.
HOW: Migrations will be ongoing until Jan. 2, 2018 via the KCS technology department.
A few key things: If you have anything on K drive or other network drives that you want saved, they need to be transferred to Google drive
IF your password for email and computer log on is few than 8 characters, you will need to change it
See Lucy for details-she is still learning, so we can ask Hope for help if needed
Warm and Fuzzy Tree
http://washingtonelementarycounseling.weebly.com/warm--fuzzy-tree.html
Professional Learning
Please find attached and at the link below the 10-day PL Calendar Agenda.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1T7BafVFrDrlP8ETRnp04JGggHr4TtY3F
WSIC News
Link to the WSIC, please be certain to watch each day: https://goo.gl/vjw2eP
Book Fair News
*Checkout for Teachers & Students is closed from Monday, Nov. 28 - Friday, Dec. 8.
*Book Fair is open for purchases from 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.**However if a student is with an adult they may come in at 7:30 to preview.
Visiting the Book Fair During the School Morning
*Students are asked to not be able to come to the Book Fair until AFTER the morning bell rings and the following has been accomplished:
1st: Check into Learning Center and put up BackPacks
2nd: Attend Morning Meeting
3rd: Receive Teacher’s Permission
*Students will be given the opportunity to purchase at the book fair during their library class time or on RACE Day.
*Afternoon Bus Students need to report to the Auditorium. The library doors on the Intermediate hall will be locked at 3:00 p.m.
*Teachers please make sure to sign your class up for their Book Fair Sneak Peak time. The sign-up sheet is on the break room door.
*Beginning Monday through Friday, Dec. 9, Morning bus duty should be able to stay the same. However, AFTERNOON BUS DUTY will be going to the Auditorium or Music Room. (Will need to check with IA’s on what they decided)
*Teachers if you need a book from the library for the next couple of weeks, please let us know ASAP! The shelves will be moved together on Tuesday and we will have no checkout during the next two weeks.
*Please be prepared to see the large bookcases in the hall outside of the Cafeteria. They should be delivered on Monday. We have one of the biggest elementary school Book Fairs in our region, that is why there are so many cases !