SLP Superintendent's Newsletter
Week of November 4, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
NOVEMBER DEADLINES
- United Way Campaign – Please send donations and pledge cards to Tricia Fontenot.
- District Christmas Card Contest – Deadline to submit is November 15, 2019 - https://www.slp.k12.la.us/apps/pages/Christmas_Card_Design_Contest
SUPERINTENDENT PATRICK JENKINS
MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT JENKINS
- Planting grass – We are almost at our first full break!! However, I need you to maintain your focus on the prize. There will be many distractions with the impending Thanksgiving break, SLT development, fundraisers, conferences, field trips and observations. If you are not where you want to be today- I have good news for you – you have time to change! Develop a winning system for yourself and your team or school. Don’t focus on your current results as much as on the joy of developing and having a winning process. You will save students more with a winning process than with trying to be right or perfect every time. Just keep planting grass and have patience. Good things will eventually happen. They must.
Great Expectations!
- Five ways to develop a strong belief in your program –
- When belief withers, nurture it with possibilities.
- As you are watering your bamboo, you will likely encounter obstacles. When this happens, think of all the reasons why you can succeed rather than the reason you can’t. YES, YOU CAN!
- Fake it “til you make it.
- Keep believing even if It does not come naturally.
- Practice with others.
- The next time someone on your team or in your school comes up with a new idea make it a policy not to discuss why it won’t work until you fully explore all the ways you can make it work.
- Retrain your brain with affirmations.
- I believe in myself and my team
- I believe in my vision
- I believe I will succeed
- The more you make this part of your subconscious and conscious the more they become a part of who you are and what you want to become.
- Seek inspiration from other people's success.
- Look for people in your life and your work that you admire; pay attention to the beliefs they demonstrate.
- When belief withers, nurture it with possibilities.
- Customer service: I want everyone on your campuses to have a spirit of excellence and superior customer service. When a parent or visitor enters your building, I need for someone to greet them first. If they need assistance, rather than direct them, I need someone on your campus to escort them to the location. Our communities are our customers and we must be able to respond to their needs. In other words, use the McDonalds model….” Do you want fries with that!
Discipline Expectations for staff members
- Below are some draft Discipline expectations for staff members. If you do not have specific expectations/ language for them in your staff handbook, I have provided some draft language that you can use to develop your expectations.
- When you send a child to the office for discipline or send a behavior letter home, you should be in a position to support your action by giving recorded facts. This will strengthen your position, and being right in such a case is absolutely necessary. As you personally work with a problem child to bring about a solution to his problem, keep an anecdotal record sheet filled in on his case. This will not only help you to think logically concerning the problem, but it will also furnish the basis for action.
- All suspensions and expulsions are the responsibility of the principal. Teachers should endeavor to solve problems themselves in the classroom, using the principal as the last resort. Keep anecdotal records of his consistent behavior problems and bring these with you in cases where you find it necessary to bring students' behavior to the attention of the principal. Any consistent patterns or behaviors exhibited, don't hesitate to call for administration. To leave a class unattended is hazardous in the strictest sense of the word. If it results in nothing more serious, it can eventually lead to partial or complete loss of control of the group. In case of an emergency, press the intercom button located in your classroom. Do not engage in any type of physical encounter with a student. Never put a child in the hall or a closet. Do not hit, slap, strike, pinch, or shake children. A disruptive or defiant student who needs to be removed from the classroom is not your responsibility. Call for assistance from the office. Kneeling or other punishments involving physical pain is not to be administered.
- * No student should be sent to the office without a referral or some written information. Only write what you saw or heard.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP - NOVEMBER 2019 | VOLUME 77 | ISSUE 3
REMINDERS
#SLPRIDE
SL Perseverance Responsibility Integrity Determination
Expectations
Just a few notes and reminders:
CCIR – In the military, there is something called the Commanders Critical Information Requirements. It is a comprehensive list of information requirements identified by the commander as being critical in facilitating timely information management and the decision-making process that affect successful mission accomplishment.
I need you to ensure that you provide (via a call and/or text) me and your liaison any and all information that requires any emergency services professionals (Police, Sherriff, EMS, etc.) to be called to your campus. Once things have settled, I need you or your designee to provide a written statement. This will help me in my decision-making process as well as communicating with the media.
Here are a few, not limited to the following, examples:
Notify me immediately:
• Any death, serious injury or serious illness of a student or staff member
• Any lost or damaged equipment
• Any suicidal ideations or attempts
• Any reportable incident that is medium or high severity (DUI, domestic violence,
arrests, alcohol-related incidents, etc…)
• Any loss, compromise, or mishandling of sensitive material or equipment
• Any incidents of discrimination, hazing, or sexual harassment/assault
• Any transportation mishap
• Any missing or lost students that have been unaccounted for
• Any emergencies during school or sporting events
• Bomb Threats or Active Shooter events
Three Es– Stay Focused, Motivated, and of good courage…remember the three Es (Expectations, Enthusiasm, and Energy) they will get you to the finish line and beyond!
What’s Next - Some of you may remember the television show The West Wing. In it, the fictional president regularly ended staff meetings with two words – “What’s next?” It was his way of signaling that he was finishing the issues at hand and ready to move on to other concerns. This was his way of keeping his eyes ahead. What’s next for SLPSD? There are many challenges and opportunities that lie ahead but we must keep ourselves as well as our students focused on the tasks at hand. I know how hard you are working to make this year successful. Keep your eyes fixed on the prize!
Become What You Believe! Yes, We Can!
District 2019 - 2020 Theme: Become What You Believe!
Mission
Vision
LSBA LEGISLATIVE REMINDERS
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM - ANGELA CASSIMERE
New: 2019-2020 Teacher Roster Verification for VAM
The Curriculum Verification and Results (CVR) Reporting Portal roster verification ensures that teachers are assigned to the correct courses and classroom rosters of students for the purposes of value-added (VAM) analyses. The data in CVR will be used to calculate a teacher’s VAM score even if the teacher and/or principal do not verify the roster. Teachers instructing ELA, math, science, social studies (grades 4—8), and Algebra, Geometry, English I, and English II courses (all grades) should verify their rosters as they are eligible to receive VAM scores.
November 1—December 13 (6 weeks): CVR Open for View-only
● Users can view and check the roster data for accuracy and make changes in the source data systems (SIS, CUR, PEP). The CVR Help Desk will be able to assist with any issues that a school system must correct in the source data systems.
An updated user guide for CVR is now available.
New: Save-the-Date: Teacher Leader Summit 2020
The 2020 Teacher Leader Summit will take place May 27–29 at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Registration for the Summit will occur in three phases:
● Early bird registration (January 10 through March 1)
● Regular registration (March 2 through May 11)
● On-site registration for those who do not register by May 11
School systems will not receive a specific allotment of seats. Registration will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
To help offset the cost of running a high-quality, multi-day event for thousands of Louisiana educators, the Department will charge a small registration fee for the 2020 Teacher Leader Summit.
This fee will cover:
● admission to conference;
● conference sessions; and
● lunch (May 27 & May 28).
Description 1-Day Ticket 3-Day Ticket
Early Bird Registration (January 10—March 1) $35 $80
Regular Registration (March 2—May 11) $45 $100
On-site Registration (May 27—29) $60 N/A
Educators can receive a discount by registering early and registering for all three days at once. Educators can choose to not eat the lunch provided, but may not opt-out of the registration fee.
Reminder: Options for Students Who Take the ACT
Every student deserves the best chance to succeed. That’s why we’re providing new options for the ACT® test beginning with the September 2020 national test date, so students can put their best foot forward. These options are designed to give students more choices and an improved testing experience while providing greater confidence that their test scores reflect their overall academic achievement and potential.
- Section Retesting
Once students take a complete ACT test, they will have the opportunity to retake one or more single-section subject tests to improve their scores. - Superscoring
A superscore is an ACT Composite score calculated using the highest subject scores from different test administrations. This will allow students to showcase their highest achievements on college and scholarship applications by combining their highest scores by subject into one Composite score. - Faster Results with Online Testing
On national test days, students will be able to choose between online testing and traditional paper testing to better align with how they learn today. For students testing online, they will get faster test results—as soon as two business days.
Reminder: Timeline for Release of 2018-2019 School and Center Performance Scores
The 2018-2019 school and center performance scores will be released on November 6 in the Louisiana School Finder. Below is a timeline for when school systems will receive data and resources related to this release:
● November 5:
○ Early childhood education program “Honor Roll” results publicly released.
○ School system leaders receive statewide, school-system, and school-level suppressed results that evening.
● November 6:
○ School system leaders participate in a briefing call with Superintendent John White on statewide results at 10:00 a.m.
○ Superintendent White holds a media briefing on statewide results and results made public in School Finder and the website at 11:00 a.m.
Reminder: Resources and Events at the Louisiana Old State Capitol
Please share with high school teachers.
Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, part of the Office of Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, has partnered
with the National Park Service to host an exhibition called Victory from Within: The American POW Experience through December 20.
Below, please find information on other related upcoming programs and initiatives:
● November 13 at 5:30 p.m.: Part One: An American Prisoner of War Experience
○ Recommended Audience: High school students and above; not for sensitive audiences
● November 14 at 5:30 p.m.: Part Two: Victory from Within
○ Recommended Audience: High school students and above; not for sensitive audiences
Visit Louisiana’s Old State Capitol’s webpage for more information on all exhibits and upcoming events, including how to book a tour. Additional materials will be added to the site over the coming weeks.
Save the Date:
Wednesday, November 6, 2019, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Administrators Institute of Professional Learning: Focus: Inclusion—all grade levels. This will be held at the Pupil Appraisal Center.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please find attached the 2019 – 2020 Accountability Tracker that has been updated to reflect the current school year. The Accountability Tracker will be reviewed and discussed with administrators during the fall/winter High School Academic Audits conducted by Mr. Jenkins and team. Schedule is forthcoming.
SYLVIA BROWN, SUPERVISOR OF HEALTH AND NURSING
Reminder: School Immunization Reporting Deadline
The Louisiana Office of Public Health (OPH) reminds schools that the yearly submission of student immunization data is due November 15. Louisiana Revised Statute 17:170 requires chief administrators of all schools in the state, both public and private, to transmit electronically immunization compliance reports to the Louisiana Department of Health. School staff responsible for completing the submission must use the school module within LINKS, the Louisiana Immunization Network. All students attending school in Louisiana must have either a complete immunization record or an immunization exemption on file with the school in order to comply with the school entry law. School officials may exclude any student from attending school who does not present the required documentation.
Beginning with this year’s data, the OPH will publish school-level data on the OPH website. Parents and interested persons will be able to look up individual schools to assess how well the school is complying with laws requiring complete immunization records for school entry.
Schools in need of assistance related to the completion of the immunization report and submission of data through LINKS are encouraged to contact parish immunization program consultants. Contact information is available at the OPH Immunization Program website.
THERESE ELLENDER - SUPERVISOR OF STEAM
REMINDER: 2020 Jump Start Convention Registration is Open
Please share with counselors.
Registration for the 2020 Jump Start Convention is now open and will close on January 3. Participants will learn the latest trends in career and technical education and take a “deep dive” into the new streamlined Jump Start 2.0 pathways that will be considered for adoption in spring 2020. A list of discounted hotels is available for this event.
Accidents
In an effort to expedite to student accident claims please make sure the attached form is filled out and sent in with the student accident form IF you believe the accident will warrant an investigation or it required medical attention.
Parents/guardians would only get a copy of the regular student accident report—the attached supplement is for our adjuster only.
AP Coordinator Exam Order Training Dates
The preferred AP exam ordering deadline is October 4. Please register for one of the nine remaining Preparing and Submitting the Exam Order sessions for AP coordinators to prepare for the changes. The sessions will be offered at varying times on the following dates.
● November 6 at 11:00 a.m.
● November 12 at 8:00 a.m.
The final deadline for submitting AP exam orders is November 15.
Social Studies Fair
SEE ARCHIVED SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 SU NEWSLETTER FOR DETAILS
*ALL DOCUMENTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE PRINCIPALS E-BINDER.
SCIENCE FAIR
SEE ARCHIVED SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 SU NEWSLETTER FOR DETAILS
*ALL DOCUMENTS CAN BE FOUND IN THE PRINCIPAL'S EBINDER
TRESSA MILLER - DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
You should be reviewing and approving the following bookkeeping reports monthly. And your bookkeepers should be submitting these to Angie Marks monthly by the 15th.
- 1. General Ledger Activity Report for the month
- 2. Bank Reconciliation Report
- 3. Outstanding Check Listing
- 4. Copy of Entire Bank Statement (including copies of checks and deposits)
SEPTEMBER 2019 reports are due.
INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY FACILITATOR/WEBMASTER TRICIA FONTENOT
UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN
Please either send the United Way pledge cards and check to me or call me to make arrangements for me to pick it up.
Thanks in advance for your help in the 2019 St. Landry/Evangeline United Way Campaign!!!
Christmas Card Art Contest
Here is the link to the online application: www.slp.k12.la.us/apps/pages/Christmas_Card_Design_Contest.
The deadline for submission is November 15, 2019. All entries can be turned in to me at the school board office.
Winners have their artwork displayed on our district Christmas Card and they get a framed copy of their artwork.
New: U.S. Presidential Scholars Program
The U.S. Department of Education has invited chief state school officers to nominate outstanding students for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. This year, states are allowed to submit nominations for up to twenty-five outstanding students who would otherwise not qualify under the program's traditional academic component (automatically qualified based on ACT/SAT scores) or arts component. Nominations may also include students who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in career and technical education (CTE).
The Department invites school systems to submit nominations for up to three outstanding students. The nominations must include a male and female student for the general category, and at least one nomination should be for a student who has been successful in CTE. Students must be high school seniors scheduled to graduate or receive a diploma between January and August of 2020. Please review the additional program requirements to learn more.
Nominations should be submitted through a single nomination letter for all nominees (not to exceed three pages total) signed by the local superintendent or school leader, and emailed to leslie.hill@la.gov no later than November 15 at 4:30 p.m. Please include the student’s name, home mailing address, gender, and email address, as well as the high school name, mailing address, and CEEB code. Selected nominees will be sent through a secure online form to the U.S. Department of Education. Please note "Presidential Scholars" in the subject line.
Principals' E-Binder
https://www.slp.k12.la.us/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=371733&type=d&pREC_ID=1651247
Login Credentials:
Username: slpsb
Password: principals
*Send me an email if there is something specific that you would like included in the e-binder.
PAT MASON-GUILLORY, PARENT & FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
Reminder: Release of School and Center Performance Communications Toolkits
The Department released a toolkit to help school systems, schools, and early childhood centers communicate the release of their 2019 performance scores in the Louisiana School Finder. The toolkit includes resources such as:
● School Finder flyer, poster, website button, and social media graphics
● Sample early childhood and K-12 news releases
● Animated videos to help explain early childhood performance profiles
● Early childhood and K-12 customizable parent night presentations
All resources are available in the principal support library. All videos are available on the Department’s YouTube channel on the “School Finder” playlist.
SUPERVISOR OF INSTRUCTION, SCHOOL CHOICE, & SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT- TRINA PRESTON
WorkKeys
Below is some very important information pertaining to WorkKeys 2.0 testing for the second quarter:
· The WorkKeys online testing window for 11th and 12th grade retesters in St. Landry Parish will be December 9 - 13, 2019.
· High schools may choose their retest dates, but the dates must be within the district’s window.
· Please submit your school’s WorkKeys schedule, along with a list of retesters to me by Friday, November 1, 2019.
· IMPORTANT: Students with the small group or test read aloud accommodations cannot be tested during this window. These students may be retested during the Spring 2020 accommodated paper-based window (March 18 – April 1, 2020).
Please be reminded that Bulletin 118 was updated in March 2018, and the administration of WorkKeys must adhere to the following policy:
· Students shall be subject to a 30-day wait period before retesting on WorkKeys assessments, during which time schools shall provide remediation using ACT WorkKeys Curriculum; therefore, students cannot begin a retest until at least the 31st day.
· Due to the 30 day rule, LDOE will no longer accept the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) for accountability purposes. According to Bulletin 111: Districts must provide student results for all WorkKeys tests taken by every student to ensure all results are considered; therefore, schools must submit the skills report for all of the submissions for accountability. Not doing so will result in the school getting zeros.
· In an effort to maintain uniformity throughout the district and to ensure compliance to the 30 day wait period for remediation,all St. Landry Parish schools must adhere to the retest dates outlined in the 2019 – 2020 District Assessment Calendar.
Please note that you currently have the ability to create groups and add students to your realm. All WorkKeys information has been uploaded to the STC Google Drive.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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