CMS Weekly Express
Sunday, September 22, 2019 (Week #5)
Staff:
I have been doing some thinking about why great organizations consistently look to rediscover themselves. The answer is pretty simple: Rediscovering yourself leads to a greater connection for understanding a system that supports today’s needs. In education, we are lucky. We know our product; we know our end goal; and, we know how to deliver this to students. So how do we become better? Well, you can’t be afraid of change. You can’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. I taught history for ten years at Shepherd Hill. I loved my time there, but my overall growth depended on me. I had to seek it and want to become better. When I came to CMS, I thought this was great: teachers planning together by reviewing curriculum, planning assessments and sharing best practices. To me that’s a gold mine when done with fidelity and vision.
One of the biggest obstacles we face as educators is time to collaborate. Teachers wear many hats during the work week and sometimes it’s difficult to have those one-on-one conversations with others. As an Instructional Leader, I am going to help create some Best Practice exchanges. You will find one question at the bottom of my weekly e-mails. Please take the time to answer the question. I will be posting the submissions, which will lead to deeper conversations surrounding what we do every day – Teaching Students. I am excited to begin sharing some of your amazing ideas with our entire faculty. I promise to keep it simple, but I also promise to create meaningful professional exchanges. I can’t wait to hear from all of you. This is open to everyone: Teachers; IAs; Secretaries; Custodians; Cafeteria Workers & Administration.
Wishing everyone a great week with your students!
Dean W. Packard
Principal
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Weekly Calendar
Monday, September 23rd:
- XC practice 2:30-3:30 (meet in café first)
Tuesday, September 24th:
- Office Admin Council 7:50-8:30 a.m.
- Show Choir practice 2:20-5:30 p.m.
- SEPAC Meeting 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the library
Wednesday, September 25th:
- XC practice 2:30-3:30 p.m. (meet in café first)
- School Committee meeting 7:00 p.m. in the library
Thursday, September 26th:
- B&G Soccer Game (Away)
- Show Choir practice 2:20-5:30 p.m.
Friday, September 27th:
- XC Meet x Dudley (Away)
Important Items:
1. Within School Brains, please use the Communication Log when referring to student needs. Keep your information brief and on point. This way everyone will have access to see what is happening. Guidance counselors and specialists can use the Guidance Log for service related activity.
2. Be sure to complete the Mandatory Employee Trainings – Must be completed by October 1, 2019. Click here to access the training (please meet this deadline and try to finish up early).
3. Be sure to use the new Frontline Management System for personal, professional and sick days. I will need to approve your personal and professional days; however, I don’t get notification if you are out sick. If you are out sick, please still send me a text or e-mail (whichever is easier for you – text is the easiest for me) my cell is: 5088871974. Click here for the Quick Employee Start Guide. All teachers were e-mail their access information back in August. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
4. We have a new Maintenance Request System. If you need something from the custodians, please fill out the ticket information. I will have a button on the bottom of this e-mail. This way we can keep track of all our school-based needs. Thanks you your cooperation.
5. Progress Reports: Term 1 is hitting the halfway mark soon. This means the following:
a. Portal will be open to start uploading on Friday, September 30th.
b. All grades need to be updated by Thursday, October 3rd at 3:00 p.m.
c. Parent Portal will be opened on Friday, October 4th by 10:00 a.m.
6. I will be spending time informally in 7th and 8th grade classes this week. I will be looking to get a feel for the learning environments and connectivity. I am so looking forward to watching the magic happen and having some sidebar conversations with teachers and students that center on student engagement.
7. Make sure all lesson plans are submitted by Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. You can find the Form in the CMS Resource Website below. Thanks for staying up on this process.