Warrior Beat
#worldchangingwarriors
Word for the Warrior
Hello Warriors!
Last week was a GREAT week and one of many successes! When we talk about a true Professional Learning Community, there are six characteristics defining what that really means. When I think of our work and our growth and our achievement as a school, I always go back to these characteristics to ensure that our work in in alignment with the work of a true professional learning community. I want to highlight some BIG successes for us in our work that took place like that and CELEBRATE!
Six Essential Characteristics of a PLC
Shared mission, vision, values, goals
Over the last 6 months, our school, under the direction of our Leadership team has developed a vision for our school, identified action steps that will guide our work in achieving that vision and have developed a rough draft of a three-year implementation plan. This is hard work. This has been tedious work. BUT...this will be the work that will move our school forward and create Sevier to be the place we want it to be for our students for our family and for our staff! Tomorrow at our Leadership Team meeting, we will be finalizing the three-year plan and will be publishing it very soon. THANK YOU to all of you for your participation and input into this important work!
Collaborative teams focused on learning
The true hallmark of an effective school is when teachers and staff continue working and leading in alignment of a PLC with students as the focus regardless of who the principal is. I am SO SO impressed with the work taking place in our grade level collaboratives. Teams see the importance of consistency and collaboration in ensuring a guaranteed and viable curriculum for our students. When we ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum for our students, we are providing equity. This means that it does not matter which classroom a child is assigned, they are assured that they have the same access to learning and growth regardless. The laser-like focus we have to have on the depth of the standards, our assignments and our assessments for learning matter! The work that is happening in our collaboratives ensures this! Thank you for your level of focus and work during weekly collaborative planning meetings. It matters.
Collective inquiry
Collective inquiry means that when faced with a problem, a school is not just making decisions based on a hunch, or based on what the loudest voices in the room say, or what is easiest. Decisions based on collective inquiry means that the group researches best practices, learns and makes decisions based on best practices. The work that is transpiring at Sevier with grading, with assessments, with RTI2B, with restorative practices and in the work of Warrior Academy is all work that has been created at Sevier to meet the needs of our students, but through the work of learning what the research says while at the same time, customizing it to meet the needs of our students. This is when real success happens! Thank you for your creative problem solving! It is making a difference!
Action orientation and experimentation
Last week, several of our teams had their first data conferences after action experimentation with providing students with two formative assessments (A and B). These teams are trying something new and taking a risk for the sake of helping students by providing intentional and systematic reteaching and enrichment after a first formative assessment. They did this by intentional planning and in really using assessment FOR learning. Rather than spend time reviewing for a test and using a day to do so, they simply gave students a formative assessment at a specific point in time. After a speedy analysis of the formative A data, teachers identified opportunities for reteaching, broke students into groups and shared students in directing the reteaching that needed to occur for learning. In addition, students who were proficient on the formative A assessment were provided with enrichment opportunities. Teachers were very positive about this work and in every area saw gains for students when they were given the formative B assessment. Kudos to all of these teachers for trying something NEW for the sake of our kids' learning! Change is hard. Change involves risk! Thank you for working together for the goal of continuous progress for our kids! This is a perfect opportunity to develop a growth mindset for our kids and to inspire hope and confidence as they develop perseverance and develop a mindset that they CAN achieve!
Commitment to Continuous improvement
Thank you for having a growth mindset and for instilling this in our kids as well! By implementation of our SEL curriculum and by working WITH students in helping them with their weekly SMART goals, by working with Second Step, by engaging students in Naviance, by working with Restorative Practices, by the implementation of Formative A and B assessments and through reteaching and enrichment and through a move towards standards based grading, we are modeling for students that the MAIN thing...is getting better. You are showing students what that means and how they can achieve their goals!
Also, thank YOU for your commitment to professional continuous improvement. Thank you for being risk takers in your daily professional decision making! Thank you for your commitment to learning by signing up for book studies and professional learning opportunities. You all walk the walk! It's inspiring and it matters!
Results orientation
The work that all of you are doing in regularly assessing students formatively and using that data to inform next steps collaboratively is making a difference! Thank you for not being an island! Thank you for taking a "we" mentality when it comes to using our TEAM to best serve students through differentiated support. Thank you for your vulnerability when it comes to looking at formative data, being transparent and by working with colleagues to respond to it!
There have been MANY reasons to celebrate as we work as a PLC and I am looking forward to the next week of learning for ALL of us!
Proud to be a Warrior!
Holly
Week of the Warrior
MONDAY: September 10th
LEADERSHIP TEAM MEETING-3:00-5:00 JSMS LIBRARY
COLLABORATIVE PLANNING MEETINGS
- There is Aladdin Jr. Rehearsal from 3-5:00 in the auditorium. Students can find a specific schedule on Google Classroom or outside the chorus room.
- Volleyball game vs. Greeneville at Greeneville @ 5:00
- Anyone interested in Robotics Club, please see your science teacher for an application. Applications need to be turned in as soon as possible to Mr. Blair's box in the office.
- Cross Country Practice 3-4:15
- Football Practice 3-5:15
- City Championship Football Game T-Shirts are on sale. Please return your money and order form to your first period teacher or Mrs. Bingham by September 11th.
TUESDAY: September 11th
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT MEETING 3:00-4:00-LIBRARY
- There is Aladdin Jr. Rehearsal from 3-5:00 in the auditorium. Students can find a specific schedule on Google Classroom or outside the chorus room.
- Anyone interested in Robotics Club, please see your science teacher for an application. Applications need to be turned in as soon as possible to Mr. Blair's box in the office.
- City Championship Football Game T-Shirts are on sale. Please return your money and order form to your first period teacher or Mrs. Bingham by September 11th.
- Volleyball game vs. TA Dugger at TA Dugger @ 5:00
- Football Practice 3-5:15
- Cross Country Practice at WARRIORS PATH STATE PARK until 4:30
- Student Council meeting Tuesday, 3:00-3:30 in Mrs. Wagner's room. Athletes & actors come dressed out, attend meeting until 3:15, then join team/group.
- WOW Team meeting Tuesday 3:00-4:00
WEDNESDAY: September 12th
- Anyone interested in Robotics Club, please see your science teacher for an application. Applications need to be turned in as soon as possible to Mr. Blair's box in the office.
- Volleyball practice 3-5
- Football Practice 3-5:15
- Cross Country Practice 3-4:15
- There will be a Sequoyah Scribe staff meeting from 2:45 to 3:30 pm on Wednesday after school in room 329. All staff members are required to attend. Newspaper Editors and Newscast staff members will meet until 5:15pm
THURSDAY: September 13th
- Anyone interested in Robotics Club, please see your science teacher for an application. Applications need to be turned in as soon as possible to Mr. Blair's box in the office.
- Dance Practice 3-5
- Volleyball game vs. Liberty Bell at Liberty Bell @ 4:30
- Sevier Football Game vs. Liberty Bell at Liberty Bell at 4:00
- Cross Country Practice 3-4:15
FRIDAY: September 14th
- No School Parent Teacher Conference Day
Save the Date
- Order Pictures online at mylifetouch.com with picture ID AA468002Y0
- Natural Helpers meeting September 18th from 3pm-430pm in Mr. Markl's room. Room 242.
JSMS JAM...
6th grade intramurals will be on Monday, 7th Grade on Tuesday, 8th grade on Thursday and championships on Friday
Wrestling conditioning Monday September 10 from 3-4:30 for all students interested not in cross country or football. Meet in Mr. Winstead's room #226. Conditioning will take place Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3-4:30
Calling all MATH teachers:
This week is the week all MATH teachers will be
submitting WOW names. Begin thinking about the
two students you would like to nominate and look
for the email from Mr. Roebke with the attachment
to fill out.
Food City Bucks
Food City School Bucks
This is a request for those of you who shop at any of the Food City locations in our region. Food City, through the School Bucks Program, donates money back to schools each year. The amount of the donation is based on the amount of money customers spend at Food City (excluding gas and gift cards). Purchases are credited to the school to which the customer links his/her Value Card. It does not matter which store you shop and you do not have to have a child at Sevier in order to select Sevier Middle School as the school you wish to link to your Value Card. Please encourage other family members and friends to identify Sevier as their school if they are not already supporting another school with their Food City purchases.
There are three ways to link your card to SEVIER MIDDLE SCHOOL. These are:
- Tell the cashier ringing up your purchases that you would like to like you card to Sevier. You only have to do this one time and not every time you shop.
- Take the attached flyer to your local Food City in order to have your card linked.
- Good to https://www.foodcity.com/schoolbucks and link your card from the Food City website.
Cards must be linked annually, so now is the time for shoppers to link their value cards.
JSMS Spirit Yard Signs for Sale!
Duty Schedules:
Hall and Lunch Duty Schedule:
Feel Good Fridays
Weekly Warrior Update for Parents....
Casey Adams-Warrior ROCKstar!
Warrior Whoop!
We had 28 schools enter the meet! There were 261 girl runners and 328 boy runners!
Our boys team finished first place overall. Congrats to Dane Sullins for being the overall winner.
Scoring for the Warriors were:
1st Place: Dane Sullins
6th Place: Grayson Hammond
9th Place: Sam Blalock
10th Place: Brogan McGhee
12th Place: Dace Potts
Our girls finished 3rd place overall. Congratulations to Autumn Headrick on being the overall winner.
Scoring for the Lady Warriors were:
1st Place: Autumn Headrick
10th Place: London Taylor
15th Place: Lily Turner
17th Place: Mattie Gamble
28th Place: Addison England