Eagle Express
LHS Staff Newsletter--Year 18, Vol. 8, 10/15/2018
The first few weeks of this school year have been some of the most unique I can remember in my 33 years with VBCPS. While we have been mostly spared from two major storms, the ups and downs that come with the disruptions to our normal schedule can be trying. Thanks to everyone for their flexibility in these situations and for your perseverance in pursuing excellence.
I came across the video below and was struck by this young man's perspective about dealing with adversity. It is a great reminder to put things in perspective and also about looking for our students' strengths and interests.
I Make a Difference
From Jae Clark
As I was sitting here thinking about who should get this weeks I Make a Difference Award, my friend and colleague Kathy Holbert came to mind. Mrs. Holbert loves her school, her fellow faculty members, and most of all her students. The dedication she has for her profession is unmatched. She teaches one of the most difficult classes with a passion which is an inspiration to many of us. A few weeks ago, she was in an accident which would of stopped many of us from coming to school for days, I know I would of been out, she never missed a day because she was concerned for her students over her concern for herself. She is a leader inside our school not only for our students but our faculty too. She inspires her students to rise to levels they didn't know they could achieve. Mrs. Holbert has been making a difference her entire career helping her students realize they can achieve far beyond our classroom walls. My college roommate is married to one of her previous students who's life was changed when her teacher, Mrs. Holbert, took her under her wing and helped her understand no matter where you come from with effort, hard work, and a little love from a teacher who cares you can change the expectations and direction of your life. Kathy Holbert, I congratulate you for all the lives you have changed and are changing!!!!!! You Have Made a Difference!!!!!!
Professional Learning
As educators, we all understand the need for continuous, lifelong learning. The way we hone our craft is to dedicate ourselves to learning in order to help our students learn at the highest levels. Based on input garnered last year through PAC and this year through the recent PL survey, we have developed four focus areas in which we will provide ongoing professional learning sessions.These areas support our work with transformational learning and Compass 2020. The four focus area strands are Student Engagement & Agency, Performance Based Assessment, Effectively Integrating Technology, and Effective PLCs. Every teacher will select one of these strands in which to participate using this Google Form. You must make your selection by this Friday (October 19).
Thanks for participating in the pumpkin painting activity on Monday!
Announcements & Reminders
Weekly Tech Tips: Realizing that we have had major technology integration changes this year with the release of Schoology, Krissy, Erik, and the Talon Tech Crew students have created a weekly Tech Tips slideshow. It will be updated weekly. Check it out this week’s tips here!
One Lunch Activities Update: A new One Lunch Activity listing has been placed online for students, which we hope makes it easier for them to see our daily offerings. Please double-check this list to make sure EVERYTHING you are offering to students is listed, so that all students have the chance to take advantage of these opportunities. We are now getting to a point that tutoring may be needed for students as well; if you are offering additional tutoring beyond your office hours, please let us know where and when. To make revisions or additions to the list, complete the following form.
Updated Field Trip Guidelines: The division recently updated the field trip guidelines. You can review these updates here.
Benefits Enrollment Deadline: Don't forget the deadline to register for benefits is October 24. EVERYONE who wants coverage must enroll.
Senior Cap & Gown Assembly: The Josten's senior assembly will be held on Tuesday, October 16 at 11:10 in the Auditorium. An announcement will be made calling seniors to the auditorium on that day. At the conclusion of the assembly, seniors will be released to OneLunch.
Federal Card & Advisory Training: On Monday, October 22nd there will be a Mandatory Federal Card and Advisory Training meeting at 2:15 in the Library. On this day, please bring your device and we will walk through how to load this year's remaining Advisory lessons into your Advisory Schoology Course. All Block 2A teachers will remain after the Advisory training to receive Federal Card Training.
Heritage Week Speakers: Do you know someone who would be willing to be a speaker during our Heritage Week event this year? Our theme is "Leaving a Legacy" and we are looking for lots of speakers who can give presentations on the importance of legacy. If you know of someone who fits this bill, please send their names and contact information to Dave Siock or Kay Gramling.
Family Game Night
We will once again be hosting a Family Game Night this year during our Heritage Week celebration. The event will be held on Wednesday, November 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. and we need your help! Clubs and organizations can volunteer that night to help at a game table, do face painting, etc. We would also appreciate the loan of any games for that evening. Please complete this Google Form to indicate how you will help on Family Game Night.
Social Media Guidelines
Social networking sites are very popular and have profoundly changed the way teachers communicate and interact with colleagues as well as with students. Social media use can be an extremely valuable educational tool; however, the exponential growth in the use of these tools by both students and teachers necessitates a review of acceptable practices. Several years ago, VBCPS published a set of social media guidelines for staff. They were updated in 2017 and redistributed. All staff should review these guidelines. The guidelines can be accessed via the link below.
KUDOS
Congratulations! We did it! Thanks to those who paid and those who gave a little more to cover folks who did not, we have reached 100% in our Sunshine fund. That means starting this Friday (10/19), staff may wear jeans every Friday. Please remember to wear school-appropriate jeans (no holes, rips, etc.) and to pair with your staff polo. T-shirts are reserved for pre-approved special occasions like the pink-out, Leadership Workshop, sprit days, etc.
Congratulations to Kelli Bradshaw who was selected as our Teacher Assembly representative and Kathy Holbert who was selected as the alternate.
Kudos to Kelly Singer and Krissy Sanderlin for their outstanding work with the recent NMSI regional workshop that was held here at LHS. Participants indicated it was the best one they have ever attended!
Thanks to everyone who helped with the PSAT/CWRA+ test administration. These large tasks take the cooperation and support of all hands on deck!
Congratulations to Fran Schoening, Dana Zumbrum, Sarah Culpepper, and Margaret Burgess who were recently recognized as SUPERHEROES by one of their colleagues.
Kudos to Andria Chambers for her excellent work with buses. She even created a QR code to allow students to see our many daily bus changes (see below).
Staff Shirts Available
XS - XL = $24.50
2XL = $25.50
3XL = $26.50
Samples will be available in Mrs. Muench's office if you would like to see the various sizes. If you are interested in purchasing one of these shirts, please complete this Google Form. Orders will be placed on November 1, so be sure to get your order in by October 31!
Great Shake Out Drill
We will be participating in a state-wide Earthquake Drill this Thursday, October 18, at 10:18 am. Please review these procedures with your students prior to the drill. A PA announcement will be made to start and end the drill. An earthquake drill is held to practice procedures to follow in the event of an earthquake. In practice drills, teachers should supervise students and be alert to the position of each student during the entire drill.
Signal:
The signal for the drill is the following PA announcement.
“ATTENTION STUDENTS AND STAFF, IMPLEMENT EARTQUAKE PROCEDURES - DUCK, COVER AND HOLD ON.
Procedures:
1. Drop to knees facing away from windows.
2. Get under desks or tables where possible and hold on firmly.
3. Fold body onto floor with arms close to knees.
4. Place head between knees; and cover head with hands.
5. Stay in this position for 10 seconds.
6. Teachers will direct students to return to seats.
Earthquake Safety Guidelines:
Remain Calm. The rolling sensation may terrify you, but unless something falls on you, the sensations will not hurt you. Think through the consequences of any action you plan to take.
If you are indoors, stay there. If you are in danger:
- Get under a sturdy table or desk.
- Brace yourself in an inside corner away from windows.
- Move to an inner wall or corridor.
- Watch for falling objects - plaster, bricks, light fixtures, etc.
- Stay away from furniture which might slide or topple over.
- Stay away from windows, sliding glass doors, and mirrors.
- Grab anything handy (back pack, notebook, papers, box, etc.) to shield your head and face from falling debris and splinting glass.
- Don't be alarmed if the fire alarm or sprinklers go off.
- Do Not Rush Outside. Stay on the same floor that you are on.
- Do not use elevators as the power for elevators may go out and leave you trapped. The greatest danger from falling debris is just outside doorways and close to outer walls. If for safety reasons you must leave the building, choose your exits as carefully as possible.
If conditions warrant an evacuation, check evacuation routes and staging location prior to moving students.
Upcoming Events
Monday, 10/15 (A)
Senior Picture Make-ups, Auditorium
Academy Staff Meeting, ECC, 2:25
Tuesday, 10/16 (B)
Senior Graduation Assembly, Auditorium, 11:10
Virginia Wesleyan, Schola, 11:50
Volleyball vs OL, 4:00
PTSA Board Meeting, Library, 5:30
Navigating the Journey, VBCC, 6:00
Wednesday, 10/17 (A)
Advisory Day
SCA General Assembly, Auditorium, OneLunch
Parent-Teacher Conferences, Cafeteria, 2:15
Thursday,10/18 (B)
Earthquake Drill, 10:18
Senior Graduation Orders, Cafeteria, OneLunch
Volleyball @ Bayside, 4:00
Field Hockey vs Tallwood @ RTC, 4:00
Senior Graduation Orders--Parent Night, Cafeteria, 6-8 p.m.
JV Football @ Kempsville, 6:00
Friday, 10/19 (A)
Military Connected Student Registration, Auditorium
Senior Graduation Orders, Cafeteria, OneLunch
Saturday, 10/20
Region Competition Cheer @ Tallwood, 1 p.m.
October 17 Advisory Day Information
This Wednesday is an Advisory Day. All Seniors will be attending Informational Sessions with the Counseling Department hosted in various locations throughout the building. Senior Advisory teachers will receive an email notifying you of your specific location. After you have taken roll, please quickly bring your Advisory group to their assigned location and stay with your group during the Senior session.
All other grade levels will be discussing the Vision statement of Landstown High School. The lesson has been designed to engage students in discussion, something the students have told us they want from their advisory experience. Please use this week's time to really let students think and share their ideas. The learning plan and the slideshow for this week are in the framework for the year, accessed using your school log-in to Google and linked here. We ask that you or one student in the room record answers to a few questions on a Google form linked in the presentation. Special thanks to Mrs. Bell, Mrs. Enroughty and Mrs. Johnson for their hard work on this lesson and Advisory in general.
10/15 Renante Manlunas, Math
10/18 Laura Newsham, Science
10/19 Mike Wilder, Special Ed
External Professional Learning Opportunity
A Schoology group has been created to be a convenient, single point of distribution for events, courses and other learning activities from external educational institutions and organizations. The information posted in this group is intended to be a service to staff to make them aware of opportunities and should be evaluated for relevance and value by interested individuals. These activities are external and not funded or sponsored by the division. The group is open to all staff and is named External Professional Learning Opportunities for VBCPS Staff. Interested staff members may join by clicking this link, https://vbschools.schoology.com/group/1864847546 and then the Join Group button.
Staff may also access and join the group by following these steps in Schoology:
1. Click on Groups.
2. Click on My Groups.
3. Click on Join Group.
4. Enter the access code CB2FQ-RZJ28.
Virginia Space Grant Consortium Pre-College Programs
- Grades 8-9: Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST) Application Deadline: TBA; for more information, visit http://blast.spacegrant.org/
- Grade 10: Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) Application Deadline: Nov. 11; for more information, visit http://www.vscs.spacegrant.org/
- Grades 11-12: Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) Application Deadline: Nov. 11; for more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/VASTS/
- Grades 11-12: Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) Application Deadline: Nov. 11; for more information, visit http://vsgc.odu.edu/VESSS/
All programs have the potential for paid educator positions, and information is available on their respective websites. Questions may be directed to Rudo Kashiri, education programs manager, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, at 757-766-5210 or via email rkashiri@odu.edu.
Volunteer Hours
Commemorative Print Contest for Employees
It is time for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) employees to enter their 2-D artwork for consideration to be the 2019 Commemorative Print. The Virginia Beach Education Foundation (VBEF) sells annual Commemorative Prints to raise money to fund innovative learning programs for which the VBEF awards to VBCPS teachers. Artwork submissions must be emailed in a high-resolution (300 dpi+) image by October 22 to Debbie.Griffey@vbschools.com and include:
- the title of the art work and a brief description of the piece (25 word maximum); and
- name of the artist. where they work in VBCPS and their title
Approved images will be posted online for public voting to select the winning 2019 Commemorative Print. Voting will take place Nov. 9 - Nov. 25 and the winning piece will be announced at the Teacher Grants Improve Futures Celebration November 29. The event, hosted by the Virginia Beach Education Foundation, will include recognition of teachers receiving 2019 Schoolwide and Innovative Learning Grants.
NEW TO THE NEST
Mason Cox
Mason is new to our Special Education department. She is originally from Suffolk and attended Radford University. Mason enjoys volunteering with the Jaycees, going to the beach, reading, and sports. An interesting tidbit about Mason is that she has danced with the New York City Rockettes!
Ty Forehand
Ty is in our Social Studies department. He hails from Chesapeake and attended Old Dominion University. Ty and his wife have one child (Pippin, 2). He enjoys family time, surfing, gardening, and exploring VA.
Mary Webber
We welcome Mary to our Special Education department. She is originally from Reading, PA, and attended Kutztown University & Towson University. An interesting fact about Mary is that she drove from Pennsylvania to Molson Park Canada in a 1988 I-Roc Camaro to a music festival.
Heritage Week Display Boards
Heritage Week is set for November 11-17 and will be here before we know it! A new addition to our second annual Heritage Week this year will be the opportunity for clubs and groups to create a display board (think large stand-up bulletin board) to be displayed throughout the building during Heritage Week. It should showcase your group's legacy to LHS in keeping with our theme this year, "Leaving a Legacy". If you are interested in having your club/group participate, please reply on the following google form: https://goo.gl/forms/Pg6Aw7NA380RjXja2
Annual Mandatory Employee Training
Employees can complete the annual mandatory online training at a convenient time while working at their own pace. Some of the training courses have changed again this year and have been customized to meet the needs of particular departments and schools. Failure to comply fully with this training requirement may result in disciplinary action. All employees will be required to view each entire training module assigned to their job title. New employees will also be required to view the training modules from the previous year. Five license renewal points will be awarded to all eligible employees who complete the training before the deadline. A target completion date of February 15, 2019 has been established. Employee training modules required for ALL employees:
- Boundary Invasion
- Diversity Awareness: Staff to Staff
- Email and Messaging Safety
- Health Emergencies: Life Threatening Allergies
- Office Ergonomics
- Protection Against Malware
- Sexual Misconduct: Staff to Student
- Slips, Trips and Falls
- Workplace Bullying: Awareness and Prevention
Principal's Advisory Committee
The Principal's Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to address employee concerns as they relate to site conditions that negatively impact on high student achievement and high employee morale. The PAC is committed to resolving issues professionally and in a timely manner. The following staff members have been elected to serve on this year's PAC: Katie Bennett, Caroline Clark, Jae Clark, Terri Gayer, Woody Gehlert, Kay Gramling, Kathy Holbert, Suzette Johnson, Connie Martinez, Michael Robinson, Kelly Singer and Anne Marie Sprague. Use this form to submit concerns to the PAC.
Minutes from the September 26 meeting can be found here.
Our Guiding Questions
- How do students determine and engage with their learning targets?
- What is the evidence that students are exercising their voice and choice throughout the learning process?
- What evidence is there that the teacher has planned opportunities for students to choose from a variety of tools/structures during their learning?
- How are teachers using assessment tools as part of their assessment strategy?
- What evidence exists that supports student collaboration, exploration, and creation efforts?
Report Card Calendar (MP1)
Beginning Date--September 4
Progress Reports Issued--October 9
Ending Date--November 5
Report Cards Issued--November 14
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