Faculty & Staff Notes
DOVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
A NOTE FROM YOUR PRINCIPAL:
What an honor it is to have been selected to serve Dove Elementary! I am so excited to finally be in Texas and to be able to concentrate on one thing – being the principal of Dove Elementary School! We have a fabulous year ahead and I am ready to get this school year started!
I have had the privilege of meeting some of you and I look forward to getting to know everyone in the next few weeks. I will be working from Dove as soon as we are clear to enter the building. I will send a Faculty & Staff Note (like this one) weekly to keep you informed of the progress. Right now, I am working from the district office and can be reached on my cell. My cell number is (682) 701-5054. I am available to meet with you or talk with you anytime. Please feel free to contact me.
Let’s make 2014-2015 a highlight year for Dove Elementary!
Proud to be your principal,
Cindy Galloway
STATUS UPDATES
PERSONNEL & HIRING UPDATES:
- We have a position posted for School Counselor. We will be interviewing for this important position this week and early next week. I will share our decision as soon as the position is officially filled.
- We have been notified that we can fill one paraprofessional position for special services. We will begin considering candidates for this position with a hiring goal of August 11.
- We have one position that is on hold pending enrollment verification. Our projections are a bit low but at this time we anticipate the numbers will rise, permitting a late hire the week prior to the start of school. If numbers stay at the current levels, we will adjust internally. The good news is that I have a couple of terrific prospects for a late hire if we should be approved to fill the open position.
CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING ACCESS
I toured the building yesterday, discussed the progress and reviewed items remaining. We have multiple crews working and additional workers have been added. During the work, areas have been uncovered that require work not on our original list of projects. These had the potential of setting our timelines back significantly; however, the crew is working diligently to minimize the delay in completion. Crews are pressing to get the cafeteria ready for our August 6 & 7 Residency Verification. We feel we will be ready but will not have any other part of the building open at that time. We are fortunate to have a project manager that understands our strong desire to get into classrooms to prepare for students. Kudos to our work crews!
So, when can you get into your classroom?
At this time, I don't have a confirmed date. I have plans to talk with our site manager several times next week. I will send another note at the end of next week to give you another update.
I toured the building yesterday, discussed the progress and reviewed items remaining. We have multiple crews working and additional workers have been added. During the work, areas have been uncovered that require work not on our original list of projects. These had the potential of setting our timelines back significantly; however, the crew is working diligently to minimize the delay in completion. Crews are pressing to get the cafeteria ready for our August 6 & 7 Residency Verification. We feel we will be ready but will not have any other part of the building open at that time. We are fortunate to have a project manager that understands our strong desire to get into classrooms to prepare for students. Kudos to our work crews!
So, when can you get into your classroom?
At this time, I don't have a confirmed date. I have plans to talk with our site manager several times next week. I will send another note at the end of next week to give you another update.
Who, What, When, Where
DATES TO REMEMBER:
August 6 - 7: Residency Verification (DES Cafeteria)
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August 11 - 15: Induction Academy (New Teachers)
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August 18:
DES Professional Development
(Full Faculty - Orientation / Expectations for the Year, etc.)
August 19:
Convocation (9:00 - 10:00)
Attire: New DES shirts (coming soon) & Khaki pants/capris
Staff Picture @ DES (11:30)
Lunch On Your Own (12:00)
Various District Trainings: Handwriting, K-3, Content Areas 4-5 (1:00 - 3:30)
August 20:
DES Professional Development
RtI Training (morning); PLC Task Completion (afternoon)
August 21:
DES Teacher Work Day & Meet the Teacher (5:00-6:30)
(Schedule PLC Conference for 8/21 or 8/22)
August 22:
DES Teacher Work Day
(Schedule PLC Conference for 8/21 or 8/22)
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August 23: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
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August 6 - 7: Residency Verification (DES Cafeteria)
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August 11 - 15: Induction Academy (New Teachers)
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August 18:
DES Professional Development
(Full Faculty - Orientation / Expectations for the Year, etc.)
August 19:
Convocation (9:00 - 10:00)
Attire: New DES shirts (coming soon) & Khaki pants/capris
Staff Picture @ DES (11:30)
Lunch On Your Own (12:00)
Various District Trainings: Handwriting, K-3, Content Areas 4-5 (1:00 - 3:30)
August 20:
DES Professional Development
RtI Training (morning); PLC Task Completion (afternoon)
August 21:
DES Teacher Work Day & Meet the Teacher (5:00-6:30)
(Schedule PLC Conference for 8/21 or 8/22)
August 22:
DES Teacher Work Day
(Schedule PLC Conference for 8/21 or 8/22)
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August 23: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
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CINDY'S SCHEDULE:
July 24:
Counselor Interviews (10:00 - 2:00)
Working from central office (7:30 - 5:30)
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July 28:
Finalize DES Shirts (10:30)
Meeting with PTO Board @ Mainstreet Bakery (12:00)
Working from central office (7:30 - 5:30 except for times listed above)
July 29:
Training/Workshop: Learning @ Lovejoy
July 30:
Working from GMS (7:30 - 5:30)
July 31:
Working from Mainstreet Bakery (8:00 - 12:00)*
Working from GMS (1:30 - 5:30)
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August 4: Training/Workshop: Response to Intervention
August 5: Training/Workshop: A-Team District Retreat
August 6: Training/Workshop: A-Team District Retreat
August 7: Training/Workshop: Response to Intervention
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August 11:
Training/Workshop: Induction Academy (9:00 - 4:00)
Working from DES (7:30 - 8:30; 4:30 - 6:30)
August 12:
Training/Workshop: Induction Academy (11:30 - 4:00)
Working from DES (7:30 - 11:00; 4:30 - 6:30)
August 13:
Working from DES (7:30 - 6:30)
August 14:
Working from DES (7:30 - 6:30)
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July 24:
Counselor Interviews (10:00 - 2:00)
Working from central office (7:30 - 5:30)
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July 28:
Finalize DES Shirts (10:30)
Meeting with PTO Board @ Mainstreet Bakery (12:00)
Working from central office (7:30 - 5:30 except for times listed above)
July 29:
Training/Workshop: Learning @ Lovejoy
July 30:
Working from GMS (7:30 - 5:30)
July 31:
Working from Mainstreet Bakery (8:00 - 12:00)*
Working from GMS (1:30 - 5:30)
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August 4: Training/Workshop: Response to Intervention
August 5: Training/Workshop: A-Team District Retreat
August 6: Training/Workshop: A-Team District Retreat
August 7: Training/Workshop: Response to Intervention
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August 11:
Training/Workshop: Induction Academy (9:00 - 4:00)
Working from DES (7:30 - 8:30; 4:30 - 6:30)
August 12:
Training/Workshop: Induction Academy (11:30 - 4:00)
Working from DES (7:30 - 11:00; 4:30 - 6:30)
August 13:
Working from DES (7:30 - 6:30)
August 14:
Working from DES (7:30 - 6:30)
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*COME SEE ME!
I am ultra-excited about this school year and I can't wait to meet everyone! Thanks to Jamie, we have an area reserved at Mainstreet Bakery on July 31 from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Please stop in and introduce yourself. If you can't make it that day or you would like to talk, feel free to call me, text me, come see me when I'm working from GMS - - - I am ready to meet you, get to know you, and work with you to continue to make great things happen for students at Dove Elementary!
If any group is having a PLC meeting on a day that I'm not in a training, I would be happy to come to you to meet those I haven't met and visit with your PLC for a few minutes.
When is the best time to contact me?
Text:
If any group is having a PLC meeting on a day that I'm not in a training, I would be happy to come to you to meet those I haven't met and visit with your PLC for a few minutes.
When is the best time to contact me?
Text:
- Text anytime, day or night. I will respond as soon as I can . . . not while driving, of course.
- If I am in a meeting, I will silence my phone so calls will go to voice mail. In that case, I will call you back during a break or when the meeting ends (late afternoon or early evening).
- In the next few weeks while I am working at central office, GMS or DES, I will have my cell nearby so you can call me directly. (682) 701-5054
- I am typically available by phone until around 11:00 at night. For those of you who are night owls, go ahead and call.
- I typically check my phone multiple times in the morning, but I tend to miss calls when I'm getting ready to leave more than any other time. Feel free to leave a message if I don't pick up before 6:15 and I call you back as I am driving to school.
Email:
- I check emails only when I'm sitting: at work (typically I check for the 1st time after classes begin), at home after dinner, etc. If your message is urgent, please text or call. If your message can wait for a few hours or until I return to work, an email works fine.
Most of all, please know that I am available to you anytime! Please don't hesitate to contact me.
I hope to see you all soon!
Cindy
REMINDERS
Flex can be done before you return. At your convenience, go ahead and log in to get this taken care of so we can put our attention to getting rooms back together when we get the green light to get into classrooms.