Miner Minutes
February 3, 2018
The Week Ahead
Tuesday: School Leadership Team at 7:45am; each class completes the IB report card for subject area
Wednesday: Report cards go home in homeroom; 245pm 8th grade to CabCo Arts presentation in LGIA on Sojourner Truth; Happy birthday, Ms. Pauls!
Thursday: Safety Team Meeting 7:45am
Friday: Valentine's Dance and Parent Engagement Night 6-8pm
Saturday: Happy birthday, Ms. Childress!
It's almost that time again! Please nominate your colleagues!
Retention Letters - correction
Again - just a reminder - 2 copies please - one for the mail to give to Jill Foster, and one to be stapled to the regular report card and IB report card going home on Wednesday during homeroom. Also, be sure to give a list of the names you're sending home to your grade level AP (Tulbert will take 7th). THANK YOU!
IB Info
IB Report cards: Monday by 1a the IB report cards will be distributed and complete the top portion. Monday and Tuesday - each class completes for subject areas.
Also, in each edition of the Miner Minutes, we will begin placing little snippets of review of IB terms in preparation for the April IB visit. Please read these carefully!
What are ATL’s? Approaches to Learning Skills - These skills are the same skills taught throughout all courses. These are basic skills that help students learn successfully. The ATL chart is one large chart that all teachers use to show us the skills that are taught in each subject in each grade level. We would use this chart mid-year and end of year to make revisions on unit plans where we see holes in teaching these skills.
Concord Scoop Announcement Submission
PD - Survey Followup
Thank you to all those 42 that took the PD one question survey regarding professional development. Based on your feedback, 69% of you said that you preferred to utilize Feb 7-8, March 7-8, April 11-12 during planning time/vertical planning for our IB professional development in preparing for the visit. Please know that administration will go with the majority on this one, but that PLCs still need to meet and plan appropriately and focus on regular instruction, too. We know time is precious, and we will do all we can to not add extra things to your plates.
CMS Student Expo - March 1!!!! All Staff should be present!
Make your Calendars for the CMS Student Expo Night - March 1 6-7:30pm
The goal of this evening for CMS students to have the opportunity to SHOW OFF their learning. It replaces the traditional “curriculum night” that tends to not focus on the students. It’s meant as a showcase for students in which they proudly share with their families the “good things” of their learning facilitated by Concord Middle! We will discuss this night in more detail on Feb 7-8 in our vertical planning meetings before PD on IB.
Other Survey Results - Important information - please read carefully!
- 90% of our staff are in favor of the summer professional development days to trade for uncapped days later in the 18-19 school year
- 71% preferred August 6, 7, 8 while the other 29% preferred 16, 17, 18
- Therefore, PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR AUGUST 6-8 as strongly encouraged professional development days for CMS staff!!!! More details will come after SLT meets!
- Miner Time groups: 54.5% said they wanted to keep MT groups for the rest of the school year while 45.5% want to switch groups as originally planned. This one is really close as this is 24 responses and 20 responses. SLT will discuss this, and please make sure your SLT rep knows any helpful info and opinions.
- Keeping activity time in bell schedule for next year: 61.4% said YES (27 responses) while 38.6% said no (17 responses).
- Continuing with hybrid classes as main form of intervention for students not proficient on the EOG: 88.6% said YES (39 responses) and 11.4% said NO (5 responses).
- Miner Time survey questions: a huge variety of responses - to be discussed in SLT
- Bell schedule responses: 54.5% said continue with our current schedule; other 45% were a variety of responses - to be discussed in SLT
- Grade level structure question (teams versus departmentalized): 15 responses for all 3 grade levels departmentalized; 10 responses for all 3 grade levels should be teamed; 10 responses for current setup of 7/8 departmentalized and 6 teamed; 6 responses for 8th departmentalized and 6/7 teamed. Will discuss more in SLT.
Restart school - one of the ways we will be taking advantage of this flexibility...
Safe Schools - great thing to do if we have snow days or workdays!
Safe Schools (See Mr. Lord if you have questions)
The first training module, Workplace Injury Prevention begins December 12, 2017 to February 16, 2018. This is a new course to SafeSchools that will provide simple strategies to avoid common workplace injuries.
Second training module, Communication Styles, will begin February 19, 2018 to April 13, 2018. This course will provide basic information on the types and styles of communication as well as a few ways to communicate more effectively to others. There is also an interactivity component that will help you assess your own communication style!
The last module is General Ethics, April 16, 2018 to June 8, 2018.
Learning Opp: School cannot pay but you can look for grants!
Three Thank Yous
Extended Calendar
February 13 7:30 Faculty meeting; Happy birthday, Ms. Smith!
February 16 Early Dismissal for professional development; Happy birthday, Ms. Clardy!
Feb 17: Happy birthday, Ms. Hoskie!
Feb 19: Happy birthday, Ms. Farrell!
Feb 20 7:30 – 8:30 MTSS Leadership Team
Feb 21: Happy birthday, Ms. Miranda!
Feb 22 7:45-8:30am SIT Meeting
Feb 22 Every class Progress reports sent home
Feb 23 7:30-8:30am Mentor/Mentee meeting
Feb 27 7:30 – 8:30am PBIS Committee meeting
March 1: Student Expo (all staff required to attend)