LVHS Staff Newsletter
Excellence in Everything We Do.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Quote of the Week:
Parent Contact (it's on here first on purpose)!
You should be in contact with the parents of any student who is failing your class.
Just like last May, for each student who is failing your class for the semester, I will need documentation that you have contacted that parent this nine weeks to share this information with them. You can make a spreadsheet with date and time you called or emailed. You can print out a copy of the email that you sent the parent. You will need to provide this documentation to Cindy and/or Tyra when you do the end of semester grade "check out" with them. Cindy will send out a Sign-Up Genius next week for you to sign up to meet with them on the day we get back from Winter Break (which is a workday).
The whole idea is for you to contact parents early and they can help by providing support from home. It won't work all of the time, but it will work sometimes. Please don't wait until the week before the nine weeks ends to contact the parent for the first time.
Hall passes...please use this one and only this one:
PLC schedule This Week:
Scottie or Suzy Lofton (depending on your time slot) is meeting with you guys this week or next (see below) on curriculum. Please make sure your documents are updated and you are ready to meet!
Wednesday, December 2 (B Day):
7:30 - 8:10am Math
8:15 - 9:00am Science team and Holt
9:30 - 10:15 - Grant, Vaughn, McCollum and Kassell
11:30am - 12:15pm Garcia, Hunter
1:05 - 1:50pm Johnson/Timms
1:50 - 2:35pm Smith, Walker, and Hendrix (SpEd)
3:30 - 4:10pm LOTE
Wednesday, December 9 (A day):
7:30 - 8:10 - ELA team and Hansen
8:15 - 9:00am None
9:10 - 9:55am None
11:30am - 12:15pm None
1:05 - 1:50pm Standiford/Bookout/Larkin
Red Tickets!
Don't Forget - Faculty Party - Mark your calendar!
We will have fun, I promise! Please try to be there if you can! We won't make you sing (just kidding - we totally will!)
Student/Teacher of the Month Nominees-
We are doing something a little different this month with Teacher of the Month - please describe in a few words your rational for why that teacher deserves to be recognized. You can keep it anonymous, but you know that the words are what really carry the weight (that and the free pizza).
I'm sure we will have a form for this at some point, but for now, an email will do!
Thanks!
Seussical will be this Friday and Saturday, at 7 pm and 2 pm, respectively! The kiddos and Mrs. Hunter have been working so hard and it will be a great show. It's an hour and a half of your day and it would mean a lot to those involved if you were there! :)
First Semester Tests!
You will need to have a semester test that you can easily pull data from for our assessment PLC in January. You can use Eduphoria or you can do it by hand. I encourage you to do a performance assessment if that is a better way to assess your objectives (I'm talking about art, welding, theatre-type classes). If you have questions, let me know!
Tuesday, December 15 (A day): 4th and 5th periods
Wednesday, December 16 (B day): 6th and 8th periods
Thursday, December 17 (A Day): 2nd and 3rd periods (all students go to class from 11-12:30 so lunch for all at 12:30 - 99% of students will go home)
Friday, December 18 (B Day): 1st and 7th (all students go to class from 11-12:30 so lunch for all at 12:30 - 99% of students will go home)
Stuff I leave in here for reference (nothing new, because hopefully you already read it, so just scan):
Announcements - please use the form!
You can click on the link below to access the announcements form:
Food Drive - Showing GIVING (November's character trait):
To support our November character trait, Giving, we will be holding a Superintendent's Harvest Challenge Canned Food Drive.
The Harvest Challenge begins November 2, 2015 and ends on November 20, 2015. A donation basket will be placed in the front office of each campus. Our Student Council is helping promote this food drive with incentives for students who donate.
All of the collected items will be donated to our new LVISD Clothing Closet and Food Pantry, which are lovingly run by our Life Skills and 18+ programs. All of the food items will be bagged and distributed to local families in need during the holiday season and throughout the year.
Listed below are items that are needed:
• Canned Green Beans
• Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup
• Canned Gravy
• Canned Cranberry Sauce
• Canned Potatoes
• Canned Meat
• Canned Yams/Sweet Potatoes
• Canned Corn
• Canned Milk
• Peanut Butter/Jelly
• Mayonnaise
• Canned Fruit or Pie Filling
Please stress that we are asking for canned items only. Our food pantry is located in a portable building and we do not want to provide Thanksgiving dinner to any critters that might decide that a box of stuffing looks tasty. :)
Please share this information with your students and we encourage our student organizations to join the cause.
Second Nine Weeks Attendance Incentive!
This nine weeks, we are going to have the different grade levels compete against each other! The grade level with the highest attendance will earn a pizza party and an afternoon of movies in the PAC (with the pizza being eaten somewhere besides the PAC). Only the students with 98% better attendance will be eligible to attend. For competition purposes, we will look at their 10:00 attendance time to determine the winners and the eligible students.
Did you know there is a key drop for the suburbans? If you drop off your suburban after hours, you can drop the keys in the small, locked box to the left of the entrance to the admin building.
RtI Plan (please be sure you read thoroughly) -
RtI Team Members: Administrators, Counselor, Department Heads, Referring Teacher(s)
Other members are invited, as needed, including: Student, Teachers, ESL teacher, Special Programs Personnel
Tier I: Standards-Based Classroom Instruction - All Students
Tier II: Needs-Based Instruction (10-20% of Students)
• Interventions provided by classroom teacher
• Teacher develops a Tier II Action Plan/Tier 3 Pre-Referral Form for any student who fails for a 9 weeks (or who is experiencing significant difficulty) & progress monitors
• Teachers must make parent contact and inform them of the development of the Tier II Action Plan/Tier 3 Pre-Referral Form
• Teacher refers students not making progress to RtI Team using Tier III Referral Form
for Secondary Students
Tier III: RtI Team Driven Interventions (5-10% of Students)
• RtI Team meets to review campus discipline referrals, attendance, and grades,
identifying At-Risk students needing Tier III interventions, including:
o Any Student Who Fails 2 or More Classes
o Any Student Who Has 3 or More Unexcused Absences in a 4 Week Period
o Any Student Who has <90% Attendance in 2 or More Classes
o Any Student Who Has 3 or More Discipline Referrals in a 4 Week Period
• RtI Team sends Teacher Feedback Form for Secondary Students to teachers of
identified students
• RtI Team sends Parent Input Form for Secondary Students to parents/guardians of
identified students
• RtI Team meets to review Tier III referrals & teacher/parent feedback for students
identified by the RtI Team to determine appropriate Tier III intervention(s)
• Possible Interventions Include: Strategic Learning for Math, Writing Lab, Credit Recovery & Monitoring, Mentor, Behavior Contract, Small Group Counseling (Lunch Bunch), Daily Parent/Teacher Log, Saturday School, Truancy Prevention Measures
Tier IV: Specialized Learning (1-5% of Students)
• RtI Team meets to discuss students not making progress with Tier III interventions and
determines the appropriate Tier IV intervention(s)
• Possible interventions include: Individual Counseling (School-based), 504 Evaluation,
Special Education Evaluation, Retention
• Referrals to 504 or Special Education follow the flow chart for RtI to 504/SPED Process
So, if a student failed your class for the 9 weeks, you need to be keeping data on the Tier 2/Pre-Referral for Tier 3 Form and you will be receiving a Teacher Feedback Form request from me for students who failed more than 2 core classes for the first nine weeks. We are going to be holding meetings over the next few weeks with their students' parents, teachers, and the student to come up with a new plan to help them succeed.
If you pick up a cell phone from a student for improper cell phone use you can turn it into Mrs. Sutton to hold until the end of the day. The first time she gets a phone from a student, it is a warning and the parent has to come get it. The second time, they have to pay $15 and their parent has to come get it.
New Transportation Request Form!
Check out the transportation form to use when you need a bus or suburban – it can be found on Eduphoria, under Formspace; then "Submit New Form"; then "Transportation Forms"; then click on whatever type of transportation you need to request. Thanks!
Explorer Profile!
Students will be bringing around their Explorer Profile Applications to have you sign (or not) over the next few weeks. Students have to meet all of these requirements to be able to gain access to the App store and FaceTime:
1. Student maintains an 80% average or better in all classes.
2. This complete application submitted within 10 days of the last day of the preceding 9 weeks.
3. No documented technology referrals for improper technology use.
4. Principal approval of this application.
5. ALL teachers and parent approval signatures.
There is a new Fundraiser Form!
Please make sure you are using the newest Fundraising form for all your fundraising request needs. Tyra is the keeper of the forms and she will also be the one who you follow up with when you have to go back and document.
Chunking up big assignments:
When assigning big projects, like papers or group projects, chunk it up and create daily checkpoints along the way that you use to keep students on track and allow you opportunities to take grades along the way. An idea would be to have most of these checkpoints due by the end of a class period rather than giving them the option to 'finish it later and bring it in next class period'.
Some of you have expressed a struggle with students not turning in work and not finding a way to take enough grades, so here's an idea!
If you coach a UIL sport or event...
Progress Report Dates for the Year!
The first three weeks grading reports went well! If you haven't found the awesomeness that is our LVHS Staff calendar on google, please do so! These dates and several more are already on there!
October 23 - End of Nine Weeks; Regain/Lose Eligibility October 30
November 13 - End of Three Weeks; Regain Eligibility November 20
December 4 - End of Six Weeks; Regain Eligibility December 11
December 18 - End of Semester; Regain/Lose Eligibility January 12
January 25 - End of Three Weeks; Regain Eligibility February 1
February 12 - End of Six Weeks; Regain Eligibility February 19
March 11 - End of Nine Weeks; Regain/Lose Eligibility March 28
April 8 - End of Three Weeks; Regain Eligibility April 15
April 29 - End of Six Weeks - Regain Eligibility May 6
June 2 - End of Semester
PLC Meetings for the Rest of the Semester:
Semester 1 Schedule:
Wednesday, October 14 - B Day Curriculum
Wednesday, October 21 - A Day Curriculum
Friday, October 23 End of 1st 9 Weeks
Wednesday, October 28 - B Day Assessments/Data
Wednesday, November 4 - A Day Assessments/Data
Wednesday, November 11 - B Day Instructional Technology
Wednesday, November 18 - A Day Instructional Technology
Wednesday, December 2 - B Day Curriculum
Wednesday, December 9 - A Day Curriculum
Friday, December 18 End of 2nd 9 Weeks
Announcement Procedures -
Please use the announcement spreadsheet shared with you on Google drive to submit announcements. If you are wanting to announce club meetings, you may announce the first club meeting twice prior to the first meeting. After that, we aren't going to announce your meeting every week. We would LOVE to announce scores after games, but we need coaches to submit them, please!
Duty Schedule...
October 14 - October 30
Morning
Main Hallway - K. Timms
Cafeteria - S. Johnson
November 2 - November 20
Morning
Main Hallway - B. Holt
Cafeteria - Howard
Student Drop Off - Pruitt
Bus Drop Off - H. Stachowski
After School
Main Hallway - Chapman
Student Pickup - Kassell
Grassy Knoll - Kirchhoff
Bus Pick up - H. Stachowski
Backups: Hansen, Stahl
November 23 - December 16
Morning
Main Hallway - D. Smith
Cafeteria - K. Walker
Student Drop Off - Duong
Bus Drop Off - H. Stachowski
After School
Main Hallway - J. Timms
Student Pickup - Hansen
Grassy Knoll - Grant
Bus Pick Up- H. Stachowski
Backups: S. Garcia, Standiford
December 17 & 18
*ALL HANDS ON DECK
Morning
Main Hallway/Bus Drop Off - Math Dept
Cafeteria - English Dept
Student Drop Off/Parking Lot - Science
After School
Main Hallway/Bus Pick Up - Social Studies
Student Pick Up/Parking Lot - Electives/CTE
Grassy Knoll/Bus Pick Up - Special Ed/LOTE
* Be prepared. If you cannot attend your duty, contact a back up person to cover your duty. If you do not get your duty covered, assume students will be unattended and unsafe in your area.
** Be prompt. Morning duty begins at 7:40 am and ends at 8:10 am.
***Student drop off and pick up are in the back of the school.
***Grassy Knoll is between the PAC and the main building, standing closer to the student parking lot to be presence in both the grassy area/parking lot.