Panther Press
for the Week of April 23rd Plus
Reminders from the Principal
Today we will conclude the bulk of our state testing and so far only minor student test irregularities. The next two weeks of the window will see us pulling the stragglers to complete testing of all students (including those currently assigned to the alternative school). Alternative school students are scheduled to report to us on April 27 and spend the day testing without interacting with the general population. Make sure you remind your students that all of the test incentives are tied to unexcused attendance throughout the testing window and not just on their test days. This week 123 students have already been recorded absent, tardy or checking into school as unexcused. Students with any unexcused attendance do not qualify for any of the test incentives.
We will have faculty meetings May 1st so plan accordingly. We will discuss general results of the state testing and the final exam schedule. Both of which will be distributed electronically through the google classroom.
Information will be coming out shortly about classroom inventory from Mr. Powell as well as end of the year check-out procedures.
All teachers are required to administer a unit assessment every 4.5 weeks and they must be labeled as a unit assessment in your gradebook. These assessments must also appear in the gradebook to reflect grades for that time period. While the expectation is that all teachers will administer at least one unit test every 4.5 weeks, the total number of assessments each nine weeks is determined by the classroom teacher. With assessments counting 75% of the nine weeks grade it behooves each teacher to have more than two. All teachers are required to have spoken to or had face-to-face contact with parents of students who have an "F" in their class BEFORE the end of each 9 weeks. It is NOT the responsibility of the EX ED teacher to make those contacts for the classroom teacher, either. These are non-negotiables.
All staff are responsible for electronic communications and items shared through the google platform. A copy of the current staff handbook for HMS is on the google drive.
All teachers should be uploading evidence to EducateAlabama on a regular basis. Do not wait until the last minute. If you are having issues with EducateAlabama, follow the instructions on the EducateAlabama site for contacting the Help desk.
Here is a list of reminders for this semester:
1. If we want things to change the change starts with us.
2. All employees will be professional.
3. Attendance counts even for the adults. Attendance must be taken each class period and posted.
4. Our expectations for students have to be taught and have to be consistent across the team if not grade level.
5. All teachers are expected to be on time for school and duty.
6. Hall duty does not mean standing in a huddle and talking about the students. It means actively supervising students in all areas of the building. This includes the lunchroom. Teachers do not have a duty free lunch. Teachers are expected to monitor students to the lunchroom, in the lunchroom (including the line) and on the way back from the lunchroom.
7. All students are expected to be in the classroom when the tardy bell rings.
8. No student should be allowed out of class without a pass, period.
9. Teachers and staff are expected to be on campus all day. Permission to leave campus must be given by an administrator and only if it is school related.
10. 3rd Period Advisement and Career Prep Lessons are not optional. It is the expectation that these lessons will be delivered each Friday including when a teacher is absent.
11. Sub folders should contain emergency lesson plans for a teacher's classes including 3rd period. Rosters for all classes must be included in the Sub-Folders.
Go Panthers!
Spring Testing Incentives and Reminders
We have begun our ramp-up to the Spring Assessment of the Scantron Performance Series and are introducing an incentive program for our students. It is imperative that all students are at school on testing days and focused to try their best. To encourage students, we are offering the following incentives:
1) Any student who successfully makes their Spring learning target on the Scantron Performance Series Reading Assessment, has no unexcused attendance April 9 through May 4, has no test irregularities during testing and has at least a "C" average in the class can exempt either their English OR their Social Studies final exam in May.
2) Any student who successfully makes their Spring learning target on the Scantron Performance Series Math Assessment, has no unexcused attendance April 9 through May 4, has no test irregularities during testing and has at least a "C" average in the class can exempt either their Math OR their Science final exam in May.
3) All students who have no unexcused attendance April 9 through May 4 and no Class II offenses on test days will be eligible to participate in our End of Testing Beach Bash.
As a reminder to all parents and students, students are not allowed to have ANY digital devices in their possession during testing. Digital devices include cell phones, smart watches, Ipods, tablets and their equivalents. Any student found in possession of a digital device in a testing room will receive at a minimum a Class II, have their device confiscated and the device will be turned over to the district. Test irregularities are at a minimum Class II offences.
Unexcused attendance includes all unexcused absences, check-ins, check-outs and tardies to class.
Important Reminders for the Week of April 23rd Plus
Apr 9 - May 4 - Spring Testing Window (see below)
Apr 23-26 - HMS Little Girls Cheer Clinic
Apr 23 - May 3 - Spring Football Training
Apr 23 - Timecards must be approved and corrected by 3 PM
Apr 24 - NO Faculty Meetings this week - Read YOUR EMAIL DAILY
Apr 25 - Tornado/Fire Drill - 3rd Period
Apr 26 - Little Girls Cheer Clinic Pep-Rally @ 5:30 in Competition Gym
Apr 27 - Teacher Work Day
Apr 27 - Grades posted by 3PM
Apr 30 - MEDC in Conference Room
May 1 - May PTA Meeting
May 1 -3 - HMS Volleyball Tryouts
May 3 - NJHS Inductions in Competition Gym
May 4 - Beach Bash for Students who meet expectations
May 8-9 - Boys Basketball Tryouts
May 9 - 8th Grade Tour of Hueytown High School
May 9 - Fire/Tornado Drill - 6th period
May 10 - EX ED Graduation in Lunchroom
May 14 - Spring Band Concert
May 15-17 - Girls Basketball Tryouts
May 17-22 - 2nd Semester Diagnostics (Schedule to come 1st week in May)
May 23-24 - Grade Recovery
May 23 - Begin Retention Meetings
May 24 - Grades Due by noon
May 24 - Grade Verification Sheets due by 3 PM
May 25 - Teacher Work Day
May 25 - Report Cards Mailed
PLUS Team Rotation
No PLUS Team Meetings in April due to testing
No PLUS Team Meetings in May
Lesson Plan, Unit Assessments & Contact Log Administrators
- 6th Grade teachers, Poe, Finch, Overton, and Owens submit to Mr. Anders via email.
- 7th Grade teachers, Gonzalez, Moreno, Evans, Williams and Channel submit to Mr. Powell via email.
- 8th Grade teachers, Cerka-Wilkes, A. Smith, Kunath, Whitfield and Richards-Broome submit to Dr. Foster via email.
Lesson Plans/Parent Contact Log Calendar
May 4 (LP May 7 – May 24, PC through May 3)
May 25 (PC through May 24)