The Raider Professional
What's Going On In Raider Nation Vol. 2 Issue 6
Visible Learning
As educational professionals, we have to make the shift from what teachers are teaching to what students are learning. This requires a different thought process, where students are held accountable for taking ownership of their learning. To start, we have to ask questions and think through the lens of our young pupils.
How do they vision the lesson?
What is their deeper understanding? This is visible learning.
Then, we have to create learning opportunities to excite, engage, and transform our students, where they are retaining information and expanding on prior knowledge.
It all starts with challenging our students to communicate, give feedback, and share what they are learning.
Teachers, thank you for taking the challenge to make learning meaningful to our young kings and queens!
Let's have a championship week!
Featured Points To Focus On
- Develop rapport, build strong relationships, and set expectations for students.
- Stand at your door to encourage students to move swiftly to class.
- Take attendance every block and communicate to students the importance of being on time (Please check your email regarding attendance and allow time to teach our students expectations.)
- Submit your lesson plans to your Department Leader and Subject Administrator weekly.
- Make sure you communicate your standards, objectives, and agenda when teaching.
- Constantly check for understanding using different methods.
- Contact parents regarding attendance/ behavior/academic issues. Maintain a contact log, which will be turned in each Wednesday to your subject administrator.
Raider Dates To Remember
Monday, September 19, 2022
Faculty Meeting in the Lecture Hall @ 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Friday, September 23, 2022
Varsity Football Game Vs. Newberry AWAY @ 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
PACT/PSAT 9-11th Grade. Check your email for details.
Notes for Raider Teachers!
Feedback From Observations: Focus on engaging students and having them do the work. Rather than standing up and writing on the smartboard as you are explaining, have students come up to the board and share what they know. Put students in groups and give meaningful activities. Use balls and other manipulatives to identify students for a response. Make these engaging strategies apart of your daily routine.
Handling Conflict: Please talk with our students about how to properly handle conflict. Encourage them to reach out to adults in the building to get help with situations that can potentially get them in trouble. Please convey the importance of working together resolve problems before they become bigger issues. It takes a village!
Student Work: Please start posting your best student work inside and outside your classroom in the hallways. You may also share by tagging WJK on social media.
Ask Yourself: What is the hook for today’s lesson that will keep them engage? Is there an opportunity for my students to get up and move around with my lesson? How am I going to check for understanding? Am I giving students the opportunity to show me they have a grasp of the content? Am I using the DLE to enhance the lesson or am I simply giving electronic skill sheets?
Signing In and Out: If you need to leave campus for an emergency, please get approval from an administrator, and sign out in the main office. We are professionals.
PTSO: Please consider joining our Parent Teacher Student Association. It is a big part of communicating to our parents that we want to build a stronger partnership this year. The application is in the main office with Ms. Golston.
Our Raider Freshman Academy! - Kimberly Jeter. Assistant Principal
Greetings, 9th Grade Parents!
The 2022-2023 school year is in full swing. We have completed the Fall STAR Testing, our 1st Quarter interim period is upon us, and we continue to look forward to supporting our newest Raiders as they begin "Shaping their Future."
Freshman students at times need extra support in adjusting to high school and its demands. Goal setting, organization, and receiving specific feedback are skills and strategies used to ensure personal and individual success. As partners in our students' success, we need parents and guardians to commit or to recommit being an engaged and informed parent. When there's a positive partnership between home and school it exponentially increases a student's chances to be academically, behaviorally, and emotionally successful.
Below are some tips for parents to assist their 9th grade student.
Tips for 9th Grade Parents: (sourced in part from Wren High School Freshman Academy webpage)
- Be interested in what is going on at the school.
- Communicate with the school to show interest and concern.
- Discuss daily activities with your child.
- Make sure contact information is current.
- Make concerns known to school.
- Utilize school resources as needed.
- Emphasize the importance of education.
Senior Quote of the Week!
Congratulations To Ms. Ausburn's Homeroom for Winning The Pizza Party!
Cadet PVT Keona Willis-Toatley is JROTC Student of the Month for September!
Cheryl Lawson-Wilson, Assistant Principal for Instruction
I hope school is starting well for you and you enjoyed your extended weekend!
- Fall evaluation cycles begin September 21st for teachers that are evaluated this year. Evaluators will reach out to you regarding your meetings.
- September 12-30 SLO initial conference meetings will be held. You will be contacted about your meeting with Mr. Whaley. Please begin collecting your student data that will support your SLO.
- Thank you to 9th grade teachers that participated in STAR testing with their students! STAR will continue through Sept. 6-7.
- Open House will be held on Wednesday, September 14th from 5:00-7:00 pm. Please be prepared to meet parents.
- Mastery Connect provides a digital assessment platform to administer standards-based formative & summative assessments. The district will continue to administer CASE/TE21 practice tests through MC. Be sure to have your Mastery Connect trackers set up this week. Staff who are new to R1 will receive a welcome email from Mastery Connect. Follow the prompts to set up your password. See your department chair if you need support with this.
- Gradebooks should be updated this week.
- Congratulations to our Raider Treasure for the week, Ms. Wendy Jacobs! She has been working hard to keep our campus clean. She is a great addition to the Raider family!
Keenan Kast - Introductions from Our Team Members!
Senior Raiders Attended The College Fair!
There Is Nothing Like An ICEE At Lunch!
Class Meetings at the K!
Shalise Wine, Magnet Lead Teacher
Students will start holding sessions that include real world activities like interviewing, resume building, vision board projects and applying for scholarships in October.
Quick Reads For Motivation and Growth
Why Social-Emotional Learning Is Suddenly in the Spotlight - Growing up can be tough. As young people’s bodies and brains are changing rapidly, they’re also grappling with new ideas and influences that will shape who they become. Click Here For The Entire Article
6 Strategies for Building Community in the Classroom - I used to pride myself on my knack for building community in the classroom. I spoke to students about what it would take. I displayed our class mantra at the beginning of each school year: “We are a community of independent flexible thinkers working interdependently to solve problems.”. Click Here For The Entire Article
W.J. Keenan High School
Our Mission
The mission of W. J. Keenan High School is to provide engaging educational opportunities through a rigorous curriculum, cutting edge technology, and partnerships to extend to our diverse community and produce first class citizens who will contribute to the present and excel in the future. WE ARE KEENAN!
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a nationally known high school that is highly regarded for its academic excellence, leadership in cutting edge technology, science, environmental, and career based programs. A high school that builds strong relationships with all stakeholders and continues a culture where the expectation is to lead, set the example, and raise standards for all to follow.
Email: vondre.whaley@richlandone.org
Website: http://keenan.richlandone.org/
Location: 361 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: 803-714-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keenanraiders/
Twitter: @wjkeenan