McClatchey Messenger FOR STAFF
October 19, 2018
DME Family News
To keep you better informed about staff members that need prayers and support, I will email you all about situations once the staff member gives permission to share.
DREAMBOX INFORMATION
Are you noticing that students are in Dreambox for a long time,
but the number of lessons completed are not going up?
Maybe they are spending time in the arcade or personalizing their avatar.
Did you know that you can limit the time students personalize
their avatars or spend in the arcade?
Click on your classroom.
Click on Settings.
Click on Engagement Restrictions.
Here you can decide when students can visit the arcade or customize their avatar. For example, you might uncheck the box in front of Monday through Thursday, thus allowing students this option only on Fridays.
Another reason why you might notice that students are not completing lessons
is because they have paused the lesson.
Please encourage your students to complete each lesson before moving on.
Students should use the green X in the top right-hand corner to exit any lesson rather than the pause. If students have not completed the lesson, it will bring them back to the same lesson when they login next.
RED RIBBON WEEK-PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR PARENTS
You may wear jeans all week if you participate in the RED RIBBON DAYS!
PLEASE MAKE A TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATION
Nominations close Friday, October 19.
We are excited to announce the 2018 - 2019 Teacher of the Year nominations are now open! We appreciate all of the hard work you do each day to prepare our students for their futures. Nominating someone for your campus’ Teacher of the Year is a wonderful opportunity to highlight a peer and how they go above and beyond to serve each of their kids. Your school’s Teacher of the Year should inspire others, challenge students while creating a positive learning environment, and overall strengthen and improve the teaching profession. Whether your nominee is a seasoned veteran or a first-year teacher, select the person you feel exhibits these qualities and would make you proud to represent your school and MISD.
Click here to nominate a teacher now! Nominations close Friday, October 19.
Please email me if you have any questions. Thank you!
DON'T FORGET!--JEANS FOR A WEEK!
Please turn in your red ball and your box!
KINDER AND FIRST GRADE TEACHERS- PLEASE READ
We discussed possibly uploading the link from the google form. After further investigation and discussion with Becki Krsnak, we made the determination that an image must be uploaded and not a link, as the link could get deleted in the future.
She suggests to cut down on the amount of screenshots you upload, to screenshot the print preview page (which will allow you to only need 2 screen shots). Peterman can help you with this if you need.
Again, any kinder of 1st grade RTI student needs an image of the report card uploaded into esped 3 times a year, in conjunction with sending them home.
END OF NINE WEEK GRADE LEVEL AWARDS
POWERSCHOOL -PLEASE READ REGARDING GRADES FOR REPORT CARDS
Beginning midnight on Monday, teachers will no longer be able to change grades for the first quarter. This will occur on each grading period from this point forward as well. Teachers will receive notification in PowerTeacher Pro:
(W1 will say Q1 and date will be 10/22 instead of 10/1 -this was secondary example)
PowerSchool introduced this new feature and we believe it will eliminate:
-mismatches between the grades in historical/teacher gradebook resulting in incorrect averages for the semester
-protection from inadvertently adding grades to a prior term with a typo on the date which in turn changed the quarter and semester
-lead to greater accuracy
-allow no grade changes after storing
However, with this new feature, we'll have some additional work for any new or transferred students as the lock will need to be removed. It will also need to be removed when teachers need to make a grade change to the quarter term. Instructions for these steps will be sent to the PEIMS contact at each campus.
We ask that Teachers update their grades in a timely fashion for Transfers/New Enrollees so that we do not leave the term unlocked any longer than necessary.
Parent Nights at Admin.
November 13 - 5:30-7 p.m.
Scott Poland is a nationally known expert in helping parents raise resilient children. He also embed how parents can recognize the signs of depression and possible self-harm. This is a brown bag dinner learning opportunity.
UPCOMING DATES!
OCTOBER:
10-22 RED RIBBON WEEKS BEGINS
10-23 Germany show Boy Scout Video to Boys in grades 1-5 at 8:00 in Commons Area
10-24 DME SOCIAL-FIFTH GRADE, POKENO Night, BOY SCOUT NIGHT 6:30-8:00
10-25 ALL CITY CHOIR PRACTICE 2:45-3:45, Trunk or Treat Night
10-26 SCHOOL WIDE ASSEMBLY DAY
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10-29 BOOK FAIR WEEK, WEE READING at 9:00
10-30 PTO MEETING 6:30 pm in cafe (John Matthews) DECORATE CLASSROOMS FOR PARTY 6:30-7:30
10-31 FALL PARTY DAY, SCOOP with Dr. LEdbetter
November
11-1 FIFTH GRADE PROGRAM-8:00, 6:30
11-2 LAST PTO SPIRIT STORE
11-3 Father of Texas Day, in memory of Stephen F. Austin, the great pioneer patriot and the real and true Father of Texas. Fa-
ther of Texas Day shall be regularly observed by appropriate and patriotic programs in the public schools to properly commemorate
the birthday of Stephen F. Austin and to inspire a greater love for
this beloved state.
11-7 LIDS MEETING, SAT DAY
11-8 ALL CITY CHOIR PRACTICE 2:45-3:45
11-9 VETERAN DAY PROGRAM, PROGRESS REPORTS
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11-12 PTO PENNY WAR ALL WEEK, 11-14 STAFF MEETING
11-13 PTO Thanksgiving Feast by Grace Ovilla Church,, PARENT UNIVERSITY-SCOTT POLAND, ADMIN
11-14 SAT with Peterman
11-15 ALL CITY CHOIR PRACTICE 2:45-3:45
11-16 NO FORMAL EVALUATIONS
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11-19-11-23 HOLIDAY
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11-28 DME SOCIAL-ENCORE/SPECIAL POPS
11-29 ALL CITY CHOIR PRACTICE 2:45-3:45, Nelson Baby Due
11-30 SCHOOL WIDE ASSEMBLY
You may share the following party information with your parents.
If you have not heard from your room mom about your Fall party, please let me know.