EMS Friday Focus
May 31st, 2019 #34
EMS 2018-2019 Goals
ALL EMS students and staff will feel connected to our school community - safe, respected, seen, heard, and valued.
All EMS students will find meaning in the work they are tasked with.
Weekly Message
Team -
Spoiler Alert - this message might feel overwhelming.
That said, my intention is to provide transparency and clarity with updates regarding the many balls in the air:
Schedule - Julia and Meg are working with the external consultant to create a schedule that reflects the asks of each team shared last month. Thus far we have been able to meet the asks. The final stage is now ensuring we can make it all work in terms of student numbers in each course section. We are working to get you this schedule as soon as possible.
Students will be receiving a survey this coming week to identify interest in Opt-in classes for 2019-2020. Please see details here.
Student grouping - We have drafted the rising 6th grade groups and are working with the SPED and EL teachers to finalize.
Team announcements to Rising 7th graders - As we did last year, we will be sending out letters to students next Friday to inform them of their team assignment. This will ensure they receive notification before June 13th when they will participate in Step up Day.
Room assignments - Next Thursday Team leaders will discuss room assignments for next year. The discussion will include identifying a location for our 2nd EL classroom. Considering changes to the location of the SSC, Summit and our 2 6th grade classrooms that have no windows. There is much to consider and a collective decision will work to seek the perspective and voices of our entire community. With that in mind please connect with your team leader regarding any particular feedback you would like shared and considered.\
End of Year Inservice -
June 14th -
Powerschool training
Recognizing that the 6th grade needs time to meet with their new team partners and everyone will need time to pack up their space for the summer and finalize grades and comments will be allocated to doing just this
June 17th - District day
June 18th -
2018-2019 reflection and looking ahead to 2019-2020
GMT bus incident update - Last week a group of students riding a bus home from school were directed to disembark from the bus by the driver. These actions went against the protocol of GMT.
After disembarking the bus students shared feelings of racial targeting. Regardless of intent - we as a community must continue to consider our own bias’ and recognize their impact. This situation clearly affords us - as a community - another opportunity to consider how we collectively support the healing needed and ensure ongoing community conversations about race.
Although this public transportation service is under the jurisdiction of GMT, these are our students and thus we have a collective responsibility to ensure their safety.
To this end we are working collectively to identify next steps to address the harm done to students, reiterate expectations for appropriate bus behavior and consider how we - families and school - can work collaboratively with GMT to ensure students safety while on the bus.
Saida Abdi visit - Next Friday Saida Abdi - a native Somali social worker from Boston will be coming to spend the day at EMS. She will be observing students, meeting with families and students in order to help us consider how we work to more effectively meet the needs of our Somali/Somali Bantu students. Our hope is this will be the first step in a longer partnership.
6th grade situation - Since December we have been working to support a group of 6th grade students who have been harmed by letters written to one individual that were racially and culturally hateful. Before April vacation texts and instagram messages began being sent to this group that were also hateful in nature. We have been working with BPD to investigate this situation. To date, it has not been concluded. The pain, anger, sadness caused by this situation has greatly impacted students and led to tension and ongoing challenges. We are working with many community members - Restorative Practice Collaborative, families, Sparks and Margaret Bass - to support students with this reality.
Algebra update shared with families today - The work to continue strengthening our math programming and curriculum in Burlington School District is ongoing. As a community we have a commitment to inclusive teaching and learning practices that ensure all students are being supported to achieve their highest academic, intellectual and personal potential.
Our goal for 2019-2020 is to continue examining best practices for curriculum, instruction and assessment while simultaneously reviewing our current practices and analyzing student achievement data. In the fall of 2019, BSD will be creating a committee to identity our any next steps in regards to math curriculum and assessment scope and sequence. The committee will seek parent input in multiple ways throughout the review process.
The initial analysis of 10th grade math data (through the 3rd quarter) from Burlington High School demonstrates that student’s’ success in Algebra seminar, offered at our Middle Schools, directly correlates with success in Algebra II. As of the end of quarter 3 it specifically reflected that
students who earned an A- or higher in the Algebra Seminar were twice as likely to earn an A- or higher in Algebra II than those who earned a lower grade in the Seminar.
78% (53/68) of students who took the Algebra Seminar, earned a grade of B or better in Algebra II or Algebra II Honors in their 11th grade year.
Knowing this - we intend to continue offering the Algebra seminar at both middle schools for 2019-2020. We will be more deeply analyzing this data once end of year grades are finalized at BHS.
In partnership and with gratitude,
Meg
TASKS
During the last year, no fewer than 20 teacher led professional development sessions have been offered at EMS. We want to make sure that those who led PD sessions, wrote blogs, and/or those who facilitated teach-meet sessions get paid. The business office has indicated that the only way that payment can be received is by completing this form. It will only take a few seconds (please complete one per offering.
End of Year 8th Grade Slideshow: 7th/8th grade teachers, take a look through your respective folder. Add and delete as you see fit. Note that not all 8th graders are represented. Teams are responsible for ensuring that you have pictures of each 8th grader by Friday, June 7th. If it's easier, have each student submit a photo of their own choice to a folder, make sure that all are represented, then dump these into your team folder.
Please review the June 7th schedule for the awards assembly.
Please save boxes for those who will be moving classrooms this year.
Chromebook Roll In Directions
Prior to device roll in we are asking students to complete the following form. We are finding that students are neglecting to turn in devices to be fixed for minor inconveniences such as sticky keys or a non-functioning camera. Tech Support will reimage all devices and fix all of the issues they know about. This survey will help them to allocate the necessary time to fix all devices.
https://forms.gle/16nhwthkUj5EiD7t7
When the devices are collected please make sure the following steps are followed:
Each device should be checked in by an adult.
Check screen for damage
Check the device for physical damage
If the device has any damage or needs a TS repair, identify with masking tape + sharpie
No need to collect damage $$.
We have warranties. This will be covered. Just needs to be flagged for processing.
Put a roll in sticker on it the back of the device.
Teachers will get pages of stickers by team.
Tech support will provide.
8th grade devices are being removed from school.
No need to sticker device
Put the Chromebooks in boxes separated by grade. This is important because all 8th-grade devices will be “trickling down” to the elementary schools. 8th Graders will be issued a new device at BHS.
Announcements and Logistics For the Week
May 31st - School dance in EMS gym - 6 - 8 p.m. *with 8th graders able to stay for an extra 30 min.
Health Care Q&A - mark your calendars for June 4th - from 3:15-5:15 in the MakerSpace/Library
June 7th - Awards assembly in EMS gym - 1:20 - 2:45
June 10th - Team trips *all day final end of year field trip varies by team
June 11th - ½ day for students - noon dismissal
June 11th - 8th grade Celebration of Learning in EMS gym 1 - 2:30 p.m.
June 13th - Last day for students (half day)
2019-2020 School year Calendar has been released - please find here and on our website
Wednesday's Faculty Objective
Over the next two week's we'll use Wednesday's faculty time to:
- create team groupings for 2019-2020
- ensure EST's are ready to transition to 7/8th & 9th grade teams
- ensure final team trips and other end of year logistics are finalized
- complete the many house keeping items that come with the end of the year
That said - we'll plan to start in the MakerSpace/Library all together as normal at 2:20.