Fall MAP & SOR Coaching Week = JEANS!

This week brought the joy of familiar routines to whole group and small group instruction!  Our students have settled so well into your high expectations for learning.  We saw small group instruction start right at the skill level appropriate for each student.  Next week during the SOR coaching week, we will review best practices for STEPS Lessons, HFW & Oral Language.  STEPS will provide the framework necessary for our instruction to "move as quick as it can, but as slow as it must."  Your lesson preparation during small group reading will ensure adequate practice opportunities (30+) are available every day for students to read and write words aligned to the target skill.  If you would like support planning for reading small group lessons, reach out to Mary Claire (K-3) or Katy (4-5).  

On the math front, Katy shared district resources available on Schoology to support math instructional planning.  If you find you would like more time to dig into math planning for your team, reach out to Katy at any time!  After MAP testing, Katy (K-5) is available to support planning for math small groups which should begin in all classrooms by 9/3 (IF not already in place).

With MAP Testing & our first SOR coaching week on the horizon... enjoy jeans next Tuesday - Thursday!

STINGER STORIES

Review the latest edition of Stinger Stories HERE.

FALL MAP BEGINS, 8/27

Please review the Testing Tidbits email that was sent by Carla for final testing details.

1. Access the schedule HERE.

2.  Refer to student small groups/accommodations in the folder found in your box.

3.  Create testing sessions and assign accommodations.  Reach out to Carla if you need assistance!

4.  Submit make-ups HERE after each day of testing.

5.  Return signed Test Examiner Assurance form following testing.

NO Reading Small Groups on 8/27 & 8/29.  Reading small groups should occur for ALL students on 8/26, 8/28 & 8/30.

SOR COACHING WEEK - CYCLE 1

We are excited about our first SOR Coaching Week of the year!  Please refer to the email shared yesterday for additional details about the week ahead.  Staff scheduled for LJFA Walks received an email from Katy.

Weekly SOR CYCLE Schedule
Monday, 8/26	Tuesday, 8/27	Wednesday, 8/28	Thursday, 8/29
LJFA Walks 12:00-1:00 - Reading Specialist PLC	Word Recognition PLC *Morphology & Phonics Pacing Guidance; Structured Literacy Best Practices – STEPS Lessons, HFW, Oral Language	Language Comprehension PLC *W&W Oral Language and Comprehension Routines 3:30-4:30 - Implementation Team	LJFA Walks *LJFA Walks to continue on 9/11

BRUSH UP ON ORAL LANGUAGE!

A part of the focus next week will be Oral Language.  Brush up on Oral Language strategies in the classroom with these practices:

• Ask open-ended prompts to engage students in putting into words what they have learned.
• Plan for students to participate orally through Turn & Talk, Think-Pair-Share, Pick Sticks so all students have the opportunity to participate.
• Plan for students to participate orally through choral response.
• Use scaffolds to support oral language in the classroom (sentence stems, word banks, restate/rephrase students to model strong oral language).
• Explicitly use academic language (Sparkle Words, WOW Words, etc.) to lift the level of daily language used by students and create a word conscious classroom.
• Provide opportunities for students to "repeat after me" and paly with language to build phonological, morphological, and syntactical awareness.

PLAYGROUND SUPERVISION

We have seen a few instances of rough play during recess.  As a reminder, we need all teachers to be diligent with supervision during recess - which may require staff to be spread out for greater visibility among the common play areas for your grade level.

LEAVE ENTRY STEPS

***Rewind to our pre-planning faculty meeting... remember staff are required to complete ALL three steps when requesting leave.  Shelley & Carla are so sweet to help where they can when emergencies arise, but they NEED your help to follow the leave steps.  

Please remember to follow the steps for leave entry for any day-off absence.

1.  Notify BOTH Carla & Lindsay via text.  Adkison: 912-230-0417; Williams: 404-625-7407

2.  Enter into Kelly (or ESS for ESS Staff).

3.  Complete a Yellow Leave Form upon return.

QUARTER 1 PROGRESS REPORTS, DUE 9/9

Please see the information below in preparation for Q1 Progress Reports.  If you have any questions regarding progress reports, reach out to Lindsay!

Progress Report Notification Forms will be emailed separately to teachers by 8/30.

Kindergarten – 2^nd Grade

The Quarter 1 Progress Report Notification Form should be completed for students NOT meeting grade level standards. These students are likely, based on current data and teacher observations, to earn mostly 1’s at the end of Quarter 1.

Steps:

1. All K-2 homeroom teachers should complete the attached form for identified students not meeting grade level standards.
2. Save the Q1 Notification form as a PDF.
3. E-mail the report to the parent on 9/9/24.
4. Complete the Progress Report Record to log the students that received notification for your homeroom.

3^rd – 5^th Grade

The Quarter 1 Progress Report Notification Form (attached) should be completed for students averaging below 80% in any subject area. Only the subject area with the grade below 80% is required to complete.

Steps:

1. All 3-5 homeroom teachers should complete the attached form for identified students with average below 80%.
2. Save the Q1 Notification form as a PDF.
3. E-mail the report to the parent on 9/9/24.
4. Complete the Progress Report Record to log the students that received notification for your homeroom

**If an assignment is incomplete, the grade recorded in Aspen at the progress report deadline is 60%. If the student’s current average is below 80%, the the student receives a notification. This progress report serves as a warning to the child/family to submit assignments before the end of Q1. The grade can be adjusted if work is turned in before the end of Q1. If incomplete assignments are impacting the student’s grade, please note this in the comment section of the progress report. (For example: Christina has __ incomplete assignments that are negatively impacting her grade. Christina has until October 10^th to complete all missing assignments in order to update her grade. Following Quarter 1, the grade cannot be changed.)

Important Grading Dates

Q1 Progress Report Dates
Grading Period Ends	August 30th, 2024
Progress Report Notification E-mailed	September 9th, 2024
Q1 Report Card Dates
Grading Period Ends	October 10th, 2024
Deadline to Post Grades (Admin Check)	October 13th, 2024
Report Cards Distributed	October 16th, 2024

GRAND PALS DAY, 9/9

PTA will provide grade level activities to complete during Grand Pals day.  Look for materials to be delivered to your box and directions to come via email before 9/9.

Kindergarten	9:45-10:15
1st Grade	9:00-9:30
2nd Grade	10:30-11:00
3rd Grade	1:30-2:00
4th Grade	2:00-2:30
5th Grade	12:45-1:15

DIGITAL INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCE GUIDANCE

Check out this guidance document for best practices for using school/district purchased digital instructional resources with your students.  Reach out to Katy if you need support with IXL or Beast Academy.  As a reminder, technology should only be used with an intended learning outcome and when student accountability measures are put in place.

DUPLICATE INFORMATION FROM LAST WEEK BELOW THIS LINE

SOAR BUS SAFETY PROGRAM

MCS Transportation will be on campus August 28th & 29th.  Buses will be parked in the car loop.  Please see the UPDATED schedule here.

SOAR Schedule NOTES:

Reeser & King, please find an alternate recess time.

Specials teachers, you will take 3rd grade to the program & HR teachers will meet you at the end of specials.

TKES ORIENTATION

TKES staff should begin orientation steps for the year including:

• Complete Orientation on SLDS
• Complete Self-Assessment
• Sign-up for a Pre-conference
• Draft TKES Goals

All TKES documents can be found on the staff Schoology course.  These tasks should be completed by your pre-conference date.

UPCOMING DATES (Dates added since last week)

• 8/23 - TOTY Recognition @ MHS Game!
• 8/26-8/29 - SOR Coaching Week (Angie on Campus)
• 8/27-8/29 - Fall MAP
• 8/28 - Vertical Teams, 3:30 PM (SOR, MLT & LLT)
• 8/29 - Dress Down Day
• 9/2 - No School!
• 9/3-9/6 - Fall Book Fair
• 9/3 - PLCs
• 9/4 - Faculty Meeting, 3:30 PM
• 9/5 - Q1 Progress Reports DUE
• 9/5 - 4th/5th SOR PD during planning (Angie on Campus)
• 9/5 - Vision to Learning
• 9/5 - Parent-2-Parent Series 9:30-10:30 featuring MPD
• 9/6 - Grandparents Day (schedule above)
• 9/6 - TKES pre-conferences DUE
• 9/10 - PLCs
• 9/11-9/12 - Angie on Campus
• 9/11 - Leadership Meeting
• 9/12 - GKIDS Readiness DUE
• 9/12 - 3rd Grade In House FT (Colonial Times)
• 9/12 - Pizza on the Playground, 5:30-7:00 PM
• 9/16 - Hispanic Heritage Month Assembly, 1:30-2:30 PM
• 9/17 - SGT Meeting, 11:00 AM
• 9/17 - PLCs
• 9/18 - Vertical Team Meeting, 3:30 PM
• 9/19 - Dress Down Day
• 9/19 - MTSS Meetings during planning
• 9/20 - 5th Grade FT (Tellus)
• 9/23-9/27 - Fall Break!
• 9/30 - 1st Grade FT (Truist Park)
• 10/1 - PLCs
• 10/2 - Faculty Meeting
• 10/4 - Picture Day (schedule to come)
• 10/4 - MHS Homecoming!