CMS Weekly Focus

Professional Learning Communities

Thanks to everyone for your participation in our inservice activities this past Monday. There are many great things about the PLC concept that will be an asset to CMS.  First, the entire concept is focused on our most important function: student learning. Second, the concept is well grounded in the knowledge that our teachers are well versed in sound educational methods and can determine how to meet the needs of our students. In addition, the PLC concept works with any group within the school.

Most departments have provided me with your beginning steps of a plan for the remainder of this year. I will be working with deparment chairmen to help provide needed resources to help you be successful. Please remember that we have some excellent resources on our staff and you may call upon our librarian, counselors, gifted specialist, and administrators for help.

A big thank you goes to Mr. Palmer for organizing the seventh grade field trip that took place today. I heard that our students enjoyed the program and represented CMS well.

Next big thing happening at CMS:  The writing assessment is next week for seventh grade. You will receive information about our schedule and testing as soon as possible from our guidance counselors.  Thanks to all of our staff for working together on the writing process.

Duty This Week:  Team 1, Adams and Rushton

One thing that I commonly hear faculty members discuss is the need for consistency among teachers. We believe, and research supports, the idea that consistency among faculty and staff produces positive results for schools.

We can improve our consistency in some areas that will help everyone.  First, I am asking that everyone (yes, everyone) follow our tardy policy.  Students need to know that they must be in their seats ready to work in every class when the tardy bell rings.  Further, students need to know that repeated tardies will result in consequences.  Consequences have been established and should be consistent throughout the faculty.  The third tardy in a nine weeks should result in a grade level detention.  The fourth tardy should result in a double detention.  The fifth tardy should result in a discipline referral.  I believe that tardy lockdowns will not be necessary when we are all implementing the tardy policy.

Why am I so determined to limit class tardies?  I think we send a loud and clear message to our students about the importance of our class by how we handle the first minutes of class.  If the student or teacher is not ready to begin immediately, a message about instructional time in the class is sent.  Unfortunately, this is not a message that says that the teacher values instructional time.  Let’s begin class immediately and make every minute count!

Also, we need consistency with regards to students going to the next class with a pass from the teacher.  We have stated that students may not be held over or kept from class to complete work for a teacher.  This is a common occurrence when students are going to PE.  Please know that once the locker rooms have been closed for each period, the student you are holding late loses the opportunity to dress out.  This results in a loss of points for the day and requires the student to sit in ILC.  Please do not keep students in your classroom to finish late work, etc. 

Thanks for working together to achieve more consistency in these areas.  I believe we have an opportunity every minute to show that class time is important.  I believe we also need students to know that every class is important.  Thanks for helping us send this message to our students!

Monday, Jan. 29 – Booster Club Meeting @ 7:00 p.m./Library

Tuesday, Jan. 30 - Last Regular Season Basketball game at Mt. Gap/Good Luck!

Wednesday, Jan. 31 - Dept. Chair Meeting @ 3:15 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 1 – Black History Assembly/Students will be escorted by homeroom teachers.  Duty teachers should go to the cafeteria during homeroom to assist with seating and supervision.

Friday, Feb. 2 – TGIF!

Monday, Feb. 5 – Progress Reports go home!

Tuesday, Feb. 6 - Think Link Assessment

Tuesday, Feb. 6 - Basketball Tournament Begins/Location TBA

Wednesday, Feb. 7 - Faculty Meeting @ 3:15

Duty Schedule for Week of Jan. 29:  Team 1, Leshinsky, Martin

Just as we are getting back to work, we are lucky enough to have another holiday!  We will be closed Monday, January 15, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.  Enjoy a long weekend!

 I want to thank all of you for the excellent beginning of second semester.  Susan and I are anxious to visit classes as often as possible to see the high level learning and teaching taking place.  You may have noticed that I wrote learning prior to teaching, since learning is our number one priority.  As we are visiting classes, we are looking for many things.  Some of the things we are noting include the level of student engagement and teacher activities. In other words, we want to see students actively involved in the lesson. We also want to see teachers actively engaged in working with students. As I visited classes, I noted that most of you are taking time to assess student work while students are working independently. This is a great time to implement strategies to work with students who need individual attention.

In addition, we thank all of you for helping with supervision between classes.  Active learning activities which involve students, teacher engagement and adult supervision will pay off in the short and long term.  Thanks for all that you are doing.

 Congratulations, Danny, for posting your wiki. I can’t wait to see what goes on those pages!

Weekly Activities

Monday – Holiday

Tuesday

• Basketball Game at Home  – CMS v. Providence

Thursday

• Focus Meeting
• Basketball at Home – CMS v. Huntsville

Friday – TGIF!

Duty: 

Team 2, Wagner, Callins

First semester is winding down quickly, and it is hard to believe that there is only one week until Christmas!  This will be a busy week for all of us as we try to finish grading everything for the semester, give those final tests, make up work for those who had the flu, finish shopping (or start shopping) and lots of other things. 

Just as we are too busy for disruptions, here come the students with other ideas!  We need to work together to do the following:

• Everyone please be on duty between every class to help with crowd control.
• Absolutely no more than one student permitted out of class at a time.
• Students who are out of class should have a pass.
• Do not allow students to wander or visit other classes.

Thanks for all of your hard work this semester.  We will return to work on January 4, 2007!  This will be our Inservice day and we will focus on Professional Learning Communities and 21st Century Learning.  You are in for a treat as you get to see what some of our teachers are doing with their new technology skills.  Everyone received the book, Whatever It Takes, which we will use on January 4.  Please read chapters 1, 2 and 5.  This will give you some background for our morning session.

 January 5, 2007 is the teacher workday.  Mrs. Moore has distributed the schedule for grades to be posted.  Please verify that your grades are posted on time so that report cards can be printed.  Our students return on January 8, 2007.

Again, happy holidays to you and your family.  May you enjoy a restful time resting and reflecting on the difference you have made for so many at CMS during the past year.  I wish you all the best in ’07.

Monday:   English and Social Studies Exams/Tests

                   3:15  Harry Wong Conclusion

Tuesday:  Math and Science Exams/Tests

                   3:30  Home Basketball Game

Wednesday:  Electives Exams/Tests

                  PTSA Newsletter Deadline

Thursday:  Exam Makeups

                     Extended Homeroom for Locker Clean Out

                  11:00 PTSA Sponsored Limo Luncheon

                  12:00 Wall of Fame Luncheon

                    2:10  SGA Sponsored Student/Teacher Volleyball Game

                    3:30 Home Basketball Game

Friday:      Half Day for Students!

                    9:15  We will report to the cafeteria for Music Program

                   11:30  Homeroom Parties

                   12:00 Dismissal – All Teachers are on Duty Until Campus is Clear

With the holidays just around the corner, the students are really excited.  We need your help with supervising our students.  There is definately a strong correlation between adult supervision and student discipline.  I think the more visible adults there are throughout the day, the more likely it is that students will come to class on time and ready to learn.

I want to thank all of the teachers who presented information about the 21st Century Learning at faculty meeting Wednesday.  I have heard some teachers say how interested they are in these new technologies.  I have also heard some say that they don’t know where they would find the time to do all of these new things.  Others have said they are overwhelmed by all of this! 

I want you to know that I shared all of these feelings last year.  I surely could not imagine when I would find the time to learn how to use some of the new technology.  Rest assured, I have not found any more hours in the day.  What I have learned through this process is that if I find one thing that I want to learn and focus on one or two new technology tools at a time, none are too hard to learn.  Most have templates that you can teach yourself to use.  I have also found that I am busier this year than ever.  However, learning to use some of these new technologies has provided me with some motivation and excitement this year.  I hope you will take a look at what some of our teachers are doing to see if it would be beneficial to your class or would re-energize you!  We can all use something to motivate and excite us this time of year!

 Congratulations to the basketball teams for a great week.  Keep up the good work! The schedule for the coming week is below.  Come out and see the teams play.

• Tuesday:       Morning Activity Schedule for the Writing Prompt
• Tuesday:       Away Game/CMS vs. Whitesburg
• Wednesday:  Faculty Party
• Thursday:     Home Game/CMS vs. Stone

Duty:  Team 2, Nichols and Blumer

Welcome to our new weekly newsletter!  I hope you find this blog easy to use and informative.  The site will be updated weekly and will replace the weekly Friday Focus.  Bear with me as I am learning to use a new blog site.

I hope you will enjoy this format for communication.  There are two things to remember about our new site.  First, you will be able to comment and others can read your comments.  Second, this blog is open beyond our faculty.  Please remember that our blog can be read by anyone who has our blog address.  Therefore, our communication will be available to other educators, parents or anyone who has an interest in the faculty newsletter.  Information that you don’t want to go out “into the web” should be send via email. 

For this first newsletter, I want to remind you that we have faculty meeting on Wednesday in the library immediately after school.  Our main agenda items include changes to our BBSST procedures and an exciting introduction to the work of our 21st Century learning team. 

 Weekly Events:

• Tuesday:         Think Link Assessment
• Tuesday:         Home Game
• Wednesday:   Faculty Meeting
• Thursday:       Home Game
• Friday:             Holiday Dance