Autrey Mill Faculty News -August 26 and September 2, 2013

  

August 26 and September 2, 2013

“We cannot teach students well if we do not know them well.”

 —Hoffman and Leak

 

News/Timelines/Due Dates

College Colors Day – Wear your favorite college colors this Friday to celebrate the beginning of the college football season.  Encourage the students to join in!

Rosh Hashanah- This holy day for our Jewish population begins at sundown on September 5 and many students will be out on the sixth.  Please keep this in mind as you are planning tests and due dates.

Labor Day Weekend – The opening of school is always exhausting and I hope you enjoy the three day break and take some time to relax.  You can wear jeans on Tuesday to ease back into reality! 
 

Technology Survey – You will receive an email from me regarding a technology use survey that is being conducted by the county.  This will be excellent data for us to have as we move forward with creating 21^st century learners.  The survey will also be administered at the end of the year.  All teachers MUST complete the survey by September 19.

 

Peanut Allergies – Rusty sent a link out last week to help staff identify peanut safe foods.  We have some children this year with some very serious allergies and we should be aware of what is in the food that we are giving children.  If you are one that gives out candy for incentives (which is another discussion in itself), make sure they are peanut free.  For those of you who do food projects be very mindful of what is being brought by the kids especially if you have one of the children with allergies in your class.

New Professional Learning Room (Conference Room A150)-  This new room will be equipped with furniture suitable for training sessions, duty days, large meetings.  At this point, it is not for classroom use unless approved by admin. 

PRIDE – Thank you for your patience and assistance in getting PRIDE up and running this year!  It takes some time to prepare everything for the initial startup and we are good to go now.  There was lots of help in the hallways trying to get students into classrooms and everyone finally found their rooms.  Thank you!!!!!                                        
 

Please take time to read this message as it will help to clarify a few things for the weeks to come:

General Info:

·         All students should have been given a PRIDE sticker for their agenda.  Stickers were distributed by HR.

·         Please keep up with attendance on your roster.  You do not need to turn in your roster but should follow up with the grade level administrator of your students if someone is missing for a couple of consecutive weeks.

·         Please check the room number on your roster.  You may not have the same PRIDE room location as last year.  There were many staff and classroom changes so please look carefully.

·         If you have a new PRIDE group and have not found the PRIDE folders please check with Fran Meredith.

·         There is a lot of movement this year between HR and PRIDE because students move to another grade level hall for their PRIDE class.  Please monitor the hallways during this transition. 

          Students having to go downstairs for PRIDE should use the 6^th grade side staircase.

          Students having to go upstairs for PRIDE should use the 7^th grade side staircase.

·         Remember to collect feedback on the lessons.

 

Lessons & Supplies:

·         Lessons will be placed in your boxes for advisement lessons generally 1 week prior to an advisement class.

·         If there are supplies such as bowls, popsicle sticks, skittles, hula-hoops, parts to a game, or anything not readily available to all staff, it will be provided for you and placed in your box with the lesson.

·         If the lesson requests paper, markers, bulletin board paper, etc. you will need to make sure you have that prior to the lesson.

·         Some lessons  provide questionnaires, scenarios, worksheets, etc. that each student will need a copy.  Please make copies for your PRIDE group.  If you would like to work out a system with a buddy or your team and someone makes copies for all the groups, please feel free to work out your own system.  Don’t wait until the last minute to read through your lesson and make copies.

·         Returning Supplies:  Any items that can be reused for next year (generally items that were given to you with the lesson) should be returned on Fridays at the completion of the lesson.  Please return your supplies to one of the PRIDE committee members closest to you.  PRIDE committee members will return all supplies to Wendy Wilson

   Committee members include:

   8^th Grade:  Gayla Payne & Stephanie Wilson

   7^th Grade:  Lizzie Haber & Marisa

   6^th Grade:  Lisi Furman & Deborah White

  Connections/PE:  Jennifer McCann will collect for those that teach 6^th grade groups.

  Jason Landers will collect for those that teach 7^th grade groups.

  Ed Clawson will collect for those that teach 8^th grade groups.

                                                                        

 PRIDE  -  8/30/13:   This week will be an advisement lesson.  If you did not finish the script or putting advisement/silent reading dates in agendas with students please finish.  Continue with your icebreaker activities.  If you teach 6^th graders the lesson you receive this week will be a 2 part lesson.  Please use this lesson for 8/30/13 & 9/13/13.

Next Friday, 9/6/13 will be our first Silent Reading session.  Please remind students to bring a book with them to PRIDE.

A MIGHTY ROAR!

Thanks to Todd Shelnutt and his class for sprucing up the outdoor classroom.

Where is Livingston? 

Matt McNamara says,  “I am passing Livingston on to someone that does a lot more for this school then I think at times gets credit for.  Already this year she has worked extremely hard to help the SEC teachers with the FTE’s, NCLB forms, caseloads, Segment Reports, etc.  This person is continuously supportive of all teachers and I know specifically the SEC department REALLY appreciates all that she does for us.   She spends countless hours outside of school hours making sure that everything runs smoothly.  I know teachers and administrators really appreciate her.  That person is Debra Clark.  Thank you Debra for all you do and continue to do!”

Happy Birthday

Dana Balckburn        August 29

Michelle Potts            August 29

Robin Wexler              August 31

Laura Hunter               August 25

 

Autrey Mill Faculty News

 

August 19, 2013

•      “The quality of teacher–student relationships is the keystone for all other aspects of classroom management.” —Marzano and Marzano, Dimensions of Learning

 

News/Timelines/Due Dates

·         Believe it or not, curriculum nights are next week!

·         I know for you early risers, it is a little inconvenient to arrive at school and find the door locked.  In the past, we have parents who would drop their children off way too early.  We want to let the parents know that we are not open at this time, as we do not have supervision for those students.

·         In case you have not noticed, the busses are arriving later than they did last year.  Assignments that you want a student to finish in homeroom may not be feasible for those students arriving late.

·         TKES Information

        All teachers are expected to complete the TKES Teacher Orientation each year.  Log into the GaDOE electronic platform and complete the TKES Orientation and Self-Assessment. The orientation includes a video viewing that lasts approximately 40 minutes. You are able to complete the self-assessment after completing the orientation.  In addition to rating yourself on the rubric, you will need to write at least one strength and weakness for each standard. Please complete the Orientation and Self-Assessment by August 31, 2013. (new teachers or new to the building teachers may not be able to get in yet) You may also review the Resources and Help Guides available within the platform.  Please let me know if you have any issues.  We will be having our preconference meetings with your grade levels on September 4. 

A mighty roar!

To our connections and PE teachers for organizing the sixth grade rotations where students were introduced to many facets of AMMS.  I was lucky enough to be in with Officer Quinn.  The number one question was “do you have a Taser?”  The week culminated with a great pep rally organized by the PE teachers.

 

 

Where is Livingston? 

Matt McNamara was the last to receive Livingston and has the honor to pass him on next week.  As a reminder (or new info for many), Livingston is awarded to someone you feel deserves recognition.  That person should not be in the same grade level/department as you.

Happy Birthday

Charania Zarinia       August 19

Erin Hoerr                  August 21

Sharon McGee            August 24

Laura Hunter               August 25

 

Faculty News, August 12

 

Autrey Mill Faculty News    

August 12, 2013

“A fundamental question for a student is ‘Does my teacher like me?’ Given a rigorous, aligned curriculum, the answer to that simple question is our best predictor of student achievement.”

—Alice Terry, More Life Through Management

News/Timelines/Due Dates

·         Today is the day that we focus on relationship! Set those norms early with the students and make sure they know and understand the procedures. I was often told as a teacher that you should never smile until December! While I don't quite buy that, I do believe you have to begin with firm and fair expectations while at the same time letting students know that this is going to be a great experience. Sounds easy, but it is not!

·         Pep Rallies are Thursday and you can wear jeans with your team colors.

·         A sign-up sheet for the new conference room is located at Unnur’s desk along with the sign up for the other rooms.

·         Ped sent you an email on how to access the master calendar.  Please make sure you do this so that you can be informed about what is happening in the school.

·         If you arrive to school before 7:40, you may find the front doors locked.  There is a slide lock on the entrance closest to the gym.

·         PRIDE will be begin on Friday, August 23.

·         Lane Arnold will be leaving us at the end of this week for a new venture in her life. 

A mighty roar!

To everyone for making sneak preview so successful.  We always get compliments on how organized the event and parents and students were very enthusiastic.  You all set a positive and warm tone and it is appreciated.

To Kerri McCoy who not only was published in a journal this summer, but also did a great job presenting to middle and high school teachers last week at the professional learning days.  That is not always an easy task especially with high school teachers!

 

 Where is Livingston?  

He will return soon!!!

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday

Ruth Watkins             August 12

Beth Van Riper            August 14

Danelle Chereck         August 16

Amy Pate                     August 17