High School Web Page Updates
The HS student/parent handbook is updated and linked from the top of the home page. Do I need any more links from the HS home page? Let me know.
PD Schedule for Tuesday
We're pretty much all set. Please click on the title.
Half day schedule tomorrow
We will run the regular half day schedule on Tuesday, which is the same as last year. Unfortunately, no morning break, so get your bagel early. I don't love this schedule, but I'd be happy to brainstorm some ideas with folks.
Learning Labs
A few teachers asked about access to the LMC from learning labs.
The paragraph below is in our student handbook, so let's examine it:
O. Learning Lab: Students will use the learning lab to complete homework, work on remedial assignments, or work on enrichment activities. Students must have a pre-signed pass, or an honor pass to leave a learning lab. Students must sign out of the learning lab indicating their destination. All learning labs are to be quiet so as not to interfere with the opportunity for other students to work.
- Just as the first sentence states, let's make sure that students are doing their work. I'll leave it up to individual staff members whether well behaved students can listen to music during learning labs, but they need to be using the time to complete work.
- Sentence #2 states that students must have a pre-signed pass or honor pass to leave a learning lab for another location. I think it's safe to say that if a student had an honor pass at the end of 15-16, that student can start the year as if they had one. Jody and I can work on a list of some sort that will possibly disallow students who are not doing anything in the LMC. Please provide students with passes to go to other locations such as the LMC.
- Please make sure that all students sign into a learning lab. They should not be allowed into the LMC or any other place without a pass.
- Let's all work together to ensure students are using the time wisely. Thanks.
NYS Middle School Association Conference in Watkins Glen
This year's conference is in Watkins Glen on October 21st. Because of the close proximity of this year's conference, I would like our shared teachers to attend. Last year's conference had some very good programs, and I'm sure you'll be impressed this year. Please click the link in the title above.
Let's sign up for Promethean Classflow:
If we get 25 teachers interested in Promethean Classflow online lessons, we'll get a free on-site training. Please check it out here. Don't sign up on this link. I'll do it so that we get credit for the 25. I guess I could just sign everyone up, but I'd rather gauge your interest first. Please let me know if you're interested. Thanks.
Please show video this to your students
Especially those who drive. I hired this girl a couple years ago, and it was a powerful presentation. I'll try to bring her here.
Chromebooks for those kids whose parents don't want them:
There are several students whose parents do not want them to have a Chromebook, but the parents have agreed for their children to use something while in school. The best way to handle this is to get an extra laptop from the library to keep in your room. Please speak with Jody. We're going to try and deplete the inventory of one laptop cart to handle this. It would be best for the kid to leave the room without a computer since we don't want the wrath of the parents to fall upon us.
Attendance reminder:
Please remember that your Period 1 attendance is
your homeroom/daily attendance. If a student arrives late to Period 1 class and
you have already updated your attendance, that student must come to the office
to sign in. They will be marked tardy. This is very important.
Autism Videos:
I recently received a very nice email from a parent whose child has autism. She stated:
I realize he is only one student out of possibly 150-200 you may see on a daily basis. Remembering tips for success for one student is not realistic, and I understand that. Since most of my son's academic issues revolve around his executive dysfunction, and I imagine you have multiple students with the same, (to varying degrees); this year I thought I would share 2 helpful videos from adults on the spectrum with executive dysfunction. The first video is 11 minutes and the second is 8. I would like to encourage you to take 20 minutes to watch these videos, and also to share them with your colleagues if you find them to be of value. Executive functioning delays don't just affect those on the autism spectrum, but those with ADHD and ADD. These are the links for the videos:
Ask An Autistic - What is Executive Functioning?
Executive Function (a response to Ask an Autistic)
Articles:
NYS Middle School Association - several great looking articles
