Sunday, May 13, 2018

Finishing Strong

Excellence in Education: Finishing Strong
It's the end of a long footrace. The finish line is in sight. Perhaps friends and families are cheering you on. 

Perhaps you hate the final sprint; finding it redundant. For you the whole race has been a sprint. A final sprint can be an uncomfortable one that your body wants nothing to do with. 

Of course, we're nearing the final sprint. Teachers of seniors lead the race. The 90+ temperatures this weekend served as a reminder of how close the June 7 is. But, we're tired. We're stressed. Our to-do lists are long and growing. It's a chaotic time--Who's testing today? When will Cindy have my SOL scores?

Amidst the chaos, I encourage you to take a step back. Take a deep breath. Reflect on your successes and why you became a teacher. Use this to propel you to the finish line. Take advantage of this time to inspire your students and give them something to remember you by. 

Throughout the year, you've built relationships with your students. You've invested countless hours to their growth and success. Use the last weeks and days to continue to make a difference. 

Ways to finish strong
  1. Take risks. Perhaps there's a lesson that you've always wanted to try during the school year but didn't have the time for, or maybe there's a technology tool you want to try out. Be intentional with your lessons.
  2. Give students control of their own learning with a passion-based project relating to your subject.
  3. Celebrate your students and the relationships that your students built. Create an award for each student and have your own awards assembly in your class. One of my favorite activities was to have my students sit in a circle with an envelope and strips of paper. Have students put their names on the envelope and pass the envelope to the left. When students receive an envelope they write a compliment on a paper strip and place it in the envelope before passing it on. After everyone has had an opportunity to write about all of their classmates, return the envelope to the correct student. Students can then read a statement aloud to their classmates and try to guess who wrote it. You may want to establish a rule or two about what can/cannot be written.
  4. Communicate with parents. For even your most challenging student, you have something positive to say about him/her. Provide parents with some suggestions of things that they can do over the summer so their child can continue to grow. An phone call or a hand-written note shows how much you care and goes a long way to building the Monticello family. 
  5. Get rid of the junk. Take a couple of minutes each day to organize yourself and trash the unnecessary stuff. When was the last time you purged stuff from your cubby or your workspace? This will make the start of next year much easier and chances are that more teachers will be sharing classrooms next year.
  6. Have fun!

 Need to Knows
 Tech Newsletter from LEAD featuring a couple of our own!!

Faculty Meeting Google Slide Presentation 

Reminders about AP testing - Testing will run from Monday, May 7th  through Friday, May 18th.  Although AP exams do not begin until 8:00 AM or 12:00 PMall test takers have been asked to arrive to the cafeteria at 7:30 (AM exams) or 11:45 (PM exams) on test day.  Most of AP testing will take place in the small gym, but we will also be testing in the wrestling room and in the counseling office.  The tables and chairs that will be set up in the gym will be placed so that we adhere to the spacing requirements set forth by the CollegeBoard (the organization in charge of AP exam).  For this reason, once the tables are set up, we do not move them.  We are asking that the small gym and wrestling room not be used by other groups (classes, athletic teams, clubs etc) during AP testing.  Additionally, the main gym will be closed during Mustang Morning.

Each day I will email a roster of the students who will be testing the next day.  The absences will be coded in PowerSchool.  School policy for AP testing states that students are excused from their classes on the day of their AP exams, assuming they have given a signed note to attendance.  Athletic eligibility is not compromised by this absence, as AP testing qualifies as a school related activity.  If a student chooses to attend classes before or after their AP exam, please know that they might be arriving late or leaving early.  If a student chooses to attend school before or after an exam they are expected to participate in class.  They should not miss your class to study in the media center or spend class time studying for AP exams

Potential Senior Failures Due May 16 Please complete this form for any senior who is at risk of not passing your class at this time. If you have no seniors or have no seniors that you are concerned about, please complete the form and place "None" in the Student Name Section. It is imperative that any senior who is at risk is included in this report. Thank you.





Field Trips and SOLs


AP Tests (AM/PM)
May 14: Biology/Physics
May 15: Calculus/French Language, Comp Sci
May 16: English Language/Macroecon
May 17: World History/Stats
May 18: Human Geography, Microecon/European History, Latin

SOL Tests (AM/PM)
May 14: Algebra 2 (Boyce, Eddy, Remchuk)/World Geography (Skelton--AA)
May 15: Algebra 2 (Harveycutter)/World Geography (Waidelich)
May 16: Earth Science (AA/Standard)/Biology (Honors)
May 17: Geometry (Remchuk/Robbins)/Earth Science (Honors)
May 18: Geometry/Chemistry (Honors)
May 21: Algebra I (Parsons)/Chemistry (Adv)
May 22: Algebra I (Lantz/Allen)
May 23: Reading (AP)/Geography (AP Students), World History (AP)
May 24: Chemistry and Biology (HMSA)/US History (AP)
May 25: US History (Dual Enroll)/World History (AP Euro)

Other Calendar Items
May 21: Last Senior A-Day; Improv Night @7pm
May 22: Last Senior B-Day; Awards Assembly (see schedule below)
May 23: Senior Exams, Honor Society Inductions
May 24: Senior Exams
May 25: Senior Make-up Exams

May 29: Special Schedule (see below, no Mustang Morning), Senior Trip

May 31: Senior Awards Night
June 1: Senior Failures Due to Counseling

June 4: Anchor Day (no Mustang Morning, see schedule below)

June 5: B-Day Exams (see schedule below)
June 5: Graduation practice @ 10:30, Senior Picnic Follows

June 6: Senior Grades Due (4pm), A-Day Exams (see schedule below)
June 6: Graduation @ 7pm

June 7: 1/2 Day, Make-up exams (see schedule below)
June 7: Grades due at 4

Birthdays


May 16: Kaitlyn Yachim
May 19: Diane Clark

Useful Information
Activity Period Calendar : Surveys to be completed

Technology / Website Permission Request Form Please use this form to request use of a website or any resource that requires student log-in if the site is not already on the approved list. DART approved list




Worth Your Time
When School Dress Codes Ban Students' Bodies A 45 minute podcast worth listening to

Veteran Policymaker Says 80% of Special Education Students Don't Need That Label  

Why So Many Gifted Yet Struggling Students Are Hidden in Plain Sight

Bell Schedules

Award Ceremony 2018
May 22, 2018
8:55-10:05       st Period
10:10-12:10     2nd Period


Lunch
Class
Who
1st
10:50-11:25
10:10-10:50
11:30-12:10
Green, Blue, PE/Health
2nd
11:35-12:10
10:10-11:30
Red, Purple, Other
12:15-1:20      rd Period
1:25-2:30        th Period
2:30-3:50        Award Ceremony
*Classes will be called over the intercom


AM CATEC: Normal departure,  Leave CATEC at 11:15am to return for 2nd lunch
PM CATEC: Depart Monticello at 12:10, Leave CATEC at 2:05 to return for Award Ceremony 


May 29-June 1 Bell Schedule
End of Year Bell Schedule
NO Mustang Morning
May 29-June 1
Mondays & Wednesdays: A-Days
Tuesdays & Thursdays: B-Days
Zero Period: 7:40 – 8:40
1st Period: 8:55-10:30 (95 minutes)
2nd Period: 10:35-12:40

Lunch
Class
1st: 11:10-11:35
10:35-11:10 and 11:40-12:40 (95)
2nd: 11:45-12:10
10:35-11:45 and 12:15-12:40 (95)
3rd: 12:15-12:40
10:40-12:15 (95)

3rd Period: 12:45-2:15 (90)
4th Period: 2:20-3:50 (90)
AM CATEC Students:  Normal Departure and return from CATEC by 12:15 (at CATEC from 9:10-11:55)


PM CATEC Students: Depart Monticello at 12:45



June 5-6 Bell Schedule


Final Exam Bell Schedule
June 5: B-Day Exams
June 6: A-Day Exams
1st Period: 8:55-10:25
2nd Period: 10:30-12:40


Lunch
Class
Who
1st Lunch
10:25-11:05
11:10-12:40
Green, Blue, PE/Health
2nd
Lunch
12:05-12:40
10:30-12:00
Red, Purple, Other, CATEC
3rd Period: 12:45-2:15
4th Period: 2:20-3:50

AM CATEC Students: Normal Departure and return to Monticello High School by 12:05

PM CATEC Students: 12:45pm bus departure


June 7 Bell Schedule


Make-Up Exam Bell Schedule
Session 1: 8:55-10:30
Lunch: 10:35-11:05
Session 2: 11:10-12:50
AM CATEC Students: Normal Departure and return to Monticello High School by 10:35
PM CATEC Students: Depart at 11:05 and return to Monticello High School by 12:50

No comments:

Post a Comment