Monday Minute - October 24, 2011

·      I believe we would all agree the timing of our fall break was dead-on. With 11 weeks of school and an SACS accreditation review behind us, we can focus on the next 20 days of teaching and learning before the Thanksgiving holidays.

·      Kudos to Kim McCarty and Laura Vail for attending the Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (GCTM) Conference at Rock Eagle during our fall break. Here’s hoping the conference provided some solid takeaways to begin implementing in your classes and to share with the CMS math team.

·      Mrs. Andrews and I will be working to block full-day ISS assignments into 1-2 days per week to ensure as few interruptions of paraprofessional classroom support as possible.  Of course, disciplinary infractions that call for immediate ISS intervention will be handled accordingly.

·      Our next round of grade-level collaboration meetings have been scheduled for the following dates:

o   Grade 8 – Friday, October 28 – 7:55 a.m.

o   Grade 6 – Monday, October 31 – 9:55 a.m.

o   Grade 5 – Monday, October 31 – 1:55 p.m.

o   Grade 7 – Wednesday, November 2 – 8:55 a.m.

Please plan to discuss the performance of your special education students as well as those receiving Tier 2 and 3 interventions. Please forward any recommended agenda items to me this week. Finalized meeting agendas will be sent to teams at least 24 hours before meeting time.   

·      Moodle training will be taking place this Wednesday as scheduled.  Participating teachers will devote ½ day to the training and will come together again on December 13 for additional training. 

·      While on the topic of technology, our school is the fortunate recipient of some unanticipated Title VI, Part B funds as appropriated by the state government.  With these funds, we will be addressing some of our most pressing needs and will also be providing teachers the opportunity to apply for funds by completing a mini-grant application at:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDAxV2VfX21mTm4zTVd4T251dUlsU3c6MQ&theme=0AX42CRMsmRFbUy05ZGE0Y2Q5ZS0zNTRmLTQzNmMtYjM5ZS1hN2Y0YjkzMmI4NDY&ifq  Mini-grant applications should be submitted on or before 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 31.

·      Due to lack of availability of our preferred disc jockey, this week’s PTO dance is being rescheduled for a later date.

·      With November’s arrival, CMS will continue to celebrate Veteran’s Day with a school-wide program on Friday, November 11.  The program will begin at 9:00 a.m.  We will also celebrate November 11^th with the opening of our Fall Book Fair.  The following week, November 14-18, is American Education Week and Bullying Awareness Week, with activities taking place throughout the week.

·      PAWS Advisory Program – Grade-level teams will work together at our November 2 faculty meeting to plan and prepare for the November 16 meeting of our PAWS advisory groups.  Mrs. Andrews (Grade 6), Mrs. Pitts (Grade 7), and I (Grade 8) will be visiting your classrooms to take your group’s picture at that next meeting.  These are the pictures that will be displayed outside of your classroom along with your group’s adopted name.  

·      Food for Thought:  “New frameworks are like climbing a mountain - the larger view encompasses rather than rejects the more restricted view.”   ~Einstein  

Let us remember those in need in healing and wholeness as we work each day for the betterment of our students, school, and community.
  Have a great week!