During the weeks of January 10-21, 2022, schools will host a 3GC-2nd Grade Mandatory Parent Meeting. This meeting is to inform parents about the progress of their child as it relates to meeting the success criteria. No later than Thursday, December 16, please use the following link to identify the date and time you plan to host your in-person and virtual 3GC Mandatory Parent Meetings 3GC Parent Meeting Link. Each school will provide 2nd-grade parents with information on their child's progress and the projected summer learning pathway based on the current progress of their child. Principals and 2nd Grade Teachers will receive more information on the Summer Pathways next week. 

Each school is asked to provide an overview of the 3rd Grade Commitment and host one-on-one parent meetings. These meetings should be structured like Parent-Teacher Conferences. Parents are expected to sign off on their child's progress during the one-on-one parent session. To assist schools with planning this meeting, please click the link 3GC Mandatory Parent Meeting Resources. The Academic Team will continue to upload documents in the folder to support schools throughout next week. 
 

We want to ensure as a district that we consistently communicate the progress of our students to parents. Please reach out to Director Monica Jordan, Ms. Latosha Wiseman, or Ms. Audra Smith if you have any questions.

ESL Monthly Meetings

The ESL Department will be hosting monthly meetings for all ESL Teachers. Meetings will be held monthly with sessions at 2:30p, 3:30p, and 4:30p to allow those with varying school end times more flexibility to attend. All meetings will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams until further notice.

The next meeting will be held on, Wednesday, January 12.  The focus will be on preparation for the WIDA ACCESS Assessment. A link to access the meeting will be sent via email to all ESL teachers prior to the meeting date.

Future Dates for ESL Monthly Meetings:

February 16, 2022

March 9, 2022

April 20, 2022

May 18, 2022

For more information please contact the ESL Dept. at 901-416-5411.

In preparation for the launch of the District’s Internship Program, the Student Affairs team is hosting the first Soft Skills Training for participating students Saturday, January 22, 2022, at the University of Memphis. The team is requesting volunteers to assist during the event. A sign-up genius has been created for volunteers to sign up for either morning or afternoon shifts (7:15a – 11:15a or 11:15a – 3:15p). 

While volunteers will not be financially compensated for their time, breakfast and lunch will be served, and the opportunity to engage with our next-level leaders will be the greatest reward!    

Don't delay; sign up here today - https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0844AEAF29A5FE3-scsinternship
 

Attached in this communication is information regarding the 8th Oratorical Clinic and 29th Oratorical Contest sponsored by the Memphis Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  Both events will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.  The official contest topic is: “The world has been in a pandemic for almost two years. The COVID Vaccine has been available to adults for a year. Do you feel that your state should mandate the COVID-19 vaccination shot for all students ages 5-11 years old? Why or why not?” This is a great opportunity for a 5th-grade student at your school to express his/her thoughts on the nation's pandemic. All participants will receive a certificate, medal, and gifts for their participation.  The top three winners will receive cash rewards.  If you are interested in submitting a student for this year’s activities, please click the links below to submit all required documents for participation: 

2021 Oratorical Contest Application

SCS Student Release Form

DST Photograph and Media Release

The deadline for submitting these forms is Monday, January 31, 2022.  If you should have any questions regarding this year’s Oratorical Clinic and/or Contest, please don’t hesitate to contact Oratorical Committee Co-Chair, Delta Lori Streeter, via email at macoratoricalcontest@gmail.com or phone at (901) 679-6938.

Chief Carson has provided a newsletter that shares great resources related to Aggressive Monitoring.  Check it out here!

The Primary Intervention Rating Scale, also known as PIRS, is tool used to measure the degree of understanding and support by all staff of the RtI2-Behavior State Framework in each school. All Staff in every SCS school implementing the RtI2-Behaivor MTSS framework are asked to complete an anonymous survey that should take only about 10 minutes.

The results will be compiled by a state research team and returned to our office for distribution to each school. No individual will be identified in the results. We will provide guidance on how schools can process the information and improve on best practices for whole school RtI2-B adoption. 

We appreciate your support of this important data collection event.  

Please click on the link below to complete the PIRS survey (or copy to your browser). 
 
https://redcap.vanderbilt.edu/surveys/?s=A9WMTFYRN8WNWF9H

Complete before the deadline on February 18th. Completion rates will be shared with ILDs and other central office staff.

Greetings Principals,

As we work through the expanded use of virtual communication and social media, we understand that others can use these resources in a derogatory way to make threats against schools, school staff members, or individual students.

Effective steps to ensure the safety of students and staff should be taken when schools hear about threats through social media or other electronic means.  The AOSS Manual provides schools with guidance to use when handling School Threats via Social Media and Other Electronic Means. Please familiarize yourself with this information and share it with your team.

Greetings Principals,

In the event school personnel receive information indicating there is a bomb in the school (via any means including telephone call, electronic message, written message or in person), general procedures outlined in the AOSS Manual should be followed. Please review the information on Bomb Threats, School Reports, and Bomb Threat Flowchart and share it with your staff.

As you know, Memphis-Shelby County Schools is committed to ensuring a strong academic partnership with our parents and community. And in order to Reimagine 901 successfully, there must be a shared mission with families and partners supporting the same goals.  Family Data Night is an opportunity for each school to do just that - support our shared mission and goals by delivering consistent messages to parents regarding student assessments, guidance on accessing data, interpreting results, and a host of other timely information from departments across M-SCS. 

This year, schools will host Spring Family Data Night during the week of March 28-April 1. Please use the following link to identify the date and time you plan to host the Spring Family Data Night by Friday, March 4, 2022: Spring Family Data Night.  

Schools will determine the structure of their Spring Family Data Night. To assist schools with planning this meeting, the Office of Academics will provide resources by March 9th. Please reach out to Director Monica Jordan, Ms. Latosha Wiseman, or Ms. Audra Smith if you need additional assistance.

i-Ready Incentive Campaign 

• As the campaign kicks off, revisit the i-Ready/SCS RTI2 Best Practices attached! 

Ready Print Implementation Support 

• Ready Central for math support: https://math.readycentral.com/ 

• Math and Reading Program Implementation tips within the Toolbox: Log into i-Ready > Click Assess & Teach > Click into Teacher Toolbox > Click Program Implementation toward upper left corner

SCS i-Ready Ready Toolbox RTI2 Best Practices 21-22v1.pdf

Do you support curriculum implementation within your building? If so, don't forget to review the February edition of Curriculum Connection. Your ONE STOP SHOP for Curriculum & Instruction updates and reminders. Click the following link to access the February edition of Curriculum Connection: https://www.smore.com/bg4f7 Curriculum Connection past editions are located in the C&I Curriculum Maps-Curricular Initiatives-C&I Newsletter folder.

As you are aware, the Memphis Alumnae Chapter (MAC) of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. will award the Maggie McDowell Scholarship to qualifying seniors enrolled in the Memphis-Shelby County Schools district in May 2022. To qualify, seniors MUST reside within the MAC service area and have demonstrated excellence in the areas of academic achievement, school and community involvement, and character.

Please note the following recent changes :

• There are revisions to the service area of the MAC Service Area Zip Code document.
• The application period has been extended to March 15, 2022.

Thank you for your continued service on behalf of our scholars.

Now that the Optional Schools application process is well underway, it is time to complete your Optional Schools Strategic Plan (OSSP) Progress Report. The OSSP Progress Report allows you to reflect on the goals you established for your optional program, highlight accomplishments made toward those goals, and identify challenges that may require intervention or additional support. Being mindful of decreased enrollment numbers districtwide, we must continue to employ aggressive recruitment and marketing strategies during the upcoming months. 

Your school's OSSP Progress Report template will be sent to you next week. Be sure to review your initial OSSP, and complete the progress report by Friday, April 1, 2022. A copy of your responses will be sent to you to ensure you have a copy for your records.   

 ​

Please contact Katrina Taylor if you have questions, need technical assistance with the form, or if you would like to talk through the progress report. Thanks for your continued partnership in this work.    

The Academic Team will be hosting Mandatory 3rd Grade Commitment Teacher Meetings on Wednesday, March 23, and Thursday, March 24 at the TLA auditorium. All 2nd-grade teachers, 3GC Team Leads, and School Counselors are asked to attend. Chief Carson will provide important and time-sensitive information regarding the 3rd Grade Commitment. The meetings will be hosted based on school zones. Please click the following link for more details 3GC March Teacher Meetings Schedule. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Director Monica Jordan, Ms. LaTosha Wiseman, or Ms. Audra Smith if you need additional assistance.

Greetings School Leaders, 

The AOSS Manual includes information to support School Leaders in the event that a staff member is arrested at school.  Please take a moment and review the information below.

• Protocol Regarding Staff Arrested at School

i-Ready Incentive Campaign 

• Be on the lookout next week for March campaign results – and congrats again to the February winners! 

Teacher Toolbox 

• Haven’t dug in deep yet on the Teacher Toolbox for teacher-led instructional resources? Check it out by logging into i-Ready, clicking Assess & Teach, and choosing a subject under the Teacher Toolbox

The Division of College, Career and Technical Education seeks K-8, middle school, and high school College, Career, and Life Readiness (CCLR) Leads to ensure a cohesive plan to develop a culture of College, Career, and Life readiness in place for each middle and high school. The plans will include implementation milestones for ACT Prep, Naviance, and Ready Graduate.  A $2,000 stipend will be paid to each CCLR Lead after successfully executing school milestones. All interested individuals should complete the form. https://forms.office.com/r/yUWqQwdgeg

The WIDA ACCESS testing window officially closed on Friday, April 1st.  Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into making it a success!  Score reports will be available in late May, with a more specific date forthcoming. 

The Peer Coaching application process for the 2022-23 school year is now open.  Please see this attachment for a detailed description of the ESL Peer Coaching Program and the responsibilities of the role.  

To be considered for the program, teachers must meet the requirements of the position and complete the application process.  This process consists of three parts – an online application, interview, and classroom observation.  Applicants will be notified by Friday, April 29th if they have been selected to move on to the interview process.

Teachers interested in applying to be a part of the ESL Peer Coaching team should submit their application by Sunday, April 17th at 11:59 p.m.

Please contact ESL Manager, Magda Sakaan (sakaanm@scsk12.org), with any questions regarding the position or the application process.

Do you have teachers who missed Engage2Learn’s February 2022 DLD session, First Steps to Implementing Blended Learning?  A make-up course will be available in Canvas starting April 12th.  Please have teachers register for CADRE1210 in PLZ and the course will appear on their Canvas dashboards.  This opportunity is open through May 5th.  Credit for the make-up course will appear on teachers’ transcripts on May 13th. 

Coordination of teacher training is currently underway for advanced courses (Pre-AP, AP, SDC, etc.) being offered in 2022-23. New high school principals should reach out to Linda Sklar or Docia Generette to schedule time to review their respective school’s 2022-23 Ready Graduate plan. Additionally, please review the specific course reminders below. 

AP Course Expansion

As a reminder, all MSCS-managed schools are required to offer a minimum of five AP/Virtual AP/Pre-AP courses for 2022-23, with at least two of those courses being AP courses. Follow-up conversations and/or meetings will be scheduled with schools that have not met this requirement for 2022-23. Please contact James Smith for guidance on vetting potential AP teachers for the upcoming school year.

SDC Course Changes

Statewide Dual Credit course changes for 2022-23 include the following:

• SDC Intro to Plant Science will only be available for students in 11th and 12th grades.
• SDC Sociology will NOT be offered for the 2022-23 school year.

Additional information regarding SDC course prerequisites and teacher endorsement requirements are accessible through the following link: SDC Course Changes and Endorsements. Please contact Armella Smith if you have questions regarding Dual Enrollment or Statewide Dual Credit courses.

All PSAT 8/9 invoices should be submitted to the Division of Optional Schools and Advanced Academics for payment. If you have not submitted your PSAT 8/9 invoice, please submit it as soon as possible to Sierra Mcgee. Please contact Sierra Mcgee or Linda Sklar if you have questions.

The 2022 AP® Exam Terms and Conditions are available to review at cb.org/apexamterms. This agreement details the rules and policies students must follow related to taking their 2022 AP Exams.

• Students will need to accept these terms and conditions on their AP answer sheet, prior to taking each exam.
• Any updates to the terms and conditions will be clearly summarized on the terms and conditions page.

Note: For AP Art and Design students, there are separate Art and Design AP Exam Terms and Conditions, available at cb.org/apartdesignterms. Students will need to accept these terms before submitting their artwork through the Art and Design web application.

Please contact James Smith if you have questions.

Greeting Principals:

As we remain diligent to share important information, we wanted to provide you with the protocol on

Intruders (Lockdowns). Please do not hesitate to contact the Emergency Management office if you have questions. 

Greetings Fabulous School Leaders!  

As we continue to provide excellent servant leadership to our community during the summer, we wanted to offer some guidance for summer hours of operation.   

Please see the following recommendations.  School leaders should post summer office coverage hours so that they are visible at entrances.   

• Include the times when the office will be unavailable (e.g., lunch).  
• Include a contact number and email address for visitors to be able to leave a message and receive a response.   
• Forward the school’s main line to the posted contact number if the main office is not covered.   

Additionally, it is recommended that Leaders send a robocall informing parents of this information.    

We hope these service tips help our schools continue to provide good customer service.  We have also provided a template that you can use to post this information at the entrances.  

As always, please feel free to contact Director Dr. F. Kevin Malone at 901-219-2925. 

Greetings, School Leaders: 

The AOSS Manual contains important information regarding enrollment and attendance. Please take a moment to review Section 3: Enrollment and Attendance and share with your staff. 

Greetings, Outstanding Leaders:

We hope you are having a safe and prosperous summer and are looking forward to a great school year.  As we gear up for the first day of school, we want to share a few reminders with you. 

The Office of Academic Operations and School Support annually coordinates and manages an all-inclusive Situation Room for your convenience.  The Situation Room is a "one-stop-shop" where all problems, crises, and questions are addressed at a single location.  One or more persons from several operational departments are stationed at Messick or are on call to quickly and efficiently respond to problems related to the opening of schools.  Participating departments include Office of School Operations, Alternative Schools, Communications, C & I, ESL, Exceptional Children, FACE, Health Services, Information Technology, Mental Health, Nutrition Services, Professional Development, Risk Management, Schools and Student Support, Security, S.E.E.D., Student Information Management, Transportation, and Facilities, Custodial, and Grounds.

To ensure that all questions and concerns are addressed appropriately and efficiently by the correct department, please provide the following:

• only have a few designated leaders at your school place calls to the general line to the Situation Room 
• have all the information about your question or concern available before calling 

Reminder: Check with the S.E.E.D. representative in the Situation Room for next steps before sending away any parents or students who have come to your school to register.

Information regarding the Situation Room is provided below:

• Location: Messick (703 S. Greer, Building B- Room 207)
• Date: Beginning August 1, 2022 
• Time: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm Daily
• General Line: 901-416-8889 (Selected Principal Designees)
• Dedicate Principal Line: 901-416-4966 (Principals Only)
• If you experience any problems prior to 8:00 am or after 4:00 pm., please contact Director, Dr. F. Kevin Malone directly at 901-570-8955. 

Please do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns that you may have.  We look forward to working with you to make this the best beginning of school in MSCS history.  

With the expectation of providing excellent support,

Office of Academic Operations and School Support

The Division of Alternative Education is offering course training in PLZ for the student referral process.

All sessions are one hour and will be held from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm.  Sessions begin July 21st, 2022 and are available for sign up in PLZ NOW.

DAE New Location Updates:

The following DAE schools have new locations, please note their address:

• Airways Achievement Academy: 1490 Norris Road, Memphis, TN 38106
• Northwest Preparatory Academy:  2601 Ketchum Rd, Memphis, TN 38114
  • Adolescent Parenting Program has merged with Northwest Preparatory Academy. Adolescent Parenting Program and childcare referrals are still accessed through the Alternative Education website: http://scsas.scsk12.org/SCSAS

Newcomer International Center (NIC) has added a second location:

• Newcomer International Center (Kirby High Satellite Location):  4080 Kirby Pkwy, Memphis, TN 38115

AP Virtual Academy (a District, synchronous AP course option) opened for enrollment on Tuesday, July 26. Enrollment instructions were sent to AP coordinators. The bell schedule for AP Virtual Academy is pictured below. Please contact James L. Smith via email or phone at 901-619-1347 if you have any questions.

Advanced Placement Virtual Academy 

As part of Reimagining 901, the Fifth Grade Enrichment initiative will be implemented in elementary schools districtwide. A set of Frequently Asked Questions is included below. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Katrina Taylor via email or by phone at 901-416-7992.

Fifth Grade Enrichment-FAQ pic.png

Again this year, we have partnered with the I am a Voter (IAAV) strategic collaborative on voter education, registration, mobilization, and reform to bring opportunities for voter registration and information to our students and their families this year. The IAAV collaborative has offered to host voter registration drives for our students at school at your request. 

We are excited to invite you to review this sign-up link to select a date and time for a voter registration drive at your school after Spring Break. This opportunity is being offered for any student who will be 18 years old by November 8, 2022 (new date). 

If you have any questions or need assistance obtaining the list for your school, please contact us at scsface@scsk12.org.

Competition time is coming for homeroom teachers.  

Here's how it works...

Each teacher that reaches 100% registration 
will be entered to win $250.

Enjoying friendly competition is a great way to work towards our districtwide registration goals!! Encourage parents and students to complete registration!!

100%=$250

Registration: Opened January 10, 2022

Challenge: March 30-May 13, 2022

See flyer here.

Is your school in need of additional support in identifying and recruiting volunteer test proctors for the upcoming TCAP assessments? If so, please use this link to provide details about the support needed for testing on or before Friday, April 8.

Note: Test proctors are identified as Level 2 Volunteers and must be directly monitored and supervised by school personnel at all times.