If there is a facility request, or a facility emergency that occurs at your school (e.g., air, heat, gas leaks, electrical outage), please contact the individuals in the AOSS Manual.  

For your convenience, we have enclosed a copy of the AOSS protocols regarding Facility Emergencies, Facility Request Process, and Facility Rental Process that you can share with your team. 

Are you or your students feeling stressed as we approach the testing season? SEED has a resource for you! Take an opportunity to de-stress and unwind during the day with the use of a new tool called Whil provided by our partners at ReThink. Follow the prompts below to access your free trial account.  This trial account will be available until the end of the school year. 

Access to Whil

• We are offering Whil to SCS employees for Spring 2022 (May 31).  Whil is a leading digital provider of mindfulness, stress, resilience, mental well-being and much more!
• Educators can set up an account by clicking and filling out the form-Shelby Whil Registration Page. Everyone has to utilize their District email address (@scsk12.org) to register.

Additionally, ReThink is providing an additional resource that you can share with your families. 

Family Resource: Help Your Child Manage Stress

We also wanted to extend a resource to support families and caregivers. Please find the link to a video that outlines strategies to help children manage anxiety. Please feel free to share this resource with families and caregivers who you feel would benefit. Help Your Child Manage Anxiety with 4 Strategies

Click here to view the new Equity, Discipline & Attendance Newsletter 

Thank you for all the work you’ve done thus far to assist with the ESL retention prevention process. As we’ve continued to communicate, the goal of this process is to move away from being reactive about EL failures and place the focus on being proactive to support the students, as well as teachers, to prevent retention on the front end.  

Work samples for ESL students who failed Quarter 3 were due in ELLevation on Friday, April 8th.  For students who have failed one of the courses below for two or more quarters (Quarter 1, 2, and/or 3), please schedule a retention prevention meeting to take place before April 22. This meeting can be held virtually or in person.

• K-5 - ELA, ESL, & Math
• 6-8 - ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, ESL 
• 9-12 - Any course that affects graduation

Please contact your ESL Instructional Advisor with any questions.

An accurate physical inventory must be made of all materials in the library. To facilitate this process, all books and materials should be returned to the library to be shelved for inventory by May 13. 

Principals should work with their Library Information Specialist (LIS) to ensure adequate time to perform a complete and accurate inventory. Library Services recommends that during the week of May 16-20, the LIS be free from a full schedule, limiting the time the LIS is required to supervise students. If the LIS has additional year-end responsibilities (textbook inventory, equipment inventory, etc.) to complete, it is recommended that the schedule be adjusted accordingly to allow the LIS ample time to complete all tasks in an accurate and timely manner. This request does not preclude continued use of the library by individuals or groups for special projects, completion of the year's work, or the use of reference materials, magazines, or books within the library.

During the week of May 23-27, the library should be closed to all scheduled activities to allow the LIS time to focus on completing the inventory and submitting required reports to Library Services. Libraries should be left in condition to reopen at the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year or for summer school if your school is a summer school site. Scheduling for the library opening in the fall is the principal's responsibility while working with the LIS and considering any special situation at the school. We appreciate your cooperation in these matters, and please contact Library Services if you have any questions or concerns regarding this information.

Library Closing Letter 2022.pdf

Looking for ways to boost implementation fidelity and make moves in the i-Ready/MSCS Incentive Campaign? Do the following steps!

•  Ensure students are utilizing i-Ready Personalized Instruction for 30-49 minutes per subject, per week. 
• Ensure students are focusing on quality work in their personalized instruction, aiming for pass rates of 70% or higher 
• Ensure teachers are utilizing the Teacher Toolbox for teacher-led instructional resources 

 Reach out to your i-Ready team if you need further info or PD on any of these areas!

Click here for Notices and Weekly Updates

Registration for the 2022 Midsouth Leadership Symposium is now OPEN. Please see the details on this flyer.

Sheraton Memphis Downtown is offering MSCS a discounted hotel rate.

Discounted Rate applies from June 13-16.

• Room Rates: $139.00 + taxes
• Valet parking: $26.00/nightly + taxes
• To book this rate, please email In-house Reservationist: Alexandria Thomas (athomas@sheratonmemphisdowntown.com).

Please cc the following on all requests:

• Deidra Speight | dspeight@sheratonmemphisdowntown.com
• Tari Harris | harristc1@scsk12.org.

Visit https://bit.ly/2022MSCSSYMPOSIUM for additional conference details, hotel discounts, Memphis tourism, and more!

Discipline Hearing Appeals (DHAs) are state-mandated formal Due Process proceedings that should take precedence over most other meetings that may be held at your schools. Please ensure that if the original administrator who is scheduled to conduct the DHA is not available that you identify another administrator (i.e., assistant principal, vice-principal, or principal) to conduct the hearing during the previously scheduled time. 

To ensure a seamless DHA process and for your convenience, the district has standardized hearing times for 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Please contact Jeannie Parks by responding to the DHA electronic invitation before the date of the hearing if you have a scheduling conflict. Hearings should not be rescheduled without prior notice as a result of meeting conflicts.

 If you need additional clarity, please email Dr. Blocker, Manager of Attendance, Equity & Discipline at BLOCKERJ@SCSK12.ORG 

You should have a link to take the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey (TES) in your inbox. The TES is an annual joint effort by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance to gather information about schools across the state. 

Not only is it essential to encourage your teachers to take the survey, but it’s crucial that you also participate. The survey provides you an opportunity to tell us and the Department of Education what is working and what improvements need to be made for your teachers and your school. Your feedback provides critical, actionable data that influences strategies and goals in our district and the state. 

We hope you’ll participate because: 

• Your feedback will provide critical, actionable data as we refine our district’s strategy for the next school year.
• Sharing your perspective will help us understand and highlight both the challenges you are facing and the successes you are having as a school leader this year.
• Your insights will help us and state leaders to understand what supports and resources you need to best support your teachers and your students going forward.

Survey Quick Facts 

• Open to all educators from March 7 to April 29
• Completely confidential – District and school leaders will not receive individual results
• Is voluntary – Though we strongly encourage participation, it isn’t required
• Only takes about 20 minutes to complete
• Contains questions on issues such as instructional materials, planning, student engagement,  educator support, and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic

You will be sent a personalized invitation via email to complete the survey. If you have questions regarding the survey, please reach out to tned.research.alliance@vanderbilt.edu. 

The College of Education at the University of Memphis is partnering with Memphis-Shelby County Schools to implement a special program called the River City Partnership.

The River City Partnership is a home-grown, urban education-focused program for local students who want to make a difference in Memphis by becoming teachers in MSCS. The program is designed to prepare students to have a positive impact on our community with a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in Elementary Education, Special Education, and Early Childhood Education.

The River City Partnership stands apart because it focuses on Memphis! No city in the world is quite like Memphis, and no teaching program is quite like the River City Partnership. Learn more here!

During the week of May 16-20, MSCS students will be given the opportunity to engage in the District-Wide Days of Service campaign as we look to close out this school year in the spirit of serving others. The Days of Service campaign will encourage students to give back to the community. This initiative will promote “agents of change” where students will have the opportunity to serve and engage in activities that leave a lasting impact. Your school's participation in this campaign is voluntary.

The theme of this event will be “Beautifying Your School Community”. 

Schools will be encouraged to engage students in activities that will beautify their school campuses.  However, schools will have the autonomy to choose their own activities. You may also want to expand their services to neighboring areas around the school or expand their efforts throughout a broader radius of the school area. Some suggestions include: Campus Clean-Up, Planting Flowers on Campus, or Cleaning Local Areas Near the School.  

Use this form to indicate your school's participation. Please return the form by 12 noon on May 6. Also, please remember to take lots of pictures and videos of your students' involvement in the District-Wide Days of Service. We look forward to your participation!