Self-Paced Virtual Learning Sessions for Counselors and Teachers who need assistance in teaching Explicit SEL lessons from the Rethink platform.

The Way to ReThink: School Administrator’s Guide to Compliance. The session is designed for school administrators and lead designee for monitoring school compliance. Principal Virtual Rethink Training via MS Teams.

Teachers will learn to:   

• Navigate through ReThink’s Platform from Clever log-in.
• Access the three components of a lesson required for district implementation.
• Utilize resources available to build SEL capacity and nurture classroom culture and climate.

To access the recorded video stream, please click The Way to Rethink

If you have trouble logging into Rethink, please email:  Riletta Williams williamsRW@scsk12.org

Kelley Greene greeneKP@scsk12.org

Enrollment of Kindergarten Students

• Kindergarten students must be registered and enrolled by Monday, September 19, to be eligible to attend school for the 2022-23 school year. Students whose birthday is after August 15 are not eligible to attend school this school year.

Transfer Student to Another School in PowerSchool

• School secretaries have the rights to transfer students to another school and re-enroll in school. Staff should contact the losing school to request the record be transferred to the gaining school in PowerSchool SIS.

Approved OAG/Grade Placement

• School staff of the losing school will initiate the withdrawal request for students who are approved for OAG/Grade Placement and transfer students to another school once the withdrawal is approved by SEED Office.

Immunization Support

• Shelby County Health Department will conduct an immunization event on Saturday, September 17, at the Teacher and Learning Academy (TLA) from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (no appointments necessary, while supplies last). Parents of kindergarten and seventh-grade students who need immunizations should be contacted.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools will begin using the Intermittent Homebound code for students with a medically diagnosed chronic health condition that causes the student to be absent for intermittent periods during the school year. 

This code (IHB) is a "Present" designation. A licensed physician must certify that the student's chronic medical condition will require him/her to be out for at least 10 days during the school year. These absences do not have to be consecutive. 

The Intermittent Homebound referral process is the same as for Hospital/Homebound. The form must be submitted to the S.E.E.D. Homebound Office for approval. Referral forms have been shared with school counselors. Please see the document for additional information regarding this process. 

Contact Thomasena Stuckett at stucketttd@scsk12.org with any questions.

The 2022-23 ILT Agreements are due on Friday, September 16. Please submit the signed documents to Emily Vuoso at the TLA or email them to scsiltstipends@scsk12.org. ILT Resources can be found here.

The September New Principal Meeting is September 27 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Please see the flyer for full details.

The updated 2022-23 Classroom Walkthrough Tools can be found below. These tools should be used moving forward for all informal classroom walkthroughs. Please enter your notes and ratings into the Microsoft Form linked below. Please download a copy of the submission for your records. 

This information will be transferred to the Power BI dashboard by the DAIM team and will be available for review soon.

• Link to Word Docs:  https://bit.ly/SY2223IPWordDocs
• Link to Microsoft Form:  https://bit.ly/IPWalkthroughForm

If you have questions, please email Dr. Casey Jackson at jacksoncm1@scsk12.org.

This year's Adult ESL classes for parents of MSCS students begin September 20. Registration will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, and Wednesday, September 14, at Treadwell Elementary and Hickory Ridge Middle. Attached are flyers in different languages to share with parents.

• https://scsk12.sharepoint.com/:b:/s/ADULTESL2022-23/EYcafPcqZatOneIAZq8JCwABK19Ntaz0HDRljTIVnoQzbA?e=WpHL9X

School Leaders, we look forward to you joining us next week for September Leadership Development Week. Please wear colors to honor Suicide Prevention Awareness Month (purple or turquoise) or World Heart Day (red).

Participants (PLC Coaches/Instructional Facilitators, ILT, DLA, Professional School Counselors) should register in PLZ using the course codes below. Please bring a fully charged laptop to all in-person sessions. 

Access September LDW Agendas HERE.

PLC Coaches & Instructional Facilitators

• 9/12 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., TLA Auditorium
• PLZ Course Code: 32159

ILT Teacher Content Leaders

• 9/12 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Virtual
• Access ILT TEACHER CONTENT LEADERS Meeting Link
• PLZ Course Code: 32160

Principals

• 9/13 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., TLA Auditorium
• TASL Credit will be applied following the meeting.

K-2 Specialized Education Assistants

• Kindergarten: 9/13 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Virtual
  • Access KINDERGARTEN SEAs Meeting Link
• 1st Grade: 9/14 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Virtual
  • Access FIRST GRADE SEAs Meeting Link
• 2nd Grade: 9/15 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m., Virtual
  • Access SECOND GRADE SEAs Meeting Link

Digital Learning Ambassadors

• 9/13 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. OR 9/15 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., TLA Multipurpose Room
• PLZ Course Code: 32161

Vice Principals & Assistant Principals

• 9/14 8:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. OR 12:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., TLA Auditorium
• TASL Credit will be applied following the meeting.

Professional School Counselors *HS ONLY for September*

• 9/15 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., TLA Auditorium
• PLZ Course Code: 32163

Now that the 2022-23 school year is in full swing, it is time for us to turn our attention back to the Optional Schools Strategic Plan to organize critical activities for the Optional Program. Please join us on Friday, September 16 for our annual OSSP training (details below). We will review a plethora of information and share dates and deadlines to aid in planning for a productive year.   

In the meantime, please gather your data to complete your End-of-Year OSSP by September 23. Templates will be emailed to you within the next week. We look forward to collaborating with you to ensure the continued success of your optional program. If you have questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to contact Linda Sklar or Dr. Katrina Taylor. Thanks for always going above and beyond. 

The Mastery Connect Common Formative Assessment #1 window is quickly approaching. The fall window will occur from September 19 - October 7. Students in grades K-8 and HS students enrolled in EOC-tested courses will take standards-based assessments in ELA, math, and science. Please see the attached MSCS Mastery Connect Guide for additional information.

MasteryConnect Guide UPDATED September 2022 3.0.docx

As of Tuesday, September 6, the completion rate for the K-8 i-Ready Diagnostic was 94% for reading and math; however, we want to ensure every student has the opportunity to complete these very important assessments. 

To give schools an additional opportunity to ensure all K-8 students have tested, the RTI2 Fall Screening Window has been extended until Friday, September 16. Please review the completion rates for your school and ensure that any remaining students are tested before the window closes. The RTI2 Team will pull completion reports daily to monitor progress and determine if additional support may be needed. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the diagnostic, please do not hesitate to contact the C&I RTI2 Team. We are here to support you! 

The i-Ready/Diagnostic Universal Screening window closed on September 2. A reminder that students who did not complete may still do so – their test will still be in their queue and resets 21 days from the start date. Another reminder that functional skills students will impact completion rates, as they are rostered in i-Ready but don’t typically test.

Below are some key links for the following steps: 

• Diagnostic Reports: https://i-readycentral.com/articles/using-diagnostic-data/ 
• Getting the Most from Personalized (Online) Instruction - https://i-readycentral.com/articles/getting-the-most-from-online-instruction/ 
• Attached are i-Ready/Toolbox RTI Best Practices for MSCS 
• We hope to see you at the upcoming PD – see attached!
• Finalized PD Plan August - November 2022
• SCS i-Ready Ready Toolbox RTI2 Best

Science Do Now question banks for grades 3-8, biology, and chemistry are now available. They are located within the MSCS SharePoint Curriculum Tools in the Standard Aligned Item folder. 

Please Note: Download the document before typing or making any additional changes. 

Contact any member of the Curriculum and Instruction Science department for support. 

• Science Q1 Do Now Question Banks - Made with PosterMyWall 

Join us for the 2022-2023 MSCS New PLC Coach Leadership Learning Series Thursdays, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m.

• Session #1 - September 29, 2022 - PLZ Course - 62662
• Session #2 - October 27, 2022 - PLZ Course - 64663
• Session #3 - January 26, 2023 - PLZ Course - 64665
• Session #4 - February 23, 2023 - PLZ Course - 64670
• Session #5 - May 25, 2023 - PLZ Course - 64672
   

During DLD, the ESL Department presented the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) Standards to your English Language Arts teachers in compliance with TN State compliance. We asked that all ELA teachers highlight the language demands for their students in the Performance Based Objectives and indicate a Key Language Use (KLU) for their lesson using the attached KLU Chart. 

Please check your emails for an important message from ESL Director Carol Richardson.

Additionally, the ESL Department is hosting an in-person PD on Thursday, September 15, that will provide further training on the WIDA ELD Standards and how to utilize them in the classroom. Please share this opportunity with all ELA and ESL teachers: 

WIDA English Language Development Standards and ELA Instruction (Course # 31903).

Blackboard Messenger ADVANCED User Training is scheduled for 

September 12, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

**This training is ONLY for those who have experience using Blackboard Messenger and will not cover the basics of the system. Attendees must have an active Blackboard Messenger account.**

The live, virtual, and interactive session will be led by an expert at Blackboard. It will cover:

• Creating groups of recipients from a simple and advanced search
• Selecting recipients from a map
• Sending a Message from an uploaded List
• Sending a message using message templates
• Creating and sending a survey
• Finding Assistance

Sign up for the session in PLZ to receive PD credit. The course number is 28440. There are only 15 available slots for this training session. 

The training session can be accessed at www.scsk12.org/blackboard or https://us.bbcollab.com/guest/db20e97c778b4a5181c76d3e9bfb5a58.

Contact Kyle Bullock (bullockkd@scsk12.org) with any questions.

Registration is now open for SY22-23 Professionalism Training! 

To find out more information, click here.

Per MSCS Board Policy 4020, Supervisors are responsible for adhering to the evaluation process and providing timely feedback to improve the performance of evaluated employees.

The Goal Setting season is here, and non-instructional evaluations are now available in PLZ! All non-instructional employees must have a goal-setting conference as the first step of the performance appraisal process.  

Reminder: The Goal-Setting Conference should be completed within 30 days of the NIE employee's hire/contract start date. 

Click HERE for more NIE Goal Setting Conference details.

The TEM TEACHer Training Series is now open for ALL teachers. The series aims to identify teacher and student actions that guide effective instruction at performance levels 3-5 of the TEACH indicators. Register in PLZ, course #26177.

The Family & Community Engagement Department will provide virtual training on Microsoft Teams for parent organization members and school staff on September 12 and 14. The training sessions will focus on registration and documents required for parent organizations to receive approval from Memphis-Shelby County Schools to function/operate this school year.

Parent organization members and school staff can attend a session of their choice by clicking on a link:

• Monday, September 12, at 10:00 a.m.: https://bit.ly/3Cw5qg5
• Wednesday, September 14, at 6:00 p.m.: https://bit.ly/3TtoL7V

For questions, please feel free to contact us at 416-7600 or scsface@scsk12.org.

Again, we will be hosting ACT Family Nights this year. These sessions will target our underclassmen (e.g., grades 7-11) and their families and will be held virtually from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. on September 22, November 3, January 12, and April 20.

During this session, families will learn about the structure of the test, the resources available to prepare for the test, test dates, and information about registering for the test. We will also share information about how test scores are used in college admission and obtaining scholarships.

Students and families may register online at mscsactfamilynight.eventbrite.com

We are excited to continue the Families Connect-Conectando Familias program for 2022-23 SY. This program aims to foster a strong connection between schools and parents, equipping schools to support families with the tools and resources to play a leading role in preparing their children for college or career readiness.    

The Department of Family and Community Engagement & Department of English as a Second Language will be hosting a "Train the Trainer" session, where we will prepare Family Engagement Specialists, ESL Teachers, and/or Bilingual Mentors to carry out the curriculum at your school.   

Note: The training will be in person at the ESL Office- Northeast Regional Office - 920 N. Highland on Wednesday, September 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.   

A calendar invite will be sent after registration. 

Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/iRjQvzStbc

It is critical that we do everything in our power to restore immunization coverage before we begin to see outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases while we still battle the COVID-19 pandemic. All incoming Pre-K, kindergarten, seventh-grade, and new first-time MSCS students must submit proof of immunizations. 

Does your student need immunizations? Please call 901-222-9980 for an appointment.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools has partnered with Shelby County Health Department for the School-Based Dental Sealant program that provides FREE services to students in grades K-8. To view an important video Click here. Call 901-222-9443 to get your students scheduled. For more information, call Health Promotions at 416-6432.

Check out what’s happening in our employee Family Care Center (FBC) and school-based clinics (SBC). Student Support Services will offer the “The Clinic View” newsletter each month.

• https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/EaeTEBvvOJNAi9P0hL_nxuoB5OTGcEk9TfwmVMiuuT9png?e=eMvRuB
• https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/EQYkJ508FFFPu25JbKDnsgwBetdpzkl6_n3lhl_elJmpKw?e=MgAciW

Do you have students that need required immunizations? Save the date for September 17, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. located at the TLA. Memphis Shelby County Schools will host another immunization/vaccination event in partnership with the Health Department, Methodist Lebonheur, St. Jude, and Latino Memphis. See the flyer attached. All forms of communication with parents are encouraged.

• https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/Documents/Desktop/Attachments/1080%20Immunization%202022%20new%20(003).jpg?web=1
• https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/Documents/Desktop/Attachments/1080%20Immunization%202022%20spanish%20NEW%20(002)(1).jpg?web=1

The MSCS Compass is a new one-stop shop for all your PowerBI reports.
Including the new and improved Student Profile, which is now called Student Data 360.

• Watch our introduction and navigation video here - Intro to MSCS Compass
• Principals can give school staff members access through the PowerBI Access App
• Data domains in Student Data 360 now have the option for District Quick Reports (see an example for Attendance here). You can easily pull rates and numbers at the school and zone levels. User guides will be available soon.

Support and Trainings

• Virtual Office Hours for this week (September 13th and 15th) will focus on Student Assessments – with an emphasis on i-Ready and Mastery Connect
• VOH trainings are on new days this year – Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 PM.
• We have also started logging VOH attendance in PLZ. However, you do not have to register there. You can still sign up for VOH here→ Virtual Office Hours (sharepoint.com)

DAIM Support and Data Quality Alerts

• Does something in a dashboard look wrong? Check our Data Quality Updates. 
• And check out the rest of the  DAIM Support Sharepoint site, complete with additional video tutorials, walkthrough guides, and more!