According to the 12-month hourly work schedule, Specialized Education Assistants (SEAs) are scheduled to work three days (Monday-Wednesday) during the week of Thanksgiving Break unless days off have been requested and approved by school administration. 

SEAs are expected to report to their school sites each day, and engage in either of the following:

1. complete professional learning assignments as outlined by the Early Literacy Department OR
2. complete tasks assigned by the school administrator
    

Please carefully read the following information.

• If SEAs plan to be off during the Thanksgiving Break, they should follow the request for vacation policies as outlined by their school's administrative handbook.
• If an SEA takes vacation, the SEA is not required to complete professional learning assignments on the days approved for vacation.
• If an SEA is not taking vacation days and the SEA's school administrator has tasks for the SEA to complete, the SEA does not have to complete the Early Literacy professional learning assignments. In this case, it is the school's responsibility to capture and report the SEA's hours worked.
• If the school administrator does not provide tasks for the SEA to complete during the three days of Thanksgiving Break, the SEA must complete the professional learning assignments for each day worked.

Please see assignments here: SEA Thanksgiving Break Professional Learning - 10272022.docx

Each day's Bridge to Practice link will be available specifically on that day from 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.  SEAs will not be able to complete tasks late or before their due date. Late assignments and emailed assignments will NOT be accepted.

Any questions regarding tasks or assignments, please call or email the Early Literacy Office at 901.416.4801.

For technical issues, please contact IT at 901.416.2700.

According to the 2021 Tennessee Literacy Success Act, educators who hold specific endorsements must complete an approved foundational skills course to renew their license by August 1, 2023. If you are an MSCS educator who has completed one of the state-approved foundational skills courses and you registered using a personal email address, please complete this brief survey and upload your certificate of completion for either asynchronous ERT Course 1 or SLT Course 1.

https://forms.office.com/r/WbJLZ1fnW8

For questions, please contact the Early Literacy Department at 901.416.4801 or email EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org.

For more information on the TN Educator Licensure Requirement and access to the required course, click the link below.

TN_LSA_Training_and_Licensure_Requirements.pdf
 

The RTI2 Standard of Accountability Rubric (SOAR) is utilized by the Curriculum & Instruction RTI2 Team to monitor and support the school-level implementation of the RTI2 Framework components. The 2022-23 SOAR implementation will formally include two cycles. RTI2 Advisors will also be providing mid-cycle reports to assist with information supports.  See additional details outlined below.

SOAR Click here

SOAR Rating Table - Click here

The SOAR Rating Table outlines the indicators to be included for each of the following two cycle windows:

• October 31st through January 27th
• January 30th through April 28th

Mid-Cycle Reports will be provided to Assistant Superintendents, ILDs, Principals, and RTI2 Leads on the following dates:

• December 2nd
• March 24th 

Cycle 1 Plans Up-to-Date and Written Expression data will be emailed this week to Assistant Superintendents, ILDs, Principals, and RTI2 Leads. The RTI2 Team will not include the SOAR Cycle 1 data for end-of-year overall rating purposes, rather will utilize this data to continue informing supports.
 

Please reach out to your RTI2 Advisor, Advisor Sharon Rice, Advisor Robin Porter, or Dr. Amy Maples with any additional questions.

Name of the Event: Let’s Move Olympics ‘Together United in Peace’

Location: Cordova High School

Date: Saturday, April 22, 2022

Time: 8:00 am-3:00 pm 

Requirement: 3 Chaperones (including 1 P.E. Teacher) – Up to 25 students per school

Sign Up Link: https://bit.ly/3dPCjus 

Description of the Event: Let's Move Olympics is a biennial competition for K-5 students. It provides opportunities for them to model and develop all aspects of total fitness needed to compete in any sport. Our event promotes the development of lifelong fitness and gross motor skills that will benefit students to lead more productive and independent lives. Students have the choice to compete in 17 varying competitions, including basketball, soccer, jump roping, cup stacking, and other skills and activities taught in the physical education curriculum. 

For more information, please contact: Rachel Harbin at harbinrn@scsk12.org or Rahmod Traylor at traylorr@scsk12.org.

• All i-Ready/Toolbox Professional Development schedules through December are attached
• Looking for i-Ready online instruction data to monitor for fidelity, for your school, grade, or for RTI? See the attached guidance. This document will help you pull down critical data fields for monitoring usage and engaging with the data to determine next steps.
• The i-Ready Team wishes you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving break!

Finalized PD Plan August - November 2022 

MSCS - Revised 10.23.22  Teacher Assistant - Virtual Sessions

SPED i-Ready PD Schedule Fall 

MSCS - Extended Learning PD 

How To - Pulling Personalized Instruction Data in i-Ready 22-23v2

The C&I Science Department will hold a District Science Fair Informational on November 29, 2022, 4 pm - 5 pm.  Click here to view the flyer.

During this informational 

Participants will learn the following:
 

• When the District Science Fair will occur
   
• Expectations for schools
   
• Virtual platform
   

Participants will understand the following:
 

• Dates/deadlines
   
• Grouping
   
• Judging
   

Participants will carry the information provided back to their schools and begin preparing for school-level entries.

Registration is available in PLZ:

PLZ Course # 32668

November 29, 2022

 (4 p. m. - 5 p.m.)

TEAMS MEETING LINK IS BELOW: 

Microsoft Teams meeting

Join on your computer, mobile app or room device

Click here to join the meeting

Meeting ID: 299 179 446 758
Passcode: FJ9VnF

Download Teams | Join on the web

Or call in (audio only)

+1 901-602-6178,,751047314#   United States, Memphis

Phone Conference ID: 751 047 314#

Find a local number | Reset PIN

Learn More | Meeting options

To all teachers and staff providing Tier II or III intervention, after providing small group instruction utilizing the Imagine resources, please make sure that the student lesson in the platform is marked as passed or reset the lesson in the Student’s Individualized Learning Path (ILP). This will assist in adequately tracking the impact of the intervention and student progress associated with the student's ILP.  

Please click the link for more information. Contact your RTI2 Advisor with any questions or support needs.

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mc-HKuKPdD4wE88w_tQv3tck3V3vzseu/view.

RTI2 Leads participated in the second round of aimswebPlus training during the November 8th DLD.  This training focused on analyzing progress monitoring data to make instructional decisions. 

Throughout November and December, RTI2 Advisors will be supporting RTI2 Leads with the redelivery of this content to all school-based staff responsible for providing Tier II or III intervention as well as staff responsible for administering the assessments (ex. interventionists, SEAs, teachers, SPED staff, etc.). .

The following slide deck is expected to be utilized to redeliver this pertinent content, including the attendance link included at the conclusion of the presentation: Please click here.

Please continue to reach out to your RTI2 Advisor with any questions.

• Please take a moment to complete the following survey regarding the implementation of clubs/organizations in your school.  
• Please submit the form by no later than Friday, November 18, 2022.  Thank you!

Access the survey here: https://forms.office.com/r/QiH0XyvwNr

Through the “Tenn Under 10” initiative, the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation (GELF) is selecting 10 Tennessee 3rd graders to serve as GELF’s literacy ambassadors and receive a post-secondary education scholarship, based on their ability to overcome obstacles along their literacy journey from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

The application is open through January 30, 2023. To learn more details about the qualifications and how it works, click here.

Fall 2022 ILT information is due on December 1, 2022.

Follow these tips for easy processing:​

Time logs should include a minimum of 22 hours of ILT support outside of the contractual work day and be signed by the principal.  Time logged should range from August 18, 2022 through December 1, 2022.​

​Excel sheet with completed employee id number, employee name, hours worked, and principal signature.​

​Principals should submit all completed Fall 2022 ILT documents via email to SCSILTstipends@scsk12.org by December 1, 2022.​

• Principals should complete the Dyslexia Training Part II via Canvas if they did not participate on 11/8/22.​
• The course was added to your Canvas Dashboard 11/15/22.  Please accept the invitation.​
• The course will remain open through 12/15/22.
• This is not required for assistant principals.​

November Teacher Development will take place following Thanksgiving Break Monday, November 28-Wednesday, November 30. As a reminder, teachers will need to go ahead and request substitute coverage for classes. 

Please pay close attention to the day teachers will attend training.

Daily Time 8 AM-3 PM

• Monday, 11/28: Elementary Schools
• Tuesday, 11/29: Middle and K-8 Schools
• Wednesday, 11/30: High Schools

Additionally, we will not have a make-up session on Thursday. We look forward to seeing you here at the TLA next week.

Greetings, Principals.

As you and your schools prepare for  Thanksgiving Break, we wanted to voice our gratitude for all you do.  Thanks for a great school year thus far!  During your downtime, we encourage you to reflect on the service that volunteers have played in your schools.  

To assist, please take a moment to review the Volunteer and Special Guest protocols in the AOSS Manual.

Due to continued supply chain issues, there will be delays in the delivery of devices for K-8 students. Device distribution for these students will resume once screen protectors and protective cases have been replenished for Microsoft Surface Go devices. We will continue to distribute devices to eligible students in grades 9-12. We appreciate your patience and understanding.    

At this time, any student in the District who does not have a 1:1 device has not satisfied the replacement fee for a lost or damaged device. Please work closely with your Digital Device Ambassador to ensure that your school is hosting ECF Meetings so that parents can take advantage of the opportunity to receive a one-time, FREE replacement device. 

We are asking principals to complete a check-in this month with your school’s Digital Device Ambassadors to better understand the number of students with an operable device (that should have their device at school each day), as well as the outcome from connecting with each parent of a student without a device.

The Principal’s Project Graduation SharePoint enables school leaders to track students’ enrollment status and academic progress. 

The SharePoint folder will allow school leaders to have access to the latest Project Graduation enrollment status which is updated biweekly and can be accessed (HERE).   

Alternative School Updates for Quarter Close Out

As we approach the end of Quarter 2, be reminded that per MSCS District Policy 6055, students shall be allowed to return to their home schools for the purpose of taking semester/final exams, end-of-course, and standardized tests (if applicable) if the period occurs within 10 days of suspension or expulsion.  We ask that accommodations are made for any students that have not enrolled in Alternative Schools by December 5, 2022, to close out the semester. 

Students Returning 10/28/22- Re-Entry Due to High Enrollment

Due to high enrollment volumes at our alternative high schools, students will be returned to their home school at their end date as opposed to the quarter-break. The students’ suspension end dates can be checked via PowerSchool or the Division of Alternative Education referral portal.

Please take the following steps to ensure prompt enrollment of the students:

1. Have the guardian complete the withdrawal link if they have not already done so.
2. Please do not turn away any parents without reaching out to S.E.E.D. (416-6007 or studentservices@scsk12.org) or Alternative Education (416-6007 or daewithdrawalleaders@scsk12.org).

Alternative Education Student Referral Training Opportunities 

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.

Professional Learning and Support is excited to announce the PAEMST Awards is now accepting nominations! Please see the flyer for information on how to nominate exemplary Math and Science educators!

The 5th Annual School Choice Showcase has been rescheduled and will now be held Saturday, January 28, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m from Hickory Ridge Town Center. We will follow the previous year's set-up, which includes a vendor/expo-style table space for each school.  

Over the coming weeks, you will receive information from our team about the set-up for the event, opportunities for student performances, and new event features for school principals. For now, we want to gather information from you and/or your school’s PRO about your school’s marketing materials. Please complete the information on the survey linked below.  

School Choice Showcase Marketing Materials Survey 2022 

In the meantime, here are a few notes to help you get started with planning.  

Tabling and Booth Information: 

You’ll need four (4) people max at your table for the duration of the event. Suggested people include: an administrator, a student, a teacher (or teacher type), and a parent. Create a shift schedule to ensure constant coverage.  

You will have a 10 ft. space with a 6 ft. table and 2 chairs. Electrical outlets will not be provided. Table décor is encouraged, but helium balloons are not allowed. 

Printed Materials 

Each school is responsible for developing and printing any marketing materials needed for the event. All flyers, brochures, or marketing materials MUST be printed in color. Please work with your School PRO on determining which materials you will be taking to the event and ensuring you bring at least 300 copies ready for distribution. 

You will be receiving regular updates and more details over the next few weeks. If you have any questions, please let me know.  

To provide continuous updated information and awareness around key District initiatives and programming, we will be hosting a Family and Community Summit for stakeholders in our community. During this summit, representatives of key departments will share information about our Literacy Commitment, Key Grade Level Transitions (e.g., Kindergarten, 3rd, 6th, and 9th grades), Preparing the Ready Graduate, and important updates relating to tutorial opportunities. 

In addition,  we will provide a Family Resource Fair featuring local partners who are doing the work of supporting our students and families by addressing barriers to student success.

To conclude the general session, participants will have an opportunity for Superintendent Toni Williams to share information about leading our District through this transition. Please join us Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Colonial Middle School. 

Families may register online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-community-summit-resource-fair-tickets-470641430187