The St. Jude Walk/Run 2023 Kick-Off will take place on August 29, 2023 (4-6 PM).  Participants will receive a sweet treat to Jerry's Sno Cones (1601 Bonnie Lane - Cordova, TN 38016).

Click here to access the informational flyer. 

Greetings Principals,

Below is information regarding the AOSS Manual Protocol - Section 6.4 Heat-Cold Advisory.

Many times, during warmer months of the school year, The National Weather Service predicts dangerous Heat Index levels. Heat Index can be described as “what it feels like outside.” By definition, the Heat Index is the relationship between temperature and humidity, which can produce detrimental effects on the body. The heat index changes throughout the day; midday (12:00–4:00 p.m.) is often the highest. 

It is vital that all school personnel err on the side of safety when it comes to outdoor activities when heat indices are very high.  Students with allergies, respiratory ailments/diseases, or other ailments are especially susceptible to heat-related emergencies and should be monitored very carefully or excluded.  Please monitor the heat index continuously throughout the day if students will be outside.  (See the following TSSAA Heat Index chart and instructions as a guide).   

When temperature indices reach 90 to 94 degrees, reduce recess or P.E. time, provide ample cool water, and a cool-down period.  Avoid going out for recess or P.E. when indices reach 95 or above. Remember, monitoring the temperature alone is not sufficient to ensure student and staff safety. 

Temperature considerations and proper clothing: 

1. Below 60 degrees         jacket or long sleeves recommended.
2. Below 50 degrees         coat and long pants recommended.
3. Below 40 degrees         gloves and hats with previously recommended gear necessary
4. Below 35 degrees         indoor recess or physical activity

All athletic teams must follow the TSSAA guidelines and those provided by SCIAA in their weekly advisories.  

You are receiving recognition for the positive trends found in your end of year 2022-23 discipline data and because of your strides towards implementing restorative practices! 

• Hollis F. Price MS (Principal, Sandra Barnes)
• Dunbar ES (Principal, Lawanda Shaw)
• Newcomer International Center (Principal, Gabriela Torro)
• Trezevant HS (Principal, Eric Brent)
• Ridgeway MS (Principal, Katrina Raggs-Washington)
• Hickory Ridge MS (Principal, James Gordon)
• Brownsville Road ES (Principal, Velvet Jeter)
• Downtown ES (Principal, Brandye Williams)
• Windridge ES (Principal, Todd Shaffer)
• Westside ES (Principal, Kimberly Adams)

The EDI (Equity, Discipline & Intervention) office has identified you as one of the highlighted 10 schools who will receive television broadcast recognition on WKNO!  Please see WKNO Schedule of school visits. 

Please keep up the good work…and know…your hard work is noticed and appreciated!

You now have the option to select Stay Away Agreement in Incident Management.  When selecting Local Action Codes, Stay Away Agreement is in the list of drop down options. 

RTI-2B District Leadership Team has identified the following schools to pilot our RTI-2 Alignment Initiative. Your schools were chosen because the team believes that you currently already have most of the components in place to satisfy the Alignment Rubric. The identified pilot schools (both cohorts) will meet in-person to receive detailed information on what’s to come from Victoria S. Perry, Director, Tennessee Supports Center. 

Location: TLA- (TBA tentatively W115-16)

Time: 9:00am-2:00pm

Date: August 29, 2023

Each participant will need to register by August 24, 2023. Please use this REDCap survey to register Registration Link.

SCHOOLS COHORT (A)

Dexter K-8 - Principal Patrick Certion

Cordova MS - Principal Christopher Hardiman

Cordova HS - Principal Barton Thorne

SCHOOLS COHORT (B)

Hamilton K-8 - Principal Quay Jackson-Porter

Woodstock MS - Principal Willie Bolden

Southwind HS - Principal John Bush

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Dr. Amy Maples - MAPLESA@scsk12.org - RTI-2 Co-Chair (Academics) or Dr. JB Blocker - BLOCKERJ@scsk12.org Dr. JB Blocker - RTI-2 Co-Chair (Behavior)

This year’s theme is, “Aligning to Re-Think...Re-Thinking to Restore!”  The state is requiring that we align our district-wide Response to Intervention (RTI) Academic and Behavioral efforts, so it is crucial that appropriate district staff receive the mandated updates and expectations. 

As you might remember from past years, school leaders are required to send:

• RTI-2B Tier (1) & (2) Coaches
• At least one school counselor
• District assigned RTI-2 behavior specialists (school hired are also encouraged to attend)
• SEED leadership will select specific Mental Health staff who will attend.

Please forward this email to the appropriate individuals at your school and have them access the link below to view the RTI-2 Showcase Agenda and to register for the event.

https://ncyionline.org/memphis-shelby-summit/

Date: September 1, 2023

Time: 7:45am- 3:00pm

Location: University of Memphis Center 

Parking is Free: Zach H. Curlin Street 

The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. John Hodge

We are providing one Complimentary Bookstore Voucher to be used for selecting resources at the NCYI Product Showcase – compliments of Memphis-Shelby County Schools and our sponsoring vendors who are listed on the website. The voucher will be provided to the first school representative upon sign-in.  Please note, participants must sign in and out to receive PLZ attendance credit.

See tentative schedule for your review! Please have staff register by September 1, 2023.

• School administrators must ensure teachers record attendance daily in PowerTeacher Pro beginning the first day of school. Do Not use paper forms.
• School office staff should process and reconcile daily attendance codes submitted by teachers. 
• If your school is without a dedicated clerical, please identify a back-up person and contact the SEED Office for appropriate district training.  
• Each school should have an attendance administrator who can assist and verify the accuracy of attendance data.   
• Drop all NO-SHOWS and if attendance has been taken, please remove attendance before dropping the student. 

• All 5-year-old Kindergarten students must be registered and enrolled by Monday, September 18, to be eligible to attend school for the 2023-24 school year. 
• Students who are not 5 years old by August 15 and did not pass the Early Kindergarten Entry Screening are not eligible to attend school this year. 

(This does not apply to homeless, migrant, or foster care students.) 

• School support staff can withdraw students from school for the first three weeks of the school year if they have not attended any classes.  Again, no-shows should be dropped dated back to the first day of school. Withdrawals are only completed if a student has attended school this school year. Truancy will need to be cleared if a student has not attended school by August 21.
• Review your projected enrollment list and students who have not registered/enrolled at your site. Contact these parents to register/enroll. Assign staff during regular school hours to assist parents who are registering late.

School Counselors are required to submit OAG requests using the OAG/Grade Placement survey form in PowerSchool SIS.

Attendance training will be offered on multiple dates. Assigned staff who support attendance can visit PLZ to register.  Participates will review district and state mandated guidelines surrounding attendance, and learn the tools needed to successfully carry out day-to-day attendance responsibilities. Please Bring Your Laptop.

• Course #: 32108 (Elementary and K-8)
• Course #: 32114 (Middle and High)

This course is designed for staff who enroll students, approve registration, and process student withdrawals at the school level (Administrators, GOS, Financial Secretaries, Enrollment staff and Clerical Assistants).  Participants will learn how navigate PowerSchool SIS via a training database and navigate the online platform and view real-time data.

• Course #: 34911 (Elementary, Middle, and High)

To ensure consistent support for homeless and unaccompanied students and district-wide compliance with the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, please adhere to the Enrollment Protocol for Homeless and Unaccompanied Students.

Every year, MSCS makes the financial commitment to College Board to maintain our district membership so that our schools may offer Advanced Placement courses, obtain opportunities for professional development, and have school access to APRO which allows us to support your schools, teachers, and students. Based on this data, the district can provide the enrichment that is needed for students, teachers and administrators. Through your hard work and these efforts, we have seen an increase in the number of students participating in Pre-AP and AP classes. 

Thanks to ESSER funding, we have expanded support services for teachers including in person, off-site and mentoring. Also, we have increased funds for specialized materials and supplies, enrollment in AP Saturday Review Sessions, as well as Summer Camp opportunities.  We are offering an AP Virtual Academy, so more students have access to AP courses throughout the district.  

If you have any questions, please contact  Linda N. Sklar or James L. Smith.

Secondary School Principals: Tuesday, September 5, 2023 is the last day to enroll students in MVS OL courses for semester 1. Your professional school counselors already know the protocol to enroll students. Contact Director Rochelle Griffin (griffinrj@scsk12.org) to start a discussion of a Special Project class is desired for your school. 

Attention Building Leaders:

Please return previously assigned devices to the same teacher from last year if they are still serving in an eligible position. Ensure that each teacher completes the Computer/Device Checkout Form upon device assignment or redistribution. Scan all completed forms as one PDF file and attach the file HERE.  An IT Ivanti workorder ticket should be submitted for any devices with physical damage or a technical issue. Physically damaged devices are covered under the accidental protection plan, and claims will be filed by IT Field Support. Please follow MSCS district policy for reporting lost or stolen/unreturned devices.

Thank you for your support!  

Attention: Building Leaders

The Division of Virtual Education and Logistics would like to thank all building leaders and their leadership team for collaborating with our office to complete the 1:1 Classroom Teacher Device Reconciliation Project.  The completion rate for the Teacher’s Device Reconciliation Project was over 82% for the district.  Our office has received several requests for additional 1:1 classroom device for teachers and eligible staff. We would like to extend the opportunity for building leaders who completed device reconciliation last school year to request additional devices as needed for eligible staff who did not previously receive a device. Requests will not be processed for schools whose reconciliation is currently “In-Progress”.  Please contact Mrs. Lisa Fletcher at fletcherl1@scsk12.org if there are any questions regarding the reconciliation status for your school.   

Please complete the FORM to submit a device request.  Remember that administrators, clerical staff, educational assistant, CCTE, PreK, or SPED are not eligible roles. Please be prepared to attach a current 2023-24 staff roster (teachers’ name/grade/subject) when completing the request form.

Thank you for your support!

Principals, 

As a reminder the following are the PLC Foci for the 2023-2024 SY:

August 7th - Curriculum Guides/PLC Guides

August 14th - Direct Teaching Model/Instructional Practice 1,2,3, &  4 Structures

August 21st - Lesson Planning:  Direct Teaching Model, IP3

August 28th - Lesson Planning:  Direct Teaching Model, IP3

Also, the IP3 Foci include:

ELA:  I Do

K-5 Math:  Engage, Explore

6-12  Math: I Do

Social Studies:  I Do

If there are questions, please contact Dr. Amy Maples (MAPLESA@scsk12.org)

Please see the information regarding the 2023-24 ILT. Access the 23-24 ILT Information here. Email completed documents to  scsiltstipends@scsk12.org.

Important Dates:

ILT Agreements due September 15th

Fall Time Logs and Excel Sheet due December 1st

Spring Time Logs and Excel Sheet due May 3rd

The step sheet on how to access Savvas Realize K-5 is linked here to support teachers.

Upcoming K-12 Science Professional Learning Sessions are available for registration in PLZ.  Use this flyer to learn more and register today!

Please see the September Professional Learning Catalog.

Reminder:
The Better Learning Through Structured Teaching reading assignment for September's LDW is Chapters 1-3. 

Tennessee public schools are now required by state law to keep exterior doors leading into a school building locked at all times. Access is limited to the school’s primary entrance, unless otherwise determined by school policy, to prevent unauthorized entry into the school building while students are present during the school day, as well as when students are present outside or regular school hours for school-related purposes or activities.

We are thrilled to announce that the Memphis-Shelby County Schools is starting an Alumni Relations Association that will focus on providing resources and services to high school students and alumni of legacy Memphis City Schools, Shelby County Schools, and Memphis-Shelby County Schools. As part of this initiative, we are seeking your input on the type of resources and services you would like to access, as a member of the association. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey at: https://forms.office.com/r/KppdVTMAsa. Upon completion of the survey, your name will automatically be entered into a drawing to receive a limited edition MSCS Alumni Relations polo.

Greetings, Principals! 

Thank you for the work around updating Adopter Information in the portal over the last few weeks. As a next step, we are asking for your help in identifying Partners that are engaging with and supporting your school. As we try to bring accuracy around capturing the number of community partners serving throughout the District. In an effort to organize, identify and avoid duplicating efforts with current and/or prospective community partners, please take a brief moment to complete the Microsoft Form below by clicking on the link below. 
 

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

Thanks you in advance for your cooperation with this endeavor. Responses are requested by Thursday, August 31. 

*ATTN: ALL District Supervisors and School Leaders eligible to participate in the RECERTIFICATION process to conduct TEM, TEAM, and/or NIE evaluations for SY2023-24 will need to complete modules by August 31, 2023.  Returning observers who do not complete by the deadline must participate in the track for new observers.

Please see the information below regarding Evaluator Certification for SY2023-24:

Non-Instructional Evaluation Certification - 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."

• Click Here for guidance on NIE Certification.  
• SY2023-2024 NIE Evaluator Certification Training Calendar

Instructional Evaluation Certification- According to Tennessee State Board of Education policy 5.201, all educators must be evaluated annually by a certified evaluator.  

• TEM - Click  HERE   for guidance on becoming TEM Certified. 
• TEAM (Managed by the TDOE) - Click HERE for guidance on becoming TEAM Certified. *Be sure to select TRAINING FOR ADMINISTRATOR certification.  (Please forward a copy of the completed TEAM Certificate to eps@scsk12.org)

The 23-24 Instructional Practice Classroom Walkthrough Tools are available here.  You can use this link (bit.ly/2324Walkthrough) to submit your walkthrough tool which will feed data to the Power BI on the Instructional Practice Dashboard.  Please note that the submission link will not be active until Monday, August 21st. You should download a PDF copy of your entry for your records.

One Informal Observation must be completed in PLZ prior to completing the Formal TEM Observation. The step sheet on how to upload to PLZ the PDF from what you submitted in the Microsoft Form is linked here.

If you have questions regarding the 23-24 Classroom Walkthrough Tools, the submission link for the walkthrough tool, or the PLZ step sheet please email professionallearning@scsk12.org.  For TEM questions, please contact eps@scsk12.org.

Immunization Team-Please make sure you have identified your school’s lead representative and team for immunization records. Per Chief Page, Principals are to designate an immunization lead and a team of at least 3 people for data entry, or 1 per 150 students for larger schools. Click the following link to identify your school’s immunization team.  MSCS Immunization/SchoolCare Team Directory 2023-24.  

SchoolCare Training &Access- All lead and team members must register and attend a SchoolCare training session in PLZ to gain access. The next virtual SchoolCare session is August 30th (course # 32479) with additional in-person training opportunities throughout the month of September.  

 We look forward to working with you for the 2023-24 school year! Please contact Dr. Willie Williams at williamswc@scsk12.org, if you have any questions.