Registration for SchoolCare training is available in PLZ. This virtual course is for all school staff in elementary, middle, and high schools who have been designated to input immunizations in SchoolCare. Participants who attend the training will become familiar with the process to input immunizations into SchoolCare as well as learn the immunization requirements for students attending grades PK, K and 7th grades.  All participants will obtain user access following successful completion of the training. The PLZ Course number to register is 32479. Please contact Health Services at (901)416-6091 for questions pertaining to SchoolCare.

Have you registered for Day 1, March 6, 2024   

Earn up to 7 PD hours by attending! 

Register in PLZ:  Course Code: 16897 or Search: SEED Presents: Reflect, Reset, Restore Conference (4 Credit Hours)

Day 1 of the conference is on March 6, 2024, and it's specifically for MSCS District, School Leaders, and School Personnel. Don't miss Dr. Joy DeGruy's award-winning presentation starting at 9 am in the Michael D. Rose Theatre on the University of Memphis Campus. On-site registration will begin at 7:45 am. Early arrival is suggested. Lunch will be provided to the first 300 registrants. Additional PD credit hours can be earned by attending the afternoon breakout sessions beginning at 1:30 pm.  Sign up in PLZ today.

Registration and parking is free in the Zach Curlin Garage! 

Visit http://scsk12.org/RESTORE2024/ for more information. 

Let's continue to successfully implement our Rethink curriculum and provide our students with the social emotional skills needed for success. Please preview the Rethink Scope and Sequence for the upcoming months. The last days to complete any lessons for each month are as follows: 

• Data for March collected Friday, March 22, 2024 EOD. 
• Data for April collected Friday, April 19, 2024 EOD.
• Data for May collected Friday, May 17, 2024 EOD.  

Restorative practices have been proven effective in reducing misbehavior, bullying, violence, and crime among students while improving the overall climate for learning in schools. This training by the SEED Office will cover the basics of restorative practices. Teachers will know and understand how to use classroom circles as a restorative practice. Teachers will also participate and practice utilizing classroom circles with peers during this session.

#31872 Introduction to Restorative Practices   

Dates, Times, Location and Sessions:

Thursday, March 28th - 1:30pm - 4:30pm 

Teacher Learning Academy - W115-116

#72278 Introduction to Restorative Practices

Thursday, May 2nd - 1:30pm -4:30pm 

Teacher Learning Academy W115-116

#72279 Introduction to Restorative Practices

Please use the steps provided when printing an In-School Suspension, Out of School Suspension and Readmission Form. 

As we continue to work towards maintaining positive and safe learning environments for the second semester, please see following discipline reminders to ensure that our district remains compliant with federal and state regulations.

• Important Update: In preparation for the upcoming launch of the 2024-25 registration period beginning March 19th, the 2023-24 registration links have been deactivated.
• Online registration will officially launch on Tuesday, March 19th for the 2024-25 school year. 
• Enrollment, registration, and attendance training for school staff will be offered from January through March. These training sessions will equip staff with the knowledge and resources to effectively support students and families during the registration process. 

          Enrollment, Registration, and Centralized Withdrawal Process 

          Course #: 34911 

          Location: TTC - 3772 Jackson 

          Registration is open! Please sign up in PLZ

• Please note that completing online registration is mandatory for all students seeking enrollment in Memphis Shelby County Schools for the 2024-25 school year. 
• Failure to register during the designated period will result in students not being considered enrolled for the upcoming academic year. 
• Please contact Mildred Avery at 416-6007 with any questions. 

• The online School Choice transfer application opened Thursday, February 1st, 2024, at 10:00 AM. Parents and guardians can access the application portal at www.scsk12.org.
• Apply online anytime and from anywhere using any device with an internet connection. 
• Current MSCS students: Please use your PowerSchool ID to apply.
• Students can apply for up to two General Choice options.

• School administrators must ensure teachers record attendance daily and input grades in Power Teacher Pro. Do Not use paper forms.
• School office staff should process and reconcile daily attendance codes submitted by teachers.
• Each school should have an attendance administrator who can assist and verify the accuracy of attendance data.   
• Please contact Mildred Avery at 416-6007 with any questions.

• Please note that the district’s Centralized Withdrawal form will be closed when school is not in session. The upcoming dates are as follow: 
  • March 11th-15th (Spring Break)
• Please contact Justin Doss at 416-6007 with any questions.

• Register Now! Virtual Office Hours: Power Up Your BI Skills 
• Sessions are recorded and will be posted Fridays to the DAIM Support Hub.

Join us for weekly virtual office hours, a dedicated support resource for Power BI users. Each session focuses on a specific data topic, providing real-time training and support within 30 minutes - because we know your time is valuable!

Tuesdays & Thursdays at 3:30 PM:

https://forms.clickup.com/f/87xbk-6181/XTZK5NW6JSHSI5RIKA

• March 5th and 7th: Summer School Eligibility Report

• For more support or questions, visit us at DAIMSUPPORT@scsk12.org.

The final AP Saturday Review will be held on April 6, 2024, at East High school, from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. Students have the opportunity to take up to two review sessions to prepare for their AP exams that will be administered in May. Please encourage students to sign up for the April 6th Saturday review by sharing the link below. The following AP review sessions will be offered: Art, Art History, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science Principles, English Language, English Literature, U.S. Government, Human Geography, Physics, Precalculus, Spanish, Statistics, and World History. Please contact James Smith if you have questions.

Sign Up Link: https://optional-schools-and-advanced-academics.ticketleap.com/ap-saturday-review-april-6th-2024/

To ensure that your school will be considered for the 2024 AP® School Honor Roll this fall, please make sure your AP Coordinator checks that your 2023-24 12th-grade and free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL) student enrollment data are correctly entered into AP Registration and Ordering. Please contact James Smith if you have questions.

As a reminder, honors teachers should submit second semester honors compliance documentation by Friday, March 1, 2024. These documents help us to ensure that all MSCS honors teachers comply with state and district requirements that govern advanced courses. Please contact MSCS Honors Advisors, Terriny Lloyd (416-9867) or Emily Barbee (416-5839), via email or by phone if you have questions.

Our annual advanced course planning meetings for middle schools will begin Monday, March 18 to support all schools in expanding access to advanced courses for 2024-25. With a collaborative effort, we can continue to make progress in increasing the number of advanced courses (or course sections) at each school and facilitate increased post-secondary preparedness for our students. These meetings will include representatives from Advanced Academics, CCTE, Planning and Accountability, Decision Analytics and Information Management, Curriculum and Instruction, ILDs, and/or other central office departments as needed to ensure that all schools persist in building student capacity and implementing honors courses in accordance with district and state policies.

Please utilize the following calendar link, http://tinyurl.com/24-25ms-meetings to sign up for a time slot and indicate which members of your team will be present for this virtual meeting. All principals should be present during their selected meeting time. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration in this critical work. Please contact Linda Sklar or Monica Smith if you have questions.   

Greetings Principals, 

If a facility emergency 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 protocol on 7.2 Facility Emergency regarding that you can share with your team. 

 Attention: Middle School, K-8, & High School Principals

Please CLICK HERE to review a list of students enrolled at your school without a 1:1 device.  Currently, students without a 1:1 device owe a fine for a previously lost or damaged device or accessory. Digital Device Ambassadors should continue to work with parents to complete waivers and satisfy fines to ensure that all students have their personal device in time for testing.  During check-ins, please ask your DDA to provide the number of parents they have connected with to ensure that parents of students who are Direct Certified have been notified of their eligibility for a Device Cost Relief waiver. Waivers can be used to cover the cost of lost or damaged devices only. Forms must be completed in their entirety to ensure grant compliance.  Please email device_support@scsk12.org with devices related questions.

According to the Tennessee State Board of Education, all teachers must have a duty-free lunch period.  This means that teachers cannot have assigned duties during their lunch period.  The lunch period must be at least the same length as the student lunch period. In addition, Tennessee School Board Rule 0520-1-3-.03 (4), states that professional employees must receive at least 150 minutes of planning time per week.  The noninstructional time is for teachers to plan lessons and complete other tasks. This time can be divided across the work week, but individual duty-free planning time cannot occur during a teacher's lunch period.  Both the duty-free lunch period and the duty- free planning time must be clearly shown on the teacher's weekly/daily schedule.  The TDOE cited MSCS during the recent Results-Based Monitoring visits because some teachers did not clearly include duty-free lunch and 150 minutes of weekly planning on their schedules. 

According to the 12-month hourly work schedule, SEAs are expected to work March 11-13, during Spring Break. Virtual professional learning assignments and experiences have been planned for SEAs who do not take vacation days or who are not selected to support schools with Spring Break Learning Academy on March 11-13.  

NOTE: If an SEA takes vacation days or supports Spring Break Learning Academy at one of the elementary school sites, the SEA is NOT REQUIRED to complete the VIRTUAL professional learning experiences.

During Spring Break, SEAs do not have to report to schools. Instead, SEAs will be required to complete 18 hours of professional learning that includes self-paced, asynchronous professional learning assignments and daily Bridge to Practice exercises.  All hours can be completed remotely, provided SEAs can access a device and the Internet.  

If an SEA cannot access the Internet, Wi-Fi, or Hotspot, the SEA can report to the Early Literacy Office on the lower level of Hamilton High School on March 11-13, 2024 @ 8:30AM-4:00PM.  To ensure accommodations for SEAs reporting to Hamilton High, each SEA must sign up here:  https://forms.office.com/r/ATrqZ0hj9u   SEAs must bring their own devices and present their MSCS ID upon entry.

Professional learning assignments must be completed by 3:30PM each day, March 11-March 13.  No late or emailed assignments will be accepted.

Link to SEA Spring Break Professional Learning: SEA Spring Break Professional Learning SY2024

If you have any questions, please email the Early Literacy Department at EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org or call 901.416.4801.

Please remember when entering a discipline incident to enter the number of days in the Title Field. Example: OSS: 5 Days – Disruptive Behavior

The deadline for completion of the NIE Mid-Year Conferences has been extended to March 1st.  

Be reminded, ALL required fields should be completed in its entirety before finalizing.

The spring Student Perception Survey will open February 26th - March 8th.  
 

For SPS support, Building Site Coordinators should contact the following:

For eligibility questions, contact the district lead, Courtney Skipper at skipperc@scsk12.org.
 

For technical support, contact Panorama at support+shelbycounty@panoramaed.com

PEER REVIEWERS

The TN Department of Education's Educator Effectiveness Team is seeking to contract portfolio peer reviewers from across the state to review and score submitted portfolio collections. Final aggregated portfolio scores determine an educator’s effect on student growth and represent 35% of a teacher’s overall Level of Effectiveness (LOE) score. 

In order to qualify to be a Peer reviewer, one must:

• have demonstrated content area, grade level, instructional experience, and effectiveness.
• be detail-oriented and demonstrate a rich understanding of standards
• be familiar with scoring student work
• be comfortable using and have access to technology
• be able to articulate confidence in the portfolio model to demonstrate student growth
• be available to conduct peer reviews throughout the scoring window, May 28 - June 14
• commit to confidentiality

Applicants must meet all requirements of the solicitation and submit an application no later than 5 p.m. CST on March 29, 2024. Applications will be scored on a rubric aligned to the information shared above.

Please reach out to Portfolio.Questions@tn.gov with questions.

Non-Tested Grades and Subject Teachers.  Please encourage your teachers to log into their Portfolium Account to select their model and collections for SY2023-24. The NTGS Educators listed below will submit Student Growth Portfolios for SY23-24:

• Fine Arts
• Physical Education (Elementary)
• Pre-K
• World Languages (French & Spanish)
   

While there is no deadline for Point A Submissions, educators are strongly encouraged to submit their Point A and B Submissions before the 5 p.m. local time, May 6, 2024, deadline.  
 

*Please note:  Per the State, no further submissions will be allowed after the deadline.  Any Portfolio missing any of the four collections will be marked Incomplete (I) and an LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) score will NOT be generated for the 2023-24 school year. 

QUESTIONS/SUPPORT

If any NGTS educator is having issues accessing the platform, has general questions about submissions, or has had job/role changes that do not require Submission of the portfolio, please contact the District Portfolio Lead, Ayodele Hall, at hallam@scsk12.org . 

TEM 60% Completion Extension: 

The deadline for completing 60% of total TEM Observations has been extended to March 8th .

Additionally, below is the link below that will enable administrators to track their location's progress in PowerBI: 

Completion Status Dashboard

New Releases:

Summer School Eligibility Report is now available! This report has a new location in Student Grades. Also new for this year is the inclusion of OAG Summer School Eligibility! See the user guide for more information!

MasteryConnect Report and MasteryConnect Participation will be available for the Spring Window in Student Assessments! See the user guides (MC Report, MC Participation) for more information!

District 360 – Enrollment, Attendance, and Discipline is now available! See the user guides (Enrollment, Attendance, Discipline) for more information!

We want your feedback on District 360! Please complete this quick survey.

-----------------------------

Coming Soon:

• District 360: Pre-K Enrollment and Attendance
• 1:1 Devices

-----------------------------

Monthly Newsletter:

Check your inbox! On the first Wednesday of every month, the DAIM team sends out a monthly newsletter to all Power BI users. 

In it, you will find more information on upcoming trainings, new releases, and how-to guides.

To see this month’s edition (and all archived editions), visit our support page.

-----------------------------

Training and Support Resources:  

This week (March 5th and March 7th), Virtual Office Hours will be on the new and updated Summer School Eligibility Report in Student Grades. 

Sign up today! For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! 

----------------------------

Check out our new page of all updated features and recent releases on our DAIM Support Page!

You can reach out to us at DAIMSUPPORT@scsk12.org if you need support.  

----------------------------
Power BI Access:

Principals can give school staff members access through the PowerBI Access App. For more information about how to use the app, see this user guide! 

Greetings, School Leaders.
 

As you are aware, we have launched our "Leading from the Frontline" Award. This recognition highlights school-based and District office front-line staff for their commitment to provide excellent customer service to parents and families. Each month, we recognize outstanding staff members who are making a positive impact at MSCS schools and District Offices. These individuals may be nominated by any constituent (i.e., parents/guardians, students, community partners, supervisors, administrators, teachers, etc.).

You should have already received two posters (one English version and one Spanish version) that should be displayed in the main office or hallway leading into the main office along with postcards for your front office desk, which can be shared with those who visit your school. We want to continue to acknowledge those hard-working professionals who genuinely serve, guide, and deliver exceptional experiences to our students, families, and community.

How to Share Ways to Nominate:

• Place postcards on the Main Office counters
• Send via school communications (i.e., school marque, digital platforms, school messaging tools, etc.)
• Place posters in the hallways and Main Office

Encourage office personnel to invite visitors/staff to complete the nomination form
 

Link to Download posters and postcards:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fGUwIG7XqRiW-O3Kwo6YNNDHXJJxwkEu?usp=sharing

If you are in need of additional posters/postcards for your school, please reach out to Dr. Kemmashela Conner - smithkt@scsk12.org.

The new feature will be turned on for district and school personnel on Monday, March 18, 2024. Documentation (Exploring PowerSchool’s New User Interface YouTube video and PS SIS Page Name and Location Crosswalk spreadsheet) can be found here. Please review this information before March 18, 2024.

Check out what’s happening in our employee Family Care Center (FCC) and School-Based Health Clinics (SBC). Student Support Services will offer the “The Clinic View” newsletter each month during the school year.

https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/EX6gZkTvNPVIvP3Y1BFvsP0BXu-c6cQEjRCy5Ep3D2erKg?e=FxfDaq

https://scsk12-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/edwardst1_scsk12_org/EXBHjl45wmJGj5bC4Ng8YtcBE2Rj56jUSovne99HlRrJ-Q?e=E9eO90