TO:            High School Principals & Professional School Counselors

             Middle School Principals & Professional School Counselors

FROM:     Janice McDaniel, Student Leadership Manager

Memphis Shelby County Schools Department of Student Experiences is asking each high school to select two (2) students  (11th & 12th  grade )  and each middle school one (1) 8th grade student to serve as Student Congress representatives for the 2024-2025 academic year.  Please include those students who served last year if they are still enrolled at your site.

The Student Congress is a mechanism for increasing student voice, and its primary function is to provide a platform for students to refine and build upon their leadership skills, create passionate global leaders, and empower students to create positive change.

Student Congress Retreat (High School Students - 11th & 12th graders)

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Concourse Crosstown Memphis Teacher Residency  (MTR)

1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 366

Memphis, TN 38104  

Student Congress Retreat   (Middle School Students - 8th graders)

Thursday, September 12, 2024

8:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Concourse Crosstown Memphis Teacher Residency  (MTR)

1350 Concourse Ave, Suite 366

Memphis, TN 38104  

Students should dress in comfortable clothes as we will participate in team-building activities. Boxed breakfast and lunch will be provided for high school students on Wednesday, September 11th; lunch for middle school students on Thursday, September 12th.  

It is important that each school has representation on the Student Congress. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Janice McDaniel at johnsonjm2@scsk12.org or call at 416-4874.

Please have your student representatives click on the link below and complete the form by Friday, August 30, 2024.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lBwpK7Bet0SJ6kuvFuzEqcEP-PJIK7RInmVJoY29gbVUQlo5VUlNRzhVS0xZM0hIUjhRUUdSMkJYMy4u

To view the flyer please click: Student Congress Calendar (1).png

Middle and High School Educators,

NASA’s App Development Challenge (ADC) is searching for middle and high school coding teams to create an app about the Artemis II mission, where NASA will be sending humans back to the Moon.

Teams, over the course of 10 weeks, will create a video showcasing their application, which utilizes trajectory data to visualize the Artemis II mission and display critical navigation and communication information. Favorable video submissions advance to present their app in an interview with engineers and scientists working with NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) team. After interviews, NASA will select and invite the Top Team(s) to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for a culminating event experience in April 2025.

To participate in the ADC, lead educators must register their student team by September 25, 2024 in NASA STEM Gateway. During the challenge, October 2-December 11, teams will participate in live virtual connections with NASA subject matter experts to learn more about coding, app development, and the Space Communications and Navigation Program. 

The ADC is an ideal activity for an afterschool club to enrich student knowledge in computer programing and project planning. To help promote the ADC at your institution feel free to distribute our flyer, add this slide to a power point or let people know about the live information sessions below:

• 8/28/2024       3 p.m. CST       ADC Information Session #1
• 9/4/2023         4 p.m. CST       ADC Information Session #2
• 9/12/2023       6 p.m. CST       ADC Information Session #3
• 9/19/2023       3 p.m. CST       ADC Information Session #4

If you are unable to attend a live event you may watch this recording, visit our website or email the ADC team at JSC-ADC@mail.nasa.gov.

Additionally, I invite you and educators you know to join NASA CONNECTS, Connecting Our NASA Network of Educators for Collaborating Together in STEM, a free online community of practice that provides access to new NASA content, resources, and events while connecting educators with NASA team members and other educators from around the world. Email hq-stemcop@mail.nasa.gov to join today!

The SY2024-2025 TEM, TEAM and NIE Evaluator Certification periods are open for NEW and RETURNING evaluators. 

For more information, check out SY2022-2023 TEM & NIE Evaluator Certification Process. 

Questions? Please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.  

Returning TEM & NIE Certification must be completed by August 30.

The Office of Performance & Leadership Development is curating professional learning opportunities specifically for school-based clerical staff. To assist us in this effort, we ask that you complete the Microsoft Form by August 23, identifying your clerical staff who would benefit from these learning experiences.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Join us for a week of growth and collaboration!

• Monday, August 26: PLC Coaches
• Tuesday, August 27: Principals & Vice Principals
• Wednesday, August 28: Assistant Principals & Deans of Students
• Thursday, August 29: Professional School Counselors

For more information, contact Racheal Addison at addisonrd@scsk12.org or 901-416-9233.

The existing ELA standards, first implemented in the 2020-21 school year, are being reviewed in the public feedback survey. The public is encouraged to note whether a standard should be kept, removed, modified, or moved to a different section. All Tennesseans are invited to review the standards, and the survey will remain open through September 8. Click here for more information and to take the survey.

Administrators are required to earn TASL credits if they spend 50 percent or more of their time in direct delivery of instructional services to the following: teachers, principals, and/or other educators in administrative or supervisory positions. All principals and assistant principals are TASL mandated. Most district staff in instructional supervisor roles are TASL mandated. Teacher leaders are not TASL mandated.

The Goal Setting Conference season is here, and Non-Instructional Evaluations are now available in PLZ! All Non-Instructional employees must complete a Goal-Setting Conference as the first step of the performance appraisal process.  

As a reminder, the NIE employee will need to select their certified NIE evaluator first in PLZ in order for the evaluator to have access to their Non-Instructional Evaluation plan.

Click HERE for more NIE Goal Setting Conference details. 

As a reference, please see the MTSS Lead Weekly Updates shared on Monday, August 19th. https://secure.smore.com/n/hq6au

We’re excited to introduce the new High School Progress Dashboard—a vital tool in the MSCS Compass designed to help schools ensure every student stays on track to graduate within four years. This innovative dashboard provides real-time data to monitor graduation cohorts, helping you quickly identify students who may need additional support.

What You Need to Know:

Join us for a special training session during Leadership Development Week to learn more about this powerful resource. The session will cover everything you need to know to effectively use the dashboard to monitor student progress and make informed decisions that drive success.

Training Details:

• Date: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
• Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
• Location:
  • Supe Schools: Auditorium
  • Ignite Schools: W115/116
  • Soar Schools: Multipurpose Room

Who Should Attend:

• High School Principals, Vice Principals, and Assistant Principals
• Counselors
• Graduation Coaches
• Clerical/Records Secretaries

Your participation is crucial to ensuring our students graduate on time and ready for their next steps. Let’s continue to work together to guide our students toward success!

We are pleased to announce an upcoming Green Folder Process Informational Meeting designed specifically for Central Office personnel. This session will provide important details on the Green Folder Process, ensuring that all staff members are equipped with the knowledge needed to support our students effectively.

Session Details:

• Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
• Virtual Session: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM (Microsoft Teams link will be shared with registrants)
• In-Person Session: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (Location: TLA Auditorium)

Reserve Your Spot:

To secure your spot, please complete the registration form using the link below:

Register Here

For additional information, feel free to contact Laura Tippit at tippitl@scsk12.org.

From the Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett's Office

Sign-up today for the Tennessee Student Mock Election. The mock election is a non-partisan, educational experience that gives Tennessee students a chance to learn how elected officials are selected. All Tennessee students are welcome to participate.

1) Sign your school up online

2) Review our lesson plans and resources

Topics: Citizenship, Roles of Elected Officials, Campaigning, The Voting Process, State & Local Government, The Constitution, and Colonial Government

3) Gather resources provided by our office

Each participating school will be provided the following resources:

A PDF of a mock ballot that can be printed (which will be sent via email).

"I Voted" stickers (which will be sent via mail).

A Student Mock Election "I Voted" sign (which is available to download).

4) Conduct your mock election

The Secretary of State’s office will provide printable mock election ballots. However, schools may conduct their mock election in whatever manner works best for their students.

5) Report your school's results

Results can start to be reported when the “Early Voting” period begins on October 16, 2024, and must be submitted by October 29, 2024. Instructions for reporting will be provided to each school’s designated contact via email.

To support the work of connecting students to meaningful experiences through school-based clubs and organizations, school teams have been asked to host at least one Power of One Day within the first month of school. During this time, school teams will provide opportunities for students to sign-up for school-based clubs and organizations. School teams may consider structuring these opportunities in a scheduled club day, sign-up fair, during homerooms, lunches, etc. 

Please submit the date for your school’s Power of One Day here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=lBwpK7Bet0SJ6kuvFuzEqVwhYSiFtilPoAZhWEVp9K1URjI1TTNLQVFIM0VZUDIxNVI4TzBBTjFTNS4u

On or before September 4, students are asked to complete the Power of One Day survey to provide feedback. 

Link to survey: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=lBwpK7Bet0SJ6kuvFuzEqWgVRPpgApRLo4j8kdwWGsxUM05MS1dTVThTTFJNRk1OTk9KWElHTVZHQy4u&origin=lprLink