We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Memphis Grizzlies STEM Forward initiative, a new grant program designed to support K-12 educators within Memphis Shelby County Schools as they bring innovative STEM projects to life in their classrooms. Through this initiative, the Memphis Grizzlies aim to empower forward-thinking educators and inspire the next generation of problem solvers, creators, and leaders in STEM.

The STEM Forward grants will provide crucial funding for teachers to develop hands-on STEM projects that engage and challenge students, preparing them for success in a technology-driven world. We believe that fostering curiosity and skills in STEM today will help shape a brighter future for our community and beyond.

Key Dates for the Memphis Grizzlies STEM Forward Initiative:

• Application Period: October 28 – December 6, 2024
• Winner Notification: January 6 – 10, 2025
• Project Completion Deadline: April 30, 2025
• Project Evaluation Submission: May 17, 2025

Educators from all K-12 levels are encouraged to apply and share their visionary project ideas that will inspire and engage students.

For more information about the application process, please visit our website www.grizzlies.com/stemforward, or reach out to me. We look forward to seeing the innovative ideas Memphis educators will bring forward to benefit our students!

Do you need coats and other winter clothing for your students? If so, please complete the survey linked below to provide information about your students’ needs by Friday, November 15. 

Each school is asked to designate one person to serve as the coordinator for this effort. That person will be responsible for providing size information for up to 10 students and picking items up on the day of distribution in December.  Requests will be filled based on availability, and an MSCS FACE team member will contact the coordinator to confirm a pick-up time for each school. 

Link to Submit Coat Requests: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OWH24

Student Club and Organization categories have been set up in the Student Program module of PowerSchool. Once inside the module, leaders will find that clubs and organizations are listed by general category, (e.g., Art, Mentoring, STEM/STEAM) instead of by the specific names provided in at the start of the year and for Quarter 1. Please be sure to update this information in PowerSchool by Friday, November 22. 

Link to Step Sheet: Assigning Student Programs to Students in PowerSchool

Tennessee Tiered Supports Center is excited to announce two free, open-access Community of Practice series in November and December. One or both of these events might fit into your upcoming fall or winter in-service agendas. They will be virtual via Zoom and last approximately 1.5 hours. West, Middle, and East regions are eligible to register for these events. Please share with anyone who may be interested in attending!

Below are the topics of each Community of Practice series, information about the sessions being offered, and registration links. Please note that each person attending must register individually.

Please find the MTSS Lead Weekly Updates for the week of November 4, 2024.

Please share the November MTSS Professional Learning Opportunities.  Some learning opportunities are role, specific so the intended audience is included under the title.

The Extended Deadline to complete all NIE Goal-Setting Conferences in PLZ is November 8th.  NIE Employees will need to select their evaluator first, in order for the evaluator to have access to their evaluation. 

All fields should be completed in its entirety before finalizing.

Questions? Contact the Evaluation and Satisfaction office by phone,  at 901.416.2475 or via email at eps@scsk12.org. 

The deadline to complete 100% of TEM Announced Observation #1 is December 6th.   School Administrators (Principals, VP, and APs), Network Leaders, and Assistant Superintendents may access their school's data using the following link: 

• Evaluation KPI Dashboard SY2024-2025

The State is excited to announce that TEAM training is transitioning to the TeachALL platform. The new platform is easy to access with your Single Sign On (SSO).

The Initial certification courses is open until March 31, 2025.

**All TEAM evaluator completion certificates should be forwarded to the Evaluation and Satisfaction department via email: eps@scsk12.org.

For more information about TEAM training and certification, please visit the TEAM website.

Contact the State at team.questions@tn.gov should you have any questions or concerns regarding TEAM certification for 2024-2025.

Growth and Achievement containers will open for teachers and new hires who transferred schools or started after the containers were closed but before November 4th. Impacted educators may complete or update their selections from November 11-22.  

If assistance is needed, please reach out via email:  eps@scsk12.org or by telephone:  (901) 416-2475.

Leaders!

As you continue to support teachers with structured time for intellectual preparation/collaborative planning, the Office of Literacy has provided resources for ELA teachers. The example elementary and secondary unit/lesson preparation documents can be used to push teachers to intentionally consider the needs of their students as they sequence tasks

 from the Wonders and myPerspectives curriculums. Also, linked in the flyer are the recordings from the ELA Fall Vendor-led sessions that teachers and leaders can use as a refresher to Wonders and myPerspectives. If you have additional questions please email the officeofliteracy@scsk12.org.

2024 Fall Vendor Sessions Office of Literacy (1).pdf

5th Grade Sample-Unit Internalization and Weekly Lesson Preparation Guides.pdf

8th Grade Unit Plan First Week Lessons.pdf

Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need additional information.