Greetings Geometry and Algebra 2 Teachers!

Recordings from recent vendor-led virtual Geometry and Algebra 2 sessions are available for viewing at the links below. For Geometry, use the passcode Jm6UUNL? to view the recording.

Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics

MathCurriculum&Instruction@scsk12.org

Big Ideas Geometry

https://scsk12.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/CIMathLinks/EZUvN-d0vnZDu8o_l9eDoM4BkbekSxNgZZoFnFMIRGvdLA?e=o7fGJP

Reveal Algebra 2

https://scsk12.sharepoint.com/:v:/s/CIMathLinks/ETZZyV23S-xImlh5ossD2UYBdbfLMkfyPjOn7oZXfq5MTw?e=PhVyy9

Greetings 9-12 Teachers and Leaders!

Graphing Calculator Sessions for the 2024-2025 school year are available! Please access the attached flyer for more information.

Curriculum and Instruction Mathematics

MathCurriculum&Instruction@scsk12.org

24-25 Graphing Calculator Sessions for 12.2.2024 Submission.pdf

The Office of Literacy is excited to offer a virtual Early Literacy Series, featuring professional learning opportunities focused on the Science of Reading, Wonders, and the High Impact Strategies tailored for new and K-2 teachers. We invite teachers to register in PLZ using Course # 47541. Additionally, the K-2 Essentials for Foundational Skills Instruction are attached. These guidelines outline our consistent expectations for foundational skills delivery in the K-2 literacy block. Please review these “Essentials” to ensure alignment and fidelity across all classrooms.

Early Literacy Series PD Spring 2025.pdf

K-2 FS Essentials.pdf

The bi-weekly Teaching & Learning Advisory provides a snapshot of relevant academic updates, supports, and strategies.  Please review and share with your teachers.

https://secure.smore.com/n/7j18z

Level of Effectiveness (TEM) scores have been released and are visible in TNCompass for most educators.  For an educator to receive an LOE score, all required component scores (depending on the evaluation type) must be present in TNCompass. Components include Observation, Achievement, Growth, Professionalism, and/or Student Perception Survey).  

Teacher LOEs from SY2023-24 should be finalized and signed with a PIN by Friday, Dec. 13.   

Guidance on signing evaluations can be found here.  It is also on the TEAM website under the TNCompass tab. ​

**Note: Educators identified as partial year exemption (PYE) will not receive an LOE score.    

For questions regarding missing component scores or other evaluation-related questions, please submit a Ivanti ticket so that the Evaluation and Satisfaction department can research the issue (The Ivanti link is also available in PLZ under "PLZ Help").  

The deadline to complete School Administrator TEAM Cycle 1 observations is Friday, December 20th. 

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

The NIE Mid-Year Conference container is now open in PLZ! 

The deadline to complete ALL NIE Mid-Year Conferences in PLZ is February 7th. 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS:

• ALL required fields should be completed in its entirety before finalizing.   
• The Goal Setting Conference should be completed within 30 days of an NIE employee’s hire/contract start date AND should be completed BEFORE completing the Mid-Year Conference in PLZ.
• The Mid-Year Conference is NOT required for NIE Partial plans and will not appear as a container to complete. 
• Need a refresher? The following resources are also found in PLZ under the Resources tab.  
  • NIE Mid-Year Conference Tutorial 
  • NIE Evaluator Step Guide 
  • NIE Employee Step Guide

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

Portfolio educators will receive a welcome email from Teach All once they have been rostered in the platform.  To access the secure site, educators will need their State Single Sign On.  Educators may receive their State SSO username by emailing Fredrick Strahan (strahanfc@scsk12.org) and Ayodele Hall (hallam@scsk12.org). 

Portfolio educators should ensure they can access the platform before leaving for winter break. If any issues are noted, please reach out to the District Portfolio Lead, Ayodele Hall, via email (hallam@scsk12.org)

Clarification for Point A Submission.  Point A submissions should be collected by December 6th.  It is NOT REQUIRED that Point A submissions be uploaded to the platform. 

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).

• Initial certification courses are open from June 3, 2024, to 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.

Please see the 12/9 MTSS Lead Weekly Updates.

iReady Family/Home Connection is available.  Students and families can access iReady at home via Clever.  This allows the student and family to see progress.  Students can access personalized instruction and games outside of school hours, but other features are not available. iReady will be available over Winter Break!

On December 2nd, i-Ready Pro’s Essential Lessons in core numeracy became available to students in Grades 6+. This year, if applicable, these lessons will automatically appear in a student’s My Path based on their most recent Diagnostic placement. This includes students in grades 7+ who placed at the K–5 level in the Number and Operations (NO) domain or Grade 6 students who placed at Grades K–4 in NO. 

The all-new Math Essential Lessons: 

-Are created specifically to reinforce and strengthen the core numeracy skills we know students need to be successful with grade-level content.  

-Include 32 total lessons, providing students with targeted intervention in whole numbers and rational numbers.  

-Are aligned strategically to help students make connections across different grades and topics and are written for older learners who have seen the content before but need review.   

-When these lessons become available, teachers and leaders will see enhanced Personalized Instruction reporting-- including a new grade-level drop down and new tab views to better customize their experience. For navigation details, access a quick tour of similar changes to Reading reports. 

To ensure students and teachers are prepared for the new Essential Lessons in core numeracy, consider the following tips and tools: 

Share the i-Ready Pro Essential Lessons in core numeracy communication template with school teachers and staff working with students in Grades 6+. 

Get familiar with i-Ready Pro with this 15-minute Welcome to i-Ready Pro course. 

Visit i-ReadyCentral.com/Pro  for all guidance and resources. 

Access the FAQ: i-Ready Pro for details about placement, organization, and monitoring or Essential Lessons in Core Numeracy. 

C.O.M.E. to Win has updated student information for the 4th 20 Day Period.
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Training and Support Resources:   

Check out our Training Calendar for all upcoming District Trainings.
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Virtual Office Hours is taking a break for the holidays. We’ll be back the week of 1/7 and 1/9 for an Open Office Hours Q&A session.

Virtual Office Hours sessions are on Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 PM on Microsoft Teams.

Sign up today! For more information on Virtual Office Hours, check out this flyer! 
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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. 
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Check out our page of new/updated features and releases on our DAIM Support Page! 

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

Colleagues,

To ensure the accuracy of appeal hearing proceedings and uphold the highest level of due process for families, please review the following guidelines in preparation for an In-Person or Virtual Appeal Hearing:

Key Considerations

• Be Detailed: Provide a comprehensive account of the incident to create a clear and accurate picture of what occurred.
• Maintain Objectivity: Avoid letting emotions influence your decision-making process.
• Follow Guidelines: Refer to the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Suggested Guidelines when issuing consequences. (See attached). Additionally, please continue to make yourself familiar with policies #6022 Student Conduct and #6026 Appeals Related to Student Discipline.
• Consider Timing: If modifications to the consequence are made, Network Hearing Officials will attempt to return students to their home school at the end of an academic break (e.g., Fall, Winter, or Spring Break).
• Impact on Education: Clearly articulate how the incident disrupted the educational process at school, if applicable.

Hearings Requirements

In-Person Hearings

1. Quiet and Safe Space: Ensure the hearing is conducted in a calm, secure environment.
2. Separate Deliberation Area: Provide a private space for the family during deliberations.
3. Documentation: Bring at least three copies of all materials you plan to present, including:
   • Student statements

• Witness statements
• Photographs
• Administrative narratives

1. Redact Sensitive Information: Remove the names of other students from statements, particularly on the copies provided to parents/guardians.
2. Witness Testimony: Ensure any witnesses are present to testify. If a witness cannot attend, have their written statement available.

Virtual Hearings

1. Artifact Sharing: Email all hearing-related materials (except videos) to the parent/guardian and the Hearing Official in advance of the hearing.
2. Video Restrictions: Do not share videos containing other students to protect their privacy.

Remember, we are all on the same team! Following these guidelines will help ensure a fair, transparent, and efficient hearing process for all parties involved. If you have any additional questions, please contact your assigned Hearing Official or Ms. June Nickols at nickolsjl@scsk12.org .

Progressive Discipline Guide: OneDrive

Safety isn't limited to the time spent at athletic contests; it extends to when our staff, students, and fans leave the venue. We encourage you to communicate and promote these essential safety tips: 

MSCS Event Procedures 

• Staff, students, and families should be reminded of MSCS event security procedures and clear bag policies. 
• Post signage around your venue entrances and notify attendees to alleviate confusion at ticket gates.  
• To the extent possible, ask your players to avoid bringing backpacks to the games. 
• Refresher Video: MSCS Event Security Procedures Video 

Parking Lot Safety Tips 

• Park in Well-Lit Areas: Advise staff, students, and fans to park their vehicles in well-lit areas. Visibility is a powerful deterrent to unwanted incidents. 
• Valuables Out of Sight: Remind everyone to stow valuables out of sight. Leaving items in plain view may attract theft. 
• Lock Your Vehicles: Ensure that vehicles are securely locked. This simple step can prevent break-ins. 
• Travel in Groups: Encourage carpooling or walking in groups, especially at night. There's safety in numbers. 
• Report Signs of Trouble: If anyone sees trouble or suspicious activity, urge them to report it to the proper authorities immediately. Also, report any light outages to the appropriate personnel.

Safety is a collective responsibility, and by promoting these measures, we can help keep our school community safe even after the final whistle has blown.  We continue to be appreciative of your commitment to the safety and well-being of our school community. 

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, December 13. 

Link to Step Sheet:

 Assigning Student Programs to Students in PowerSchool

Audience: Directors of Schools, School Nutrition Program Supervisors, Coordinated School Health, Culinary Programs
Contact: Lynsey.Paul@tn.gov

The 2024-25 school year Junior Chef Application is now open! Each year, the Tennessee Department of Education’s School Nutrition Program hosts the annual Junior Chef Competition for high school students. Teams will compete to develop a nutritious, student-friendly recipe that includes local foods and is easily incorporated into the school nutrition program. This culinary competition is designed to encourage students to engage with school nutrition and learn about school nutrition programs and Farm to School.

This year’s competition consists of a recipe contest and an in-person cooking competition portion. First place will have the opportunity to earn scholarship funds towards Nashville State Community College or to Sullivan University. The second and third place winning teams will receive scholarships to Sullivan University. The first-place winning team will have the opportunity to compete regionally in the Southeast Regional Junior Chef Competition in May at Sullivan University.

The 2024-25 Tennessee State Junior Chef Informational sheet is here and applications are due January 17, 2025. 

The competition will be held at Nashville State Community College - Southeast Campus on March 6-7, 2025. For more information about Junior Chef, please visit our website or contact Lynsey Paul at Lynsey.Paul@tn.gov.

The Secretary of State’s office is conducting their annual student Essay Contest! The goal is to encourage students in Kindergarten through 12th Grades to be actively engaged citizens by recognizing their important roles as citizens of the great state of Tennessee. The theme of this year’s essay contest is “Why Trusted Sources Matter.” Grade band winners (i.e., K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12) will receive a TNStars 529 Program College Savings scholarship of $100, $250, or $500 in addition to a trip to the State Capitol. 

Note. Schools can choose up to two (2) essays from each grade band to submit for the contest. 

Essays must be submitted by Friday, Jan. 31, 2025

Visit the site linked below for more details.

https://sos.tn.gov/civics-essay-contest