The Raider ACE!

Volume 1 Issue 8 - October 9, 2023 - October 13, 2023

To get the most out of our students, which are the most valuable commodity, we have to practice student centered learning.

At its core, “student-centered learning” is the idea that each student is an individual who learns in unique ways. Students come to school with prior knowledge, educational experiences, trauma, attitudes, interests, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses unique to their lived experiences. We have to allow them to share, perform, explain, create, and actively solve problems.

As professional educators, we have to facilitate that process.

Think about your class. Is it a student-centered learning environment? If not, how can you make it a student-centered environment? What strategies can you employ that allows the student to take ownership of their learning.

Consensus Squares, Think Share Pair, Role Play, Debates, and competitions, are a few strategies we want our students working on in class.

Don't forget to share your successful strategies with other members of the team.

We are W.J. Keenan High School. Home of the Champion Raiders!

There are a few things that we will need to make sure we are doing to keep the natural order and flow of our school:

• School starts at 8:00 a.m. Remind students they need to report to class before then to avoid a tardy.
• Stand at your door during the change of each class.
• You must not leave your students unsupervised for any reason.
• Please do not allow students into the hallway without a pass.
• Please do not allow students that are not on your roster in your classroom. Students need to be in their scheduled classroom to receive credit. You are accountable for every student in your room.
• You may only sign out to leave on your planning period and/or with administrator approval in an emergency circumstance if you do not have a scheduled absence.
• If you are absent from school, it is your professional responsibility to input the appropriate information in Frontline in a timely manner. Substitutes are limited. Please check Munis prior to doing this so you are aware of your available days for an absence.

Monday, October 9, 2023

• “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ―Aristotle
• Meme Day for homecoming
• Underclassman Picture Day in the auditorium / 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Tuesday, October 10, 2023

• Faculty Meeting in the lecture hall @ 3:30 p.m.
• Lady Raiders Volleyball Vs. Fairfield Central / Senior Night (Home) / 5:30 p.m. /7:00 p.m.
• “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” ―Michael Jordan
  

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

• PACT for 9th Graders / 8:30 a,m.
  
• Chat with The Chair (Engagement Room) @ 11:00 a.m.
• “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” ―Vincent Van Gogh

Thursday, October 12, 2023

• RIchland One's JAG Initiation and Instalation Ceremony (Keenan Theater) / 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• “It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it.” ―Lou Holtz

Friday, October 13, 2023

• WJ Keenan Varsity Football VS. Eau Claure / Homecoming (At W.J. Keenan) @ 7:30 p.m.
• “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.” ―Sheryl Sandberg
  

Physics students were investigating Hooke's law. They worked in groups but were required to independently plot graphs from the data collected of masses against extensions of springs, then predict from the graphs (theoretically), the extension of springs for additional washers. They experimentally exploited the extension predicted with a new set of masses and had as additional task, to compare the theoretical and experimental values and discuss the variation.

The activity plunged them into deeper engagement and critical thinking as they were excited to read the values after each extension. They equally discovered with amusement that, amongst other examples. Including but not limited to retractable pens, bathroom scales, recoil of toy guns, Hooke’s law has a very practical purpose: to ensure that components can withstand a pre-calculated level of force.

Congratulations to The Marching Keenan Raider “Rubber” Band for receiving the following awards at the 17th Annual Dillon Battle of the Bands:

Best Music Class 2A

Best General Effect Class 2A

Rating of Superior

2nd Place Overall Class 2A

In addition, our Drum Majors and Raiderettes received Superior Rating scores. I am so very proud of these students. They’ve worked very hard in a short amount of time.

A Note from Mr. Howard ParnellThanks to all who have supported us thus far. Thank you Band Staff, Chaperones, Band parents, bus drivers, etc. for all you do to help us to be successful! This has been a great day!

Hello Raiders,

We are eight days away before grades are due for 1st quarter. Grades are due to Ms. Sims on October 18th. If you have plans to be absent, your grades are still due on this day. Please plan accordingly. Grades should be finalized in PS and grade verification sheets should be printed and submitted to her office prior to 3:00 pm. All of your eligible students should be loaded into Edgenuity by this time. Please be sure to follow the plan for Content Recovery outlined in the email sent by Mrs. Jeter. If you were absent on the day of training, you are still obligated to complete the process for setting your students up in Edgenuity. You may follow the links below to assist with this.

General Support for Edgenuity

Imagine Edgenuity

• Imagine Edgenuity, Learning Site
• Creating a Class
• Adding Students to a Class
• Enrolling Students in a Course
• Dashboard Alerts
• Dashboard Components
• Student Progress Report (Great report that provides the daily goal for students.)
• Student Orientation Video (This video will model how students can access the different tools available in Edgenuity.)

Imagine Edgenuity

• Reviewed Lesson Structure, Grade Metrics and Essential Dates
• Experienced Edgenuity Learning Management System as a student.
• Experienced Creating a Class and Adding Students.
• Located courses and explored course structure, standards, and customization.
• Learned how to monitor progress with the Dashboard.

Dates to Remember:

October 18 - End of First Nine Weeks/Grade verification is due to Ms. Sims

October 19 - Teacher Workday

October 20 - Student/Staff Holiday (Fall Break)

October 26 - Report cards

October 27- Early Release Day/Parent-Teacher Conferences

November 10 - Early Release/PD

November 22-24 - Thanksgiving break

November 28-29 - English 2 End of Course testing

Things to remember:

Teacher CLARITY is our instructional focus this year. According to John Hattie's meta-analysis, teacher clarity has an effect size of .75 which doubles student gains in learning. Again, the clearer things appear for the learning community (all stakeholders) the better the student outcomes. Here are the questions your students should be able to answer in each class that we visit.

1. What am I learning? (Learning Intentions/Targets)
   

2. Why am I learning it? (Clarity & Motivation)

3. How will I know that I have learned it? (Success Criteria)

Each of these are non-negotiables and should be written on your board each day under the appropriate magnet and referred to for student understanding. Students should be able to answer these questions if called upon by the teacher.

SCLead:

The fall evaluation cycle dates: Sept. 19 - Dec. 1.

Posting Work:

If you are posting work outside your door, the standard used should accompany that along with the learning outcome for that lesson.

Grading Practice:

Please be sure to access the Raiders Chest in One Drive for important information regarding the Secondary Grading Manual. Be sure to follow the guidelines for grading this year that I reviewed with you during our Professional Learning (Round Robin session).Please make sure that you are updating your gradebooks weekly.

Mastery Connect:

You should be using Mastery Connect for formative assessments. Department Leaders will be able to assist you with setting up trackers if you need help. If you are having issues with logging into Mastery Connect or delivering assessments through Mastery Connect, please submit to a 1 to 1 ticket and add Cerissa Allen as the collaborator. If you run into any other issues, send me an email.

Certified Staff Certification/Recertification:

Renewal teachers/staff should have signed up for Read to Succeed if you have not taken the class. Information regarding this was sent out through District Announcements. Anyone that is renewing this year, has been placed on an informal (continuing formative) evaluation this year. Your evaluator is listed in SCLead. You will also need to complete 120 hours to renew your certificate. If you have taken the Read to Succeed class and you need to have it added to your certificate, please sign into your educator portal on the SC state department of education website and upload it there.

https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/certification-forms/forms/renewal-matrix/

https://ed.sc.gov/educators/certification/professional/renewal-credit-options/

Schoology:

Download a List of Parent Access Codes

1. Within a course, click Members.
2. On the right side of the Members area, click Parent Access Codes.
3. Click Download to automatically download a CSV file containing the students' names and the corresponding Parent Access Codes for the instructor to distribute accordingly.

4. Once parents register for Schoology using the code, their account will automatically be associated with their child’s account. Parents will be able to view all of their child’s activities, courses, groups, calendars, updates, attendance, and grades, depending on the permissions and privacy settings you put in place by System Admin (District IT).

   
   

Meeting Calendar:

First Tuesday: Faculty

Second Tuesday: Department Leaders

Third Tuesday: Freshman Academy

Fourth Tuesday: PLC

School Photos

Please note the following dates for school photos:

• October 9—Fall Individuals (students in grades 9-11 AND faculty/staff
• November 30—Fall Individuals makeup

Graduation 2024 Date Announced

This year’s Raider Graduation ceremony will be held Friday, May 31 at 11:00 am at the Colonial Life Arena. Seniors need to ensure they have met all requirements for graduation, pay any outstanding debts or fees and not have excessive discipline issues in order to participate.

Raider graduates are expected to conduct themselves with dignity, honor, and class. Inappropriate/disrespectful actions during the commencement ceremony WILL NOT be tolerated.

Keeping Seniors on Track

Class of 2024 students are meeting with school leaders to help them stay on track and be successful. Seniors are meeting with the Graduation Coach (Mrs. DuBard), School Counselors (Mrs. Hasinger, Ms. Humphrey and Mr. Oliver), and Mr. Hankins (Senior Class Administrator) to discuss their progress, requirements, future college/career goals, and plans for the year. All conferences are aimed at helping students be prepared to successfully graduate and meet their future goals.

Raider Community Student Support

Teachers and staff, we need your assistance in providing support for our young Raider students. Through our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, we are aiming to give our students the tools they need to be successful.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a school-wide, data driven, proactive framework for improving both learning and behavioral outcomes for all students. MTSS uses the problem-solving process to meet the academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs of each student. (https://www.richlandone.org/Domain/1736)

You may be asked to sit in on MTSS meetings as a classroom teacher, serve as a mentor, advocate or content expert for students. The goal is to surround students with as many caring adults and resources as possible to allow students to thrive. Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation.

• Seniors, please join the "2023 - 2024 Seniors" Schoology group for daily Scholarships and information updates.
• The Deadline for Parking decals has been extended to " Oct 16th". Warnings and Tickets will be issued Oct. 17th.
• Senior Make Up Pictures will be Sept 27th by appointment 9am - 1pm in the Auditorium
• The Gates, Coco-Cola, and The Ron Brown Scholarships are now open! Check the 2023-2024 Senior group on Schoology for details.
• ASVAB is scheduled for Oct. 4 at 9:00am please sign up on Schoology by September 29th
• The Raider Ready afterschool tutoring program has begun. If you need extra assistance, please sign up using the QR code in the flyer below.
• Seniors, please join the "2023 - 2024 Seniors" Schoology group for daily Scholarships and information updates.
• The Gates, Coco-Cola, and The Ron Brown Scholarships are now open! Check the 2023-2024 Senior group on Schoology for details.

Quote "Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good."

As we enter the last full week of the 1st Quarter, see below for a few reminders. As we continue to navigate the school year, always keep in mind we are each here to support each other and our students. Thank you all for being a team of teachers who share recommendations and put into practices that are student-centered and assist our young people with being accountable.

Please take care of yourselves.

Raider Academy Updates:

1. Ensure Edgenuity assignments are available for students this quarter with a due date no later than October 16. As a reminder, we will use the same online resource (Edgenuity) for 2nd Quarter Content Recovery. Feel free to load unit assignments for the 2nd interim recovery period.

   
   

2. We will meet as a Freshman Academy Team on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, at 3:30 in Room B102. Please make sure to be on time and have a prepared list of students who will need parent conferences scheduled for Friday, October 27 (Early Release/Parent Conferences).

   
   

3. Let's be mindful of the 20-20 rule. Students should not be allowed to transition the first 20 minutes of the block and the last 20 minutes of the block. It appears 1st block and 4th block are our high traffic times on the lower B hallway. I will commit to being visible/stationed on our hallway.

   
   

4. PSAT/Pre-ACT Testing will continue through October 17, 2023. Please check the roster emailed to you from Ms. Humphrey. (2nd & 3rd year students)

   
   

5. First time Freshman will test (Pre-ACT) on Wednesday October 11.

We have had an exciting and different start to the school year. We are transitioning from a Magnet School to a School within a School. The Raider Academy is a new approach to college and career readiness designed to give students the foundation to make a difference in the world!

The Raider Academy at W. J. Keenan High School provides five houses through which students may choose. Students will have multiple opportunities to prepare for careers that are in high demand and require advanced skills. We offer a leadership curriculum that includes a rigorous project-based classroom experience that challenges students to gain future-ready competencies. The Raider Academy students will have advantages that include the opportunity to receive college credit, state and nationally recognized industry certifications, work-based learning opportunities and internships.

The W.J. Keenan High School Raider Academy offers five unique pathways aimed at engaging learners.

• Project Lead the Way Engineering

• Business Management and Administration

• Hospitality and Tourism Management

• Government and Public Administration

• Agriculture and Animal Science

Meet the Raider Academy Teachers

Mrs Young: PLTW Engineering & Math Department Chair

Ms. Davis: PLTW Engineering

Mrs. King: PLTW Engineering, Business Management, & CTE Department Chair

Mrs. Thompson: Hospitality& Tourism/Family and Consumer Science

Mrs. Bradley: Government & Public Administration

Ms. Ausburn: Agriculture and Animal Science

The end of the quarter is October 18, 2023; please check grades on parent portal. We have afterschool tutoring starting now

The next Student Raider Academy meetings will be held on the following dates:

OCTOBER-NO MEETING DUE TO FALL BREAK

11/17/2023

12/14/2023

Please note that this meeting is not mandatory. If students have work to complete, I urge them to stay in their classes and complete it.

The next Raider Academy parent meeting will be held virtually on

OCTOBER-NO MEETING DUE TO FALL BREAK

11/15/2023

12/13/23

Magnet Expectations

• 70 or above in ALL classes
• No behavior issues
• No attendance issues

We will have to do fundraising please share any fundraising ideas with Mrs. Wine or the Raider Academy teacher.

Transportation is NOW provided for the Raider Academy. If you have any questions, please direct them to Mrs. Wine at Shalise.wine@richlandone.org

Classroom Spotlight:. Hospitality & Tourism

Teacher: Mrs. Thompson

The Raider Café’

Teachers and staff, please help us keep our students and school safe by reporting to work by 7:30 (morning duty) or 7:45 am. Please be at your doors ready to receive students by 7:50 am.

Please be reminded if you are going to be absent, report your absence by:

1. Submitting your absence in Frontline (Aesop).

2. Sending an email that you will be out.

a. To: Mr. Hankins

b. CC: Ms. Erving and Mrs. McIntee

c. Subject: Your Name Absent Date of Absence (Ex: Jabar Hankins Absent 1/16/23)

3. Calling the school (if an emergency happens on your way to work).

Substitutes and staff members covering classes should arrive by 7:45 am.

Thanks for your cooperation and for all you do for our students.

Feedback From Observations: Focus on engaging students and having them do the work. Rather than standing up and writing on the smartboard as you are explaining, have students come up to the board and share what they know. Put students in groups and give meaningful activities. Use balls and other manipulatives to identify students for a response. Make these engaging strategies apart of your daily routine.

Handling Conflict: Please talk with our students about how to properly handle conflict. Encourage them to reach out to adults in the building to get help with situations that can potentially get them in trouble. Please convey the importance of working together resolve problems before they become bigger issues. It takes a village!

Student Work: Please start posting your best student work inside and outside your classroom in the hallways. You may also share by tagging WJK on social media.

Ask Yourself: What is the hook for today’s lesson that will keep them engaged? Is there an opportunity for my students to get up and move around with my lesson? How am I going to check for understanding? Am I giving students the opportunity to show me they have a grasp of the content? Am I using the DLE to enhance the lesson or am I simply giving electronic skill sheets?

Signing In and Out: If you need to leave campus for an emergency, please get approval from an administrator, and sign out in the main office. We are professionals.

PTSO: Please consider joining our Parent Teacher Student Association. It is a big part of communicating to our parents that we want to build a stronger partnership this year. The application is in the main office with Ms. Golston.

Our Mission

The mission of W. J. Keenan High School is to provide engaging educational opportunities through a rigorous curriculum, cutting edge technology, and partnerships to extend to our diverse community and produce first class citizens who will contribute to the present and excel in the future. WE ARE KEENAN!

Our Vision

Our vision is to create a nationally known high school that is highly regarded for its academic excellence, leadership in cutting edge technology, science, environmental, and career based programs. A high school that builds strong relationships with all stakeholders and continues a culture where the expectation is to lead, set the example, and raise standards for all to follow.

Email: vondre.whaley@richlandone.org
Website: http://keenan.richlandone.org/
Location: 361 Pisgah Church Road, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: 803-714-2500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/keenanraiders/
Twitter: @wjkeenan