WDMCS Staff Newsletter
Oct. 4, 2023
School Board Candidate Information
WDMCS School board elections will be held this year on Tuesday, Nov. 7. There are four seats on the ballot. The following individuals, listed in alphabetical order by last name, filed nomination papers:
- Michael Andreski
- Laurie Beilstein
- Jeff Hicks (incumbent)
- Jill Caton Johnson (incumbent)
- Elizabeth Larson
- Teri Patrick
- Aaron Sewell
- Scott White
Public School Board Candidate Forum
The West Des Moines Chamber of Commerce invites you to meet the candidates at a School Board Candidate Forum on Monday, Oct. 16, from 5:30-7 p.m. The forum will be held at the WDMCS Learning Resource Center, 3550 Mills Civic Parkway, West Des Moines, and will be livestreamed on the WDMCS YouTube Channel.
Please CLICK HERE to submit your questions in advance. The Chamber will not take questions at the event due to time constraints.
Professional Development and Conferences Oct. 9
Elementary and high school certified staff will participate in professional development (PD) in support of student and staff needs and each school's improvement plan.
Most elementary certified staff will focus on new resources regarding literacy. Staff will have the opportunity to hear from Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst, the authors of "Notice and Note: Strategies for Closer Reading." The authors will share with elementary certified staff their "six 'signposts' to help students read closely, encouraging them to explore the text and find evidence to support their interpretations." Elementary staff will also engage in building- and self-directed PD time and learning about dyslexia, and some staff groups will collaborate on specialized topics.
High school certified staff will choose from learning on topics ranging from trauma-sensitive classrooms to English for Speakers of Other Languages support and the district wellness program. Staff may also take part in self-directed professional learning time.
Junior high staff will hold conferences throughout the day.
TalkingPoints Update
As we've shared in previous communications, TalkingPoints provides a way to connect with families through two-way, translated communication. Families receive a text in their primary language. They can respond in their primary language, and it is translated back into English for the teachers and staff to read.
Managing Preferred Languages
We learned after launching TalkingPoints that we are unable to update the preferred language within the tool because our system overrides that data each night.
Our data team is working on a solution that would allow Infinite Campus to record the preferred communication language that could be synced with TalkingPoints. We appreciate your patience as this solution is more complex than originally anticipated.
Log In Using Clever
Use your WDMCS Google credentials to log into Clever. You can then access TalkingPoints by selecting the icon on the DISTRICT PAGE tab.
Access Training Tools
Read more and access training on how to leverage TalkingPoints for your school and classroom.
Learn more about TalkingPoints >
Questions? Need Training?
Contact Laine Buck or Alexandra Wade, School/Community Relations
Please do not contact Mike Sherman or the Technology Department.
Valley Teacher Shannon Johnson Recognized with ICTE Award
She was nominated by Valley language arts teacher Haley Moehlis who said of Johnson, "She is teeming with ideas and is always taking in new information. The generosity with which she shares her learning is really beautiful. I look forward to emails from Shannon because I know they always house a gem: a podcast recommendation, a strategy she came across, a book recommendation, a successful approach in the classroom, or something she came across that she knows I'll want to weave into a lesson. Her students adore her, and she works incredibly hard for them. She is the model of growth and reflection in the classroom, continually striving to improve and refine. She leads by example, lifts others up, and helps the entire department shine. I am so pleased that she's being honored. Her humility often prevents her from seeing just how fabulous she is, both as a teacher and a colleague."
Johnson will receive the award at the Fall ICTE Conference in Johnston, IA, on Thursday, Oct.5, 2023.
