Rocket Weekly for Staff

Character Trait for February: Honesty

February Mindset Focus: A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish

To be honest is defined as...

the quality or act of being honest;

uprightness and fairness.

Being honest means being truthful to both oneself and others...

and doing what is right regardless of who is around.

In our RES School Family we all work together to help our students be honest

through daily instruction and mindset/counseling lessons.

We are also teaching our students that goals are important

and how to identify the steps needed to reach those goals.

Great goals take work to achieve;

work is hard;

together we can work to turn their goals into reality

through honest conversations!

Click here for the Monthly Character Education Traits and Mindset Words of the Month.

Please click here for one list of all after school club teams and students.

(Last edited 02/02/20 - Wellness Mindset Club students added)

All Schools and Offices Closed in honor of Presidents' Day

8:30am - 9:15am Special Eduction PLC Meeting

Please click here for the agenda

9:15am - 9:30am Recycling Bin Collection

4:00pm - 5:30pm Competitive DI Team (Mr. Cross' Team)

4:00pm - 5:15pm Spark (FLOW Club)

Work-Out Wednesday: Students and staff are encouraged to wear school appropriate athletic gear as we focus on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle while also taking a mid-week motor break to focus!

8:15am - 9:00am Creative Writing Club

9:00am - 11:00am Collaborative Planning: Kindergarten Team

Click here to access the agenda.

11:20am - 1:50pm Collaborative Planning: 1st Grade Team

1st Grade Team will eat lunch from 11:20am to 11:50am.

Click here to access the agenda.

2:00pm - 4:00pm Collaborative Planning: 2nd Grade Team

Click here to access the agenda.

3:45pm - 5:15pm 4th Grade Math Team

9:15am - 9:30am Recycling Bin Collection

11:50am - 12:20pm Maker-Space Club (2nd/3rd Grades)

12:40pm - 1:10pm Maker-Space Club (1st Grade)

1:20pm - 1:50pm Maker-Space Club (4th/5th Grades)

3:45pm - 5:15pm Wellness Mindset Club

Wear our school colors to show our Ridge Pride!

End of the 3rd Marking Period Interim Period for 5th Grade

Two Hour Early Dismissal - No School for Pre-K Students

Social Committee: Potato Bar/Salad Bar Potluck

8:00am TAC Window open for 3rd Marking Period Interim Reporting

12:30pm - 1:30pm Pre-K Family Involvement Workshop: Building Early Math Skills in Young Learners

1:50pm Relay for Life Drawing - MUFFINS!!!!

1:50pm - 2:50pm Collaborative Planning: SMCM Partnership and Green School Initiatives

2:00pm - 4:00pm Competitive DI Team (Mrs. Haney's Team)

2:55pm - 4:15pm Professional Responsibilities

4:15pm Staff Member of the Week Lottery Wheel!!!!

Collaborative Planning for Intermediate Grades and MTSS Tier 1 and 2 Agendas will be linked by 8pm on Tuesday (02/25/2020)

Dues: $20 may be turned into Ms. Steiger or Mrs. Goddard.

Sunshine Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks Potluck! Each team will determine what type of snacks to provide.

• 3/23: Intermediate
  
• 4/29: Primary (Breakfast)
• 6/15: Office Staff

Staff Member of the Week

• We're celebrating one another and selecting a staff member of the week every Friday at 4:10pm for the following week!
• If you have not completed the survey, and wish to participate in the selection process please click here.
• Only staff who have completed the survey will be included in the Lottery Wheel.

Below is a chart, developed by Mrs. Batelka, based upon the available information regarding county-based assessments. End of Unit optional assessments, highly recommended by supervisors, are also being included.

Please Note: The Quarter 3 Chart will be published once it's available from Central Office.

Teachers are to escort and students, waiting for a bus, to the front of the school.

Mr. Earley remains with the students until 4:15pm.

Either Mrs. Batelka or Mrs. Cox is also present.

There will be an evening time on 2/27 from 4pm to 6pm.

Please click here to sign up your class!

Classroom teachers are encouraged to work with their buddy classroom to create a joint literacy activity. Ideas for those interested are forthcoming!

Three additional Smart TVs are being purchased at the Central Office Level and will be placed in the following classrooms: Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Pierce, and Ms. Rye.

The date of installation is unknown at this time. Outside contractors will be installing them and we will be informed of the date/times of installation. There is a chance that the installation will occur during instructional time. Notice will be provided and in advance, thank you everyone for being flexible as the dates and times are not negotiable due to a system-level schedule.

An EXCITING new set of webinars are about to launch with SMART Technologies for EDUCATORS by EDUCATORS.

• Click here link to register and learn more

• February 19th - Keep Calm Measure On: Formative Assessment with SMART Learning Suite: Formative assessment is made easy with SMART activities and assessments. Discover how to utilize these tools to better understand where your students are in the learning process and to make adjustments to learning as needed.
  
• February 20th - Notes Worth Keeping: Engage Students in Note-Taking: From graphic organizers to the note-taking process. Keep the process active, collaborative and fun! In this webinar, learn how to spice up the note-taking process so it becomes a powerful learning tool for students.
• February 27th - No Tricks Just Treats Ready Made Lessons in the SMART Exchange: Explore the new SMART Exchange to learn how to utilize FREE powerful content created by teachers around the world. Discover how to easily share content with students, through both the SMART board and SMART Learning Suite Online.
  

Staff may also watch previous webinars

Classroom Teachers may earn acquired hours (45 minutes) for watching the 30 minute webinars and writing a brief reflection on how to apply the webinar in their instructional plan. To earn the acquired hours staff must submit a brief paragraph about what they learned and how they plan on using (or will use) the information in a future lesson.

Several SLO Meetings had to be rescheduled and calendar invites will be sent by 8am on Tuesday (02/18/2020). Staff members who had a meeting rescheduled need to follow-up with Mrs. Batelka if a calendar invite has not been received by 8am on Tuesday. In advance, many thanks to everyone's flexibility and understanding for the need to reschedule.

Electronic copies of your BOY documents were emailed by Mrs. Goddard as meetings occurred. Please reference the emailed copy to make revisions to your Mid-Year SLO document.

All revisions noted by hand in the BOY Meeting should be typed and entered into a clean document, along with your mid-year reflection.

A printed (or emailed) copy of all data used in the reflection should also be available to discuss during the upcoming meeting.

Rocking Rockets' Celebration: Monthly Celebration for students achieving a specific positive percentage on ClassDoJo.

• March Celebration will be Dr. Seuss Themed! Mrs. Miller is in the process of following up with all staff leading a station. All stations will have a Dr. Seuss Theme and a Dr. Seuss book will be read to begin each station. The celebration will be begin at 2:45pm (to allow for a reading of the book) and end at 3:30pm (normal time).

Rocket Store:

• Lunches/Activities purchased with Mrs. Batelka: Invites will go out by the end of the day Tuesday (02/18) for any purchased in the January/February Rocket Store.
• Next Rocket Store: Friday, March 6th

Tier 2 Check-In/Out:

• Additional students, based upon the criteria set by the MTSS Tier 2 Team will be considered during the 03/02/2020 Meeting.
• Any teacher referrals to Check In Check Out, for consideration in the March Meeting, are due by 2/30/2020.

• All students need to wear a winter/thicker coat that zips/buttons.

• Any students wearing only a light jacket or sweatshirt will remain inside for indoor recess.

Recess Teams need to work together to identify a plan of who/where to take students who are not allowed to go out because they do not have the appropriate coats.

Please Note: Students may not be sent to ISIC or the Main Office as there is no guarantee that a staff member is available to supervise students. If needed, the Gift of Time may be reallocated to cover indoor recess when there is outdoor recess should alternative coverage be unable to be made.

We are very excited to announce that the Ridge Rocking Rockets Relay for Life Team is up and running!

Ridge Elementary School will have a Relay for Life Team this school year to support and honor our School Family Members affected by cancer.

Please click here to donate or join our team!!!!!

Our last Relay for Life meeting was held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

• The meeting notes will be posted here next week.

Weekly Raffle Fundraiser

• Each Friday a raffle will be held for a special item or basket of goodies.
• Staff may purchase raffles tickets on Thursdays/Fridays prior to the raffle immediately following bus dismissal.
• Raffle tickets will be $1/ticket or $5/6 tickets.
• We are looking for donations for the weekly raffle. Please click here to donate an item.
• If you're aware of an organization or group able to donate an item please let Mrs. Batelka know and she will follow-up with the organization/group.

• Friday, February 21st Goodies: Donated Muffins from the Draheim Family!

Stay tuned for upcoming fundraisers and activities sponsored by our Relay for Life Team!

• The Board of Education approved the school year calendars for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. These calendars at www.smcps.org/calendar.
• The next SMCPS Town Hall Meeting will be on Wednesday, February 19, at 6 p.m. at the Dr. J. A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. The topic will be "Budget Priorities for Supporting Our Students."
• SMCPS Mental & Behavioral Health Fair will be held on May 9, 11 am-2 pm, at the Dr. J. A. Forrest Career and Technology Center. This is an opportunity for families to meet local providers and learn more about local services that address mental and behavioral health needs such as anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse and more. Short presentations will be available for parents on supporting the mental and behavioral health needs of youth ages 5-21.

Common Ground Conference

• The Common Ground Conference will be held in Ocean City, MD on April 30 - May 1.
• Title II funds will be used to send some people to this conference.
• Priority will be given to individuals that have been selected to present at the conference. Any additional staff members that wish to attend will be placed in a lottery and all additional conference attendees that we can send will be pulled from this lottery.
• It is an expectation that all that attend bring back and share the information they acquired at the county level (system PD days; A&S choice sessions; New Teacher Seminars; etc.).
• Please notify Mrs. Batelka, via email, if you're interested in being placed in the lottery by Tuesday, February 17th.

Instructional Updates

• There is a new ELL Resource Site full of great information and tools for teachers to support our ELL students. Please click here to access the site.
• The Department of Assessment & Accountability is offering stipend compensated training opportunities available to SMCPS staff on a number of software applications. All training will be first come first serve and will be limited to a set number of attendees. Please click here to see the Training Opportunities portion of the Department of Assessment & Accountability’s Google Site.

February Prudential Seminar - Strategies for College Funding

• The sticker price on a college education can no doubt lead to shock.
• If you've seen that number and wonder how to pay for college for yourself or your child, this seminar is for you.
• Plan to attend on Tuesday, February 18, 2020, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm in the Board of Education meeting room, located at 23160 Moakley Street in Leonardtown.
• Click HERE for more information or to register.

Rotary John Beaton Marco Polo Travel Award:

• The Rotary Club of Lexington Park, Maryland, in its continuing effort to help teachers and students, is pleased to make available to a teacher a stipend of $2500 to be used for travel to a destination of his/her choice for the purpose of enhancing instruction in the classroom. Applications are due March 27.

Educational Systems Federal Credit Union (ESFCU)

• The ESFCU is available to all school employees, students and parents. For more information regarding membership and services offered, please visit the Credit Union’s website.
• Educational Systems Federal Credit Union is now accepting 2020 applications for Student Scholarships through BECA.
• For Educators, ESFCU is accepting applications for the Maurice Erly Professional Development Award through April 1.

Human Resources

• SMCPS will hold a Job Fair on Saturday, March 28, 2020, from 9 a.m. to noon. at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. Please share widely!
• The Online Transfer Request will be open Monday, January 6, 2020, through March 6, 2020. Certificated staff who wish to be considered for a transfer to another school location should complete the online transfer request. Staff may request up to a maximum of 5 sites to be considered for a transfer to. Requests to change grade levels or subjects within your current school only should be communicated in writing to your building principal.
  

Most recent Kindergarten Memo

Most recent Math Memo

• February 10, 2020. This edition contains important information about communicating mathematics precisely and correctly as well as making sense of problems and story problem solving.

Bridges Updates and Supports:

• Please click here to access the Bridges Issue
• Please click here to access help videos

Most recent English Language Arts Newsletter

• Please click here to access The Reading Corner (December 2, 2019 Edition). Please take the time to review the information as there is important information staff need to be aware of regarding upcoming standards and instructional notes for each grade level.
  

Most recent Health and Physical Education Update

Most recent Special Education Newsletter: The PIER

• Please click here for the February 7, 2020 Issue. This month's newsletter contains information about the following: New staff, Math Strategies vs Models, Alt Assessment Update, Two Word Challenge, Alternatives to Reading logs, Supplementary Aids Reminders, February Hot Topic, ESY Reminder, Transition Expo 2020 and some February humor!

Most recent Elementary Science Newsletter

• January 2020 Edition. This edition contains information on Grade 5 practice tests for units 1 and 2 and reminders about the Assessment Guides (along with links for each grade level), and grade level questions to consider at the mid-year mark.

Most recent Gifted and Talented Newsletter

Most recent Library Media Newsletter

Most recent Fine Arts Newsletter

• Please click here for the October Edition
  

Most recent ESOL Newsletter

• Please click here for the February Edition
• Please click here to access the ELL Site

Most recent Educational Equity Newsletter

• Please click here for the February 2020 Newsletter

"I can't do that, YET."

As we work with others in achieving their goals, there is great power in the the word, "yet." Fostering this mindset allows us to grow and recognize that first failures are not failures - they are lessons as we grow toward our goals.

Resources for Aspiring:

• Mindset and the Power of Yet - article
• Growth Mindset Lesson - Khan Academy lesson
• Tips for Goal Setting with Students - EdWeek Article

Click here for a SMCPS developed Aspiring Video

This will be updated quarterly and as changes are made by content supervisors.

Elementary Site Link: Please click here

Test Center Clean Up

• Teachers need to ensure the title of their assessment contains their school initials and/or limits the availability of the assessments they create to their building. The effect of this is that teachers at other buildings are confused about which assessments their students should be taking.
  
• Click here for guidance on how to ensure assessments are named in a way that reduces confusion.
• Click here for guidance on how to ensure assessments you create are only available at your building.

• To utilize Online Scoring for recommended math assessments you must first assign the test to students in order to enable the Online Scoring.
• Locate the test in Test Center, then from the ‘Select’ menu choose Release: Online/Paper Based to open the dialog box for selecting students.
• Then you must choose the class(es) or student(s) and select Preslugged Sheets.
• You can then either save or cancel the download of sheets. Save the file if you’d like to print scansheets, otherwise, you are now ready to navigate to Online Scoring.

Reminders for Scanning Scansheets:

• To minimize mistakes by the scanner, please remember to change the scan file type to TIFF and scan as GrayScale or Color. This will help ensure that bubbles and erasures are read correctly.
• Please remind students to bubble dark, complete bubbles, to stay within the bubbles, to erase mistakes completely, and not to mark in or near the barcode.
• Please remember to include both the Student Name and ID Number if not using a pre-printed scan sheet. If sheets are double-sided, be sure student information is on both sides. Please be sure the last names are included.

Have a question about assessment data, building a test, or entering RTI data? Visit the SMCPS PM Google Site for all this and more! https://sites.google.com/smcps.org/unify/home The site can also be found on the SMCPS Staff page under Instructional Resources. Within PM you can also visit the News & Assignments tab or Help module ⍰ for videos and instructions. Contact Jeff Gibson jsgibson@smcps.org or Kristen Maher kmmaher@smcps.org with further questions.

SMCPS UNIFY Google Support Site:

• Reminder that the SMCPS Unify Google Site can be found on the staff page under Instructional Resources at https://www.smcps.org/staff
  

• Troubleshooting directions for student testing.
  
• Directions to assist teachers with online scoring.
  
• Steps for the creation of Answer Key Only assessments.
  
• Steps for using pre-made interactive test items to create online assessments.

Any questions, training or additional Unify support needs can be referred to the appropriate contact found on the Training Page.

Stay tuned for the next TAC TIP!

Methods of Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, Part II: This course focuses on teaching secondary students to access and learn from text. Class participants are expected to apply theories, strategies, and practices in classroom lessons. The course introduces types of reading, reading skills, and instruction that integrates content with reading goals. You do not need to have completed Teaching Reading in the Content Areas Part I to register for this course. To account for all 45 hours (3 credits), participants will be required to complete work outside of class meeting times that will be applicable in their own classrooms. Scheduled classes will be held at Leonardtown Middle School from 4:00 - 8:00 PM on March 25; April 1, 15, 29; May 6, 13, 27; and June 3, 10. Visit the PMPD website for more information.

Registration is open for additional courses:

• Please log into the system for available courses

Register online: https://smcps.truenorthlogic.com
UserName: beginning of SMCPS login (without @smcps.org)
Password: normal SMCPS password

We will announce the staff member on morning announcements and post information about that person in the hallway for all to see.

We also will be playing 2 truths and a myth. These will be posted on the display to give staff and students a chance to try and figure out what a staff member's myth may be. It will be revealed at the end of the week.

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