January 1 - Happy New Year

Welcome back. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable break.....and avoided frostbite, unlike me.

These notes will serve both this week and next. You may want to keep it handy and mark some of the dates highlighted below in your calendar. We do not have staff meeting until January 22nd, but SEVERAL important things are occurring prior to then that require your attention to detail. I will list them below and send reminders.

Upcoming Events:

1/5 - Friday TA M3 #8, part 1

1/9 - Tuesday TA Transcript Discussion Script
         - hard copies will be in your mailbox
1/8-12 - Assessment week (SCHEDULE)

1/15 - In-service LSSU - PBL focus
        - Target Mapping
        - Increasing Understanding and Efficiency
              - Scholarly Habits
              - Evidence Collection

1/16 - Community Meeting - no TA - ALiCE
communication to students
1/16-17 - Maura grading support in library 3pm
1/19 - No TA - special guest UVM 'Hit Paws'
1/23 - TA Tuesday M3 #8, part 2
1/30 - TA Tuesday M3 # 9
2/1 - early release - PBL  work
2/2 - In- Service PBL  work
2/13 - TA M3 #10 CELEBRATION
3/22 & 23 - Conferences &
    In- Service PBL  work


TA Update: 

Tuesday - On your own
Friday - M3 #8 - check with your facilitators to make sure they are ready
1/9 Tuesday  - Transcript Discussion Activity
There will be hard copies of the old and new transcript provided to you for this activity on Monday 1/8. Following the activity, during Flex Time, there will be an Open/Optional PBL Q & A in the Aud with Principal and CSR students)

** In case your TA ask's "Why PBL...", you can show this: What’s The Deal with Proficiency Based Learning and/or refer to The Road To Proficiency

ALiCE Update: 

Prior to break Tracy, Karen, Brian and I met with Morrisville Police Department to plan next steps for our ALiCE roll out. The feedback you provided both in writing and during our circles was very helpful during our meeting. Thanks!

The plan moving forward is to begin communication with families and students this month.
We will be sending this letter home to families next week and including it in our News & Announcements. On January 16th, during our all school community meeting, we (MPD and I) will begin to explain to the students what ALiCE is and how students will begin to interact with the protocols. After these announcements, we will begin to practice with students during scheduled practice drills. The first will be January 18th and this will be announced to students in the letter and at the community meeting. We will discuss all of this during In-Service on January 15th.

I will be updating and informing you of when we will have drills, what we will practice (barricade, non barricade, evacuation, etc) prior to our scheduled lock downs. You will also receive a script and directions to use with students prior to the drills. We will also be announcing to students during lock down something like "THIS IS A DRILL - we are practicing....". For unplanned emergencies, we will be as clear as possible with directions and information. We are also working on providing you with more resources and communications, such as, door stops and cell phone use during emergencies. Thanks for your patience. If you have any questions or concerns, please see me. Thanks.

Mastery Report: Upcoming Dates & reminders:

Dates: 
         1/12-18/18 teachers make professional judgements on their rosters and then enter their grades using a Mastery Rubric in Schoology, which have been created. (Maura will be available in library after school on 1/16 & 1/17)

• 1/18/2018 Teachers will export their mastery summary pages by class and share them with Mastery.Grades@lssuvt.org.
• 1/18/18 Any Mastery Expectation Supplements needed are complete.
• 1/19/18 Grade Verification Sheets will be shared with teachers
• 1/22/18 grade changes due to Mastery.Grades@lssuvt.org and signed verification sheets are due to the office by the end of the day.
• 1/23/18 Reports will be printed and delivered to schools.
• 1/24/18 Mastery Report Projected Mailing Date

Reminder:process of submitting grades.

If you already know some of your grades, go ahead and send them down now.



Schoolwide Happenings: 

PBLDialogue On Tuesday, December 19th we had our first youth led Proficiency Based Learning (PBL)

communication event. We had more than 50 parents, community members, educators and students
in attendance.  I'd like to thank the youth and adult facilitators for their hard work and thoughtfulness
in the process. We got lots of useful information that we will be sharing with you in the future.
We know the timing of this meeting was difficult and are planning several more opportunities for
the community to engage with us about PBL.

Upcoming Dialogues:

• Student: Flext time, January 9th
• Public: January 17th, 7:30-8:30 PA Library
• Student: Flex time, January 26th
• Public January  30th, 3:30-4:30 PA Library
• Evening TBD

Peer editing/feedback in 9th grade English

Annual ornament making in Chemistry

Celebrations:

Congratulations to the following students for auditioning and being accepted into the Northeast District Music Festival held in Newport in March.

Greer Southall and Sofie Tallberg were accepted into the Chorus; Lena Boudreau, Lexy Dambach, Carmen Isabell, Alex Johnson, Linden Osborne, Mac Putvain, and Eli Smith were accepted into the Concert Band, and Sophia Anderson, Edward Habeck, and Zach Rodger were placed in the Wind Ensemble.  Special kudos go to Edward and Sophia, who placed first and second trumpet, respectively, in the entire district.

The students will be in Newport on March 29, 30, and 31, 2018

And more congrats for Edward Habeck who was accepted (by audition) into the New England Music Festival as first chair trumpet in the Orchestra. This means that Edward's trumpet score was the highest in New England, with a 132 out of a possible 140.

He will be in Connecticut for the festival on March 15, 16, and 17.