Administrative Bulletin - Claiborne County Schools
Transcription
Administrative Bulletin - Claiborne County Schools
Volume 1, Issue 2 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Submissions: All submissions should be emailed to Cissy Stanifer at staniferm@k12tn.net. Deadline: The first of every month is the deadline for submissions. Please keep in mind that any submission received after the first may not be included in that month’s bulletin. If you are running late, please send an email to me, and I will save room in the bulletin for your submission. A Note from the Director of Schools ■ Notes from the Director’s Office………………………………………….……………….2 Professional Development ■ Connection in the Math Class…………………………….……………………………….3 School News and Events ■ Forge Ridge Grandparent’s Day………………… ………………………………………...4 ■ S.M.M.S Grandparent’s Day……………………………………………………………… 4 ■ T.N.T Grandparent’s Day…………………………………………………………………. 5 ■ E.M. Grandparent’s Day………….……………………………………………………..….5 ■ Claiborne High School……………………………………………………………...……....6 ■ Ellen Myers Elementary School…………………………………………………………....7 ■ Forge Ridge School……………………………………………………………………...…8 ■ H.Y. Livesay Middle School……………………………………………………………….9 ■ Powell Valley Elementary School……………………………………………………........11 ■ Soldiers Memorial Middle School……………………………………………………..…..12 ■ Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School………………………………………..………...13 ■ Family Resource Center……………………………………………..…………………….14 ■ Pre-K and Special Education…………………………………...………………………….15 ■ Adult Education…………………………………………………………………………....16 Important Information ■ Updates and Reminders….………………………………...………………………………17 ■ School Board Meeting’s Schedule……………..………………………………………….18 1 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR’S OFFICE Dr. C. Eddie Shoffner, Director of Schools The State Department of Education has announced that Tennessee has implemented higher standards for the 2009-2010 school years. Tennessee ranks second only to Massachusetts for rigorous state standards. Tennessee now has the highest standards in the south. Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores- Scores have been recalibrated. This will affect the system report card which will be released the first week of November. Parents and stakeholders across the state must realize that the new grading system for the state of Tennessee will most likely change the “letter” grades on the system report card. (A’s may no longer be A’s, B’s may no longer be B’s and etc.) The statement, “There is no truth in advertising for Tennessee school standards,” was recently explained at the Superintendent’s Study Council Conference. The fact is that students who were scoring 79% on the previous testing would have actually been scoring 39% if compared with the national standard scores. Student scores in Tennessee will now be on that level. It is not clear how our scores will be affected but more rigorous standards lead us to believe that scores may be significantly lower. Students who scored proficient on the TCAP assessment in previous years may not score as well this year but may actually know more information due to more rigorous standards. Being careful not to use this information as an excuse, we need to communicate to stakeholders that the more rigorous standards may result in lower scores. Every effort is being made to get Tennessee’s students to a proficient level on the new standards. Professional development sessions have been provided to address the more rigorous standards. 2 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Connection in the Math Class Dr. Janet Barnard As we continue in our K-8 after school professional development sessions focused on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Process Standards, we are beginning to take a closer look at the Connection Standard. The Connection Standard is really just using good common sense in our mathematics classroom by making all the connections that should be made during effective mathematics instruction. However, often times our students view math class as a collection of isolated skills and concepts that they have to complete in school, with no relevancy to the real world. And our math textbooks tend to give surface coverage to a certain math skill, only to move on to some other new skill unrelated to what was just introduced. Thus, our students tend to see math as a fragmented school subject that has no use outside the four walls of the classroom. So, what kind of connection do we, as math teachers, need to make during our math instruction? The first connection we need to help students make is that mathematical ideas interconnect and build upon one another. All too often our students fail to recognize that mathematics is a network of connected concepts, patterns, and skills. Students do not always see the connections among the four basic operations or the relationships of fractions, decimals, ratios and percents. As teachers, we must help students discover these connections among mathematical skills/concepts and point out the interconnectedness of the world of mathematics. A second area we need to help students make connections is between mathematics and the other disciplines/subjects that they study in school so that our students can connect mathematics across the curriculum. Examples of this abound… patterns in poetry; measurement and data collection in science; mapping skills in social studies; meter, pitch, and rhythm in music; shape, proportion, and pattern in art; timing and measurement in physical education. As adults we quickly see all these connections, but we cannot assume that our students will inherently see them. As we plan our lessons for the various disciplines, we need to be looking for those opportunities to bring out these interconnections between math and the other subject areas. This will help students see that math is important and relevant outside of the mathematics classroom. A third component of this Connection Standard is helping our students see the connection between math and the real world. This is perhaps the greatest connection of all. How many times have you heard students say “Why do I need to learn about… (fractions, ratios, negative integers, algebra, etc.)? I’m never going to use this when I get out of this math class!” Unfortunately, the students are very honest when they make these statements; they truly do not see the importance, the usefulness… and in today’s global economic world, the outright necessity of a sound foundation in mathematics. (See page 4) 3 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools (continued from page 3) Therefore, as part of our mathematics instruction we must take advantage of every “teachable moment” to help students see the value of the particular math skill that they are studying to the real world. It is also important to help students realize how mathematics is involved in all levels and classifications of occupations. And it doesn’t hurt to tell students that it is a proven fact that students who complete higher level math classes in high school are definitely increasing their lifetime income…now there’s a connection! School News and Events Grandparent’s Day at Forge Ridge Submitted by Sherry Singleton and Marty Cosby Grandparents were the honored guests of their grandchildren at Forge Ridge School on Friday, September 11, 2009. Students and their grandparents enjoyed lunch and time together in honor of Grandparent’s Day. The annual celebration has been something the community has come to look forward to, and it is always an enormous success. This year was no different. Students invited their grandparents to spend time in their classrooms, read to them, and take a memorable photo. All students were given an opportunity to express their affection for their grandparents through classroom activities. Some students wrote essays, some wrote poems, younger students drew pictures, while others sang songs. The program was hosted and sponsored by the school and the Junior Beta Club, who offered roses for students to purchase and present to their grandparents. Over 115 grandparents were in attendance. Forge Ridge School would like to thank all who took a part in this activity. Grandparent’s Day at Soldiers Memorial Middle School Submitted by Faye Ramsey Soldiers Memorial Middle School celebrated Grandparent's Day on Friday, September 11. Grandparents were invited to eat lunch with their grandchildren, visit with them, and meet their friends and teachers. Grandparents began arriving at 10:30 a.m. and many remained until 1:00 p.m. We had approximately 100 grandparents visit. Many of them had more than one grandchild to visit. One grandmother ate lunch with five of her grandchildren. Students and grandparents enjoyed their time together. 4 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Grandparent’s Day at Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School Submitted by Georgia Rush and Vickie Reams Mrs. Vicki's 4th grade class at TNT celebrated Grandparents' Day Friday, September 11 in a special way. The grandparents were sent invitations made by the students. They also received a hand held mirror to remind the grandparents what an important role they play in their life and a treat bag. Mrs. Vicki read "When I Was Young In The Mountains" to the students and grandparents. The grandparents then shared memories of what it was like for them growing up. The students enjoyed listening to the stories about their grandparents. 5 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Grandparent’s Day at Ellen Myers Elementary School Submitted by Cynthia Stephens Ellen Myers hosted Grandparents’ Luncheons on September 10 and 11. The 230 grandparents in attendance ate lunch with their grandchildren and visited classrooms where they were presented with cards, entertained with activities and songs, and had their pictures taken with their grandchildren. The event was enjoyed by all. Ellen Myers Elementary School Special Visitors We were also recently honored with a visit from a former student. Hospitalman Brittany Bishop joined her niece, Riley Martin, for lunch before being deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba as a member of the U.S. Navy Joint Task Force. The fourth grade class received a rare treat on Friday, September 25 with a visit from Missionaries Dr. Tom Reed and his wife Jean. Dr. Tom works in training ministers, while Jean works as a veterinarian in Uganda, Africa. The students were captivated by the stories Jean told as well as the items she brought with her from her life in Uganda. The children had a wonderful time asking questions and will never forget their experience. Submitted by: Debbie Rigsby, Aaron Hatfield and Margaret Serrenho Fun Activities Perfect Attendance and Honor Roll students for the 1st six weeks were rewarded with a day of food, fun, and games at Harrogate City Park. The 192 students enjoyed their “Picnic in the Park” experience and are looking forward to next six weeks reward incentive. Second graders had a blast studying about space by making play dough planets and space shuttles. They also learned about landforms and chose their favorite landform to present to the class. The students enjoyed making these projects and had fun sharing and learning together! 6 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Ellen Myers Upcoming Events Submitted by Cynthia Stephens Book Fair is scheduled for October 5th - 9th with Family Night on Tuesday, October 6th from 2:30- 6:30 p.m. All parents are invited to bring their children to browse and shop for interesting books they can enjoy together. Ellen Myers annual Fall Festival is scheduled for Friday, October 30. Exciting games and activities are planned, as well as raffle ticket sales and an auction at the end of the evening. H.Y. Livesay Middle School THE SOUND OF MUSIC This fall, the sound of music is again being heard at H.Y. Livesay. Ms. Katarina Jolly has begun her 1st year instructing our students in different aspects of music education. The program consists of children in grades 5th through 8th with a total of 53 students. We are very excited about our music program and wish Ms. Jolly and the students continued success! REWARD FOR A JOB WELL DONE The Livesay student body had a day of fun bowling as a reward for perfect attendance and honor roll. As an incentive, students work hard and are rewarded with a couple hours of bowling every 6 weeks. During the 1st 6 weeks, 60% of the students were on the all A honor roll, A/B honor roll, and/or perfect attendance. Great Job! L.M.U. STUDENTS PARTNER WITH LIVESAY Through the years, H.Y. Livesay has worked closely with L.M.U. in preparing students for the field of education. On any given day you will find college students observing, working in a partnership with teachers, and student teaching. We are very fortunate this fall to have two student teachers that work very hard in preparing our students everyday. In the 8th grade is Ms. Whitney Jennings majoring in math and in P.E. you will find Mr. Jeff Ayers majoring in kinesiology. In technology is Ms. Whitney Vannoy participating in a partnership program. She is working on a major in business education. Welcome! 7 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools READY OR NOT …. HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE HERE SOON Everyday the teachers of Claiborne County are preparing our students for the new state standards that seem to be in every conversation among teachers. At H.Y. Livesay, we are also hard at work preparing our 7th and 8th grades for the new requirements that are necessary to receive a high school diploma. Asst. Principal David Hamilton, along with three high school students, visited our 7th and 8th grade students detailing a first hand account of what high school will be like for them as they take the next step. Among the issues discussed were attendance, study habits, balancing sports, clubs, after school jobs and homework. The most important message was to make the students understand that what they are learning at the middle school level is so important to their success in high school. We appreciate Mr. Hamilton and the students for visiting our school. Thanks! H.Y. LIVESAY BETA CLUB Fall is a busy time for our Jr. Beta Club. During the month of October both the informal and formal initiations will be held. The informal initiation is for the student body in which all new members dress up to carry out a theme for the day. This year the theme, “Rockin’ Through History,” will involve different characters that have contributed to any aspect of history. The formal initiation is held at night for family members to attend. The formal initiation is a chance for new members to be initiated, old members to be recognized, and officers to be inducted. As a community project, Beta members will participate in pumpkin carving for the town of Cumberland Gap. Other projects along with field trips will round out the year of activities for the club. LIVESAY GOLF TEAM PLACES THIRD The Livesay golf team participated in the Lee County Golf tournament placing third with individuals receiving 1st and 2nd places. The team will continue to play during the fall season with other matches scheduled. The actual golf season will begin in March. 8 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne High School Claiborne County Schools Tazewell FFA Competes in State Horse Judging Submitted by Jamie Mundy Members from the Tazewell FFA Chapter recently traveled to MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN to participate in the State FFA Horse Judging Competition. Students used their knowledge of horses to place a total of six classes of conformation and performance horses. Students were also required to utilize their communication skills by presenting oral reasons to a judging panel. There were a total of 72 teams and over 300 students from across the state who competed in the event. Claiborne High Team #1 consisted of Blake Pratt, Skylar Lock, Kayla O’Connor, and Kenney Harvey. Alternate team members were Kara Cosby, Nikki Cupp, Ryan Love, Jakee Mabe, Shelby Maness, and James Shelton. The teams were coached by Miss Jamie Mundy. The main team placed 2nd in East Tennessee, missing 1st place by 6 points. They also placed 11th overall in the state out of the 72 teams competing, missing 1st place by only 35 points. Skylar Lock also placed as 3rd high individual out of over 300 students, being only 3 points from 1st place. Congratulations to all the students who competed in state competition and a special thank you to the parents and the Claiborne County School System for allowing the students to participate. The Tazewell FFA Chapter advisors are Miss Jamie Mundy and Mr. Mike Wilmoth. FFA is a national youth organization of 461,043 student members preparing for leadership and careers in the science, business, and technology of agriculture with 7,308 local chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. FFA strives to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Visit www.ffa.org for more information. Claiborne High School Team Members: F.F.A. State Horse Judging L to R: Shelby Maness, James Shelton, Kara Cosby, Nikki Cupp, Jakee Mabe, and Ryan Love L to R: Skylar Lock, Kenny Harvey, Blake Pratt, and Kayla O’Connor 9 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools CHS Veteran’s Day Program Submitted by Jamie Mundy Claiborne High School will be having a Veteran’s Day Program on Wednesday, November 11 at 9:00 A.M. A special invitation is extended to all veterans and their families as well as county officials who would like to attend. Breakfast will be served at 8:00 A.M. for these special guests. Forge Ridge Consolidated School Forge Ridge Hosts Annual Open House August 20 Submitted by Marty Cosby Parents and students were welcomed back with a meet and greet with the teachers and a program in the beautifully decorated cafeteria. Principal Cosby welcomed a crowd of over 200 parents and students. Forge Ridge just completed an award winning 2008-2009 school year after receiving the Consumer Education Foundation’s Value Added Achievement Award where they were number three in East Tennessee and number eight in the state, and the Claiborne County School system has recently been named number four in the state of the best systems. Cosby challenged parents and faculty to make it another award winning year. He spoke with them about school safety, test scores, goals for the year, and gave away door prizes. The crowd also heard from Cathy Chumley, teacher and school test coordinator, regarding the Tennessee Diploma Project and the new state standards facing students and teachers this year. Sheliah Cosby, Literacy Leader, informed parents of the upcoming DIBELs testing and the school’s successful after school program. Mrs. Sherry Singleton, computer teacher, took parents on a tour of the school’s website and its many features including where they may find important information regarding the school. Everyone enjoyed a beautiful cake and refreshments. 10 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Powell Valley Elementary School After-School Program at Powell Valley Elementary School Submitted by Early Perkins Powell Valley Elementary School would like to announce its new 21st Century After-School Program. We received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education which makes this program possible. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I would like to thank Dr. Janet Barnard and Travis Sutton for writing the 21st CCLC Century Grant Application. With this funding Powell Valley Elementary will be able to offer afterschool academic activities which include academics in Reading, Mathematics, and Writing, homework help, recreation activities and technology classes. Fall Carnival at PVES Powell Valley Elementary will host our Fall Carnival on October 30, 2009. We will have games, rides, concessions, live entertainment, silent auction, and the crowning of the King/Queen - Prince/Princess. The entire community is invited to join us for this celebration with our students, parents, faculty, and staff. Parent/Teacher Conference at PVES Powell Valley Elementary School held their first six weeks Parent/Teacher conference on September 30, 2009. This was a great opportunity for parents to meet with teachers and discuss any concerns they may have about their child's progress. 11 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools . POWELL VALLEY SCHOOL NEWS SHOW Submitted by Travis Sutton Powell Valley School news team broadcast live each morning from their media center. At 7:50 a.m. daily, the morning news show, made up of mostly eighth grade students, begins with the American Pledge as they broadcast into every classroom sharing upcoming events and daily announcements. The news team gathers information and stays current on the local weather conditions, this and other information to report to the rest of the school. The news show is always concluded with a PowerPoint presentation that is completed by various students. The news crew has become familiar with teamwork, its own state of the art camera equipment, and their green screen. Powell Valley Website Submitted by Travis Sutton Powell Valley Elementary would like to encourage parents, teachers and students to utilize the school website. Just listen for the Indian war chant daily or weekly because the school website is updated frequently. Questions in regard to specific events, dates, lunch menus, ball schedules, school handbook and much, much more can perhaps all be answered by visiting the school website. The web address for the school website is http://www.claibornecountyschools.com/pvelem/ Soldiers Memorial Middle School Dates to Remember Submitted by Dr. Vickie Evans Soldiers Memorial Middle School sent the 2nd six weeks Progress Reports home on Monday, October 5. The 2nd six weeks Report Cards are scheduled to go home on Wednesday, November 11. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held the following day on Thursday, November 12 from 3:00-5:00 p.m. 12 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School TNT Primary Welcomes New Counselor Submitted by Georgia Rush Candace Peace is the new counselor at Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School. In the past she had been employed by Claiborne County Schools for 12 years as a special education counselor. In addition to her TN experience, her background includes working in Florida where previously she was selected as Hillsborough County, Tampa, FL, Elementary Counselor of the Year. Ms. Peace and her husband, Fred, enjoy traveling and bike riding. TNT Kindergarten Kindergarten students at TNT have enjoyed a September filled with learning activities. In addition to our reading and math curriculum, we have had a great time learning about different types of transportation. We enjoyed activities and stories about Johnny Appleseed, learning how apples grow, and eating different kinds of apples. Although we couldn't take a trip to the zoo, we learned a great deal about zoo animals. We ended our month with community helpers and learned how they make our lives easier and safer. We are looking forward to our Fall Festival and many other October activities. TNT First Grade TNT held the fall festival on Friday, October 2! TNT offered food, games, inflatables, and a chance to win many items at the close of the evening. The first grade classes collected goods for two basket themes, a DISNEY basket and a MOVIE basket. We sold tickets for the baskets on festival night. TNT worked hard to collect donations from the local region. Our auction was a great success. Thanks for joining us! 13 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools TNT Second Grade Second grade at TNT has a new queen among them, Todd Jenkins. Mr. Todd Jenkins was crowned queen at the annual Relay for Life “Dude Looks Like a Lady Contest!” We would like to thank Mr. Todd for being such a great sport and raising so much money for such a great cause. TNT looks forward to another win next year. TNT Fourth Grade Elections TNT fourth grade elected a President and Vice President in each homeroom to serve as student council. Elected students include: Homeroom Lovin Middleton Reams Hodges Kennedy Presidents Molly Mallicoat Legacy Bussell Jordan Bruce Heath Bussell Trevor Thomas Vice Presidents Alston Breeding Waylon Bunch Dillon Goins Bethany Butcher Blake Wells Congratulations to all students! Family Resource Center Submitted by Teresa Ball The Family Resource Center has been busy filling out applications for families needing car seats. We have been receiving a great number of applications due to the advertisement about the car seats at Citizen’s Bank in New Tazewell. We would like to thank Jody Beason, a member of our Pre-K Advisory Council and an employee of Citizen’s Bank, for placing the advertisement on their sign. We have given out 22 car seats so far this school year. We have 15 applications processing at the present. If you know of someone that may need a car seat and meets the eligibility requirements, contact Deb Tong at 423-626-1188 or at tongd@k12tn.net. Since we have started back in school, our American Red Cross instructors have been busy certifying many of our Pre-K staff members. During August and September, we have certified 20 in CPR and 9 in First-Aid. All staff members in our Pre-K classrooms have to be certified in CPR and First –Aid. We are also certifying our substitute teachers for our classrooms. This training is available to anyone interested in receiving certification. Contact person is Teresa Ball at 423-626-1188 or ballt3@k12tn.net. 14 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Pre-K News Our Pre-K in-service was a day filled with many accomplishments. After we analyzed our data and testing, we discussed the topic of our teachers doing home visits with our students and families. Home visits will be a way for our teachers to better understand our students and to meet their needs in the classroom. Field trips were another big topic of discussion. The teachers were given a variety of exciting ideas and places to take the students this school year. Next on our agenda were professional development conferences. The teachers were given a variety of conferences to select from that will meet the teacher’s area of improvement. A big hit at our in-service was the creation of prop boxes for dramatic play. These prop boxes will help the teachers in many ways. The prop boxes contain materials and equipment that encourage children to explore various roles. They also contain books, math, and literacy activities to go along with the theme of the box. The teachers can plan their lessons through the prop boxes and use these educational tools to guide their students toward creative role-playing and exploration. We would like to announce that we have enrolled some new students at our sites, but we still have vacancies at The Alpha School, Midway, Ellen Myers, Powell Valley, and Forge Ridge. If you are interested in our PreK programs, please contact JoAnne Wells at The Alpha School 423-626-3323 or wellsj3@k12tn.net or Elizabeth Fugate at 423-626-1188 or fugatee1@k12tn.net. 15 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Pre-K and Special Education Playground Submitted by Teresa Ball With the combined efforts of the Pre-K and Special Education Programs, we are pleased to announce that we have a new playground area at the Ellen Myers School. This playground is the first playground in our school system that has special equipment that is designed for special education students. The equipment also meets the needs of our Pre-K students. The combined efforts of each program have shown how important it is to meet our student’s needs and make their learning experiences enjoyable. Adult Education Submitted by Donna Lewis During these first six weeks of school the Adult Education Department has seen a great increase in their enrollment compared to last year at this same time. Now the goal is to get these that have met the state required 12 hours of attending class to go pass the GED test. Teachers Troy Poore and Jammie Mullins have enrolled 20 students at the Claiborne Justice Center, something this program hasn’t done in many years. Plans are being made now for approximately 4 of this group to go to Walters State to be tested. Mr. John Woods has 21 now enrolled in the Adult High school with attendance averaging more than half every day. With the other programs the center offers, including Basic Skills, Computer Classes, C.M.I., a night class, and regular GED students the program has a total student number of 157. That number is up about 25 students from this time last year. The Adult staff is very proud of these numbers. We think it’s proof of the hard work that has gone into the program thus far this year. 16 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools Mission Statement The mission of Claiborne County Schools is to provide our students an opportunity to receive a high quality academic education and career and technical experience which will enable them to continue their education or enter employment upon graduation from high school. Important Information Updates and Reminders The following changes have been made to the school calendar: The test dates, originally scheduled for the week of March 22-26, have been changed to the week of April 19-23. The next school board meeting is scheduled for November 12, 2009, at Midway Elementary School. The Administrative Bulletin will be available on the website at www.claibornecountyschools.com. If you wish to receive an emailed link, please send an email to Cissy Stanifer at staniferm@k12tn.net. 17 October 15, 2009 Administrative Bulletin Claiborne County Schools School Board Meeting Schedule 2009-2010 School Year Midway Elementary School November 12, 2009 Powell Valley Elementary School December 10, 2009 Forge Ridge Consolidated School January 14, 2010 Tazewell-New Tazewell Primary School February 11, 2010 Springdale Elementary School March 11, 2010 Cumberland Gap High School April 8, 2010 Clairfield Elementary School May 13, 2010 Ellen Myers Primary School June 10, 2010 The Alpha School July 8, 2010 All meetings start promptly at 7:00 p.m., unless otherwise specified. 18