Weekly Bulletin for November 24 and December 1, 2014

Mr. Speros' class brainstorming using a collaborative Google Doc.  

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. - Winston Churchill

Thank you to all of you for the work that you do for our students and fellow staff members.  You are an outstanding group of professionals and I am grateful to work with you.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and my best to you and your family!

Important Dates

November 26- November 30 - Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - Dept. Head Meeting

December 2 - PD - Using Google Sites for Instruction

December 3 - PD - Social Media Part 3 - Presented by Mrs. Gregory and Mr. Bishop

December 3 - Progress Reports Due at the End of the Day

December 5 - Student Council Blood Drive

December 11 - Academic Letter Breakfast

December 11 - 7:00pm - Winter Choral Concert at Mayfield United Methodist Church

December 17 - Freshman Mentoring

December 17 -7:00pm -Winter Band Concert

Important Information

Food Drive - Thank you to Mrs. Talty and the Interact students for organizing the very successful food drive.  Thank you to everyone that participated and encouraged our students to bring in items to help those in need.

Gamification!! - The Chemistry classes playing Electron
Configuration Battleship

PARCC - If your class is taking the PARCC this year, have you had your students take the practice tests?  Get your students familiar with the look and feel of the assessments by bringing a Chromebook cart to your classroom and letting the student take the practice tests.  Here is the link for the practice assessments.

Consider the 2014 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Art, Writing and Multimedia Contest - The purpose of this contest is to encourage students to reflect upon Dr. King’s life and the impact of his work during the Civil Rights Movement and in present day America. It challenges students to think about how civil rights and diversity affects their lives and how they can continue the work of Dr. King by making a difference in their own communities.  Click here for more information.

Connectedness Chart - Hopefully all of you had the opportunity to look at the connectedness chart to identify students you have made a connection with.  Please take another look at the chart.  There are 98 students in our building that do not have a staff members initials next to their name.  Do you have any of these students in your classes, clubs, teams, etc?  Reach out to them and make that connection!  Evidence shows that students who feel cared for by adults in their school and those that feel part of the school's culture will perform better academically, have higher attendance rates and will less likely be involved in disciplinary issues.    Click here to access the chart.

Academic Support Forms - Everyone must complete an academic support form for a student that is struggling in your class.  See me if you have questions.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Thoughts on Homework
Great Teacher's Don't Teach
10 Specific Ideas to Gamify Your Classroom