Georgia's General Beauregard Lee predicted 6 more weeks of winter - he has not been seen since... (who even knew that Georgia had a resident weather-rodent?)
Punxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck predicted an early Spring - so they were left alone and have returned to their meaningless lives to await 2/2/20...
Georgia's General Beauregard Lee predicted 6 more weeks of winter - he has not been seen since... (who even knew that Georgia had a resident weather-rodent?)
Good morning all,
Just a few things this week...
Department Meetings & PLCs
We have 2 department meetings this month - Tuesday 2/5 and Tuesday 2/26.
- At the meeting on the 5th, we will have a quick overview of standards-based grading that will be presented by Renee and Melissa S. I will review some changes to our placement criteria this year and how it can hopefully level our classes out next year. I will also address the problem of grade inflation - this also affects placement and contributes to the incorrect placement of students in our classes.
- The meeting on the 26th will be mandatory. Please arrange to cancel any afterschool tutoring sessions and activities. Coaches should arrange to have their assistants or head coaches cover their practices. If you have a competition that day, please let me know in advance that you will not be attending. We will discuss the teaching and format of literary responses at this meeting so we can begin to achieve some consistency in how we teach and assess this task.
- Our official PLCs are scheduled for 2/21, however, if you would like to meet with your teams outside of this date, please let me know if you need me to arrange a location for you - otherwise, keep track of any additional meeting times and minutes and submit them to me for PD hours.
SGO STATEMENTS
The due date to submit/finalize your SGO statements to the supervisor is February 18th. Please make sure you review them, edit them if needed and hit "submit."
BEDSIDE GRADING
Most of us know how to handle the bedside grading process, however many of us may not have had a student on bedside in a while, or ever. So I included this in the blog to make sure no one is in the dark.
When a student is on bedside instruction, assignment grades can continue to be entered for the student but we must force an "incomplete" into the trimester grade field. So, for this trimester, for example, you would enter "incomplete" into the R2 field. The "INC" will stay there until the student returns. If the student returns before the end of the trimester, click on the R2 grade and hit the reverse arrow to the right of the pencil and the "X" (see the picture below). The grade will change back to the "calculated form." If the student does not return before the end of the trimester, leave the "INC" in the field until they return and issue a grade change request when needed. If you have any questions, please call me or you can call Maxiel for assistance as well.
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Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit - Deadline Reminder
The New Jersey Division of Pensions & Benefits (NJDPB) is conducting a Dependent Eligibility Verification Audit (DEVA) to confirm the eligibility of dependents covered in the State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and School Employees’ Health Benefits Program (SEHBP). Letters were mailed out starting in December 2018. All employees who cover a dependent - their spouse and/or children - under the SHBP/SEHB must complete and submit the documentation required. You will need a copy of the legal document that shows your relationship to the dependent you believe is eligible. This could include a government-issued marriage certificate, birth certificate, and adoption certificate or Legal adoption placement document.
Invidividual deadlines may vary so make sure you check the letter to confirm yours. My deadline was March 4th. Frequently asked questions and answers can be found on the website:
Duty Periods, Preps and Lunch
Please make sure you are attending your duty periods each day. You need to be able to be located if an emergency coverage is needed. Also, please make sure that you are covering your zero period duties if you were assigned one. Prep and Lunch periods are in the process of being entered into PowerSchool.
Emergency Personal Days
FYI... As per Article X(B)(1) of the contract, Personal Days are not to be used on Mondays or Fridays without advanced permission from the Superintendent... If you request one, you must provide the reason for the request in AESOP - under "notes to supervisor."
The actual language in the contract is as follows: Teachers are entitled to four (4) days leave of absence for personal, legal, business, household or family matters which require absence during school hours. Notice to the Teacher’s principal or other immediate supervisor of taking personal leave shall be made at least five (5) days before taking such leave (except in the case of emergency when the applicant must state in writing the reason for such request). No personal leave days may be taken Monday, Friday, or during the months of September or June without the approval of the Superintendent.
Requirements for Leaving Campus During School Day
Teachers may leave the building/school campus without requesting permission during their scheduled duty-free lunch if they sign out. Teachers requesting to leave the building/school campus at any other time must obtain permission from their immediate supervisor or Assistant Principal.
The Annual African American Assemblies are scheduled for Friday, February 22nd. Please be mindful of this when planning! Students may be out of class for rehearsals prior to the show.
Choir Performances
FYI... If you have students who are members of the PCTI Choir, they will be performing throughout the county in honor of black history month throughout the month of February. Below is a list of their scheduled performances:
- Tuesday, February 12, 2019 (periods 2-6) Freeholder Sumter
- Wednesday, February 13, 2019 (periods 2-9) P.S. 20 & 13
- Wednesday, February 20, 2019 (periods 5b-7) Preakness Healthcare
- Thursday/Friday (Assembly)
- Tuesday, February 26, 2019 (periods 1-3) P.S. 28
Home instruction info...
- Home instruction must be 1 hour per academic subject (weekly).
- The Bedside Teacher is responsible for contacting the teachers to secure instructional material.
- The Bedside Teacher is responsible for contacting the parent to schedule instructional appointments.
- While on Home Instruction, student's grade will be changed to "INC."
- Teachers must manually enter "INC" in their grade books.
- When the student returns to school, the classroom teacher will update grades based on assignments completed.
- The student must be cleared by the Nurses Office before returning to school.
Print Shop Requests
- Requests for printing and design work need to go through the Print Shop in room B-201.
- Each request needs to be documented with a work order form. Mr. Colon has them posted inside the front door of the print shop.
- Include clear, concise instructions and your contact information.
- E-mailed work orders will not be accepted.
- Digital files for printing will only be accepted upon completion of the work order form.
- Work orders need a supervisor's signature.
- Work orders must be submitted at least 1 week in advance prior to due date.
- Work orders should be submitted to the print shop during periods 1 and 9 only to minimize classroom disruptions. If you cannot get down there during these times, I can deliver them.
WONDERFUL THINGS...
(NO ONE IS SENDING ME ANYTHING AND I AM SURE IT ISN'T BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING WONDERFUL IN THE WORLD). I may have to resort back to whimsical photos of Ned Flanders the Cat - and that isn't going to be good for anyone.
BUT HERE IS SOMETHING...
Lawshe has a new practicum teacher, Tiffany Rodriguez. She is a PCTI graduate! She will be with us for the Spring semester and will return in the Fall as Brian's student teacher. Welcome her when you see her!
AND THEN THERE IS THIS...
(I could not resist a Groundhog Macbeth Meme)
If I change the name of this section to Stranger Things, will that change anything? Just a thought - See you all in the hall!
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