This is more of a "Mid-Weekly..."
Active Shooter Drills
Panic Buttons have been installed throughout the campus (there is one right outside my office). Only 4 are activated at this point. Six or seven more will be installed. Anyone can push a panic button in an emergency - student or teacher. Cameras are focused on the areas surrounding the buttons and will confirm who pushed it. In an active shooter emergency, the button should be hit only once. These buttons lock all the electronic doors and an automated message regarding the lockdown status goes out across campus. These panic buttons alert the sheriff's department and Wayne police. In the future, there will also send a telephone message and radio alert to all local PD who may be in the area. When a button is hit, a message as to the location of the button is sent to Mr. Ghallager and Dr. Parent.
We need to take the active shooter drills seriously - practice as if they were real The next one, February 5th, will be an "internal" one - it will not go out to law enforcement. The April one will go out to the local agencies.
You can also dial 311 to lock down the building down.
Team meetings
Team meetings will be tomorrow - Thursday 1/24. Coverages will be sent for those who need it and suggested agendas will go out later today but we will be discussing possible curriculum revisions, a new "summer read" philosophy and ideas for next year's benchmarks. I will try to come to the meetings to chat with you regarding some of these things (however these days anything I plan to do gets squashed and I end up putting out fires...) We will have IXL for all Freshmen and BSI. It has a continuous diagnostic feature that will make placement much easier next year and give Freshmen teachers a great option for classwork and homework. We can roll it out to Sophomore teachers at some point but it is expensive so I have to work that out. Those ELA 10 teachers that are piloting it can help us train the Freshmen teachers next year. I am also 98% sure we will have a Newsela pro account - it is like CommonLit on steroids. Check out the free version in the meantime. Everyone will have access to this platform - it offers ready-made text-sets and writing packages that provide informational texts that can be used for RSTs and many of them relate to the themes and literary pieces in our curriculum. My goal is to make you the "designers" of the blueprint for how we do things so I am relying on your commitment to making us better, more efficient and more effective - all with less stress.
Department Meetings
Our next department meeting is February 5th.
Progress Reports
The mid-point of R2 was Monday January 21st, 2019. Progress report comments for R2 are due Monday January 28th, 2019 @ 3pm.
Important Notes:
- Comments are required for students who have a C- or below.
- There’s been a new update to the comment bank. You can now create your own personalized comments! See the pdf attached or use this link.
- MAKE SURE YOU ARE UNDER THE CORRECT TERM (R2) WHEN ENTERING THE COMMENTS.
- If you enter them in the wrong term you will have to re-enter them in the correct term manually again.
PowerTeacher Pro How To: Enter Progress Report Comments + NEW
COMMENT BANK UPDATE!!
1. Go to Grading -> Comment Verification
2. MAKE SURE YOU’RE UNDER THE APPROPRIATE TERM. This example is showing the R2 term
3. Click on the comment box of a student and type in your comment
4. If you need the Comment Bank click the little message bubble in the top right corner
5. Click the Comment Bank button
6. Add your comments using the plus sign, type in your own, or proceed to the next step to make your own comment bank.
Personalized comment bank
1. Go to “Settings” → “Comment Bank”
2. Add a new comment
3. Give it a unique code
4. Give it a category (I recommend categories like positive, neutral and negative for easy filtering but it’s up to you).
5. Use the “Insert smart Text” to dynamically
personalize your comment.
6. Save
To use your personalized comment bank
1. Go to Grading -> Comment Verification
2. MAKE SURE YOU’RE UNDER THE APPROPRIATE TERM. The pictures are just example and may not reflect the current term you need to be in.
3. Click on the Message Bubble Icon
4. Click on Show Comment Bank
5. Click on the little Settings Gear Icon
6. Select My Comments
"Bulldogs In the Know"
for notifying us of the activities, accomplishments, and picture taking requests for your students, please take the time to begin now.
“Bulldogs in the Know” is the Communication Department’s new procedure for collecting information about what’s going on at PCTI. As the population of our school continues to grow, we want to keep track of the numerous events & accomplishments of our faculty/staff/students! Use this vehicle for notifying PCTI of the activities, accomplishments, and picture taking requests for your students.
A special google form found on the Professional Portal is an easy way to submit accomplishments, stories, and events to the Communications Department. Your active participation will allow PCTI to supply content for social media, press releases, technician articles, the outside marquee, inside monitors and more. It will also track and schedule up-and-coming events for photographic coverage!
This “Bulldogs in the Know” google form is now on the professional portal for easy access for all teachers & staff. Please share all your good news stories and accomplishments.
New Technology Sign-in System
The technology offices/stations at PCTI has implemented a new sign in system for students. Students scan their ID to sign in and out when visiting a Technician. If you’re ever questioning a student’s whereabouts, a log of their visits is available to everyone via the “Checkpoint” link on the teacher and admin PowerSchool portal. These checkpoints are located in the F-Media Center, H-13, and STEM Technology office.
