Staff Update Week of February 16, 2026

Important Dates

2/19-                           8th Grade Field Trip

2/20-                        Jack B PLCs (Afternoon)

2/20-                        8th Grade Field Trip

2/20-                        HS counselors talk with 8th graders (1:30-2:30)?

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

3/3-                           Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30

3/11-                           Winter Choir Concert 7pm

3/17-                        Fire Drill 2:25pm

3/19-                        7th Grade Field Trip

3/20-                        End of Quarter 3

3/20-                        PD Day

3/23-3/27            Spring Break

Important Information

PBIS Music-  This week's Plan

Tuesday-  8th period (around 3:00)

Thursday-  End of 1st period

Jack B Meetings (Friday)

6th Period-    7th Grade PLC

7th Period-    none

8th Period-    6th Grade PLC

*  8th Grade Teachers will not meet with Jack this time due to HS Counselors talking with students from 1:30-2:30

**  If any electives teachers would like to attend a PLC this day with Jack, please let me know.

Smart Pass

Please make sure you are using Smart Pass anytime a student leaves your room.  This helps us keep track of the students that are leaving every period.  We will discuss the students that are our top offenders this week in PLCs

EMS Experience Night

If you have not done so already, please use the link to sign up for EMS Experience Night on February 18th

EMS Experience Night Form

AIR Tests

We are working on getting our spring testing calendar set.  Here is a link to the Spring Testing Calendar.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Create a PBL with an AI Chatbot

 

Staff Update Week of February 9, 2026

 

Important Dates

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/20-                        Jack B PLCs (Afternoon)

2/20-                        8th Grade Field Trip

2/20-                        HS counselors talk with 8th graders (1:30-2:30)?

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

Impact and Connections Award

Congratulations to Amy Smith and Derek Grabski for being nominated by the colleagues for the Impact and Connections Award.  Dr. Ward stopped down at EMS and read the nominations to each of them this past week.  Well deserved.

Explicit Instruction

Per the staff meeting, here is a link to Jamie Smith's  Explicit Instruction file.

We will discuss these during PLCs and select various strategies to focus on at each grade level.

EMS Experience Night

If you have not done so already, please use the link to sign up for EMS Experience Night on February 18th

EMS Experience Night Form

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

EMS SUPER BOWL SQUARES

 

Staff Update Week of February 2, 2026

 

Important Dates

2/2-                            RIMP Meetings (Round 2)

2/3-                           After School Staff Meeting (3:15-4:15)

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/20-                        Jack B PLCs (Afternoon)

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

RIMP Data Meeting #2

Julie Bonacci will be here on Monday to review data with teachers working with students on RIMPS

The schedule was emailed to these teachers last week.

PBIS (Music Times)

We will be playing music for students to walk the halls on the following dates and times 

Tuesday:  8th Period 2:45ish

Thursday:  End of Homeroom (8:40ish)

EMS Experience Night

If you have not done so already, please use the link to sign up for EMS Experience Night on February 18th

EMS Experience Night Form

After School Staff Meeting- February 3rd (rescheduled from 1/15)

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Super Bowl Squares

 

Staff Update Week of January 26, 2026

 

Important Dates

1/28-                        Fire Drill 2:23pm

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

2/2-                            RIMP Meetings (Round 2)

2/3-                           After School Staff Meeting (3:15-4:15)

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

Choose Resilience (PBIS)

Thank you for your participation in the PBIS rollout on Friday.  

At random times, we will play music on the announcements.  When the music plays, everyone is to take a movement break and walk around the building (maybe 2-3 minutes).

We will select various "theme songs" that students have chosen.  If there theme song is chosen to be played on announcements they will win a prize.

Thursday's Power Outage

We will discuss the "Great Power Outage of 2026" during PLCs this week.  

AIR Testing

We will discuss AIR Testing dates during PLCs this week.

EMS Experience Night

We will be hosting EMS Experience Night on Wednesday, February 18th from 6:00-7:30.  If you run a club, please plan on being their.  Have your students be there to advertise their club.  This went very well last year.

You are permitted to clock in.  Jaimie has the tri-fold boards you created last year, or you can create a new on.

Lets make sure we show everyone what makes this place so special.

After School Staff Meeting- February 3rd (rescheduled from 1/15)

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Engaging MS Students in Deeper Learning with Career Connected PBL

 

Staff Update Week of January 19, 2026

 

Please, Please, Please make sure you are passing out Ranger Bucks to students.  

Important Dates

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/23-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

2/2-                            RIMP Meetings (Round 2)

2/3-                           After School Staff Meeting (3:15-4:15)

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

PBIS Update

The PBIS theme for quarter 3 is "Choose Resilience".  Last quarter, each grade level did their own thing with community service.  Our goal this quarter is to reconnect PBIS as a whole school.

We will be rolling this off on Friday, January 23rd during Flex (8th period).

During flex, we will play music over the announcements.  When you hear the music, all students will walk around the building (same direction....counter clockwise....8th grade hall to six grade hall to 7th grade hall.....to 8th grade hall)

Teachers can walk with students or monitor the hallways to make sure everyone is behaving appropriately.

When the music stops, students will freeze and be sent to the nearest breakout room to discuss resilience (mixed grade level discussion).

PBIS ambassadors will lead the discussions.

There will be 4 different breakout rooms (locations to be determined) with 2-3 ambassadors per room.

PBIS teachers are still working on the talking points for the ambassadors. 

I will put out more information later in the week.

January 22nd (rescheduled from 1/15)

On January 22nd, Jaimie Smith will be at EMS to provide support for The Writing Revolution.  6th, 7th, and 8th Grade PLCs will all meet that day.

6th Grade-  2nd period PLC

7th Grade- 1st period PLC

8th Grade-  8th Period PLC

When Jaimie is not in a PLC, she will be going into classrooms to offer feedback or even model is a teacher would like.

*  In order to provide coverage for 8th grade teachers (8th Period), 7th Graders will have Career Connections on Wednesday (1/21) and 8th Graders will have Career Connections on Thursday (1/22)

**  Please make sure you plan on incorporating The Writing Revolution strategies into your lessons on 1/22

***  ILT Members will be at the board office that day as scheduled.

After School Staff Meeting- February 3rd (rescheduled from 1/15)

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

2nd Quarter Academic Awards

Reminder.......We have moved this back to Friday, January 23rd

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Making Formative Assessments More Efficient and Effective

 

Staff Update Week of January 12, 2026

 

I know it is a bit late, but I had to use this pic

Important Dates

1/15-                           Afterschool Staff Meeting 3:15-4:15

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/23-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

Important Information

January 15th

On January 15th, Jaimie Smith will be at EMS to provide support for The Writing Revolution.  6th, 7th, and 8th Grade PLCs will all meet that day.

6th Grade-  2nd period PLC

7th Grade- 1st period PLC

8th Grade-  8th Period PLC

When Jaimie is not in a PLC, she will be going into classrooms to offer feedback or even model is a teacher would like.

*  In order to provide coverage for 8th grade teachers (8th Period), 7th Graders will have Career Connections on Wednesday (1/14) and 8th Graders will have Career Connections on Thursday (1/15)

**  Please make sure you plan on incorporating The Writing Revolution strategies into your lessons on 1/15

After School Staff Meeting- January 15th

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

2nd Quarter Academic Awards

We have moved this back to Friday, January 23rd

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Cult of Pedagogy (good library of videos)

 

Staff Update Week of January 5, 2026

Important Dates

1/5-                            Start of 3rd Quarter

1/7-                            Group Picture Day

1/15-                           Afterschool Staff Meeting 3:15-4:15

1/16-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

Important Information

Welcome Back   

I hope everyone had a restful break.  Welcome back to EMS.  Please encourage your students to start 2026 out with making good decisions.

2nd Quarter Grades

Per Casey's email, Grades are due January 6th at Midnight.

Please make sure you are filling out the At-Risk Possible Failure Spreadsheet if a student is receiving a D or an F

Group Picture Day

Just a friendly reminder that Group Picture Day is this Wednesday (Jan 7th).  Jack will be sending out details.

After School Staff Meeting- January 15th

Just a reminder, there is a one hour after school staff meeting on January 15th.  I will share more details as I receive them.

New Years Resolution?

A great New Years Resolution would be for each teacher to make a minimum of one positive parent phone call or email per week.  This simple task can make a huge difference in motivating kids to try their best.

Christmas Miracles

Not only did the Cleveland Browns defeat that hated team from Pennsylvania, our flex rooms got furniture!   Each room has 32 seats.  We will discuss possible ways of utilizing these rooms during PLCs this week.

(Sorry Kirk, no furniture for the library)

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

60-Second Strategy:  Board Splash