Staff Update Week of April 1st

Welcome our newest Laker

Important Dates

4/1-            No School

4/3-            First Day of State Testing

4/5-            8th Grade Field Trip (Natural History Museum)

4/8-            PD Day-  Solar Eclipse 

4/16-          Fire Drill 1:40pm

4/17-           Staff Meeting 7:30am

4/18-           Tornado Drill  8:45am

4/20-          NESS Dance

Important Information

State Testing

When are we testing?:    EMS AIR Testing Dates.  

Please help keep students quiet in the hallways.  

Please continue to encourage students to try their best on the tests.

ELA Testing Groups

Here is a link to the ELA Testing Groups.  Please use this list so you know who should be in your classes.  6th and 7th grade will be testing both AM and PM.  8th grade is testing only in the morning.

PBIS

Another shout out to our Tier 1 and Tier 2 PBIS teams.  Great work everyone!

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Better Ways to Measure Student Progress

27 Super-Smart, Teacher-Tested Closing Activities

 Staff Update Week of March 18th

Important Dates

3/21-        PBIS Day (know the 3 Rs)

3/22-        PBIS Quarterly Incentive 

3/22-        Fire Drill 10:22am

3/25-4/1    Spring Break

4/3-            First Day of State Testing

4/5-            8th Grade Field Trip (Natural History Museum)

4/8-            PD Day-  Solar Eclipse 

Important Information

Election Day (Tuesday)

The building will be used on Tuesday as a voting site.  Therefore, the following will need to take place:

-  Gym closed for all classes (Joe and Brett.....please move your classes)

-  Track and Tennis......Gym closed for practices.

-  Locker rooms closed to students all day.  (coaches, please make sure students get anything they need for school/sports out of locker room on Monday.....keep lockers locked)

-  8th Graders will need to stay in the Lobby in the morning prior to school (no gym)

-

PBIS 

The State Support Team will be at EMS on Thursday to review our Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports.  They will be coming around asking questions.  Make sure you are able to discuss what we do to support PBIS.  

Here is the adjusted bell schedule for March 22nd.  Thank you Amy Clendenning and the PBIS Team for putting together a fun afternoon for the students.

PLCs

Just a reminder....Any staff member is welcome to attend any PLC.  Just let me know if you would like to attend one of the meetings and I will make sure to get you coverage so you can attend.  Having these frequent PLCs allows me to cancel many of our staff meetings.

6th Grade Meetings-  Tuesdays 5th period

7th Grade Meetings-  Wednesdays  7th period

8th Grade Meetings-  Thursdays  1st period

State of the Schools

On Monday evening, the district will be hosting the "State of the Schools".   Each school will have a table and a few students and staff members present to talk about the great things happening in their buildings.  Thank you Stephanie Royko, Kirk Dressel, and Casey Cook for organizing students, setting up the table, and spear heading this event.

State Testing

The month of April will be filled with State Testing.  Here is a link to the EMS AIR Testing Dates.  Please encourage students to try their best on the tests.  Make sure students are out of the hallways and there are minimal distractions throughout the day.  Please keep in mind that there will be some small group testing happening on days that are assigned testing days.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

How to Aggregate Test and Quiz Scores

Let Students Choose Their Grading Criteria

 Staff Update Week of March 11th

Important Dates

3/13-      8th Grade Field Trip (Maltz Museum)

3/13-        End of 3rd Quarter

3/21-        PBIS Day (know the 3 Rs)

3/22-        PBIS Quarterly Incentive 

3/25-4/1    Spring Break

4/3-            First Day of State Testing

4/8-            PD Day-  Solar Eclipse 

Important Information

Bathrooms

Starting on Monday, the upstairs bathrooms will be closed (locked) in the mornings.  The downstairs bathrooms will be monitored by staff members.

PBIS Assembly on 3/22

For those of you that like to plan ahead, here is the adjusted bell schedule for March 22nd

Congratulations

Congrats to Karla Schwenk for winning the coveted "Last Teacher Stuck at Conferences Award".  Way to go Karla!

Food Fight 

Starting Monday, the Superintendent-Student Advisory Council will be collecting money to support  End 68 Hours of Hunger.  If any students bring money to be donated, please send them down to the office.  

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

sorry.....nothing for you this week

   Staff Update Week of March 4th

Three weeks until Spring Break

Important Dates

3/4-        Winter Band Concert 7pm

3/5-         Winter Choir Concert 7pm

3/6-         Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30

3/13-      8th Grade Field Trip (Maltz Museum)

3/13-        End of 3rd Quarter

3/21-        PBIS Day (know the 3 Rs)

3/22-        PBIS Quarterly Incentive 

3/25-4/1    Spring Break

4/3-            First Day of State Testing

4/8-            PD Day-  Solar Eclipse 

Important Information

AIR Tests

These are the dates for AIR Testing.  Tested area teachers are currently working on groupings for testing.  More information will be shared prior to Spring Break.

Concerts

Good luck to our Band and Choir students this week in their Winter Concerts.  Monday at 7pm are the Band concerts and Tuesday at 7pm are the Choir concerts.  Thank you to Katie Michalski and Stephanie Black for your hard work getting the students ready for these fun events.

Hallways

Just a monthly reminder.....please be present in the hallways between classes.  Help keep the peace.

Family Bingo Night

The PTSO is putting on their annual Family Bingo Night on Friday, March 15th.  It was very successful last year and everyone had fun.  Please consider bringing your families.  There were a lot of great baskets last year.

Conferences

Just a reminder....If a student is not doing well in your class, please reach out to their parents prior to conferences and make sure they are aware they have the opportunity to come talk with you.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

The Value of Mailing Encouraging Notes to Students

What is Deeper Learning?  Who are the Deep Learning Teachers?

   Staff Update Week of February 26th

Please help promote the Magic Show Fundraiser

Important Dates

2/27-      Fire Drill 9:35am

3/4-        Winter Band Concert 7pm

3/5-         Winter Choir Concert 7pm

3/6-         Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30

3/13-      8th Grade Field Trip (Maltz Museum)

3/13-        End of 3rd Quarter

3/21-        PBIS Day (know the 3 Rs)

3/22-        PBIS Quarterly Incentive 

3/25-4/1    Spring Break

4/3-            First Day of State Testing

4/8-            PD Day-  Solar Eclipse 

Important Information

Magic Show Fundraiser

Please help the PTSO and promote the Magic Show fundraiser.  If you have social media, please consider sharing the details on our platform.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Please reach out to parents that you feel need to attend conferences.  Please be sure to discuss positive experiences you are having with their child as well as what the student can do to improve in your class.

3rd Quarter Grades

The last day of the 3rd quarter is March 13th.  If students are getting a D or an F in your class, make sure you email the parents and make them aware now.  I know parents have plenty of ways to check their child's grade......however they don't.   An email documents that you made the attempt to make them aware.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

60-Second Strategy:  The Hot Seat

6 Differentiated Instructional Strategies for Middle School

  Staff Update Week of February 12th

Important Dates

2/14-      Valentine's Day

2/16-       PTSO Rick Smith (Magician) Assembly 2pm

2/19-      Presidents Day (No School)

2/21-      Staff Meeting 7:30am

2/21-    PTSO Meeting 6:30pm

2/27-      Fire Drill 9:35am

Important Information

Magic Show Assembly

Here is a link to the adjusted bell schedule for Friday.  

The show will start at 2pm sharp, so we will start dismissing students by grade level to the gym around 1:50

Please plan on sitting with students in the bleachers.

Super Bowl Squares    

Super Bowl Squares    

When the numbers were drawn, I realized we were missing a row.  I got creative on the bottom row.  Good Luck

AIR Testing Schedule

The month of April is filled with AIR testing.  

Here is a link to the "Tentative" AIR Testing Schedule

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

18 Books for Reluctant Middle School Readers

60 Second Strategy- Pass the Marker

 Staff Update Week of February 5th

Important Dates

2/9-        Valentine's Day Dance (Units) at EMS

2/14-      Valentine's Day

2/16-       PTSO Rick Smith (Magician) Assembly 2pm

2/19-      Presidents Day (No School)

2/21-      Staff Meeting 7:30am

2/27-      Fire Drill 9:35am

Important Information

Teaming

I have spoken with all PLCs about teaming next year and some of the benefits and obstacles we will face.   We are already doing many of the important aspects of teaming.  

Positive Phone Calls

Please try to contact parents when students are to be commended for the outstanding work they are doing in your classroom.  There is not one parent that would not want to hear great news about their child.  This message gets passed to the student and encourages him/her to continually put their best foot forward

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Middle School Team Building

Making Deep Thinking the Norm